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Tag: Serie A

  • FULL LIST: Serie A, MLS rank above Laliga, Saudi Pro League in new Opta ranking

    FULL LIST: Serie A, MLS rank above Laliga, Saudi Pro League in new Opta ranking

    What makes a football league truly elite? Is it the star power, the level of competition, financial muscle, or success in international tournaments? With so many factors in play, ranking leagues around the world can seem like an impossible task—until now.

    Data experts at Opta Power Rankings have taken a crack at answering the age-old question by unveiling their definitive list of the top 30 football leagues globally, based on their Power Rankings model. Rather than relying on reputation or revenue, the rankings are calculated using the average power rating of every club in each league—giving a clearer picture of overall competitiveness and quality.

    One of the most surprising takeaways? The Saudi Pro League, despite its recent influx of global superstars and massive spending, falls short of expectations. Not only does it miss the top tier, but it ranks behind several of Europe’s second divisions—and notably, behind Major League Soccer (MLS), which continues to rise in stature on the global stage.

    Read Also: ASUP gives FG 21-day strike notice, lists demands 

    While the Saudi Pro League has made headlines with blockbuster signings and big-money deals, Opta’s numbers suggest that squad depth and overall league quality still have some catching up to do. Meanwhile, MLS’s steady growth, balanced competition, and improving player development are earning it more respect on the international scene.

    Here are the new World rankings by Opta Power Rankings.


    1.       English Premier League –      92.6

    2.       Italian Serie A  –                      87.0

    3.       Spanish La Liga –                    87.0

    4.       German Bundesliga –           86.3

    5.       French Ligue 1 –                   85.5

    6.       English Championship –     80.9

    7.       Belgian Pro League –          80.5

    8.       Portuguese Primeira Liga – 79.8

    9.       Brazilian Serie A –               79.4

    10.   Dutch Eredivisie –               78.8

    11.   Liga Professional Argentina – 78.6

    12.   Major League Soccer –       78.5

    13.   Liga MX –                             78.5

    14.   Japanese J1 League –          77.9

    15.   Croatia Prva HNL –              77.8

    16.   Polish Ekstraklasa –             77.6

    17.   Danish Superligaen –          77.6

    18.   Italian Serie B –                   76.4

    19.   Swedish Allsvenskan –        76.3

    20.   Turkish Super Lig –              76.2

    21.   Spanish Segunda Division – 76.2

    22.   German Bundesliga Zwei – 76.2

    23.   Russian Premier League – 76.1

    24.   Austrian Bundesliga –         76.1

    25.   Swiss Super League –          76.1

    26.   Norwegian Eliteserien –     75.9

    27.   Czech First League –           75.5

    28.   Ecuador Liga Pro –              75.3

    29.   Saudi Pro League –              75.1

    30.   Hungarian Liga NB I –         75.0

  • Inter begin Serie A  defence at Genoa

    Inter begin Serie A  defence at Genoa

    Inter Milan begin their Serie A title defence this weekend with a trip to Genoa, looking to get off to another bright start as they bid to become the first team to retain the Scudetto since Juventus in 2020.

    That was Juve’s ninth consecutive league title but since then the Italian top flight has become a lot less predictable with Inter (twice), AC Milan and Napoli all tasting success. Now, Inter hope to carve out their own period of domination.

    In order to do that, Inter will want to make a similar start to last season, where they began with five consecutive wins to hit the top of the table early on, and they have the advantage of continuity on their side.

    Simone Inzaghi is still at the helm, whereas their likely rivals all have a new man on the bench. AC Milan brought in Paulo Fonseca and Juventus have Thiago Motta in charge, while Antonio Conte is the man looking to take Napoli back to the top.

    Inter have been relatively quiet so far in the transfer market and their main business has been bringing in Polish midfielder Piotr Zielinski and Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi on free transfers.

    Zielinski will not be available for Inter’s opening games because of injury but Taremi should be on the bench for the trip to Genoa on Saturday and ready to give Lautaro Martinez a chance to rest after his Copa America exploits with winners Argentina last month.

    Read Also: New logo unveiled for Italy’s Serie A 

    Last season, Inter were held to a 1-1 draw at Genoa at the end of December and Alberto Gilardino is another manager hoping for a repeat of his side’s previous campaign.

