Inter Milan News

Goal crowns the best and worst from Italy over the course of the season

Another dramatic Serie A campaign came to an end on Sunday, with the last of the season’s 1003 goals sending AC Milan into the Champions League at the expense of Fiorentina. It was only fitting that viewers should stay glued to TV sets right down to the last after another campaign of ups and downs from minute one.

Juventus marched to a second straight Scudetto, while Napoli earned a second visit to the Champions League in three seasons. With Milan’s third spot secured, Fiorentina will head to the Europa League with Udinese, while Palermo, Siena and Pescara will spend next term in Serie B after each experiencing a campaign to forget.

But what of the other winners and losers? Who have been the best players and coaches in the league season? And what of the worst? Goal hands out the individual awards at the end of another absorbing nine months of football.

BEST GOALKEEPER Samir Handanovic (Inter)

There were several goalkeepers with better statistical records than Samir Handanovic this season, but none of them had to deal with the malaise that the Slovenian encountered in his first term at Inter. Having replaced Julio Cesar between the posts for the Nerazzurri, the ex-Udinese shot-stopper found himself thrown in at the deep end with a ragged outfit in front of him. Yet despite being left with a sub-standard back line for much of the season, he won his side many points with his magnificent performances that were deserving of so much more than Inter’s ninth-place finish.

BEST DEFENDER Andrea Barzagli (Juventus)

In by far the closest category of the lot, Andrea Barzagli’s consistent performances earn him the Best Defender award to go alongside a second straight Scudetto winners medal. He may have occasionally been questioned for his lack of pace, but the Italy international showed he has the mental and physical capabilities to compensate for his lack of mobility. The former Palermo man was a huge factor in the Bianconeri marching to the title with the best defence in the league once more.

BEST MIDFIELDER Arturo Vidal (Juventus)

If Barzagli has one thing to be thankful for, it is that he is protected by the best midfielder in the business. Arturo Vidal again showed how important he is to both the attacking and defensive phases of play with countless match-winning performances. The heart of the engine room, the Chilean also showed his superb eye for a pass and ability in front of goal, ending the campaign as Juventus’ top goalscorer. It took some doing to outshine Andrea Pirlo in the Bianconeri midfield, but Vidal managed it with ease.

BEST ATTACKER Edinson Cavani (Napoli)

The future of Serie A is increasingly believed to hinge on the retention of key players, and none more so than Edinson Cavani. His 29 goals earned him the Capocannoniere title, but above and beyond that his ability to rise to the big occasion helped to lift his profile and market value beyond all previous levels. Hat-tricks against Lazio, Roma and Inter took Napoli to the Champions League with a bit to spare, and with Cavani still in their squad, anything is possible for the Partenopei in the near future.

BEST YOUNGSTER (Under-21) Stephan El Shaarawy (Milan)

Never before has a giant of the the game appeared so reliant on such a young man as did Milan with Stephan El Shaarawy in the first half of the 2012-13 campaign. The Italo-Egyptian blasted his way onto the world stage with a string of wonderful individual displays and crucial goals at key moments as the Rossoneri otherwise limped through the first few months of the season. By the closing stages of the campaign, some were suggesting the former Padova man had lost form, but he still played a major role in Milan’s Champions League-clinching turnaround at Siena on Sunday.

BEST COACH Francesco Guidolin (Udinese)

Francesco Guidolin deserves the Freedom of Udine for the job he has done with Udinese over the last few years. Successive Champions League play-off qualification spots looked set to be followed by a stagnant campaign following the sales of star names including Samir Handanovic, Kwadwo Asamoah and Mauricio Isla last summer, but the master tactician ensured he got the very best out of his troops before the season was out. He led them to an eight-game winning streak at the business end which saw them qualify for the Europa League. Thanks to Guidolin, Udinese continue to punch well above their weight.

BEST TRANSFER Borja Valero (Villarreal to Fiorentina)

The very fact that Fiorentina got to within 10 minutes of the Champions League one year on from a bottom-half finish is testament to the impact Borja Valero had in his first season in Serie A. The Spaniard slotted in remarkably quickly in Vincenzo Montella’s new-look side, becoming the side’s key playmaker from the word go. His clever distribution and timely forays forward helped to make the Viola one of the most attractive teams to watch in Europe, and with Valero in their side they could go one further next term.

