2007–08 Serie A Explained

Competition:Serie A
Season:2007–08
Dates:25 August 2007 – 18 May 2008
Winners:Internazionale
16th title
Relegated:Empoli
Parma
Livorno
Continentalcup1:Champions League
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:Internazionale
Roma
Juventus
Fiorentina
Continentalcup2:UEFA Cup
Continentalcup2 Qualifiers:Milan
Sampdoria
Udinese
Continentalcup3:Intertoto Cup
Continentalcup3 Qualifiers:Napoli
League Topscorer:Alessandro Del Piero
(21 goals)
Highest Scoring:Udinese 3–5 Genoa
Roma 4–4 Napoli
Torino 4–4 Parma
Matches:380
Total Goals:970
Average Attendance:23,887
Prevseason:2006–07
Nextseason:2008–09

The 2007–08 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 106th season of top-tier Italian football, the 76th in a round-robin tournament. It started on 25 August 2007 and ended on 18 May 2008.[1] Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.

Events

Plusvalenze investigation

Inquiries are being conducted by the CO.VI.SOC. (Italian football's financial watchdogs) into the finances of four Serie A clubs (Internazionale, Milan, Sampdoria, and Reggina) who stand accused of falsely inflating player values — a practice known as plusvalenze in Italian — in order to qualify financially for the 2005–06 Serie A. If the allegations prove true, penalties could range from fines to point deductions, relegation to Serie B, and even the stripping of Internazionale's 2005-06 scudetto, which was stripped from Juventus as a result of the Calciopoli scandal before being awarded to Internazionale.[2]

Lazio fan killed by police

On the morning of 11 November 2007 26-year-old Lazio fan Gabriele Sandri, a DJ from Rome, was killed by a shot in his neck while sitting inside a car,[3] by a policeman, after some other fans of Lazio violently assaulted a group of Juventus ultras with stones on the A1 Motorway service station of Badia al Pino in Arezzo.[4] Early reports suggested that a stray bullet from a gun, set to distract the group of ultras, hit the Lazio fan in the neck as he sat in a car and killed him. An emergency meeting set up between Lega Calcio president Antonio Matarrese and police chief Antonio Manganelli decided that the game between Inter and Lazio would be called off, but the rest of the fixtures would go ahead that day, starting at a slightly later time (about 10 minutes later).[5] The Atalanta–Milan game was eventually suspended following unrest caused by local ultras attempting to break off the protection glass in order to invade the pitch and stop the match. Later in the afternoon, the Italian Football Federation chose to postpone also the game between AS Roma and Cagliari, whose kick off was scheduled for 8:30 pm at Stadio Olimpico, Rome. However, this did not prevent violent riots, as hundreds of armed hooligans attacked a police barracks and the CONI (Italian Olympic National Committee) headquarters in Rome.[6]

Though Sandri's death was later held by some to have been caused by a tragic error by a policeman who claimed his gun went off as he was running.[7] Prosecutors then opted initially to open an inquiry into manslaughter against the policeman,[8] nevertheless the initial hearing held that Sandri's death was culpable homicide, and the policeman involved (Luigi Spaccarotella) was condemned to 6 years imprisonment. On appeal, the higher court not only confirmed this judgment, but increased the punishment to 9 years and 4 months as an element of intentionality was found.[9]

Final week

The championship was decided in the final week, as Inter, who managed to secure even an 11-point advantage to rivals Roma in mid-season, lost almost all of it in the final weeks, maintaining only a one-point advantage with only one match to play. In the final week, both Inter and Roma were scheduled to play away matches opposed to relegation-battling sides, respectively Parma and Catania. Both matches were successively forbidden to be attended by Inter and Roma fans. In the end, Inter secured the scudetto with a 2–0 win, with both goals being scored in the second half by Zlatan Ibrahimović, who recovered from a long-term injury in time to play the game, whereas Roma only managed to achieve a 1–1 draw at Stadio Angelo Massimino against Walter Zenga's Catania, a result which allowed the Sicilian side to escape relegation at the expense of Empoli and Parma.