    Genoa were a newly promoted side last time out and more than held their own as they finished the season in a respectable 11th place, but they are expected to find it tougher going this season and avoiding relegation will be the target.

    Against Inter, Genoa could struggle for goals with many of their forwards unavailable, and they have also lost striker Mateo Retegui to Atalanta.

    Vitinha will likely start, as Gilardino will be without Caleb Ekuban and David Ankeye, and their top scorer from last season, Albert Gudmundsson, could also be an absentee. He is heavily linked with a move away before the transfer window closes.

    Milan begin life under Fonseca with a home game against Torino on Saturday and new signing Alvaro Morata, fresh from captaining Spain to Euro 2024 success, will lead the attack.

    Motta impressed at Bologna last season, leading them to a top-five finish and Champions League football, but the pressure will be much greater at Juventus.

    It should be an interesting start for the new man as his side host newly promoted Como on Monday, a team managed by Cesc Fabregas.

    Como have been busy in the transfer market bringing in Spanish keeper Pepe Reina and his compatriot, defender Alberto Moreno, along with striker Andrea Belotti.

    Napoli will look to bounce back from their dismal attempt to defend their title last season, when they finished 10th , and life under Conte begins at Hellas Verona on Sunday.

  • Five players with highest jump goals in Serie A

    Five players with highest jump goals in Serie A

    Victor Osimhen’s goal against Spezia in the Serie A spark a trend on the highest jump leading to a goal. The Nigerian ace broke the five time Ballon D’Or winner Ronaldo goal record against Sampdoria in 2019.

    Read Also: Serie A: Pioli  predicts  brighter Milan future for Chukwueze 

    Here are the list of the players with the highest jumps: 

    1. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Wales in July 2016 – 2.42m.
    2. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Torino in May 2019 – 2.47m.
    3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Inter in February 2020 – 2.53m (assist).
    4. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Sampdoria in December 2019 – 2.56m.
    5. Victor Osimhen vs Spezia in February 2023 – 2.58m.
    6. Fikayo Tomori vs Juventus in May 2021 – 2.61m.
    7. Bevis Mugabi vs Ross County in January 2021 – 2.62m
  • Serie A gets new name after sponsorship deal

    Serie A gets new name after sponsorship deal

    The Lega Serie A signed a new sponsorship deal and from next season will be known as the Serie A Enilive, ending a 25-year partnership with TIM.

    The league had given sole naming rights to telephone company TIM, but that will not be the case from the 2024-25 campaign.

    For at least the next three years, the top flight of Italian football will be known as the Serie A Enilive.

    Read Also: Osimhen tops Serie A most expensive players’ list

    According to Calcio e Finanza, the agreement is worth €22m per year over three years, with options for another two years.

    This is an increase on the proposal from TIM, which was going to be set at €19m per year, an increase from the previous €15m deal.

    Enilive is under the umbrella of energy company Eni and focuses on sustainable energy resources, including electric vehicle recharging points and service stations, refining bio-fuels and organising car sharing apps.

    Meanwhile, train company Frecciarossa renewed its agreement to sponsor the Coppa Italia, so that will run for another three years.

    Calcio e Finanza report the deal is worth €5.5m per season, an increase of €1m from the previous three-year contract.

  • DStv, GOtv to beam big EPL, Serie A matches

    DStv, GOtv to beam big EPL, Serie A matches

    Jose Mourinho’s Roma will host AC Milan today at the Stadio Olimpico Stadium on matchday 3 of the 2023-24 Serie A season. This match will be broadcast live on DStv and GOtv.

    Giallorossi have started their campaign on a disappointing note, picking up one point in their opening two matches against Salernitana and Hellas Verona. Mourinho’s side will be keen to secure their first victory of the league campaign against the free scoring Rossoneri. Tune in SuperSport Variety 3 and SuperSelect 1 (DStv ch. 208 and GOtv ch. 63) at 7:35pm to watch.

    Read Also: EPL: Man City maintain winning streak

    On the other hand, AC Milan won their first two games against Bologna and Torino in impressive fashion. Ex-Chelsea forwards, Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic have hit the ground running for Stefano Pioli’s men, scoring in the two matches.

