This is the official end of an era for the Italy national team. After a 0-0 draw with Sweden on Monday, combined with a 1-0 defeat on Friday, Italy will not be at the 2018 World Cup, ending a run of 14 straight World Cup appearances. The dominoes are already falling in the aftermath of the Azzurri failing to qualify.
This season, Serie A has been about the top teams beating the bottom teams every week. The five best teams have racked up a huge number of points. So far, Napoli and Inter are unbeaten, while Juventus have only lost one game. Two points separate the top three teams, five points separate the top five.
Juventus defeated AC Milan 2-0 in this weekend’s marquee Serie A matchup with Gonzalo Higuain scoring a phenomenal brace to silence the San Siro.
The significance of the occasion was clearly not lost on Milan supporters as the 80,018-capacity San Siro was absolutely electric, a cauldron of noise as the October sun set on a balmy day in Lombardy. There was a sense that all could be forgiven regarding Milan’s slow start to league play should the Rossoneri put one over on a Juventus side stranded in unfounded territory following 10 matches — third.
When you hear "Juventus," what do you think? Chances are, you’re thinking about the Turin-based football club that’s won 33 Serie A titles, 12 Coppa Italias and two European titles. You’re probably also thinking about club legends like Gianluigi Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero, Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini, world famous talents that’ve made Juve’s black and white strip famous around the planet. But what does the club name even mean? What are the origins of this iconic Italian team that’s now celebrating its 120-year anniversary?
So we’re 10 match days into Serie A action and the stupid levels of excitement coming out of Italy show no signs of abating. After Wednesday’s midweek matches, we find Napoli at the top of the table with INTER MILAN two points back. Right behind them we have six-time defending champions Juventus and then Lazio. We’d be remiss not to mention Roma as well — they still have a game in hand on the clubs above them.
The Champions League is the richest club competition in the world, paying out more than $1.5 billion to participating teams. But the Champions League prize money distribution is kinda funky given the amount of cash being tossed around. Leicester City, which reached the quarterfinals, was paid more than Real Madrid, which won the whole dadgum thing.
Whisper it. Napoli could be champions. It could be their year. Finally, after half a decade of Juventus dominance in Serie A, a team has emerged that could legitimately challenge for the title. Not just because Juve has stumbled, but because Napoli is a legitimately fantastic team. Along with Manchester City, Maurizio Sarri’s men are playing the best football in the world right now. Could it be enough to take them to the top?