Italian football : Italian Serie A 2011/2012 season preview
Milan seal Scudetto gloryMilan ended five years of dominance by city rivals Inter, clinching their first Serie A title since 2004. With two games left and a better head-to-head record, coach Massimiliano Allegri's team took an unassailable six-point lead over Inter. Inter guaranteed themselves second place in Serie A, while Napoli settled for third and automatic qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
Udinese claimed Italy's final berth in this season's UEFA Champions League, pipping Lazio to fourth place on goal difference. Lazio qualified for the UEFA Europa League along with their city rivals Roma. Palermo also received a Europa League spot by reaching the Italian Cup final against Inter. Sampdoria were relegated from Serie A and are now out of Italy's top flight for the first time since 2003. Bari and Brescia were also relegated.
The overall number of titles since 1896 for each club in Italian Serie A and their league standings in the last five seasons. Inter appoint GasperiniGian Piero Gasperini was named as Inter Milan's coach following Leonardo's shock decision to step down. Gasperini has agreed a two-year deal. The 53-year-old becomes Inter's fourth coach in 13 months, following the departure of Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid, the dismissal of Rafael Benitez in December and Leonardo's departure to Paris Saint-Germain. Gasperini led Genoa to promotion from Serie B in 2007 and qualification for the UEFA Europa League with a fifth-placed finish in Serie A in 2009. He was sacked in November following a disappointing start to 2010/11. Conte named new Juventus coachJuventus named Antonio Conte as their new coach in place of Luigi Delneri, who left the club a year before the end of his contract after a disappointing campaign. Conte has signed a two-year contract which ties him to the Turin giants until the end of June 2013. The 41-year-old former Italian international has coached Arezzo, Bari, Atalanta and Siena, guiding the latter to promotion to Serie A during the 2010/11 campaign. Conte won 14 trophies as a player with Juventus. Malesani appointed Genoa coachGenoa have appointed Alberto Malesani as their coach for the new season. The 57-year-old kept Bologna in Serie A last campaign despite a three-point deduction and players not being paid for months. However, Bologna parted company with Malesani after the team earned just two points from their final eight Serie A fixtures. Malesani has signed a two-year deal. He replaces Davide Ballardini, who was sacked by Genoa in June. Meanwhile, Pierpaolo Bisoli has replaced Malesani as Bologna coach on a two-year deal, returning to the game after a five-month spell at the Cagliari helm ended in November. This page is introduction to the 2011/2012 Italian Serie A season. Latest news, statistics, results and predictions you can find on our main Euro Football > Italy page. Catania hire Montella, Luis Enrique to coach RomaVincenzo Montella has been appointed as the new coach of Catania after impressing during a caretaker stint at Roma. Montella coached Roma for the final four months of last campaign in his first senior managerial position, having previously directed Roma's youth squad. The former Italy striker, 37, also had a long career in Serie A, much of it with Roma, before retiring in 2008. Meanwhile, Barcelona B-team coach Luis Enrique has reached an agreement to take over at Roma this season. The 41-year-old has put pen to paper on a two-year contract worth €1.5m per season. Luis Enrique worked closely under senior team coach Pep Guardiola at the European champions. He closed his playing career in 2004 after playing eight season with Barcelona. Pioli replaces Rossi at PalermoPalermo have named former Chievo Verona trainer Stefano Pioli as their new coach after the club decided not to extend the contract of Delio Rossi. Palermo parted company with coach Rossi in June for the second time in four months in a typically bizarre move from eccentric club owner Maurizio Zamparini. Pioli led Chievo to mid-table security last season. Palermo, meanwhile, finished eighth in Serie A last term and qualified for the UEFA Europa League after finishing runners-up to Inter Milan in the Italian Cup. Chievo, meanwhile, have appointed Domenico Di Carlo as their coach for a second time. Di Carlo, who had coached Chievo from 2008-10, has spent most of the last year with Sampdoria but failed to find success and was sacked in March as the club headed towards relegation. The 47-year-old has signed a one-year contract.
The final standings for the 2011/2012 Serie A season. More coaching changesCesena have appointed Marco Giampaolo as their new coach. The 43-year-old replaces Massimo Ficcadenti who failed to renew his contract after guiding the club to a 15th place finish last term. The former Ascoli, Siena and Cagliari coach has signed a two-year contract with the club having been relieved of his duties by Cagliari in January. Ficcadenti, meanwhile, takes over as the new coach of Cagliari. Lecce have appointed former Italy international Eusebio Di Francesco as their new coach. The 41-year-old takes over from Luigi De Canio, who was sacked at the end of last season after narrowly avoiding the drop for Lecce as the club finished 17th in Serie A. Di Francesco, who had spells at Roma and Piacenza, among others, while as a player, arrives at Lecce after coaching Virtus Lanciano and Pescara.
The preseason odds for the outright winner of the 2011/12 Italian football league. Italian Cup finals in last five years
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