Rome (AFP)

After Cristiano Ronaldo last summer, the Serie A has again attracted major players this year, from the very young Matthijs De Ligt to the very experienced Franck Ribery, confirming a renewed attractiveness of the Italian championship.

. From Ligt, the future

Juventus likes to turn to his executioners. After having found Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid a few months after a legendary cycling success by the Portuguese in Turin in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the club bianconero this time recruited Matthijs De Ligt, who also hurt him .

With Ajax Amsterdam, the very young (19 years old) and very talented central defender eliminated Juve at the same stage of the C1 last season, with him also a goal in passing.

By recruiting him for 75 million euros, the champions of Italy have managed one of the blows of the summer, the former captain of Ajax being coveted by all Europe.

While Bonucci (32) and Chiellini (35) do not rejuvenate, De Ligt represents the future of the Turin defense, and his present, although he could start as a substitute Saturday in Parma.

. Lukaku, the first choice

If Antonio Conte returned to Italy at Inter Milan, it is because he believes he can win. And for that, he imposed his system and his men and got in attack his first choice: the former Manchester United player Romelu Lukaku, he has always followed.

While the former captain and N.9 Mauro Icardi club remains removed from the group and could be an invading shadow, the powerful Belgian forward center has joined the Inter for about 65 million euros, an unusual amount in Italy outside Juventus.

Lukaku knows he is highly anticipated and has already told the difficulty of Italian preparations in a video where he is exhausted after a training. "And the food?" Asks the interviewer. "Salad...".

. Rabiot, relief

In conflict with Paris SG, Adrien Rabiot was left out of the group during his last six months with the club of the capital.

With his signing at Juve, he proved that his sporting level was not in question and rebounded "a notch above" the PSG, as he said himself during his presentation press conference.

According to the Italian sports media, the Frenchman has already fully seduced his coach Maurizio Sarri and would leave as a likely holder in the very dense midfielder of Turin.

If Rabiot adapts quickly and well, Juventus will have managed another great shot with one of his specialties: the recruitment of players at the end of the contract. Welsh Aaron Ramsey (ex-Arsenal) has also arrived free this summer.

. Balotelli, the return

It will take a little before seeing him at work because he has yet to serve four suspension games, a memory of the end of his Marseilles adventure.

But the return of Mario Balotelli in Serie A is a curiosity of the season to come, especially since the attacker has chosen the promoted Brescia, the city where he grew up.

His adoptive mother cried, he said, and he knows he's playing big. Good performances could offer him a place in the Euro selection. But Italy has never passed anything and every mistake will be paid dearly.

The former Milanese has also often been a victim of racism in the stadiums of his country. "I really hope to find a different championship and not experience new episodes of racism," he warned.

. Ribery, the spark

The French was presented with great pomp Thursday in Florence, with plays of light, smoke and the music of Rocky.

Ribery is 36 years old and does not go as fast as in his great years. But his arrival at the Fiorentina has awakened a club coming out of a complicated season (16th) and puts a little salt in the ordinary of the championship.

Will we see it on Saturday against Naples? "I need a little bit of time, I do not know how long, but if the Mister + asks me, I'm coming in. Ten minutes, five minutes, two minutes ..."

© 2019 AFP