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Calcio FC Weekly
What if Rasmus Hojlund Was Good All Along?
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Welcome to Issue 7 of Calcio FC Weekly!
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For the first time since the Diego Maradona days, Napoli and Roma may go head-to-head for the title. Also, can Max Allegri predict the future, and have you heard the one about the footballer who quit the game because he loved hoovers?
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Don't forget you can get in touch with us on our socials and at newsletter@destinationcalcio.com
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Here's a taste of what's on the menu in today:
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- Another Manchester United cast-off comes good
- Will the road to the Scudetto go through the A1?
- AC Milan pay the penalty
- Swede dreams and vacuum cleaners
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United’s Loss Is Napoli’s Gain, Again
Here’s a stat for you. Benjamin Sesko needs just two more goals to equal Rasmus Hojlund’s Premier League total from last season.
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Here’s another stat for you. Hojlund has scored as many league goals for Napoli as he has for Manchester United in 2025.
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What does this tell us? Perhaps not a lot other than United have found an upgrade on Hojlund in Sesko and that Napoli have struck gold again with another Old Trafford cast-off, 12 months after turning Scott McTominay into the Serie A MVP.
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Hojlund’s goal against Genoa completed a 2-1 win for the Partenopei, who are one of only three sides in Europe’s top five leagues yet to lose at home this calendar year, along with Monaco and Liverpool.
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Coupled with his brace against Sporting Club in the Champions League four days earlier, Hojlund’s goals have proved crucial for Napoli this week.
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The 22-year-old is playing with the kind of confidence that deserted him in England, where he never looked like living up to the €75m fee United paid for him.
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It is easy to forget that Hojlund had scored just 10 goals in 34 games in all competitions in his only season for Atalanta before moving to the Premier League.
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"He's a 22-year-old who wasn't getting much of a look-in at Manchester United," Antonio Conte said.
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"He has major room for improvement and needs to work hard, but he absolutely has the chance to become a star talent, and he's demonstrating that potential."
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Can lightning strike twice and can Conte turn Hojlund into the striker United thought they were getting?
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The Dane certainly thinks so.
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“Conte is exactly what I need right now in my career,” he said. “We met at the right time.”
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A Title Race Playing Out on the Autosole?
The only team keeping pace with Napoli at the top of Serie A is Roma, who won 2-1 in Florence just hours before the defending champions saw off Genoa.
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The two are neck and neck at the top of Serie A after six games for the first time since the 1989-90 season and will meet at the end of next month when Napoli head up the Autosole, the Motorway of the Sun, as the A1 is known.
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Facing Fiorentina was the perfect tonic for the Giallorossi who were still reeling from their Europa League defeat by Lille on Thursday night.
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Matias Soule’s screamer cancelled out Moise Kean’s brilliant opener, before Bryan Cristante (pictured below) sealed the three points.
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This was Roma’s third consecutive win and their first at the Artemio Franchi in four years.
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Six games may be a small sample size, but Roma are a completely different side to the sinking ship that churned through two managers in the first three months of last season.
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They have hit the ground running under Gian Piero Gasperini, but plaudits have been few and far between, much to the manager's chagrin.
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"I'm very happy for the fans and the team. First place is a great reward for their performances," he said.
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"Some people still haven't given us credit for being up there, but this team is proving them wrong, achieving results while improving both our quality and our spirit. I'm delighted for them.
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“We now head into the break with greater confidence, and we know exactly what we still need to improve. I repeat: we have received little credit so far and perhaps rightly so. We're going to enjoy the moment, but let's not talk about any major objectives.”
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The most striking aspect of Roma’s success early in Gasperini’s tenure is how un-Gasperini they have been.
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They have scored just seven goals, the fewest of the teams in the top seven in Serie A, but boast the best defensive record in the league, having conceded only twice.
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It is a world away from the free-scoring Atalanta side that Gasperini built in Bergamo, and the lack of goals is arguably the main concern on the red-and-yellow bank of the Tiber.
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Artem Dovbyk has just one in Serie A, while Evan Ferguson and Paulo Dybala are yet to find the back of the net.
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Argentine Dybala was back to full fitness in Florence, but Gasperini reiterated he will only deploy him as a striker “in an emergency”.
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He could soon have one of his hands though, if the others don’t find their scoring boots and keep leaving Soule to shoulder the attacking burden.
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The 22-year-old has been in scintillating form, scoring three times in six Serie A appearances, but he will need support if Roma are to continue their title push.
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The road to the Scudetto this season may go through the Autosole.
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Paying the Penalty
Massimiliano Allegri took a leaf out of Ruben Amorim’s book on Sunday night in AC Milan’s goalless draw with Juventus in Turin.
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On his return to the Allianz Stadium, Allegri refused to watch his team take a penalty, something Manchester United's Portuguese boss has made a habit of this season.
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Amorim stared at the ground as United were knocked out of the League Cup on penalties by Grimsby and adopted the same approach last week against Brentford, before Bruno Fernandes had his penalty saved.