Teams

Stadiums and locations

ClubCityStadiumCapacity2006-2007 season
AtalantaBergamoStadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia26,378
CagliariCagliariStadio Sant'Elia23,48616th in Serie A
CataniaCataniaStadio Angelo Massimino23,42013th in Serie A
EmpoliEmpoliStadio Carlo Castellani19,7957th in Serie A
FiorentinaFlorenceStadio Artemio Franchi47,2826th in Serie A
GenoaGenoaStadio Luigi Ferraris36,6853rd in Serie B
InternazionaleMilanSan Siro82,955Serie A Champions
JuventusTurinStadio delle Alpi69,000Serie B Champions
LazioRomeStadio Olimpico82,3073rd in Serie A
LivornoLivornoStadio Armando Picchi19,23811th in Serie A
MilanMilanSan Siro82,9554th in Serie A
NapoliNaplesStadio San Paolo60,2402nd in Serie B
PalermoPalermoStadio Renzo Barbera37,2425th in Serie A
ParmaParmaStadio Ennio Tardini27,90612th in Serie A
RegginaReggio CalabriaStadio Oreste Granillo27,45416th in Serie A
RomaRomeStadio Olimpico82,3072nd in Serie A
SampdoriaGenoaStadio Luigi Ferraris36,6859th in Serie A
SienaSienaStadio Artemio Franchi – Montepaschi Arena15,37315th in Serie A
TorinoTurinStadio Olimpico di Torino27,16817th in Serie A
UdineseUdineStadio Friuli41,65210th in Serie A

Personnels and Sponsoring

TeamHead CoachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsor
Atalanta Luigi Delneri Antonino BernardiniErreaSit In Sport, Daihatsu
Cagliari Davide Ballardini Diego LópezUmbroTiscali, Sky
Catania Davide BaioccoLegeaSP Energia Siciliana, Regione Sicilia/Cesame
Empoli Alberto Malesani Ighli VannucchiAsicsNavigare, Computer Gross
Fiorentina Dario DainelliLottoToyota
Genoa Marco RossiErreaEurobet
Internazionale Roberto Mancini Javier ZanettiNikePirelli
Juventus Claudio Ranieri Alessandro Del PieroNikeNew Holland
Lazio Luciano ZauriPumaSo.Spe/Edileuropa
Livorno Giancarlo Camolese David BalleriAsicsGruppo Banca Carige, Mediaset Premium
Milan Carlo Ancelotti Paolo MaldiniAdidasBwin
Napoli Edoardo Reja Paolo CannavaroDiadoraLete
Palermo Francesco Guidolin Andrea BarzagliLottoPramac
Parma Domenico Di Carlo Luca BucciErreaKome, Il Granchio
Reggina Nevio Orlandi Francesco CozzaOnzeGicos, Regione Calabria
Roma Luciano Spalletti Francesco TottiKappaWind
Sampdoria Walter Mazzarri Sergio VolpiKappaErg
Siena Mario Beretta Enrico ChiesaUmbroBanca Monte dei Paschi di Siena
Torino Walter Novellino Gianluca ComottoAsicsReale Mutua, Fratelli Beretta
Udinese Pasquale Marino Giampiero PinziLottoGaudì Jeans

League table

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals[10]
1Juventus21
2 David TrezeguetJuventus20
3 Marco BorrielloGenoa19
4 Antonio Di NataleUdinese17
Zlatan IbrahimovićInternazionale
Fiorentina
7Palermo15
KakáMilan
9 Goran PandevLazio14
Tommaso RocchiLazio
Roma

Coaches

ClubHead coachFromTo
Atalanta[11]
Cagliari[12] [13]
[14] [15]
Catania[16] [17]
[18]
Empoli[19] [20]
[21]
Fiorentina[22]
Genoa[23]
Internazionale[24]
Juventus[25]
Lazio
Livorno[26] [27]
[28] [29]
Milan[30]
Napoli[31]
Palermo[32] [33]
[34]
Parma[35] [36]
[37] [38]
Reggina[39] [40]
[41] [42]
Roma[43]
Sampdoria[44]
Siena[45] [46]
Torino[47] [48]
Udinese[49]

