|
|
|
|
Calcio FC Weekly
The Devil is in the Detail for Italy
|
|
|
Welcome to Issue 3 of Calcio FC Weekly!
|
The first international break of the season is finally in the rearview mirror as Gennaro Gattuso's opening two matches in charge of the Azzurri returned two wins and 10 goals scored.
|
That, however, barely scratches the surface of the performances against Estonia and Israel, and the former AC Milan midfielder has plenty to work on between now and the reverse fixtures against both teams next month.
|
The fallout from Italy's first two games under Gattuso is just one bit of another jam-packed newsletter, so let's get the ball rolling.
|
Don't forget you can get in touch with us on our socials and at newsletter@destinationcalcio.com
|
Here's a taste of what's on the menu today:
|
- Is Gattuso the right man for Italy?
- Lautaro lost in translation
- Meet the 82-year-old goalkeeper who's STILL playing
- Serie C madness
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Devil is in the Detail for Italy and Gennaro Gattuso
Giorgio Armani, who passed away last week aged 91, never tired of stressing the importance of paying close attention to every particular. "To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail," the late fashion designer famously remarked.
|
It is a philosophy Gennaro Gattuso will do well to pass on to his players after a psychotic, baffling and downright ridiculous 90 minutes against Israel on Monday night.
|
On the back of thrashing Estonia 5-0 in Gattuso's debut game in charge three days earlier, Italy came from behind, looked home and dry with three minutes left, then almost squandered two points before eventually securing a 5-4 victory courtesy of Sandro Tonali's 91st-minute winner.
|
It leaves Gattuso with a perfect record and the Azzurri second in Group I with nine points, in the box seat for the play-off spot.
|
Italy are level on points with Israel but have a game in hand and a superior goal difference. They sit three behind Norway, who face Moldova on Tuesday night.
|
While the table looks far healthier than it did a week ago, his first two matches in charge have left Gattuso with more questions than answers. If the win over Estonia was routine enough after a laboured first half, the victory against Israel was anything but straightforward.
|
Two of Israel's four goals were own goals, with Manuel Locatelli diverting the opener into his own net and Alessandro Bastoni following suit for Israel's third. Italy were yet again sluggish out of the blocks and then collapsed to throw away a 4-2 lead with three minutes left to play.
|
"Today was a killer," Gattuso said with typical honesty.
|
"We'll take the victory, because it was crucial. We're crazy for letting in such ridiculous goals. We are simply too fragile and give up goals too easily.
|
"But this isn't a criticism of the players - it's my problem, and I have to fix it with my staff."
|
If the six-point haul is the most obvious of positives, Gattuso will also be encouraged by the developing chemistry between Mateo Retegui and Moise Kean, who have dovetailed brilliantly over the past two matches.
|
Former Atalanta striker Retegui grabbed a brace against Estonia and set up Italy's first three goals on Monday night, while Fiorentina centre-forward Kean added to his goal on Friday with a double against Israel. Giacomo Raspadori, meanwhile, already looks a crucial player for Gattuso, scoring one and setting up two after coming off the bench against Estonia and netting Italy's fourth against Israel.
|
Gattuso has tried to manage expectations since replacing Luciano Spalletti, focusing more on a change in mentality than any tactical revolution. It is a sensible approach, but questions remain over his suitability for the role after a managerial career that delivered more lows than highs.
|
Italy, one suspects, would be badly exposed against better teams than Israel.
|
And yet, for all his tactical acumen, Spalletti failed miserably in charge of the Azzurri and the early signs are Gattuso has so far managed to get through to his players more than his predecessor ever did.
|
Ultimately, Gattuso's tenure hinges on qualifying for the World Cup. To qualify directly, they must hope Norway drop points between now and when Erling Haaland & Co visit the San Siro in November, otherwise another trip to the play-offs beckons.
