2004–05 Serie A

The 2004/05 season was A. It started on September 11, 2004 and ended on 29 May 2005, the 74th season of the series. Serie A was first played in the 2004/05 season with 20 clubs. Record champions Juventus won the Italian league title. 2006 them the title, however, was withdrawn later due to the discovery of the Italian manipulation scandal. The direct relegated to Serie B included Atalanta Bergamo and Brescia. The third relegation was determined in the relegation match between FC Parma and FC Bologna. Parma won the game and secured by the league. Scorer with 24 goals Cristiano Lucarelli was promoted from AS Livorno.

• 4.1 Comparison with Europe 2004/ 05
• 4.2 scorers

Course of the season

Title race

The title battle of Serie A 2004/ 05 took place mainly between the traditional clubs AC Milan and Juventus. Early on, both teams were able to settle and fought until shortly before the season ends a battle for the Scudetto. On the 35th matchday arrived in Milan's San Siro Stadium for encounter between the two clubs. Turin won under head coach Fabio Capello with a goal from David Trezeguet 1-0, thus securing the table top. Milan could then no longer take the lead, at the end of the distance between Milan and Juve was seven points.

After a few game days Inter Milan lost the connection to the table top. After 15 games in which Inter Milan had twelve draws and three wins, the team finished fourth residue in more than seventeen points on league leaders Juventus. At the end of the season Inter Milan finished third and qualified for the Champions League. In addition to Inter Milan Udinese Calcio secured the fourth place, the person entitled to participate in the Champions League qualifiers. They were followed by Sampdoria and Palermo promoted. Near the European Cup places there was also the second climber, FC Messina, again.

After several coach changes ( including a brief interlude of Rudi Völler ), was taken by the Roma end of the season in eighth place and managed as a finalist in the Coppa Italia a place in the UEFA Cup. Lack of discipline and disputes within the team had sealed the exit in the group stage of the Champions League.

Relegation battle

City rivals Lazio Rome could hardly acquire New Items due to financial difficulties. Defender and service providers Jaap Stam was sold to AC Milan before the season starts. After a good start Lazio lost ground and found himself before Christmas in the lower third of the table again. End of the season the club secured with two points ahead of the relegation places in the league.

After the departure of Chievo coach Luigi Delneri his successor Mario Beretta could not build on the successes of recent years. On the 35th match day, with three games left in the season, the AC Chievo Verona finished in 18th place, which would have meant relegation to Serie B. With two wins from their last three games, the team still managed to avoid relegation.

To remain in Serie A also had the newly promoted Fiorentina, who was demoted after relegation and withdrawal of licenses in 2002 to the Serie C1, a lot invested in new staff. After the team had good results made ​​contact with the European Cup places, conducted a 0:6 defeat at reigning champions AC Milan a negative series, which moved to Fiorentina in the vicinity of the relegation zone. Shortly before the end of the season, when the club of twelve games could only win one, Florence fell back on the second to last place in the table. On the final day, the club secured the league by having won against direct competitors Brescia Calcio 3-0.

For Brescia, this meant the case of rank 16 to rank 19 and the associated descent. At season's end, severed the eighth-placed AS Roma and second-bottom Brescia Calcio only three points. The Parma sold many of his performers, which could not be compensated by the lack of money due to an ongoing Insolvensverfahren. Almost the entire season was Parma to the relegation zone, a 6-4 home win against AS Livorno and the subsequent 2-1 home win against AS Roma brought Parma in the relegation matches against FC Bologna. After a 0-1 defeat in the first leg was achieved with a 2-0 win in the return match in Bologna the League receipt in Serie A.

Performance in the European Cup

Again, an Italian club reached the final of the Champions League. AC Milan but lost against Liverpool after a 3-0 half-time lead ( 3-3 after extra time ), nor in the penalty shootout. At Liverpool failed previously Juventus, the home was eliminated in the quarterfinals after a 1-2 defeat in the first leg and a 0-0 draw. A pure Italian city of Derby, which ended with an abandoned match was played between Milan and Inter. In this case, the return game was 3-0 scored for Milan, after hooligans started in the 72 minutes to ignite fireworks and throw on the pitch, with Milan goalkeeper Dida - was made. Referee Dr. Markus Merk broke the game off in the 75th minute. Inter Milan was condemned by UEFA to pay a fine of € 193,000 and had to unsubscribe to empty seats its next six European home games.

