With one round of fixtures still to play, the outcome of this season has all but been completed – with only a sole Europa League qualifying spot up for grabs on the final day of the season. Nevertheless it does not take away from the pure excitement and drama of this pre-world cup season. Some things we expected, others tore up both the form and rule books to leave us looking at the standings and wondering just what happened to some of Italy’s giants.
Juventus continued their dominance of the league steamrolling their way to their ‘30th and third in a row with a record 99 points tally and a chance to break 100 points on the final day of the season. Roma were everyone’s surprise package as Rudi Garcia’s men put up a valiant fight for the title against the Old Lady finishing with 85 points, a total which is usually deemed enough for the title. However, it is further down the table where you find perhaps the most interesting story of the season – the fight for Europa League places.
Verona have had a fantastic first season back in the top flight and are still in contention for the final Europa league place on the final day thanks in no small part to the resurgent form of Luca Toni who has been in the type of form we last saw in his Fiorentina days back in 2006 notching up a fantastic 20 goals this term.
Verona are battling it out with the much improved Parma and Torino who boast some of Italy’s brightest talents in Ciro Immobile and Alessio Cerci, as well as the very disappointing Lazio and Milan. A change of management failed to improve the form of Il Diavolo and they risk missing out on Europe all together, not even Mario Balotelli can save them now. Catania and Bologna are relegated after eight and five years in the top flight respectively and Livorno head straight back down after being promoted last year.
Despite finishing 16th top flight with the likes of Domenico Berardi, Simone Zaza and Luca Marrone all helping and Berardi even scored all four goals in a 4-3 win over AC Milan in January and a first half hat-trick against Fiorentina , certainly one to watch for the future and it’s no surprise he is owned by Juventus!
Fiorentina and Inter are two teams in transition and they have had a commendable season finishing respectively with Inter improving vastly on their embarrassing 9th and 5th and will surely be delighted to be back in Europe again next season. Fiorentina have played some beautiful football this year and Vincenzo Montella has started to build a team which could really challenge for the title next year if he can keep both Mario Gomez and Giuseppe Rossi fit at the same time.
Inter are in the midst of a transitional period led by their new owner Erick Thohir, who has entrusted Walter Mazzarri to lead Inter back to the Champions League next year after promising significant investment in players over the summer. It has also been an emotional end of the season for everyone at Inter as they say goodbye to the retiring Javier Zanetti after a remarkable 19 years at the club, a true servant and a pillar of not just Italian football but the world of football.
Italian football is very much alive and the 13/14 season has shown that there is excitement all through the league and with investment and a growing sense of interest it feels as if Serie A i sreturning to its glory days and next season promises to be even more competitive!