    Tomorrow, reigning champions, Napoli will host Lazio at the Diego Maradona Stadium. Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen has continued his fine scoring form for Luciano Spalletti’s side, appearing on the scoresheet in their victories over Sassuolo and Frosinone. Tune in to SuperSport Variety 3 and SuperSelect 1 (DStv ch. 208 and GOtv ch. 63) at 7:35pm.

    Meanwhile, in the English Premier League, Arsenal and Manchester United will battle each other for vital three points on matchday 4 of the league season on Sunday. Tune in to SuperSport Premier League (DStv ch. 203 and ch. 66) at 6:10pm to watch the clash.

    Mikel Arteta’s side suffered setback in their bid to keep up with Manchester City on matchday 3 when they failed to hold on to their 2-1 lead against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium as Joao Palnhinha found the back of the net in the 87th minute to ensure the Cottagers emerged with one point.

    Their opponent, Manchester United, have struggled to pick up two wins against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest. However, Erik Ten Hag’s side currently face an injury crisis as six first team players namely Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount, Amad Diallo and

    Rasmud Højlund are out injured ahead of this clash.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo is highest mega buck earner in Serie A

    Cristiano Ronaldo is earning £28million-a-year in wages at Juventus after taxes, three times what Matthijs de Ligt gets as the second highest earner in Serie A, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

    Juventus’ new summer signing de Ligt takes home £7.2million-a-year plus bonuses, jumping up above the likes of Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain to take up his spot behind Ronaldo.

    Third spot in the list is taken up by another Serie A newcomer, Romelu Lukaku, who is getting £6.7million-a-year plus bonuses after joining Inter Milan from Manchester United this summer.

    Of course, Ronaldo earns far more than his wages due to his global status. Nike alone pays him £14.68m-a-year, and he will also receive performance-based bonuses.

    Juventus understandably take up the bulk of the list of top earners, with nine of their players appearing in the top 10. Only Lukaku and Inter break that mould.

    Juventus have won eight Serie A titles in a row, so can afford to spend big money on the players they need to keep their run going. They reportedly spend £264million-a-year on player wages.

    Aaron Ramsey is another name they have brought in this year, with the Welshman on £6.3million-a-year since joining on a free transfer after his contract with Arsenal ended.

    Yes! Happy Ronaldo reacts after a job well done

    Adrien Rabiot joined from PSG this summer, and he too has broken into the top 10, earning the same as Ramsey plus bonuses.

    With all these new arrivals, the likes of Dybala, Higuain, Miralem Pjanic, Douglas Costa, Mario Mandzukic, and Sami Khedira have all found themselves dropping down the list of best paid footballers in Italy.

    Not far off the top 10 is AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who earns £5.4million-a-year, and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly earns the same.

    SERIE A TOP EARNERS

    1. Cristiano Ronaldo – £28m
    2. Matthijs de Ligt – £7.2m
    3. Romelu Lukaku – £6.7m
    4. Gonzalo Higuain – £6.7m
    5. Paulo Dybala – £6.5m

  • Serie A: Inter, AC Milan, Roma matches, others live on GOtv

    The race for Italy’s final two UEFA Champions League places gets closer to its peak this weekend from Sunday May 18 to Monday, May 20, as Inter Milan, Atalanta, AC Milan and Roma take to the pitch in matches that will be broadcast to GOtv subscribers.

    The matches involving the quartet, two of which will eventually experience heartbreak, are scheduled for broadcast exclusively on GOtv Plus and GOtv Max packages.

    Inter Milan are well placed to clinch third and final automatic ticket for Europe’s top club competition and will want to solidify their position when they travel to face Napoli.

    Last week, the Nerazzurri defeated Chievo Verona to maintain their position. Coach Luciano Spalleti will bank on Mauro Icardi, Ivan Perisic and other stars to deliver the goods.

    But Napoli, who have confirmed Champions League qualification, having placed second to champions, Juventus will seek to finish strong in what has turned out to be a disappointing season.

    The match will be live on Sunday May 19 at 7:30pm on SuperSport Select 5.

    Atalanta have mountain to climb when they travel to Turin to face Serie A champions, Juventus.

    Gian Piero Gasperini’s men secured a nervy win in their last game against Genoa and must get maximum points to be in control of their destiny. The Bergamo-based club, just hanging onto the final UCL spot by three points, will hope that star striker, Duvan Zapata, the league’s second highest goal scorer this season with 22 goals, can exploit the sudden vulnerability of the Old Lady defence.