The AS Rome fell by four dismissals in six games with Unsportsmanlike conduct on and divorced in the group as a group Last with a counter from the competition. The Champions League home debut for Rudi Völler ended with a match being abandoned. With the score at 0-1 for Dynamo Kiev audience threw a metal object to referee Anders Frisk, who suffered then a bleeding wound. The game was subsequently canceled and awarded by UEFA for 3-0 Dinamo Kiev. In the UEFA Cup, FC Parma came after victories against FC Sevilla and VfB Stuttgart prior to the semifinals. After a goalless first leg lost Gialloblù 0-3 at CSKA Moscow and eliminated from the competition. Lazio reached the group stage of the newly reformed UEFA Cup and was eliminated without winning there last but one from. For Udinese, the blow came in round one.

Final Table

In case of equality, the direct comparison decided

Spectator 2004/ 05

9.8 million spectators attended the games of the season 2004/05. That was almost two million more than the previous season, when about eight million fans sought out the stages of Italy's top flight. A significant part of the higher viewership of the Series A carried by the three climbers, Fiorentina, FC Messina and Palermo which together attracted 1.8 million people in their stadiums. Leader of the audience table as in previous years, AC Milan, followed by city rivals Inter. At the home games of the Romans clubs Lazio and AS Roma streamed a total of 1.5 million viewers. The fans of the riser Fiorentina passed more than half a million times the stadium entrances of Fiorentina. Udinese Calcio despite a season in which the qualification for the Champions League was achieved in the end, have comparatively low viewing figures. Less than half the stadium capacity at the Games of the Zebrette wanted to do. Few spectators vermeldeten relegated Brescia Calcio and AC Siena.

Comparison with Europe 2004/ 05

The Serie A was in direct viewers compared with the three strongest leagues in Europe, the German Bundesliga, the English Premier League and the Spanish Primera Division, in fourth place. Last invested in the infrastructure before the Football World Cup 1990 in their own country.

Top scorers

Scorer of the Serie A 2004/05 Cristiano Lucarelli from riser AS Livorno with 24 goals. The new national team coach Marcello Lippi became aware of him through his gates and nominated him for the Squadra Azzurra. Ranked two shot just like last year Alberto Gilardino from Parma, who scored 23 results. His goals ensured the FC Parma in the league and brought him to the attention of the same top clubs in Serie A and Europe. The reward for Gilardino was a contract with AC Milan for the new season 2005/06. Vincenzo Montella scored 21 goals this season for AS Roma, who qualified as a trophy finalist for the UEFA Cup.

In Europe it was the climbers from Palermo, who could count on the accuracy of his striker Luca Toni, who scored 21 times in the opponents goal. For the new season, the attacker moved to Fiorentina. Behind Luca Toni is placed Mirko Vucinic and the top scorer last season, Andriy Shevchenko, who scored 17 goals this season. Zlatan Ibrahimović - in the service of giants Juventus Turin - get 16 hits for Turin. The 16 league goals from Mauro Esposito presented the newly promoted Cagliari Calcio for relegation and remain in Serie A. The also equal number of goals from Inter's Adriano insufficient even under new coach Roberto Mancini the title. Together with Christian Vieri in attack came Adriano / Vieri to 29 goals this season. Francesco Totti and Fabrizio Miccoli each scored 12 goals this season. Miccolis penalty on the last match against Brescia Calcio was the prelude to a 3-0 victory, which ultimately secured the league for Fiorentina.