|
|
For the time being, that may be a success of sort for Gattuso. After all, his team must cut their cloth accordingly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lost in Translation
Lautaro Martinez has had an interesting summer. Not content with calling out some of his Inter Milan team-mates in the wake of their historic shellacking against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, the Argentine fired a verbal salvo in the direction of Hakan Çalhanoğlu, effectively inviting the Turkey international to find himself a new club after the Nerazzurri crashed out of the Club World Cup.
|
His comments lit the blue touchpaper on a row that threatened to derail Inter's season before it had even begun, had it not been for the timely intervention of club president and CEO Beppe Marotta.
|
The Inter captain was back in the headlines last week, after he seemingly suggested in a long interview with France Football that he and his team-mates knew Simone Inzaghi would leave the San Siro at the end of last season.
|
It is a version that Inzaghi has corroborated but Lautaro appeared to distance himself from the party line.
|
“The manager told us he’d received an offer or that he was leaving. So we were far removed from all the rumours and focused on our objectives," the forward told the French publication.
|
It was an extraordinary revelation from the Inter captain. Or was it? According to Corriere dello Sport, whoever translated the interview from Spanish to French omitted the word 'never' after the word 'manager'.
|
Innocent or otherwise - and there is absolutely no suggestion it was anything but a mistake - it left Inter's press office particularly unhappy and they asked for the quote to be amended, as did Lautaro.
|
|
Never trust AI, folks. Not even when it comes to translations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Hefty Dose of Serie C Madness
Look, nobody does chaos quite like Serie C. Try as other leagues might, the sheer absurdity of the Italian third tier remains unparalleled. And with Serie A and Serie B having the weekend off because of the international break, calcio's third division seized the moment to the steal the limelight.
|
In Group A, having won for the first time in their short history last week, Union Brescia proceeded to see off Pro Vercelli 5-0 at the weekend to move up to fourth, a point behind the leading trio of Vicenza, Lecco and Renate. Since FeralpiSalo were moved to Brescia and renamed after Massimo Cellino did not register the Rondinelle for the Serie C season, Union Brescia are now shaping up as early promotion contenders. After some incredibly difficult months, there are some green shoots at the Stadio Rigamonti.
|
And speaking of sides enjoying their days in the sun, step forward Guidonia, Forli and Ravenna. The former secured their first ever win in professional football by beating Livorno 1-0 away from home, while newly-promoted Forli came back to win 2-1 at Sambenedettese in front of 9,000 fans - yes, 9,000 - and move up to second in Group B alongside fellow Serie C newcomers Ravenna, who beat Bra 3-1.
|
Forli and Ravenna are three points behind league leaders Arezzo, who maintained their perfect record with a 1-0 win over Vis Pesaro. At the other end of the table, Rimini's ordeal grew deeper following a 4-1 dismantling at home at the hands of Ternana, which left the Biancorossi bottom.
|
Docked 11 points for financial irregularities in the summer, Rimini lost most of their players in the transfer window and Sunday's fixture against Ternana was in doubt until a few hours before kick-off because the club had not paid rent at the Stadio Romeo Neri.
|
|
Eventually, Emilia-Romagna's regional court allowed the game to ahead, but Rimini are living on borrowed time just months after lifting the Coppa Italia Serie C.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephan Lichtsteiner on Andrea Pirlo and Champions League Woes
|
|
|
Destination Calcio met up with former Juventus right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner in Toronto to chat about his time in Italy, his toughest opponent and Andrea Pirlo. Emmet Gates has more on the man who scored Juventus' first goal at the Allianz Stadium.