    Despite overseeing a run of two draws and one defeat since clinching the title, manager Massimiliano Allegri, is expected to field a strong line up for the clash showing tomorrow at 2pm on SuperSport Select 2 and 5.

    AC Milan and Roma, both tied on 62 points in fifth and sixth places respectively, will hope to win their games while hoping a slip-up by Atalanta and possibly Inter Milan will enable them to move into Champions League places.

    Milan, led by their former star, Gennaro Gattuso, host already-relegated Frosinone, with the encounter showing tomorrow at 5pm on SuperSport Select 5.

    Roma face a tricky away encounter against 10th-placed Sassulo (showing today, May 18 at 7:30pm on SuperSport Select 5).

  • Ranieri’s problems mount as Napoli whip Roma 4-1

    Napoli ripped AS Roma’s defence to shreds as they handed the hosts an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico in Serie A on Sunday.

    The defeat piled on the problems for recently-appointed coach Claudio Ranieri.

    Roma began the game in fifth place with a chance to move within a point of fourth-placed AC Milan, who lost 1-0 at Sampdoria on Saturday.

    But, instead, they dropped to sixth after Atalanta won 3-1 at Parma to overtake them.

    Arkadiusz Milik put Napoli ahead after two minutes, cleverly controlling Simone Verdi’s chipped pass with his heel and then swiveling to fire past Robin Olsen.

    Having dominated the first half, with another Milik goal chalked off for offside, Napoli were pegged back in stoppage time when Patrik Schick was fouled by goalkeeper Alex Meret.

    Diego Perotti slotted home the penalty kick.

    Yet Roma were left reeling by two quick goals after the break as they slumped to a second defeat in Ranieri’s three games in charge.

    Jose Callejon’s low cross slipped under Olsen’s hand to leave Dries Mertens with a tap-in at the far post in the 50th minute.

    Then, Fabian Ruiz burst down the left and set up Verdi for the third five minutes later.

    Substitute Amin Younes added the fourth, scoring at the second attempt after Roma failed to clear a corner kick.

    Second-placed Napoli stayed 15 points behind runaway leaders Juventus, who beat Empoli 1-0 on Saturday.

    AC Milan, in the lowest of the UEFA Champions League slots, have 51 points, followed by Atalanta (48) and Roma (47).

    Ranieri returned for a second stint at the club to replace Eusebio Di Francesco.

    Di Francesco was fired after a 3-0 derby defeat to Lazio was followed by UEFA Champions League elimination at the hands of FC Porto.

    “It’s difficult, but we are working hard and trying to do our best,” said Ranieri. “The others run faster and harder and get to the ball first. Do I regret taking the job? Never.”

    Atalanta fell behind to an early Gervinho goal at Parma.

    But Mario Pasalic levelled midway through the first half and two goals in the last 15 minutes from striker Duvan Zapata gave them the points.

    The Colombian took his season’s tally to 19, level with Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and two behind leading scorer Fabio Quagliarella of Sampdoria.(Reuters/NAN)

  • Football: Dstv, Gotv bring back Serie A live matches

    2018/19 Serie A season has resumed airing on DStv and GOtv on Saturday 19 January after a three-week break, with the big question being whether anyone can challenge Juventus’ dominance of the Italian top flight.

    The pick of Saturday’s games comes from the San Siro, where Internazionale will take on a Sassuolo side looking to get out of a lean run of form which has seen them pick up just one win from their last five Serie A matches.

    And given that the Verona-based team has won just once all season and sit at the bottom of the log, it’s likely Juventus will begin 2019 with yet another three-point haul.

    The 20th round of the season gets underway on Saturday afternoon at the Stadio Olimpico, where Roma will chase a third successive league win when they host Torino. ‘Il Toro’ will hope to see African defenders Nicolas N’Koulou and Ola Aina continue their fine form. In fact, the latter Nigerian wingback has been strongly linked with a permanent move to the Italian club (where he is currently on loan from Chelsea).

    Inter are comfortably placed in third (seven points ahead of fourth-placed Lazio) and hoping to bridge the five-point gap to second-placed Napoli. The Neapolitans will only be in action on Sunday night, but their clash at the Stadio San Paolo against Lazio could be a real thriller.

