New Season Fixtures Released

The Italian Football League (Lega Calcio) have released the fixtures for the new Serie A and Serie B season in Rome tonight. The highlights of the opening round sees Scudetto holders Internazionale begin their 2006-07 campaign at Fiorentina, while Milan face Lazio as the season kicks off with a bang on September 9 and 10.

Here are the opening round of fixtures from the top flight, kick-off times are in UK time, unless stated:

Serie A - Round 1 (Sept 10, 2pm)
Roma v Livorno (Sept 9, 5pm)
Fiorentina v Inter (Sept 9, 7.30pm)
Atalanta v Ascoli
Cagliari v Catania
Chievo v Siena
Messina v Udinese
Milan v Lazio
Palermo v Reggina
Sampdoria v Empoli
Torino v Parma (7.30pm)

It’s set to be a blistering start to the season, as the Scudetto showdown between favourites Inter and Roma will be played in Week 3 at the Stadio Olimpico. It’s one of the midweek rounds and will be played on Wednesday September 20. The Milan derby will take place in Week 9 (October 29), while Lazio-Roma kicks off in Week 15 (December 10).

The top flight does not include demoted giants Juventus for the first time in its history and will see Fiorentina (-19), Reggina (-15), Lazio (-11) and Milan (-8) all start with points deductions due to their involvement in the match-fixing scandal.

Juventus will play their first ever Serie B game at Rimini’s Stadio Romeo Neri, while Napoli debut at the San Paolo against Treviso.

Serie B will include some of Italy's most illustrious clubs such as Genoa, Napoli, Juventus, Bologna, Lecce and Brescia, which promises that the race to promotion will go right to the wire. Triestina, Arezzo and Juve will set off with a one, six and 17-point handicaps respectively.

Here are the opening round of fixtures from the Second Division, kick-off times are in UK time, unless stated:

Serie B - Round 1 (Sept 9, 3pm)
Arezzo v Mantova (Sept 8, 7.45pm)
Brescia v Piacenza
Crotone v Bari
Lecce v Albinoleffe
Modena v Verona
Napoli v Treviso
Pescara v Bologna
Rimini v Juventus
Triestina v Frosinone
Vicenza v Genoa
Spezia v Cesena (Sept 11, 7.45pm)

The big game everyone is waiting for will be Napoli-Juventus at the Stadio San Paolo on November 4. The Week 10 clash will be a replay of the scintillating 3-3 Coppa Italia draw in the 3rd Round, the Azzurri eventually going through after a penalty shoot-out. Genoa-Juventus comes in Week 14 to begin December in Serie B, but fascinatingly the final match of the season will see Napoli and Genoa go head to head at Marassi on June 10.

The 2006-07 campaign will kick-off on the weekend of September 9 and 10 after it was initially set to start on August 26 and 27, but was delayed by the match-fixing scandal. This now means that the top flight season will come to an
end on May 27 2007, while the Serie B season concludes on June 10 2007.

Week-by-Week Fixtures:
Serie A Fixtures
Serie B Fixtures

Club-by-Club Fixtures:
Serie A: Ascoli, Atalanta, Cagliari, Catania, Chievo, Empoli, Fiorentina, Inter, Lazio, Livorno, Messina, Milan, Palermo, Parma, Reggina, Roma, Sampdoria, Siena, Torino, Udinese.
Serie B: Albinoleffe, Arezzo, Bari, Bologna, Brescia, Cesena, Crotone, Frosinone, Genoa, Juventus, Lecce, Mantova, Modena, Napoli, Pescara, Piacenza, Rimini, Spezia, Treviso, Triestina, Verona, Vicenza.