It’s been twenty years since Irish midfield legend Liam Brady played for Ascoli but the club seems now to be enjoying some of the luck which deserted it on it’s mid 1990s descent into the depths of Serie C1. An arbitrary promotion due to financial problems at Genoa was the first step to recovery.
Nicola Ventola’s attacking qualities should prove sufficient to consolidate Atalanta’s Serie A position if he can stay fit and on form.
Mauro Esposito will face a tough challenge to keep last season’s strugglers in the top flight but a strong start has given them a good base to build on.
Preseason favourites for a straight drop back to Serie B, Catania Calcio have surprised everyone with a fantastic start to the 2006/2007 season giving them high hopes of not only survival but also European football next season.
Italian football’s most inconsistent team, Chievo benefited from the Italian match fixing scandal to reclaim a place in Serie A for 2006/2007 but will do well to keep it.
A surprise UEFA Cup spot following the scandal at the clubs above them in the 2005/2006 table has buoyed Empoli and their strong start to 2006/2007 sees them fighting for a top six spot and a deserved return to European football again next season.
A 15 point deficit was always going to be hard to claw back and despite the best efforts of the Florentine side they still languish in the relegation places as 2006 draws to a close. They are in solid enough form though and if that continues in 2007 they will be able to consolidate their position in the top flight and prepare for a fresh start next season.
After being awarded last season’s title by default, Inter are forging ahead and making the most of the reduction in competition the match fixing scandal has given them this season. Strong summer signings including Patrick Vieria and Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Juventus has tightened up an already impressive, if underachieving, squad.
Having had their punishment reduced to only a 1 point deficit Lazio are best equipped of all the scandal shrouded clubs to really challenge for Serie A honours. Even still they are only skirting with the UEFA Cup spots and will do well to really challenge for a Champion’s League spot come the end of the season.
Lacking in big name stars they may be but Livorno have a tight, well drilled unit who have been successful so far in 2006/2007 at picking up much needed points. If it continues they will face the unlikely task of battling other surprise packages like Catania and Empoli for a European spot.
Their poor away form may be their undoing this season especially once Reggina and Fiorentina claw back the points they had deducted in the match fixing scandal. Escaping relegation by the skin of their teeth would be a successful season for Messina.
Milan’s penchant for draws away from the San Siro is the main reason for their current lack of ability to pull themselves higher in the table and really escape the problems of their eight point preseason punishment deduction. Rumours abound of a loan return in January for Andriy Shevchenko and it might be the spark the Rossoneri need to climb the table.
The Sicilians are battling on two fronts are being pushed into the UEFA Cup spots post-punishment in the summer. The loss of defender Grosso hasn’t hindered their Serie A charge though and they are dark horses for a Champion’s League spot and top three finish.
No point deficits at Parma so there are few excuses for the club’s lowly league position. They’ll need to improve in 2007 if they want to survive at all.
Fifteen points deducted for their part in the matchfixing scandal and they are rooted to the foot of the table as December 2006 nears it’s end. It will take an escape worthy of Harry Houdini to save themselves this season.
Never will Roma stand a better chance of again lifting the Serie A crown than this season with AC Milan and Fiorentina comfortably held low in Serie A and Juventus paying their penance in Serie B. If they can get some team unity they are Inter’s only real challengers for the title.
A young side can often struggle due to inexperience and it proved so for Sampdoria last season. A steady midtable finish beckons in 2006/2007.
Though not short of quality foreign talent, Siena often flatter to deceive and a midtable finish is seemingly written in their destiny for 2006/2007 as well.
It’s been a long time since Torino were Turin’s premier football club but with Juventus playing out this season in disgrace in Serie B, that time has finally arrived again. A large and passionate support is no match for quality on the pitch though and it’s here that Torino are sadly still lacking.
A 4th place finish in 2005 seems to have hindered rather than helped Udinese and they seem likely to again fall into midtable mediocrity, much like they did in 2005/2006.
| 