2007–08 events

Notes and References

  1. News: Abete, ok "con rammarico". La serie A parte il 26 agosto. Gazzetta dello Sport. Gazzetta dello Sport. 2007-06-21. 2007-06-22. it.
  2. News: Could Inter be demoted? . Football Italia . Football Italia . 2007-06-20 . 2007-06-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070626112715/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun20x.html . 2007-06-26 . live .
  3. News: Officer 'rues' killing Lazio fan . BBC News . 2007-11-12 . 2010-04-22.
  4. News: Lazio fan killed - Serie A stopped? . Football Italia . Football Italia . 2007-11-11 . 2007-11-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071113010039/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/nov11g.html . 2007-11-13 . live .
  5. News: Inter-Lazio Off . Football Italia . Football Italia . 2007-11-11 . 2007-11-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071112235250/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/nov11i.html . 2007-11-12 . live .
  6. Web site: Italy fans rampage after killing. BBC News. 2007-11-12. 2007-11-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20071113103923/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7090017.stm. 13 November 2007 . live.
  7. Web site: Officer 'rues' killing Lazio fan. 2007-11-15. 2007-11-12. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20071114112237/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7090170.stm. 14 November 2007 . live.
  8. Web site: Probe starts on Italy fan death. 2007-11-15. 2007-11-12. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20071115101959/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7091849.stm. 15 November 2007 . live.
  9. Web site: Sandri- fu omicidio volontario. 2010-12-04. 2007-11-12. La Repubblica in Italian.
  10. Web site: SPORT - CALCIO - SERIE A - Marcatori. La Repubblica. it. 21 October 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071015042759/http://www.repubblica.it/speciale/2007/calcio/dati/serie_a/classifica_marcatori.html. 15 October 2007 . live.
  11. News: Atalanta appoint Del Neri . Football Italia . 2007-06-09 . 2007-06-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070613134208/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun9p.html . 2007-06-13 . live .
  12. News: De Biasi-Giampaolo, il ritorno. La Gazzetta dello Sport . 2007-02-26 . 2007-06-16 . it.
  13. News: Cagliari sack Giampaolo - official . Football Italia . 2007-11-13 . 2007-11-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071114122640/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/nov13f.html . 2007-11-14 . live .
  14. News: Cagliari: ufficiale, il nuovo tecnico e' Sonetti . Datasport . 2007-11-13 . 2007-11-13 . it .
  15. News: Cagliari appoint new coach . Football Italia . 2007-12-27 . 2007-12-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071230101548/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/dec27g.html . 2007-12-30 . live .
  16. News: Baldini is new Catania coach . Football Italia . 2007-06-03 . 2007-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604114309/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun3l.html . 2008-06-04 . live .
  17. News: Catania, Baldini se ne va. Zenga sempre più vicino . it . 2008-04-01 . 2008-03-31 . La Gazzetta dello Sport. https://web.archive.org/web/20080403072824/http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/SerieA/Squadre/Catania/Primo_Piano/2008/03_Marzo/31/baldini_3103.shtml. 3 April 2008 . live.
  18. News: Zenga riparte da Catania . it . 2008-04-01 . 2008-04-01 . La Gazzetta dello Sport.
  19. News: Somma addio, ecco Cagni. La Gazzetta dello Sport . 2006-01-19 . 2007-06-16 . it.
  20. News: Empoli axe Cagni . 2007-11-26 . 2007-11-27 . Football Italia . https://web.archive.org/web/20071128121509/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/nov26p.html . 2007-11-28 . live .
  21. News: L'Empoli licenzia Malesani. In panchina torna Cagni. La Gazzetta dello Sport . 2008-03-31 . 2008-03-31 . it. https://web.archive.org/web/20080407010824/http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/SerieA/Squadre/Empoli/Primo_Piano/2008/03_Marzo/31/malesani.shtml. 7 April 2008 . live.
  22. News: Rossi alla Lazio, Gregucci a Lecce. E Sensi prende Nonda dal Monaco. La Repubblica . 2005-06-10 . 2007-06-16 . it.
  23. News: Gasperini nuovo allenatore Genoa . RAI Sport . 2006-06-29 . 2007-06-16 . it . https://web.archive.org/web/20071117102312/http://www.raisport.rai.it/sportarticolo/0%2C%2C40422%2C00.html . 2007-11-17 . dead .
  24. News: Mancini allenerà l'Inter, tre anni in nerazzurro. La Repubblica . 2004-07-07 . 2007-06-16 . it.
  25. News: Ranieri appointed Juventus coach . BBC News . 2007-06-04 . 2007-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070623042343/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6719901.stm. 23 June 2007 . live.
  26. News: Sorpresa Livorno: arriva Orsi. La Gazzetta dello Sport . 2007-03-21 . 2007-06-16 . it.
  27. Web site: Livorno sack Orsi . Football Italian . 2007-10-09 . 2007-10-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071117063607/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/oct9j.html . 2007-11-17 . live .
  28. Web site: Livorno turn to Camolese . Football Italia . 2007-10-10 . 2007-10-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071113103217/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/oct10d.html . 2007-11-13 . live .
  29. Web site: Spinelli caccia Camolese. Il Livorno torna ad Orsi . La Gazzetta dello Sport. 2008-04-28. 2008-04-28. it. https://web.archive.org/web/20080429211134/http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/SerieA/Squadre/Livorno/Primo_Piano/2008/04_Aprile/28/livornorsi.shtml. 29 April 2008 . live.
  30. News: Via Terim, arriva Ancelotti. RAI Sport. 2001-11-05. 2007-06-16. it. https://web.archive.org/web/20071117102257/http://www2.raisport.rai.it/news/sport/calcio/200111/05/3be6d35004c86/. 2007-11-17. dead.
