Football Season Guide

Without any doubts, Hellas Verona represented one of the main surprises of the Italian football in the past season. Returning to the Serie A after a long absence, thanks to a spectacular and risky football, they managed reaching the top 10 of the table and fighting for a place in the European spots until the very end. The mastermind of such a miracle, coach Mandorlini, was confirmed at the helm and, in the new season, he will have to come up with some new magic since most of the squad was dismantled for one reason or another. No less than 6-7 players who had tasted the starting eleven at some stage in the past campaign left. Above all, Iturbe, Albertazzi and Romulo but not only. Marquinho, Cacciatore, Donadel and Maietta too are no longer with the team together with some fringe players. Such departures were followed by the arrival of a consistent group of players made up by both youngsters and experienced ones. Among the latter, Nene arrived from Cagliari, Obbadi from Monaco, Rodriguez from Torino and glorious Rafa Marquez from his (semi)retirement in Mexico. Christodoulopoulos and Tachtsidis will aim at redeeming some not particularly brilliant campaigns while Chanturia, Ionita, Luna and Martic could all become protagonists in the course of the season. Mandorlini should line up the usual 4-3-3 formation with Rafael in goals, Martic and Luna as the full-backs with Marquez, Moras, Marques and Rodriguez competing for two places in the heart of the defence. In the midfield, Halfredsson should be joined by Tachtsidis and Obbadi with Christodoulopoulos as a jolly valid also for an attack still led by ever-lasting Toni, whose past season was miraculous. And his form will certainly affect the team’s performances, considering that his main alternative up-front, Nene, has never provided goals by the kilo.