WORST TRANSFER Tommaso Rocchi (Lazio to Inter)

There were many candidates for the category of Worst Signing, with Juventus’ moves for Nicklas Bendtner and Nicolas Anelka among a huge number of head-scratchers to be seen around the league, but none quite summed up the struggles of an entire club like Inter’s move for Tommaso Rocchi. From being fifth choice at Lazio, the 35-year-old suddenly found himself thrust into the spotlight for the Nerazzurri‘s forlorn bid to reach the Europa League, and while he wasn’t a complete failure when used in the absences of Diego Miltio, Antonio Cassano and Rodrigo Palacio, his sudden elevation to the first XI said a lot about Inter’s struggles.

BEST PLAYER Arturo Vidal (Juventus)

Not only was Arturo Vidal the best defensive player in Serie A this season, he was also arguably the best in possession too. His importance to the re-emergence of Juventus simply cannot be understated, with his fantastic tackle success rate marrying with a superb desire on the ball and a magnificent goals record to make a complete midfielder who has become one of the modern game’s few true all-rounders. His continued presence in black and white now represents the main key behind Juve’s hopes for continued success.

WORST PLAYER Andrea Ranocchia (Inter)

There may well have been lesser players on the rosters at the likes of Palermo and Pescara, but nobody showed such a vast separation between promise and product as Andrea Ranocchia. His performances in Serie A summed up Inter’s season, with his initial burst as part of a three-man defence suggesting he may finally fulfill his talent in the blue and black shirt. However, his constant lapses in concentration, inability to track markers suitably, basic lack of tactical ingenuity and regular moments of madness with the ball anywhere near his feet made for a near-calamitous campaign by the time May was in sight. Once regarded as one for the future, Ranocchia has quickly become Inter’s biggest liability.

The beleaguered coach has once more pointed to the Nerazzurri’s injury problems this term and has remained coy on his future

Andrea Stramaccioni feels it would be unfair to judge Inter without taking their injury problems into consideration after they finished the 2012-13 campaign in ninth position.

The Giuseppe Meazza side were beaten 5-2 by Udinese on Sunday evening to bring a disappointing season to an end, but Stramaccioni has stressed that circumstances made it very difficult for Inter to live up to expectations.

“Results matter in football and we’ve done badly in the last two months. But it’s impossible not to consider what’s happened to us in any assessment of the team. Not only for me but for the players,” Stramaccioni told reporters.

“We’ve had to play people out of position, field a string of youngsters, had five centre-backs out through injury.

“What matters most now is that we don’t get anything wrong in building the new Inter. Everything is in the head and the words of our president. I think [Massimo] Moratti has very clear ideas about how to rebuild and from tomorrow he’ll be working on that.

“The most important thing we can do now is turn the page on a very negative season in which all sorts of things have happened.”

The 37-year-old then briefly discussed his own future at the club and remained coy on whether he will remain in chage of Inter.

“Have I been officially confirmed? I can’t speak for Moratti, it’s only right that he should be the one to speak, though I know because he’s told me of course.”

Inter ended their campaign on another sour note as Udinese announced themselves in next season’s Europa League with an emphatic 5-2 victory at San Siro on Saturday.

After surging to fifth in the table on the back of seven consecutive wins, all the Zebrette needed were three points to secure themselves European qualification for the third time in a row, and goals from Giampiero Pinzi, Maurizio Domizzi, Antonio Di Natale, Gabriel Silva and Luis Muriel set them on their way in spectacular fashion.

Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni had to contend with his side’s ongoing injury crisis, and his misery was compounded when, not a minute in, Allan fed Pinzi for the midfielder to leave Juan Jesus standing and rifle home past Samir Handanovic.

Juan attempted to redeem himself by blasting in Inter’s first shot of the night, which Zeljko Brkic got down well to parry, but right after, Di Natale stole in undetected to connect with a deep cross, leaving the hosts thanking Esteban Cambiasso for his timely intervention off the line.

But from the ensuing set-piece swung in by the Udinese captain, Domizzi rose highest in the area to head home and double his team’s advantage in the ninth minute, breaking the San Siro’s spirits.

The Nerazzurri were not ready to be done in however, and a penalty area rebound allowed Juan to stab home for his debut Serie A goal. Tommaso Rocchi then conspired to miss Inter’s equaliser, firing a well-weighted Alvaro Pereira pass wide.

Handanovic denied Di Natale after the 35-year-old was put through by Dusan Basta’s sumptuous pass, the Slovenian mightily standing his ground to thwart his former team-mate.

Di Natale was not to be denied though. As Udinese piled forward on the brink of half-time, the evergreen striker produced a moment of magic by curling off the far post to take the wind out of Inter’s sails and prompt the crowd to its feet in grudging applause.

The second period brought no respite for Strmaccioni’s men as Muriel produced a magnificent run from deep to feed Silva, the Brazilian obligingly dinking neatly over Handanovic. Rocchi next compounded Inter’s slump by hitting the post after good work by Fredy Guarin.

