Milan to retain their title, Ibrahimovic player of the year: Predictions for 2011/12 season Part 2
Article continued from part one of the article
Young Player of the Season
Libor Kozak
Kozak impressed everyone in the 2010/11 campaign and the upcoming campaign might prove to be a breakthrough season for the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Czech-Republic-c2882 U-21 star. The 22-year-old joined the Biancocelesti in 2008 and after being nurtured during his loan spells away from
the club, Edy Reja decided to expose him to senior team football last season.
The tall striker impressed everyone in a campaign in which goals were really hard to come by for http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lazio-c39775. The former Brescia star managed to score 7 goals in 22 appearances for the club and proved to be a nightmare for the Serie A defenders. His match winning
brace against Fiorentina was the highlight of his season at the Stadio Olimpico Rome. Kozak has already drawn comparisons with one of the best strikers of all-time, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ruud-van-Nistelrooy-c31966, for similarity in style.
Manager of the season
Walter Mazzarri
After a superb 2010/11 campaign, Mazzarri is all set for another dream season with the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Napoli-c40003 side in the upcoming season. The former Cagliari defender’s appointment as a manager of Napoli has come as a revelation for the club. A team that was sitting in
the Serie C three seasons prior to his appointment climbed the ladder drastically to become one of the elites of Italian football.
Talking in leaps and bounds, his control is a true gauge of his genius footballing brain. He developed an ordinary looking squad into a UEFA Champions League qualifying unit. The manager has done extremely well in the summer transfer window and has spent
well within the limits.
Surprise Package
Genoa
The Griffin will be a surprise entry in the top six. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alberto-c4309 Malesani took over the reign at the club during the summer and his excellent foundation in the Italian football will prove to be vital in their progress this season. The tactician has brought in
several quality players to the squad this summer and will look to better last season’s 10th place finish.
Relegation Candidates
Atlanta, Siena, Lecce
The 2010/11 Serie B Champions, Atlanta, will begin the season with a 6-point penalty after being found guilty of match fixing. The penalty has come as a body blow for their chances of staying in the league and to add salt to their wounds, their experienced
midfielder, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Doni-c11553, was banned for three and a half years after being found guilty.
Siena are another team who might also suffer the drop as they lack fresh legs in the squad. The summer transfer window went very quiet for the Bianconeri and they are deemed to struggle in the campaign.
It was a very close call for Lecce last summer, as they avoided the drop by just one position. However, the Lady Luck may not be too kind to them this time around, as lack of quality signings might earn them the chop.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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