  31. News: Calcio. Napoli, ora e' ufficiale: Reja il nuovo tecnico. RAI News 24 . 2005-01-18 . 2007-06-16 . it.
  32. Web site: Palermo confirm Colantuono deal . Football Italia . 2007-06-16 . 2007-06-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070613020625/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun7h.html . 2007-06-13 . live .
  33. Web site: Palermo sack Colantuono . Football Italia . 2007-11-26 . 2007-11-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071128083918/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/nov26l.html . 2007-11-28 . live .
  34. Web site: Guidolin axed, Colantuono back . Football Italia . 2008-03-24 . 2008-03-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080327123414/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar24g.html . 2008-03-27 . live .
  35. Web site: Di Carlo nets Parma job . Football Italia . 2007-06-12 . 2007-06-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070615084758/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun12f.html . 2007-06-15 . live .
  36. News: Parma: via Di Carlo. Scala e Zac tra i candidati . La Gazzetta dello Sport . it . 2008-03-10 . 2008-03-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20080311223031/http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/SerieA/Squadre/Parma/Primo_Piano/2008/03_Marzo/10/dicarlo_1003.shtml. 11 March 2008 . live.
  37. News: Cuper-Parma: è ufficiale . La Gazzetta dello Sport . it . 2008-03-11 . 2008-03-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20080313185013/http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/SerieA/Squadre/Parma/Primo_Piano/2008/03_Marzo/11/cuper.shtml. 13 March 2008 . live.
  38. News: Clamoroso ribaltone al Parma. Esonerato Cuper, in panchina Manzo . it . Quotidiano Nazionale . 2008-05-12 . 2008-05-12 . 2017-02-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170206110347/http://qn.quotidiano.net/2008/05/12/87874-clamoroso_ribaltone_parma.shtml . dead .
  39. Web site: Ficcadenti free to lead Reggina . Football Italia . 2007-07-01 . 2007-07-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080704150118/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jul1h.html . 2008-07-04 . live .
  40. Web site: Reggina sack Ficcadenti . Football Italian . 2007-11-01 . 2007-11-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071103030207/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/nov1f.html . 2007-11-03 . live .
  41. Web site: Reggina call on Ulivieri . Football Italia . 2007-11-01 . 2007-11-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071103030212/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/nov1m.html . 2007-11-03 . live .
  42. News: Reggina: esonerato Ulivieri. La Gazzetta dello Sport. 2008-03-03. 2008-03-03. it. https://web.archive.org/web/20080305002523/http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/SerieA/Squadre/Reggina/Primo_Piano/2008/03_Marzo/03/esoneroUlivieri.shtml. 5 March 2008 . live.
  43. News: Spalletti alla Roma . RAI Sport . 2005-06-17 . 2007-06-16 . it . https://web.archive.org/web/20071117102307/http://www.raisport.rai.it/raiSportSezioneIndex/0%2C5785%2C_78_4_10523%2C00.html . 2007-11-17 . dead .
  44. News: Mazzarri named Samp boss . Football Italia . 2007-05-31 . 2007-05-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070602151931/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/may31n.html . 2007-06-02 . live .
  45. Web site: Mandorlini lands Siena post . Football Italia . 2007-06-12 . 2007-06-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070615130844/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun12h.html . 2007-06-15 . live .
  46. Web site: Mandorlini out, Beretta in . Football Italia . 2007-11-12 . 2007-11-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071114151641/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/nov12n.html . 2007-11-14 . live .
  47. News: Novellino lands Toro job . Football Italia . 2007-06-06 . 2007-06-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070609193235/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun6g.html . 2007-06-09 . live .
  48. News: Torino sack Novellino. SKY Sports . 2008-04-16 . 2008-04-16 .
  49. News: Udinese net Marino – official . Football Italia . 2007-06-05 . 2007-06-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070624151244/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun5i.html . 2007-06-24 . live .
  50. News: Sonetti si è dimesso . Cagliari Calcio . 2007-12-19 . 2007-12-19 . it . https://web.archive.org/web/20071229055350/http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/notizia.asp?idNotizia=4824&type=0&id_menu=1 . 29 December 2007 . dead . dmy-all .
  51. News: Giampaolo rejects Cagliari call . Football Italia . 2007-12-19 . 2007-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071221155647/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/dec19j.html . 2007-12-21 . live .
  52. News: Respinte le dimissioni di Sonetti . Cagliari Calcio . it . 2007-12-20 . 2007-12-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080412054956/http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/notizia.asp?idNotizia=4828&type=0&id_menu=1 . 2008-04-12 .
  53. Web site: Reggina appoint Ficcadenti . Football Italia . 2007-06-24 . 2007-06-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070712131738/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun23n.html . 2007-07-12 . live .
  54. Web site: Hellas Verona Football Club smentisce di essere alla ricerca di un nuovo allenatore . Hellas Verona FC . 2007-06-27 . 2007-06-27 . it.
  55. Web site: Reggina coach poached! . Football Italia . 2007-06-27 . 2007-06-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070701175034/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun27r.html . 2007-07-01 . live .
  56. News: Beretta ends Siena spell . Football Italia . 2007-06-07 . 2007-06-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070610230706/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jun7n.html . 2007-06-10 . live .