2' min
The Coppa Italia marks the end of summer, as August football with friendly matches blends with transfer market rumors. It signifies that romantic football that you follow outdoors while on vacation, with earphones during a walk along the seafront, or simply glancing at your phone when you're on the beach after sunset.
As tradition dictates, the Coppa Italia begins in August, and on August 10th, the Serie A teams will enter the competition after the preliminary round is played on August 4th. And it is the preliminary round that determines Cagliari's opponent, which will be either Carrarese or Catania. On the same evening, Cremonese and Bari, two former top-flight teams currently in Serie B, will also play.
The clash between teams from different divisions adds an extra element that makes this competition special: it will happen between Torino and Cosenza, where the Granata will make their official debut under new coach Vanoli. There is also a division difference between Empoli and Catanzaro, with Caserta's Calabrians attempting to pull off an upset at the Castellani.
Still on the left side of the bracket, but in the lower left, there are four more matches: Nesta's Monza will host Südtirol, and staying in the north, newly promoted Venezia will face Brescia, led by the experienced Rolando Maran. Additionally, Frosinone and Pisa, two Serie B teams that changed their coaches over the summer, will face off: Vivarini in Ciociaria and Inzaghi in Tuscany. Finally, Cesena and Padova, two teams that performed exceptionally well in Serie C, will play in the preliminary round: the winner will face Zanetti's Verona.
On the other side of the bracket, four more Serie B teams will play in the preliminary round to advance to the round of 32 against a top Serie A team. Newly promoted Juve Stabia will host their cousins from Avellino, who play in Serie C, in a fascinating Campanian derby; the winner will face Udinese. Lecce, on the other hand, will be the team that either Mantova or Torres will face in the first round, between August 10th and 11th.
A clash between two renowned Serie B teams, Salernitana and Spezia, will also take place in the round of 32. Then, two matches between teams from different divisions: Dionisi's Palermo will play at Parma, while Bisoli's Modena will face Napoli, under new coach Conte, at the Maradona. In the top right of the bracket, there is a historic clash between Genoa and Reggiana: the Amaranto are in their second year in Serie B, while Gilardino's Grifone are in their second year in the top division. An exciting match is anticipated between Sampdoria and Como: the Larians have returned to Serie A after more than twenty years. Finally, rounding out the bracket is the match between Sassuolo and Cittadella, both in Serie B.
