UEFA Euro 2016 came to a dramatic end on Sunday, with Portugal clinching a late 1-0 victory over host nation France despite captain and key man Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the game before half-time due to injury.

That surprising triumph drew the summer tournament to an end, with the focus now shifting back to domestic football. Juventus are among many clubs to have already started their pre-season training camp, last week seeing a large group of players report for duty at their Vinovo headquarters.

“Enthusiasm is always important,” coach Massimiliano Allegri told Juve‘s in-house channel JTV—per the club’s official website—before going on to discuss the objectives for the 2016/17 campaign.

Allegri said: 

Winning the sixth Scudetto is our primary objective this season, as well as having a good Champions League campaign. And when I say a good Champions League campaign, I mean our objective needs to be to go as far as possible and win it. That said, we need to take it steady, work every day and lay the foundations for a great season between now and 31 August, when the campaign gets underway.

Allegri also revealed that the players who had been away on international duty would not return until August 1, “apart from [Mario] Mandzukic, Dani Alves and [Stephan] Lichtsteiner, who will be here from 26 July.”

That early start could prove hugely important to the first of that trio, with the Croatia international seemingly set for an even more prominent role following Alvaro Morata‘s return to Real Madrid.

As discussed in this previous post, the exit of the 23-year-old Spanish star leaves a major void in the Juventus attack, with the club now only having three recognised strikers available for first-team selection.

With Paulo Dybala recording a staggering 22 goals and nine assists in his debut campaign for the Old Lady, it is almost certainly a question of who starts alongside him up front. That role became Mandzukic‘s with increasing regularity last term, something he must ensure continues when action resumes next month.

When he joined Juventus in July 2015, the striker told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) that he chose the Bianconeri “above all because Allegri really wanted me,” before discussing his relationship with the coach in further detail.

“After a little time we started to understand each other better and better, and now we understand each other perfectly,” Mandzukic continued. “He’s a great guy, and that’s an important quality for me. I like to talk with him, and we joke a lot. He’s a great coach too, he knows so much about football. We have a super relationship.”

Watching him play for any period of time makes it easy to understand why Allegri has such an appreciation for the 30-year-old, his play a study in how to harass defenders and score important goals with equal aplomb.

But with Juventus having paid a fee of €19 million, according to the club’s official website, Mandzukic struggled to repay that investment with his performances on the pitch. He broke the deadlock in the club’s 2-0 Supercoppa Italiana triumph over Lazio in late August, before a fine goal against Manchester City in the Champions League showed a great understanding with Paul Pogba.

That game in September was won 2-1 by the Bianconeri, with the Croatian’s goal helping his new side clinch three vital points. By the time Serie A took its traditional winter break, he had already scored six league goals while also netting in the return clash with City at Juventus Stadium.

Yet that deadly touch in the opposition box would desert him after Christmas, Mandzukic failing to hit the target until an early April win over Empoli. That was quickly followed by strikes in key clashes with AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina to maintain their successful bid to retain the title.

In the latter of those three clashes, the striker was singled out for praise by Allegri, the coach telling Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) just how important the man in the Juve No. 17 shirt was to his side’s success.

He said:

People maybe don’t realise, quite a few in fact, but Mandzukic is a very technically-gifted player. He rarely gets a pass wrong and gave a fantastic assist to Paul Pogba, as he did to Sami Khedira the other day.

Paulo Dybala catches the eye because he’s quick and agile, but watch Mandzukic timing his runs and choosing his passes.

With the Scudetto secured, however, the striker would again endure a goalless streak, playing out the rest of the season without scoring, and he also failed to make much of an impression at Euro 2016.

Making three appearances for Croatia for a total of 268 minutes, he was unable to help the much-liked side progress beyond the last 16, eliminated 1-0 by winners Portugal at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens.

According to statistics provided by WhoScored.com, he averaged 2.7 shots per game yet failed to score a single goal. As can be seen in the Squawka graphic above, Mandzukic missed the target with three of his total of eight shots, seeing two of them blocked and three saved by opposition goalkeepers.

That sustained period of poor shooting form is something he must quickly bring to a close, with Juventus likely to need him firing immediately next term. Yet to replace Morata, the club will be counting on Mandzukic’s blossoming partnership with Dybala, who was another to sing the praises of his team-mate last season.

“We’re getting to understand each other better with every match and I’m starting to learn where he wants the ball and when,” Dybala told Sky Italia after Mandzukic set up his goal in a 2-0 win over Lazio in December (h/t the club’s official website).

“Mario’s physical attributes are crucial,” the young Argentina international continued. “He occupies defenders and drags them out of position for me to attack the spaces that are left behind.”