|
|
|
|
|
|
More Cage Than Curva... A Day With the Padova Ultras
|
|
|
You grew up with Football Italia, spent hours poring over pictures of stunning tifo around the grounds and have watched every possible Instagram reel there is about away ends in Italy. So what is it really like to take in calcio on the road? Calcio England investigates on a trip with Padova.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Why Age is Just a Number in Calcio
|
|
|
A former Fiorentina goalkeeper is lacing his boots and donning the gloves again, ready to make his comeback - in the same month he will turn the grand old age of 83. Dan Cancian has more on Lamberto Boranga's extraordinary tale.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kevin De Bruyne Tactical Breakdown: Early Signs of Exciting Times at Napoli
|
|
|
With two Serie A games under his belt, the early signs are positive for Kevin De Bruyne and Napoli as the Belgian maestro is slowly finding his feet in Italy. Edward Stratmann has dived into his tactics mine to explain why.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Don’t forget, Destination Calcio will be bringing you live Serie B action during every round of the 2025-26 season on DCTV
- Click HERE to find out the matches we will be showing across the first few weeks of the season.
- Click HERE for the full 2025-26 calendar.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Things you may have missed this week
- A number of Serie A players were on the scoresheet in the international break. New Inter Milan signing Manuel Akanji scored the opener as Switzerland thrashed Kosovo 4-0 in their World Cup qualifier on Friday night. Torino striker Che Adams slotted home Scotland's first goal in their 2-0 win against Belarus on Monday courtesy of a Scott McTominay assist while Rasmus Hojlund was on target as Denmark won 3-0 in Greece.
- The international break delivered less positive news for Napoli and Fiorentina, who lost Amir Rrahmani and Albert Gudmundsson to ankle injuries. The former limped off during Kosovo's 4-0 defeat by the Swiss, while the latter left the Iceland camp early and returned to Florence to be evaluated.
- Hakan Çalhanoğlu was on the verge of returning to Turkey this summer, but Inter Milan kiboshed his move to Galatasaray late in the transfer window after it became apparent they would have to spend around £40m to replace him. That is according to Galatasaray manager and former Inter midfielder Okan Buruk, who told Turkish broadcaster Now Spor that Çalhanoğlu was ready to take a pay cut to join the Istanbul giants. "The reason Çalhanoğlu wasn't sold is that it was the last day of the transfer window, and Inter didn't want to let him go," he said. "He would have made huge sacrifices to come to Galatasaray, but Inter didn't want to let him leave."
- And Çalhanoğlu isn't the only Inter Milan player who may be considering his next move, with Denzel Dumfries professing his love for the Premier League. “I play in Serie A and I'm comfortable at Inter, but I think I could do well in the Premier League too," he told Fabrizio Romano. “I'd definitely be interested. The Premier League is known for its intensity, while Serie A is one of the strongest leagues tactically."
- Napoli shared a short clip on Instagram of Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and Kevin De Bruyne debating their own and their team-mates' ratings on the upcoming EA Sports FC26 game. Gilmour endeared himself to Napoli fans by referring to Pasquale Mazzocchi as Pasquà, his nickname in Neapolitan dialect
- Gianni Infantino was in Reggio Calabria over the weekend, taking part in the Serie A Operazione Nostalgia meeting. The initiative - its name translates to Operation Nostalgia - started as a social media phenomenon and has grown into a major event series that brings together Serie A stars from the 1990s and 2000s across stadiums in Italy. Roberto Baggio, Francesco Totti, David Trezeguet and Roma hero Aldair all featured in the third and last meeting of the summer at the Stadio Granillo on Saturday. Rather incongruously decked in a football kit, Infantino was on the scene too, the FIFA president showing there is no occasion he will not hijack. One wonders if he introduced himself by saying: "Today, I feel Calabrian. Today I feel a former Serie A great."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Watch the Calcio FC podcast on YouTube and listen on Spotify
|
 
|
|
|
Kit of the week
Genoa celebrated their 132nd birthday on September 7 and released an absolute beauty of a third kit, comprising of a blue shirt and red shorts, to mark the occasion.
|
The choice of colours is a tribute to the line 'Coi pantaloni rossi e la maglietta blu' (With the red shorts and the blue shirt), from the chorus of the club anthem Un Cantico per il Mio Grifone (A Song for my Griffin), after the mythical creature featured on Genoa's badge. The song was penned by Peo Campodonico and Gian Piero Reverberi and was adopted in 1972, after being voted for by fans.
