Despite playing well in parts in the group stages, Conte’s side went into the knockout stages off the back of a loss against Ireland – one in which although inconsequential to their position, gave away weaknesses to their competitors. The job was to then rally a performance like we saw against Belgium, and for this […]
Conte
Euro 2016 : Italy’s route to Saint-Denis
With a suspected tough start against Belgium, Conte drew on an expected and trusted system, fielding the 5-3-2 – which remained the case throughout the group stage. The only slight surprise was the inclusion of Parolo and omission of Florenzi in the Belgium game, who was then reintroduced and left back against Sweden at the […]
Euro 2016 : Italy’s final preparations
The tactical balance and shape of the Italian team has been an interesting one in recent times, and one which Conte appeared to have settled on based on the last couple of preparation games. The 3-5-2, that has served Juventus well, is built upon that same back-line of Buffon, Barzagli, Chiellini and Bonucci; this seems […]
Serie A Review 2013/14
Title Winners – Juventus (102 points) Top Scorer – Ciro Immobile (22 goals) Champions League qualification – Juventus, Roma, Napoli Europa League qualification – Fiorentina, Inter, Torino* Relegation – Livorno, Bologna, Catania *Parma took 6th place ahead of Torino, but are banned from European football next season as it stands due to financial regulations. There […]