A very long and intense season is over and it’s time to give some awards, NBA-NFL style!
Fantasy Player of the Year
Giuseppe Rossi: average rating: 9.02 (La Gazzetta dello Sport). Enough said.
Carlos Tevez: average rating: 8.37.
Mattia Destro: average rating: 8.36
Executive of the Year
Hellas Verona’s front office: they definitely have an eye for the talent. Iturbe’s numbers were not particularly impressive before joining Hellas, Romulo looked lost and without a precise role in Florence, they were among the few that believed in Luca Toni and he repaid them big time.
Roma’s front office: Benatia, Strootman, Gervinho and Nainggolan were helluva additions, even though they were pricey. The sales of Lamela and Marquinhos were debatable, but they both hadn’t a good year, to say the least. And they chose Rudi Garcia, even though he was the third option on their list.
Comeback Player of the Year
Gervinho: he had nine goals in two years at Arsenal combined, he scored 9 times and provided 10 assists in his first season in Italy. He misses so many chances, but he also creates a lot and is a reliable go-to-guy who can outrun everybody.
Alessandro Lucarelli: he has never been a bad defender, but last year it looked like he was starting to decline, with Felipe possibly taking his spot. This year, especially when Paletta went down, he was borderline world class. He ranks in the top 10 among defenders for tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocked shots.
Defensive Player of the Year
Gianluigi Buffon: there is not a better goalkeeper in the world than an on form Buffon. He has been in top shape for most part of the season, making incredible saves and displaying the usual confidence and leadership.
Mattia Perin: he ranks second for most saves in the League (behind only Hellas’ Rafael), he saved two penalties and has the highest average rating among goalkeepers who have played at least 10 games.
Offensive Player of the Year
Ciro Immobile: the real capocannoniere. He formed an incredible couple with Alessio Cerci and proved he doesn’t need Zeman or to be in Serie B to score. 22 goals and a deserved call up for the World Cup.
Juan Guillermo Cuadrado: he had a slow start, but then he was unstoppable: 11 goals and five assists and unsurprisingly he led the League in successful dribbles per game (3.7).
Most Improved Player of the Year
Romulo: at Fiorentina, he wandered around the pitch. At Hellas Verona, he was outstanding as a central midfielder. Energetic, muscular, smart. He scored six goal and provided eight assists and could be a surprise member of the Italian WC squad.
Norberto Neto: Fiorentina spent the whole summer searching for a goalkeeper, but they couldn’t grab one they liked. Neto, who has been no. 12 in the past two and a half years, proved he can be reliable and a long-time solution.
Rookie of the Year
Note: This award is for the players that were at their first experience in a first League.
Keita Baldé Diao: highly touted coming off Barcelona’s La Masia, he quickly adapted to Serie A and established himself. Trickster, very elegant, very efficient. Five goals and an impressive string of good performances.
Jorginho: an incredible first half of the season where he really dominated in the middle with his class. He doesn’t really fit into Benitez’s scheme, but he didn’t play too badly and showed personality.
Goal of the Season
Alessandro Florenzi in Roma-Genoa
Coach of the Year
Rudi Garcia: he arrived as a third choice behind Mazzarri and Allegri, mostly unknown in Italy and won all the skepticals over. Roma was a credible contender for three quarters of the season and he had to face more adversities than Conte.
Giampiero Ventura: the way he reinvented Torino is incredible. He moved Cerci to a more central positive and pulled the best out of Immobile. He played all the season with Vives as his playmaker, Pasquale, Masiello or Maksimovic on one flank, the usually shaky Bovo in the back, players like Meggiorini, Barreto and Basha as the first replacements and finished one missed penalty away from the sixth spot.
Most Valuable Player of the Season
Mehdi Benatia: you can argue that he completely changed Roma’s philosophy. He made the leaky Luis Enrique and Zeman’s eras a distant memory. Roma’s defense finally became reliable thanks to him.
Ciro Immobile: another shout for the capocannoniere who simply played out of his mind all season long, turning into goals most of the chances he had.
Serie A First XI
Buffon
Benatia Barzagli Chiellini
Cuadrado Pjanic Pirlo Pogba Asamoah
Tevez Immobile
Serie A Second XI
De Sanctis
Maicon Gonzalo Rodriguez Castan Nagatomo
Vidal De Rossi Strootman
Cerci Rossi Gervinho
Serie Third XI
Perin
Lichsteiner Mustafi Lucarelli Drame
Berardi Valero Parolo Candreva
Toni Higuain