So, it’s with a tinge of sadness we see another Serie A season depart into the sunset for the summer months.
That leaves us at Forza Italian Football still with a few loose end to tie up in regards to the campaign, namely naming our Team of The Season, the best eleven players from the 2013/14 campaign.
Players were picked based on the amount of appearances they made in each of our Team of The Week over the course of the season. In instances where people were tied on appearances it was left to the writer’s discretion (i.e me) to make the final choice.
The formation chosen is a 4-3-2-1, with a strong contingent from the top duo of Juventus and Roma as well as couple of players from surprise package Verona.
As ever if you disagree with our choices please don’t hesitate to leave a comment.
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- Perin – Genoa
Mattia Perin – Genoa (5 Team of The Week appearances)
The young shot stopper’s displays this season re-inforced most pundit’s belief that the Italian could be a regular with the national side in years to come. His lightning fast reflexes mean he can often be seen denying certain goals with miraculous saves. Had the odd bumpy moment during the course of the campaign but at just 21 years of age has plenty of time to improve.
Stephan Lichtsteiner – Juventus (3 apps)
The former Lazio man narrowly beat of competition from the likes of Maicon, Sime Vrsaljko, Mattia Cassani and Lorenzo Di Silvestri for the right back slot, all of whom ended the season with three Team of The Week appearances. The Swiss player just edges it due to the consistant high levels of his performances and the pivotal role he played in the Bianconeri’s title winning season.
Leandro Castan – Roma (5 apps)
The Brazilian has come almost full circle, from being part of one of the pourest defenses in Serie A last season under Zdenek Zeman to becoming a mainstay in one of the stingiest backlines in Europe. Has always had excellent physical and technical abilities but now reads the game much better. Made one more Team of The Week appearance than fellow centre back partner Mehdi Benatia, mainly due to the Moroccan missing part of the season due to injury.
Mehdi Benatia – Roma (4 apps)
The Moroccan makes it an all Roma centre back partnership in our Team of The Season. Settled in immediatley following his sumer move from Udinese, defending with elegance, speed and touch tackling when needed. Bears a resemblance to Thiago Silva in playing style.
Yuto Nagatomo – Inter (3 apps)
A bundle of energy and power down the left flank. Definitley better attacking then defending, always looking to whip cross balls into the box or cut inside, link with his team mates and get on the scoresheet, as shown by his five league goals this season. A mention for Stefan Radu and young Alessio Romagnoli at Roma who also had three Team of The Week caps.
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- De Rossi – Roma
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- Valero – Fiorentina
Paul Pogba – Juventus (5 apps)
The young Frenchman confirmed his status as one of the best young midfielders in Europe, displacing Claudio Marchisio from the Juventus midfield in the process. Equally adept as a defensive midfielder or playing in an advanced role where he is more liable to express his silky skills. Scored one of the goals of the season against Napoli with a sumptuous volley.
Daniele De Rossi – Roma (5 apps)
The brains of Rudi Garcia’s side. Can play in a variety of midfield roles or at centre back if needed. Reads the game expertly, always dropping in to cover a team mate when they are out of position and has excellent technical abilities, something which is often overlooked.
Borja Valero-Fiorentina (5 apps)
Pulled the strings in the Vila midfield for the majority of the season. Effortlessly linked the midfield and attack, able to receive the ball in any situation, play the killer pass and dribble past opponents. Had a slight dip in form for the final third of the season but nonetheless it was still an excellent campaign for the Spaniard.
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- Tevez – Juventus
Juan Iturbe – Verona (5 apps)
Arrived on loan from Porto after a couple of years in the wilderness, having failed to live up to his wonder kid tag. but put aside any doubts about his quality with a series of electric displays. Caused havoc with his pace, close control and long range shootimg. Will be in line for a big summer move in the coming months. Special mention also goes to Gervinho who had five Team of The Week appearances as well.
Carlos Tevez – Juventus (5 apps)
‘El Apache’ was the marque signing the Bianconeri wanted to add a bit of stardust to their strikeforce and the man from Beunos Aires didn’t disapoint. His work rate, pressing and technical abilities make him a perfect fit for Antonio Conte’s side. Will be slightly disapointed with his goal ratio in Europe but in Serie A he was deadly.
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- Toni – Hellas Verona
Luca Toni – Verona (6 apps)
The striker with the most appearances in Team Of The Week was big old Luca Toni. Perhaps partly because we were all shocked at how good he still was. The former international was the leader in attack for surprise package Verona, holding up the ball, linking the play superbly and ending the season with a hugely impressive 20 league goals. Not bad for a 36 year old!