    Read Also: Serie A returns to DStv, debuts on GOtv

    Napoli have dominated their matches against the Rome-based team in recent years (their 2-1 win at the Stadio Olimpico back in August 2018 was a fourth straight victory in the rivalry and extended their unbeaten run to seven games), but Simon Inzaghi’s team are in tough scrap with Roma and Milan for the final spot in the top four and will be determined to cling onto the hope of Champions League football.

    Milan, whose manager Gennaro Gattuso is coming under increasing pressure, will look to put some spark back into their Serie A campaign when they take on Genoa at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris on Monday night for the final match of the round. The Rossoneri have won just once in their last five league matches and will need a victory over Cesare Prandelli’s side to revive their hopes of a top-four finish.

    Key match stats

    Napoli v Lazio – Head-to-head, all competitions

    Matches played 40

    Napoli wins 17

    Lazio wins 14

    Draws 9

    Juventus v Chievo – Head-to-head, all competitions

    Matches played 31

    Juve wins 23

    Chievo wins 1

    Draws 7

    Internazionale v Sassuolo – Head-to-head, all competitions

    Matches played 11

    Inter wins 4

    Sassuolo wins 7

    Draws 0

    Serie A fixtures, 19-21 January

    Saturday 19 January

    16:00: Roma v Torino – LIVE on SS8 & SelGo5

    19:00: Udinese v Parma – LIVE on SS8/SS10, Max360 & SelGo2/SelGo5

    21:30: Internazionale v Sassuolo – LIVE on SS8, Max1 & SelGo5

    Sunday 20 January

    13:30: Frosinone v Atalanta – LIVE on SS8 & SelGo5

    16:00: SPAL v Bologna – LIVE on SS5

    16:00: Fiorentina v Sampdoria – LIVE on SS8 & SelGo5

    16:00: Cagliari v Empoli – LIVE on SS8 & SelGo5

    21:30: Napoli v Lazio – LIVE on SS8/SS10, Max360 & SelGo2/SelGo4

    Monday 21 January

    20:00: Juventus v Chievo – LIVE on SS8 & SelGo5

    22:00: Genoa v Milan – LIVE on SS8 & SelGo5

  • Serie A returns to DStv, debuts on GOtv

    The 2018/19 Serie A season kicks off this weekend, with 10 first round matches spread from today to Monday.

    Reigning champions Juventus begin the defence of their title with a potentially tricky game away to Chievo on today’s evening. The match will see the Serie A debut of Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Juventus for 100million euros in the off-season from Real Madrid.

    The 33-year-old’s arrival is more a statement of intent in regard to winning the UEFA Champions League, but it will still be fascinating to see how he performs in Italy’s top flight after nine prolific seasons in Spain’s La Liga.

    Chievo, who recently completed the signing of Nigerian international Joel Obi, will look to puncture Juve’s hopes of a fast start. Perhaps taking advantage of the absence of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon – who has left for Paris Saint-Germain – will be their best avenue to upset Juve.

    Juventus’ main title challengers are likely to be Napoli, who pushed the ‘Old Lady’ hard for the Scudetto last term. The Naples side, who boast African superstars Faouzi Ghoulam and Kalidou Koulibaly in their defence, open their Serie A campaign with a tough match in Rome against Lazio, who finished just outside of the Champions League places last term.

    Tomorrow’s games start with the early kick-off between Mbaye Niang’s Torino and Roma, who may hand a debut to teenage Dutch striker Justin Kluivert. The 19-year-old, who is the son of former Netherlands attacker Patrick Kluivert, was a big-money acquisition from Ajax over the European summer.

    Northern giants, AC Milan and Internazionale, who have both been very active in the transfer market in a bid to boost their chances of competing for the title, open with Tomorrow night matches at home to Genoa and away to Sassuolo (who will look to Ghanaian maverick Kevin-Prince Boateng for inspiration) respectively.

    Tomorrow night also features Empoli at home to Cagliari, Parma (back in the top flight after going bankrupt just three years ago) welcoming Udinese to Stadio Ennio Tardini, and Fiorentina travelling to Sampdoria.

    The round wraps up with one match on Monday night, as Serie B playoff winners Frosinone head to Bergamo to take on hosts Atalanta.