|
And on the subject of kits, which Serie A shirt deserves the sartorial Scudetto and which should be relegated two weeks into the season? We have ranked all 20 home kits here.
|
A reminder that if you spot a classic shirt while you're at the game or out and about, get in touch on our socials or via email and let us know why we should feature it!
|
|
|
|
|
What we are reading this week
|
Speaking to John Blair for an upcoming feature (keep an eye on our podcast feed), we discussed his new book Football Kit Italia, a deep dive into the most glorious era of Serie A (1992-2002), when calcio ruled the world and the kits on display were as famous as the players on the pitch. John goes into incredible detail to explain why Serie A kits were so good, what made them iconic and why the vintage jersey market is an ever-growing business.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coffee corner
This week's entry comes from Genoa, specifically the Trattoria dell'Acciughetta. OK, it's not technically a cafe, but a restaurant. But any place serving coffee as tasty as this, in these beautiful cups, deserves a mention. Tucked away in a backstreet just off the waterfront, this tiny place offers delicious, earthy Genoese food. The perfect spot to refuel before a trip to Marassi.
|
|
Got a tip for the best espresso you've had in Florence? Had a memorable cappuccino in Parma? Let us know on our socials or by email at newsletter@destinationcalcio.com!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Where to watch calcio this weekend
Serie A (times BST/EST)
- Cagliari vs Parma, 14:00/09:00, DAZN (UK and US), Paramount + (US)
- Juventus vs Inter, 17:00/12:00, TNT Sports 1 (UK), DAZN (UK and US), Paramount + (US)
- Fiorentina vs Napoli, 19:45/14:45 DAZN (UK and US), Paramount + (US)
- Roma vs Torino, 11:30/06:30, DAZN (UK and US), Paramount + (US)
- Pisa vs Udinese, 14:00/09:00, DAZN (UK and US), Paramount + (US),
- Atalanta vs Lecce, 14:00/09:00, DAZN (UK and US), Paramount + (US), CBS Sports Network (US)
- Sassuolo vs Lazio, 17:00/12:00, DAZN (UK and US), Paramount + (US)
- AC Milan vs Bologna, 19:45/14:45 DAZN (UK and US), TNT Sports 1 (UK), Paramount + (US)
- Verona vs Cremonese, 17:30/12:30 DAZN (UK and US), Paramount + (US)
- Como vs Genoa, 19:45/14:45 DAZN (UK and US), Paramount + (US)
Serie B
- Avellino vs Monza, 19:30/14:30, Destination Calcio
- Padova vs Frosinone, 14:00/09:00, Destination Calcio
- Sampdoria vs Cesena, 18:30/13:30, Destination Calcio
|
|
|
Random former Serie A/Serie B footballer of the week
We mentioned above that the third Serie A Operazione Nostalgia took place in Reggio Calabria on Saturday, therefore it is only fair for this section to pay homage to one of the local heroes. Totti, Baggio, Trezeguet et al may have graced the turf of the Stadio Granillo, but there was only one man the locals had come to see: Francesco Cozza. An elegant No 10 of the kind who thrived before football became dominated by athletes, Cozza came through Reggina's academy and played more than 250 games across three separate spells for the Amaranto, scoring 51 goals and setting up 30. He helped Reggina to their maiden promotion to Serie A in the 1998-99 season and then returned to keep them up seven years later. Oh, and he also netted another 24 goals in just over 100 appearances across Serie A and Serie B with Lecce, Salernitana, Siena, Genoa, Lucchese, Cagliari, Vicenza, Torino, AC Milan and Reggiana.
|
|
|
|
|
That is all for this week folks. We hope you enjoyed this latest issue of the Calcio FC Weekly, make sure you hit the subscribe button to have it landing in your inbox every Tuesday and don't forget to get in touch at newsletter@destinationcalcio.com or on our socials!
|
|
|
|
  
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
