Football Italia
·16 September 2024
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Yahoo sportsFootball Italia
·16 September 2024
The Italian top flight is widely recognised as one of the best leagues in the world, and its teams are able to attract top talent from other countries.
Scandinavian players have a history of success in Italy, with players like Michael and Brian Laudrup, Zlatan Ibrahimovich, and John Arne Riise all flying the flag for their respective nations.
Football fans around the world will be looking at the Serie A squads to try and determine which team looks strongest this season. Inter and Juventus are the bookmakers’ favourites at present, but sports betting expert Edgar C Blakeslee advises consumers to search around for the best odds, with some of the most competitive available in this list of Norwegian betting sites.
Looking at the comings and goings over the summer will help, but a bit of inside information from knowing the top Scandinavian stars currently plying their trade in Italy will also be handy.
Many of Sweden’s current crop of Serie A stars seem to have a bright future ahead including 21-year-old Roma full-back Samuel Dahl, 20-year-old Juventus defender Jonas Rouhi, and Empoli‘s 22-year-old forward Emmanuel Ekong. A few more established Swedes include Jesper Karlsson, the 26-year-old attacking midfielder and winger who signed for Bologna in 2023 following a successful spell at AZ in the Netherlands.
Towering centre-back Isak Hien is another talented Swedish star who moved to Atalanta from Hellas Verona in January 2024, while Udinese added experienced Sweden international midfielder Jesper Karlström to their ranks.
It is also worth noting that a certain Maximilian Ibrahimovic plays for Milan, the same club that his father Zlatan starred for. However, at only 17 it will be a few years before he starts making his presence felt.
Denmark also has a strong presence in Serie A with Lazio forward Gustav Isaksen, 6ft 6″ centre-back Thomas Thiesson Kristensen at Udinese, and Bologna’s Jens Odgaard. Odgaard spent a bit of time at Inter in his younger years but never featured in the first team. A move to Sassuolo saw him loaned out before he moved to AZ in 2022. He returned to Italy in 2024, joining Bologna after a successful loan spell.
Genoa currently have two Norwegians playing for them including holding midfielder Morten Thorsby who enjoyed a loan spell at the club during the 2023-24 season before the deal was made permanent.
He is joined in midfield by Emil Bohinen who is the son of former Norway international and Nottingham Forest, Blackburn, and Derby midfielder Lars. Bohinen was linked with a move to England with Leeds, Sheffield United, and Brighton interested, but he moved to CSKA Moscow before heading to Salernitana and Genoa.
Ola Solbakken currently plays on loan at Empoli from Roma, while Noway international right-back Marcus Pedersen is currently on loan at Torino from Feyenoord.
Scandinavian football is well represented around the world, and its history of providing top talent to Italy looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.