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Allegri’s decision to ignore Christian Pulisic’s spot-kick brought about a similarly disappointing result, with the American sending Michele Di Gregorio the wrong way but missing the target.
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It was a mistake not in keeping with the American’s form this season, with Pulisic (pictured below) arriving in Turin on the back of four goals in five Serie A fixtures.
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Allegri, however, was far from surprised.
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"Did he save it?" he asked his assistant manager Marco Landucci as the Juventus bench celebrated in relief.
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"No, it was high," came Landucci’s reply, before Allegri correctly assessed the reason behind Pulisic’s miss.
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"He side-footed that?” he continued. “Are you kidding me? I told him not to do that."
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Allegri, however, confirmed Pulisic will remain Milan’s main man from the spot, despite the miss.
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"Pulisic is still the penalty taker; one missed penalty doesn't change that," he said. "I just need to figure out who takes them when he's not on the pitch."
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As well he might, given Milan have missed seven of their 13 penalties in Serie A since the beginning of 2024, including five of the last seven.
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Their 54% miss rate is by far the worst in Europe’s top five leagues and such fine margins can decide a title race.
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Pulisic, for his part, may want to avoid taking penalties in Turin in the future, as his only previous miss from the spot for Milan came away against Torino last season.
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Sampdoria Get Off the Mat... For Now
For the first six weeks of the season, there was no sign of the light at the end of the tunnel getting any closer for Sampdoria.
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In fact, those of a Blucerchiati persuasion may well have been wondering whether there was a light at all.
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It was a legitimate question, with Sampdoria entering Sunday’s fixture against Pescara bottom of the table with two points and Massimo Donati’s future hanging by a thread.
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By the time Andrea Oliveri fired the visitors in front on the stroke of half-time, the mood was mutinous at Marassi with Samp seemingly drifting towards the abyss yet again.
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But for once, they rose to the challenge, and in some fashion too.
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Massimo Coda (pictured below) equalised from the spot 10 minutes after the restart, before Simone Pafundi and Fabio Depaoli scored within three minutes of each other and Nicholas Ioannou sealed Sampdoria’s first win of the season.
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"It feels great right now. It’s a fantastic feeling,” Donati said after the final whistle.
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“I wish we could carry these sensations with us after a match like that. These memories truly make you realise how wonderful it is to win games."
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A derby against fellow strugglers Virtus Entella after the international break offers the perfect chance to build on the Pescara win, before the calendar throws up more difficult assignments in the shape of a home fixture against high-flying Frosinone and trips to Empoli and Venezia.
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"Our position in the league table isn't good, so we absolutely needed this result," Donati said.
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"It's still early in the season. We need to put this behind us and start concentrating on the next match tomorrow and the day after."
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Hoovering up the Excitement
If you grew up on a steady diet of Football Italia, chances are that at some point or another you were dazzled by Tomas Brolin.
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A silky winger who glided past tackles, the mercurial Swede (pictured below) was blessed with a superb passing range and an eye for a goal, qualities that made him an integral part of the Parma team that won four major trophies between 1992 and 1995.
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A Golden Boot winner at Euro 1992 in his homeland, Brolin inspired Sweden to a third-place finish at the World Cup two years later when they took the tournament by storm, all while wearing one of the most glorious kits you will ever see.
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Brolin finished fourth in the Ballon d'Or that year and could justifiably claim to be one of the best players in the world at his peak.
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That peak, however, was short-lived and he called it a day at 28 years old. The reason? The ever-fascinating world of vacuum cleaners. No, seriously.
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"I was honestly tired of training every day and had other projects constantly buzzing in my head. I’ve always been very curious," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
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"One day, a man approached me - a truly unusual character: an inventor. He pitched me his new idea for a vacuum cleaner.
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"I was instantly drawn to it and opened a company with him. That was the final push I needed; after that, I never felt the desire to go back on the pitch."
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Brolin was never the same player after breaking his foot in 1994, the injury triggering a drastic physical decline which effectively signalled the end of his career with Parma and derailed his brief spell at Leeds United.
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"Everyone back then insisted that retiring at 28 was premature, but my response was always, 'It depends on what you’ve managed to do by the age of 28'," he said.
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"I had accomplished plenty in my career. And since life is far too short for boredom, I refuse to spend time on anything I don't find entertaining."
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Tomas Brolin, one of the last great mavericks.
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Glory Days and 100 Years of Memories... but What Next for San Siro?
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The San Siro is a step closer to demolition after Milan's city council approved its sale to AC Milan and Inter Milan last week. From Marco van Basten to Bruce Springsteen and rusty railings, Dan Cancian delves into what makes the stadium so unique.
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A Scudetto and Goals Galore... The Japanese Stars Who Sparkled in Italy
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Big in Japan, Alphaville used to sing. But what of the Japanese players who were big in Italy? Destination Calcio takes a look at some who left an indelible imprint on the fabric of the Italian game.