Substitute Rodrigo Palacio’s squared pass nevertheless allowed Rocchi something to show for his efforts, with the January arrival firing home before being replaced himself. But even that was not enough to stem the Udinese tide, as a defensive mix-up between Yuto Nagatomo and his keeper allowed Muriel to capitalise on a loose ball and roll it past Handanovic.

As proceedings petered out, Stramaccioni’s dismal end to the campaign leaves his position untenable despite being confirmed by president Massimo Moratti earlier this week, as they prepare to contend in the Coppa Italia play-off’s in August after finishing a woeful ninth.

There was no such heartbreak for Udinese with their stunning victory wrapped up however, as the Fruili outfit were left to dream of rubbing shoulders with the continent’s elite once again.

The mood in the two camps could scarcely be more different going into this match, and Al Hain-Cole expects the Zebrette to book their European place with victory at the San Siro

Inter say goodbye to a miserable season on Sunday, when they play host to an Udinese side looking to secure a top five finish and Europa League football.

Such is their poor form, the hosts are outsiders at 12/5 (3.40) with William Hill to pick up just their third win in 11 Serie A matches, having lost seven games in that period.

In contrast, Franceso Guidolin’s men are currently enjoying a seven-match winning streak, and are available at 19/20 (1.95) to extend that run to eight at the San Siro.

There have been no draws between these sides in their last nine encounters, but you can get odds of 5/2 (3.50) on them sharing the spoils for the first time in five years in this one.

After such a promising start to his managerial career, Andrea Stramaccioni’s days seem to be numbered with the Nerazzurri thanks to a run of nine defeats in 13 games that saw the team crash out of the Europa League and slip into mid-table.

The mood will be sombre at San Siro on Sunday, and it is hard to see the hosts offering much resistance against a rampant visiting team who have the bit between their teeth in their bid to secure European football for next season.

The Zebrette ran out convincing 3-0 winners when these sides met at the Stadio Friuli in January, and offer decent value at 19/20 (1.95) to complete the double in Milan.

One shining light in Inter’s dire end to the season has been Ricky Alvarez, who finally seems to be fulfilling his potential since snubbing a loan move back to his native Argentina in January.

The skilful playmaker has scored five goals in his last eight games, and his role as designated penalty taker makes him a potentially lucrative selection at 11/4 (3.75) to score anytime against Udinese.
 

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Al Hain-Cole is a Liverpool fan, experienced tipster and avid follower of European football. He specialises in accumulators and if you would like to read more from Al you can follow him on Twitter here.

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The Nerazzurri boss says he will always be thankful to Massimo Moratti regardless of his fate but concedes that he could level with the supremo if he was dismissed

Andrea Stramaccioni has admitted that he could have “no complaints” if he were to be sacked by Inter at the end of the season.

The young trainer’s position in charge of the Nerazzurri is becoming increasingly uncertain after a disappointing campaign which has seen the side drop to ninth in the Serie A table with one match left.

And, speaking ahead of Inter’s final league match of the season, Stramaccioni conceded that he could not hold it against club president Massimo Morrati if he was to be cut loose.

“I have to smile, because I don’t want to ruin this amusing media circus. [Walter] Mazzarri and [Massimiliano] Allegri will speak after the final game, so why shouldn’t I? The president speaks for me and cuts through this bizarre propaganda-like atmosphere.

“Moratti confirmed me four days ago, so I doubt he has changed his mind in such a short space of time. Even if he did, I would have absolutely no complaints.

“I must always thank the president for what he has given me. If I am to leave before I expect to, then there will only be regrets that I didn’t get the results I could’ve done due to the injuries.

“There is such a thing as an unlucky year. Everyone falls down; it’s all about how you get back up on your feet. We are ready to do that from next season. It’s time for action, not words.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s clash with Udinese – who are on the verge of securing European football next season, in stark contrast to the Milanese giants – the 36-year-old urged his players to put on a show for their supporters.

“Udinese are perhaps the most consistent side in Serie A right now and they have Antonio Di Natale and Luis Muriel fit, so we know how important those players are for them,” Stramaccioni added.

“They are going to be very motivated to achieve Europa League qualification, but despite what some people might think, Inter have trained well and want to end the season by impressing the home fans. We’ll do everything we can to end on a high.

“Palacio worked well through the week and is in the squad, but he won’t be in the starting XI. The players at risk want to be there, but I don’t think it is fair to risk them with internationals coming up.

“I am talking about Andrea Ranocchia, Cristian Chivu and Antonio Cassano, who had surgery on his hand yesterday for a fracture in three places.”