We are just a few days away from the Start of the 2014-15 Serie A season and the opening fixtures will tell how the season will pan out. It has been a drama filled summer
over in Italy, a poor World Cup in Brazil meant a change in coach as Antonio Conte who surprisingly left Juventus and just a couple of weeks later he took the Italian National team job. Juventus fans were up in arms as their saviour over the past three years left the club, Conte brought home three straight league titles and was building a dynasty at the club and that is now all over. Juventus were quick into bring in a replacement and it was the former AC Milan coach in Max Allegri which was a bit of a surprise as Allegri was sacked in January at AC Milan. Are we going to a season of transition for Juventus under Allegri or will he pick up on where Antonio Conte left off.
AS Roma are most people choices to win their first league title since the 2000-01 season and the main talking point in the capital was over the Mehdi Benatia transfer saga. Thankfully this was ended just over a couple of days ago as the Moroccan defender left Roma to join the German champions Bayern Munich for a fee of €26m rising to €30m.
Over in the red side of Milan things are changing as the former youth team coach Pippo Inzaghi has taken over the reins replacing Clarence Seedorf who was sacked. Also in the last couple of days, Mario Balotelli left AC Milan to go back to England and to Merseyside to play for Liverpool the fee was around £16m.
Here are the week 1 fixtures
Saturday 30th August
The first game to kick off the Serie A 2014-15 season will be Chievo hosting the champions Juventus in Verona. Max Allegri is now in charge and has changed the 3-5-2 formation that Antonio Conte was using to his usual 4-3-1-2 formation. Juventus have brought in some very exciting young players along with the experience of Patrice Evra from Manchester United. Roberto Pereyra from Udinese on loan, Romulo has joined from Hellas Verona on loan and Alvaro Morata has joined from Real Madrid on a deal worth €20m. Chievo who survived in the final weeks have brought in some talented players from Inter Milan, Ruben Botta and Ezequiel Schelotto on loan from the blue side of Milan. Maxi Lopez has joined Chievo and putting the Wanda and Mauro Icardi woes behind him and will be hoping to make a fresh start. Juventus and Max Allegri will be hoping for a good start but will Chievo be there to spoil the Allegri party.
The second game on Saturday evening is the tie of the opening round of the weekend as Roma will entertain Fiorentina. Roma will be hoping to build on their second place in Serie A Last season and are most people team to win the title and end the Juventus three year reign of success. Rudi Garcia has added excited talented players to his squad. Juan Iturbe, Kostas Manolas, Salih Ucan, Ashley Cole, Davide Astori. Radja Nainggolan loan deal has been made into a co-ownership deal.
Fiorentina have been in limbo this summer over the Juan Cuadrado transfer saga. Manchester United and Barcelona have been tracking the Colombian winger and it looked like he would be leaving Fiorentina to go either to England or Spain. Vincenzo Montella and Fiorentina will be hoping on the fitness of Giuseppe Rossi this season, but sadly he will miss the match on Saturday night against Roma due to Injury. Marko Marin has been brought in to Florence on loan from Chelsea to bring pace to the wide areas.
Sunday 31st August
The remaining eight games are to be played on the Sunday, there are two games which kick off at 5pm UK time or 6pm CET.
They are Atalanta vs Hellas Verona and a cracking game at the San Siro which is AC Milan vs Lazio. Both teams under new coaches will be hoping for different seasons and pushing for European football.
The remaining six games is to be played at 7.45pm UK time or 8.45PM CET.
Cesena vs. Parma
Genoa vs. Napoli
Palermo vs Sampdoria
Sassuolo vs. Cagliari
Torino vs Inter Milan
Udinese vs. Empoli
ScotM
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