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The Serie B Story So Far... Who is Ripping Up the Script in Italy's Second Tier?
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With the second international break of the season here, Dan Cancian takes a look at how the land lies in the wonderful world of calcio's second division. From shock troops to managers under pressure and the stadiums we want to visit next. It's all here.
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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 next few weeks.
- Click HERE for the full 2025-26 calendar.
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Things you may have missed this week
- Fiorentina have lost their first three league games of the season at home for the first time since the 1928-29 season, in what was then known as Group B of the National Division. Serie A's inception was still a year away as Ambrosiana - who would rebrand as Inter Milan after World War II - and Genoa left Florence following 4-0 and 2-1 wins respectively, while Lazio trounced Fiorentina 3-0. La Viola, who were still playing in red and white, were relegated at the end of the season. Hardly a positive omen for manager Stefano Pioli.
- Louis Buffon made his Serie A debut on Sunday, coming on for Pisa against Bologna at the age of 17. That is the same age his dad, Gianluigi, made his bow in Serie A in November 1995 when Parma drew 0-0 with AC Milan. There was no such solace for Louis as Pisa were thrashed 4-0 by Bologna and are bottom of the table with two points.
- Roma have won their first three away games of a Serie A season for the fourth time in their history and the first since the 2017-18 season, when they finished third. Prior to that, they managed it in the 1991-92 and 2013-14 campaigns, when they finished fifth and second respectively.
- For the first time since the 2017-18 season, no Serie A manager has been sacked before the second international break of the season.
- Sunday was the 32nd time Massimiliano Allegri managed one of the teams in a fixture between Juventus and AC Milan in all competitions, a new record beating the previous mark set by Giovanni Trapattoni.
- Palermo are still waiting for a €6m contribution the city council had promised to help with the renovation of the Renzo Barbera.
- The average crowd in Serie A through the first six games of the season stands at 32,510, a 5.6% increase from the corresponding period a year ago and the highest figure since calcio's top tier averaged 32,636 spectators over the course of the entire 1992-93 season.
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Watch the Calcio FC podcast on YouTube and listen on Spotify
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Kit of the week
Ask any Juventus fan who remembers the 1990s about their favourite shirt from the era, and there’s a fine chance they’ll plump for the 1995-96 away top.
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Perhaps owing to the fact the Bianconeri wore it in the final of the Champions League against Ajax, the last time they won it, the shirt has a special meaning to many Juventini.
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To kit aficionados in general, it remains one of the most iconic of the era: the yellow stars on either shoulder, the Sony logo (at the height of the pop culture zeitgeist with the original Playstation) splashed across the chest, the Scudetto badge on one side and the Coppa Italia Coccarda on the other, the bluest of blues.
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Simply a gorgeous piece of material.
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But that classic isn’t our shirt of the week. In fact, it’s the away jersey from the year before, 1994-95 (pictured below).
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This one set the template for the next few years. The formula of blue/yellow stars on the shoulders was used from 1994 to 1998, a period when Juve became the byword for excellence and reached four consecutive European finals (losing three of them).
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This was the last year with French food company Danone as the sponsor, and it was also Roberto Baggio’s final campaign in Turin, with the Divine Ponytail dumped in favour of a young Alessandro Del Piero.
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It was the season Marcello Lippi arrived and snapped Milan’s seemingly unbreakable stranglehold on Serie A, guiding Juve to a domestic double and a first title in nine years.
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And they did so while using this banger of a shirt.
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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!
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What we are reading this week
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Napoli are top of the league and and Naples is undergoing a transformation as a city, shedding its reputation as underdog, as this brilliant Mundial piece explains.
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Coffee corner
This week's entry comes from Caffe' Pedrocchi in Padua. Located in a tiny piazza in the middle of the old town, this cafe is the oldest in Padua having first welcomed customers in 1831. It used to be open round the clock, until 1916, and retains most of its neoclassical and Venetian gothic elements. A true city institution, unlike the Stadio Euganeo.
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Got a tip for the best espresso you've had in Pisa? Had a memorable cappuccino in Parma? Let us know on our socials or by email at newsletter@destinationcalcio.com!
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Random former Serie A/Serie B footballer of the week
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The San Siro is in the headlines again after Milan's city council agreed to sell the stadium and the land surrounding it to AC Milan and Inter Milan, who hope to demolish the current venue and build a new arena in time for Euro 2032. The San Siro has been graced by phenomenal players on both sides of the Milanese divide, but when it comes to cult heroes few match Mark Hateley's status on the red-and-black side of town. Attila, as he was nicknamed by the Curva Sud, joined Milan in the summer of 1984 from Portsmouth and over the next three seasons went on to score 21 goals in 86 appearances. None more famous than his winner in the first Derby della Madonnina of the 1984-85 season, when he rose above Inter defender Fulvio Collovati to head home. Such was the impact of Hateley's goal that it was the subject of a Curva Sud tifo in 2016.
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That is all for this week folks. We hope you enjoyed this latest issue of 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!
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