Mauro Icardi, the kid you went to high school with who would not shut up about how he was getting out of your little town as soon as he got the chance, has revealed his future career plans.
“I want to win something with this shirt, but I won’t be in football at 40, I’m not like Totti. I’m not going to be a Coach or a director, I don’t think I’d like those roles. I think I’ll just be a dad, at home, with my family."
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.
Francesco Totti’s farewell last May was an emotional moment for any fan of soccer, let alone Roma and Italy fans who watched him play for a full quarter century. Roma made a video commemorating Totti’s final match with the Giallorossi and on Tuesday night “A Stadium of Tears” won a 2017 Sportel Award for Best Slow Motion video.
Just try to watch the affixed video without tearing up, we dare you.
December, 2016 – Juventus center back Leonardo Bonucci signs a new contract extension, keeping him with the champions until 2021.
January, 2017 – Bonucci is named in the UEFA and Serie A team of the year, as well as winning the award for the best footballer in Serie A in 2016.
February, 2017 – Bonucci sits in the stands, watching Juventus play Porto in the Champions League having argued with manager Massimiliano Allegri during the previous game, his 300th for the club.
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?
A Mauro Icardi hat trick inspired Inter Milan to a 3-2 victory over AC Milan in the Milan derby on Sunday at the San Siro. The two Serie A Derby della Madonnina matchups last year ended in 2-2 draws and it appeared Sunday’s would as well after Milan scored a late equalizer, but Icardi scored his third goal with a penalty shot in the 90th minute.
We here at The18 have never really given much thought to Francesco Guidolin. The former Swansea City, Monaco and Palermo manager just never crossed our minds in a way that was interesting. Until now. It has been reported that in 2006, when Guidolin was managing at Palermo, he used a very, um, explosive prop in a team talk.
From FourFourTwo:
In a professional career that began back in 1994 with a Lazio debut as a 17-year-old and lasted until as recently as 2014 with Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League, Italian defender Alessandro Nesta spent over 20 seasons defining the center half position.