Coach dismissals and coaching change

The first coaching change took place two weeks before the start of the season. Cesare Prandelli, who had in the summer of Fabio Capello, who moved to the dugout Juventus, took over the coaching job at AS Rome, declared the end of August for family reasons for his resignation. As the successor to the former AS Roma professional Rudi Völler was committed. On Matchday Rudi Völler resigned after the 1-3 defeat back in Bologna. Völler was succeeded by Luigi Delneri, who had been released at FC Porto just before start of the season. After a 0-3 defeat against newly promoted U.S. Cagliari and the off in the group stage of the Champions League, his contract with AS Rome was dissolved. Later Delneri succeeds the outgoing Francesco Guidolin at Palermo for the new season. Under the leadership of his successor Bruno Conti Roma slipped to eighth place and lost from the remaining eight games five, with each victory. At season's end Conti was replaced by Luciano Spalletti, who led Udinese League as fourth in qualifying for the Champions League. City rivals Lazio Rome could commit no significant entry because of the poor financial situation, also had to sell the club performers such as the Dutchman Jaap Stam to competitors such as AC Milan, without the coach Domenico Caso received equivalent replacement. After a positive start to the season, the team fell in the table and found close to the relegation places again. Shortly before the turn of the year came the end for coach Caso. His successor Giuseppe Papadopulo could still run into midfield to tenth Lazio.

The newly promoted Fiorentina invested before the season started many millions in new staff in order to establish themselves in the top half of the table. After a win from their first seven games Emiliano Mondo Nico was relieved of his duties. Sergio Buso, succeeded him and led the Fiorentina in the proximity of the European Cup places. On the winning streak, a run of six games without a win followed in a row, including a 0-6 defeat at AC Milan. After a 1-2 home defeat against AS Rome and the fall to 16th Buso was dismissed and the former world champion Dino Zoff until end of season committed. Under Zoff, the Fiorentina took place on 37th Round shortly before the season ends again on the penultimate place in the table. By a 3-0 win against Brescia Calcio Fiorentina was excellent and Brescia dismounted. In Brescia Gianni De Biasi was replaced by Alberto Cavasin, who could not avoid relegation. The AC Chievo Verona occupied under head coach Mario Beretta after a positive start to the season table below places and fought for the league. On the 35th match day, after slipping off the relegation zone, Beretta resigned from his offices. Maurizio D' Angelo took over and led the team with two wins and a goalless draw at relegation. Movers AS Livorno separated in spite of a non-relegation place on Matchday 18 coach Franco Colomba and named by Roberto Donadoni, who already had the fortunes in Livorno launched in the 2002/03 season, as the new head coach. He led Livorno to ninth place in the table. In Atalanta the coaching change made ​​on 14 Round by Andrea Mandorlini to Delio Rossi after 14 winless rounds again for sporting success, but the descent he could not prevent. Silvio Baldini was relieved at Parma of the office and gave the responsibility to Pietro Carmignani on, who led the club in the relegation matches against FC Bologna. Parma kept the upper hand and Carmigani gave the post of head coach at Parma to his successor Mario Beretta from.

Champion team

(in brackets the matches and goals are specified)

• Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon ( 37 / -); Antonio Chimenti (2/ 0)
• Defense: Alessandro Birindelli (12 / -); Fabio Cannavaro (38/ 2); Ciro Ferrara (4 / - ); Andrea Masiello (1 / - ); Paolo Montero (5 / - ); Gianluca Pessotto (19 / - ); Lilian Thuram (37/ 1); Igor Tudor (2/ 0); Gianluca Zambrotta (36 / - ); Jonathan Zebina (24 / -)
• Midfielder Stephen Appiah (18/ 2); Manuele Blasi (27 / -), Mauro Camoranesi (36/ 4); Emerson ( 33/2 ); Olivier Kapo (14 / - ); Pavel Nedvěd (27/ 7); Rubén Olivera (18/ 4); Alessio Tacchinardi (16 / -)
• Striker Zlatan Ibrahimović (35/ 16); Alessandro Del Piero (30/ 13); Adrian Mutu ( 1/ 0); David Trezeguet (18/ 9); Marcelo Zalayeta (28/ 6)
• Coach: Fabio Capello