Here we are. She leaves again. Serie A is ready for kick-off, and it will do so by immediately putting its most precious jewel on display. At 18 pm the Juventus champions will challenge Chievo in Verona, in the first official race of Cristiano Ronaldo with the black and white shirt.
Allegri prefers, as always, a low profile, despite a galactic squad and a champion on whom everyone's eyes will be fixed: “No advice to Ronaldo – said the coach -. It will be new for him and he will have to get to know the Italian championship. The numbers speak for him. He has won five Ballon d'Ors and is always questioned. Players like him are different from the others, also respecting all the other players. It is an important stimulus for all the others, but this must not make us fall into a trap. He is not enough to win. Tomorrow starts a new season and a new challenge. It will be more difficult, because we have taken some very strong players, improving the squad. But other teams such as Inter, Milan, Rome, Naples and Lazio have also strengthened. We must immediately put aside the period of excitement for Cristiano's arrival and get back down to earth. We will find a Chievo who will be willing to do something against the favorites of the championship and the Champions League. We have to immediately get into the mentality of the championship against teams that will give us battle. We have to work, keep a low profile and win. The first game is always a question mark."
Any doubts about training remains ("Szczesny, Chiellini, Bonucci and Pjanic will play. Cancelo and Alex Sandro will be full-backs. In midfield I have to see whether to play two or add a midfielder"), but there is also room for Marchisio's farewell (" I have to thank Claudio, in four years he has shown that he is a great footballer and a great man, an example. We shared this decision, Claudio will have experience elsewhere") and for the decision not to postpone the start of all of Serie A: “We adapt to playing on Saturdays, the day of national mourning. We have to do it because they have decided so, with respect and closeness to those who have suffered this tragedy ".
At 20.30 the big match of the first day, the one between Lazio and Naples. Simone Inzaghi will still be able to count on Milinkovic-Savic, who Lotito defended with all his strength from the attacks of the Italian and European big names ("The club was good at resisting, we always talk about Milinkovic but Immobile and Luis Alberto also had markets" ), and doesn't seem worried by the judgments about a team that isn't strengthened compared to the others: "With the grids we always start from the back but compared to two years ago we are no longer a surprise, expectations on us have risen, I'll have to be good at shooting outside the group something more in terms of motivation. The team must be ready, we're starting again with great desire, we'll have Napoli and Juve in the first two days and we'll have to immediately raise the bar by playing concentrated”.
On the other hand, there will be a Napoli accompanied by a thousand question marks, due to an insufficient signing campaign despite a big name like Ancelotti on the bench: "We'll be competitive everywhere – said the former Milan and Real coach -, because the strength of this team it's the group. No upheavals or revolutions were needed: the market was in line with the objectives we had set ourselves. This team has done very well in recent years and when you try to change something that is good it takes more time than when things are not going well. I like to think I can give joy to so many people, I'm here to do this and give satisfaction to the Napoli fans who have been waiting for a long time".
Lega Serie A has announced the dates on which they will be recovered Milan-Genoa e Sampdoria-Fiorentina, matches valid for the first day and postponed in acceptance of the requests of the two Genoese clubs following the tragedy of the Morandi bridge on 14 August. Sampdoria-Fiorentina will be played on Wednesday 19 September, Milan-Genoa will recover on Wednesday 31 October. Race times will be communicated later.
