New season, same position. After three games of the 2025-2026 campaign Sampdoria are bottom of Serie B and out of the Coppa Italia. Two league defeats against Modena and Sudtirol – and five goals conceded in the process – and a cup exit on penalties at Spezia put Samp at an immediate disadvantage in whatContinue reading “The state of Sampdoria: Donati, data and the road to recovery”
Category Archives: Football
Serie A 2025-2026 preview: Napoli Scudetto favourites
Napoli coach Antonio Conte has stressed his team are not the finished article, yet the Partenopei enter the new season as clear title favourites. It’s not the first time the former Juventus, Inter, and Italy coach has tried to dampen expectations by talking down the chances of his side’s potential success. However, everything points towards the NeapolitanContinue reading “Serie A 2025-2026 preview: Napoli Scudetto favourites”
Six Scots in Serie A
An unprecedented six Scots will feature in the 2025-2026 edition of Serie A. The success of a group of multiskilled Scottish internationals has led Italian clubs to widen their scouting networks to monitor more players from one football’s founding nations. While a record number of Scots will turn out for five different top flight clubs,Continue reading “Six Scots in Serie A”
Motta leads Bologna to Champions League
It has taken Thiago Motta just six years to progress from the bottom of the coaching ranks to one of the most sought-after tacticians in Europe. The 41-year-old’s appointment at Bologna was not greeted with universal approval yet the former Italy international has led the Rossoblu to the Champions League for the first time inContinue reading “Motta leads Bologna to Champions League”
Bologna’s Champions League dream
There has been a takeover, four seasons in the second tier and two promotions since the last time Bologna played in Europe. Few will even remember the club’s run to the final of 2002 Intertoto Cup as the Rossoblu target a Champions League place in the final stretch of a remarkable campaign. From financial ruinContinue reading “Bologna’s Champions League dream”
Three talking points from Napoli’s Champions League defeat to Barcelona
Napoli limped out of the Champions League after an error-filled 3-1 defeat at Barcelona. The Partenopei failed to advance beyond the last 16 of the competition on a night to forget at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Catalonia. Barca surged ahead through a quickfire brace from Fermin Lopez and Joao Cancelo as the La Liga sideContinue reading “Three talking points from Napoli’s Champions League defeat to Barcelona”
Napoli target Super Cup success in a season to forget
When Napoli began their title defence the Supercoppa Italiana was an afterthought rather than an objective. Now it’s the Neapolitan club’s only realistic opportunity to claim a trophy in an substandard campaign littered with poor results and off the field controversy. From a magnificent third Scudetto the champions have ungraciously fallen to eighth place in the standingsContinue reading “Napoli target Super Cup success in a season to forget”
A message to you, Rudi: Napoli too open under new coach
Rudi Garcia navigated Napoli past Braga in a tricky Champions League opener in Portugal – yet it wasn’t enough to silence a growing contingent of detractors that question the tactics and approach of the French coach. Derided for his team selection, an unimaginative game plan and substitutions amongst a litany of other charges Garcia stillContinue reading “A message to you, Rudi: Napoli too open under new coach”
Inter can beat the odds again in the Champions League final
It’s a dangerous game to disregard Inter. Simone Inzaghi’s side have been written off so many times you would think they were plucky outsiders from the backwaters of the continent. Now the Italian giants will play in European football’s showpiece match for the sixth time in their storied history after overcoming rivals Milan at SanContinue reading “Inter can beat the odds again in the Champions League final”
Maignan masterclass, Osimhen badly missed and Inzaghi holds on: three Champions League talking points
The probability of an all-Italian Champions League semi-final increased as Inter stunned Benfica and Milan edged in front of Napoli in the last eight of the competition this week. A packed San Siro provided a cauldron of colour and noise as the Rossoneri rose to the occasion to overcome the Partenopei in the quarter-final firstContinue reading “Maignan masterclass, Osimhen badly missed and Inzaghi holds on: three Champions League talking points”
Stephen Kasiewicz 