Zapping Our Mondial The schedule of the blues for the 2022 World Cup
Gregory, before the start of this 2022-2023 Serie A season, who do you see as favorites at the Scudetto?
I will not innovate and it will remain classic but AC Milan will try to succeed itself. It won’t be an easy task, considering they were huge last year. Will they be able to maintain such a level this season? This is the question we can ask ourselves. Inter Milan will want to regain their title because last season they missed out. They had all the arguments to go to the end. I think they had the strongest squad. And afterwards, I think that Juventus Turin will be revengeful. This trio will fight until the end. And why not AS Rome which could join this fight. Napoli, I believe in it less because for me, last season was the end of a cycle.
Regarding the teams you have just mentioned, what do you think will be the strengths and weaknesses of each?
It will remain the same as last year. AC Milan relied on a real team and it was a team that had a soul. This allowed him to go all the way. In terms of intrinsic quality, I did not see the team above Inter Milan. But they were able to do what was necessary collectively. It’s up to them to build on that, but I think they’ve gained confidence and certainty. They have also tried to strengthen themselves in order to be able to fight on all fronts this season. For my part, I think that a midfielder is missing after the departure of Franck Kessié and they will have to pay attention to that.
On the side of Inter Milan, I think the team has all the arguments. Then there is the Milan Skriniar file. We will have to see if he stays or not because it can be decisive. If the Slovak stays, then it can do it but it will still be necessary to find another central defender in order to allow the hinge to blow. For the rest, I think they have what it takes. For Juventus Turin, it’s a big question mark because they were disappointing last season, both in the game and in the standings. Fourth place last year is a big underperformance. Juventus were an anomaly in attack and there are a lot of questions this season, especially with Pogba injured, Dybala gone and Chiesa looking for his best level.
“I can’t wait to see Roma this season”
AC Milan will try to retain their title this seasonCredit Photo – Icon Sport
To talk about Roma and its transfer window, do you think this team can create a surprise?
Why not, but it will be necessary to make a perfect championship as AC Milan did last season to be champion. The players in each position have great value but we will have to be consistent throughout the season. That was Roma’s problem last season. The team lost points where they shouldn’t have and it hurt them a lot. I think the Romans had this ability to get the Champions League. But for me, José Mourinho did not have a strong enough group to play on all fronts and he made his choice by winning the Europa League Conference. But it’s true that their transfer window is super smart and interesting. I can’t wait to see Roma this season.
Do you see a team, apart from those mentioned above, being able to create a surprise this season at the top of the table in Serie A?
No, I don’t see any. I think that already, last season, the first eight teams were the strongest. Fiorentina was able to be more consistent than in previous years in order to finish 7th while taking advantage of the air pocket of Atalanta, which disappointed last season. Lazio will also always be in the game because the team has a lot of certainties. But I don’t see any team that can compete with both Milan and Juventus apart from Roma and maybe Napoli. On the other hand, if AS Rome wins Serie A, that will be the big surprise.
For AC Milan and Inter Milan, won’t the Serie A/Champions League duplication be too trying this season?
Last year, AC Milan suffered a lot in the Champions League and maybe that’s what allowed them to do what they needed to do in the Championship. I think the group was not big enough to play both tables and that may still be the case this season. Will AC Milan be able to sublimate and turn a corner? I wish that, but I don’t know. We must also wait for the end of the transfer window because the team will have to strengthen to double the positions.
“Olivier Giroud will be true to himself”
Romelu Lukaku has returned to Inter Milan this seasonCredit Photo – Icon Sport
Regarding this summer transfer window, which team has made the best transfer so far in your opinion?
Roma with Paulo Dybala. For me, they were right. Afterwards, there is also the return of Paul Pogba to Juventus in Turin and Angel Di Maria, who is far from over as he showed in Paris. There are quite a few uncertainties on the side of Juventus Turin, however. Then, we must not forget Romelu Lukaku. For me, he never left Inter Milan and I feel he’s going to be like a fish in water. If he repeats what he did two years ago, we will have to be wary of Inter.
Regarding the French players, in particular Olivier Giroud, Mike Maignan or Théo Hernandez, what can we expect from them?
Olivier Giroud will be true to himself. We fired so much red balls on Giroud while he made this attack. He had come to alternate with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and finally, the latter was injured. Giroud therefore had to assume the leading edge of the attack on his own and I think he did it well. He has his style but he remains precious. Afterwards, I think that if Milan wants to continue to be up there, Rafael Leão will have to be at the same level as last year. Regarding Mike Maignan, he needs no introduction. He is the future number 1 goalkeeper in the France team so there is no problem. Anyway, these are players who will have to use this title of champion to be even better and make a big preparation for the World Cup. So I’m not too worried about them.
“A 100% Pogba is a big added value for Juve”
Returning to Juve, Pogba will have to wait several weeks before returning to Serie A Credit Photo – Icon Sport
And on the subject of Paul Pogba’s return to Turin, can we expect to see the Pogba of his first spell at Juve or the Pogba of Manchester United in recent seasons?
I hope it will be the Paul Pogba of his first years at Juventus in Turin, even the Pogba we have in the France team. But still it is necessary that he has all his physical capacities and it is not yet the case, which is annoying. A 100% Pogba is a big added value for Juve and it will allow them to play for the title. Now he won’t be there until almost the World Cup so it’s complicated and it’s an enigma.
After Roma in C4 last year, can we expect to see an Italian team triumph in C1 or C3?
In the Champions League, it’s so hard. Already, there are the chickens, but also parameters that we do not control with the draw. There are also injuries at the right or wrong time. All the planets have to be aligned and we saw it again with Real Madrid last season. They played almost with the same eleven all season without glitches and that allowed them to go until the end.
If Real had lost Benzema along the way, I don’t think the club was going to finish. It comes down to details. I don’t see AC Milan going all the way. Inter Milan may have a better chance but there is always a grain of sand that disrupts the machine and I don’t know why. Are these extra-sporting problems prevailing at the club? I don’t know, but in any case, I don’t see Italian football triumphing in C1. In Europe, there are superior teams.
And in C3?
Why not Roma? Honestly, the team can go all the way because it has a good squad, with all the positions doubled and that’s very interesting. But above all, there is a man at the head of the team who does the job very well (laughs).
Interview with Gregory Paisley, beIN Sports consultant, before the resumption of Serie A
Serie A returns this Saturday with the kick-off of the 2022-2023 season and a match between AC Milan, reigning Italian champions, and Udinese from 6.30 p.m. For the occasion, Gregory Paisley, consultant for beIN Sports, still the official broadcaster of Serie A, spoke to Onze Mondial and gave us his impressions at the start of this new exercise. Between his favorites for the Scudetto or the surprises to come, discover our entire interview with.