They clearly worked well together, but when he returns to training at the end of the month, Mandzukic will need to prove he still belongs in the starting XI. Juventus are widely expected to add another striker before the start of the season, with no shortage of potential targets being discussed by the media in Italy.

Calciomercato has linked them with a shock move for Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi, while the agent of Jackson Martinez told the same source that Juve “would be a fantastic option” (h/t Football Italia) as his client looks to leave China.

His 13 goals and five assists were a strong start to life in Turin and may help stave off competition for his place in the team, but there is little doubt that Mandzukic will be Juventus‘ player to watch as their pre-season preparations continue apace.

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Arsenal‘s chances of signing Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi have been dealt a blow after a move for the forward was dubbed “unlikely.” Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Arda Turan could be available following reports the Spaniards transfer-listed their winger.

According to Vaishali Bhardwaj of the London Evening Standard, the Gunners are instead prioritising their interest in Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata or Lyon frontman Alexandre Lacazette.

Arsenal have been linked with a lengthy list of forwards since failing to sign any senior outfield players last summer, and Inter’s Icardi has long been associated with a San Siro exit.

Speaking to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Icardi‘s wife, Wanda Nara, hinted the 23-year-old could depart the Serie A giants this summer, per Bhardwaj‘s report:

From what I can see, Inter have put Icardi up for sale. There are many clubs interested. We will evaluate the situation with all due respect for everyone.

Mauro would be very sad to leave Inter, but we’ve understood the club’s economic situation and evidently they cannot hold Icardi back.

There is no release clause in his contract and we hope Inter won’t ask for a sum that is outside the market value, but rather suited to his contract.

The Argentina international has three years remaining on his current deal with Inter, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is facing the prospect of being without injured striker Danny Welbeck for the start of next season.

WhoScored.com managing director Cristiano Acconci recently highlighted the best and worst sides of Icardi, who has scored 57 goals in 122 Serie A appearances for Inter and former club Sampdoria:

Elsewhere, the Premier League giants have been linked with a move for Barca misfit Turan, who is reportedly on the club’s departure list just six months after making his first appearance for the club.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported the Blaugrana are even willing to accept a £12 million hit and sell their playmaker for just £23 million this summer (h/t Sun‘s Matt Heath-Smith).

Turan moved to the Camp Nou from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £35 million last summer, but the Turkey international wasn’t allowed to register as a player until January 2016 as a result of Barcelona’s transfer ban.

Borussia Dortmund are also mentioned by Heath-Smith as one of the teams interested in a move, and Bayern Munich media’s Cristian Nyari insisted a move to Signal Iduna Park would be good for the player:

Arsenal already have a host of star playmakers among their ranks in Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez, with Turan possibly following the same path as the latter and heading to the Emirates Stadium.

The £30 million arrival of Granit Xhaka has already beefed up the Gunners’ engine room, but Turan‘s acquisition could go a long way to injecting some more flair into Wenger‘s lineup.

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Arsenal‘s chances of signing Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi have been dealt a blow after a move for the forward was dubbed “unlikely.” Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Arda Turan could be available following reports the Spaniards transfer-listed their winger.

According to Vaishali Bhardwaj of the London Evening Standard, the Gunners are instead prioritising their interest in Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata or Lyon frontman Alexandre Lacazette.

Arsenal have been linked with a lengthy list of forwards since failing to sign any senior outfield players last summer, and Inter’s Icardi has long been associated with a San Siro exit.

Speaking to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Icardi‘s wife, Wanda Nara, hinted the 23-year-old could depart the Serie A giants this summer, per Bhardwaj‘s report:

From what I can see, Inter have put Icardi up for sale. There are many clubs interested. We will evaluate the situation with all due respect for everyone.

Mauro would be very sad to leave Inter, but we’ve understood the club’s economic situation and evidently they cannot hold Icardi back.

There is no release clause in his contract and we hope Inter won’t ask for a sum that is outside the market value, but rather suited to his contract.

The Argentina international has three years remaining on his current deal with Inter, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is facing the prospect of being without injured striker Danny Welbeck for the start of next season.

WhoScored.com managing director Cristiano Acconci recently highlighted the best and worst sides of Icardi, who has scored 57 goals in 122 Serie A appearances for Inter and former club Sampdoria:

Elsewhere, the Premier League giants have been linked with a move for Barca misfit Turan, who is reportedly on the club’s departure list just six months after making his first appearance for the club.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported the Blaugrana are even willing to accept a £12 million hit and sell their playmaker for just £23 million this summer (h/t Sun‘s Matt Heath-Smith).

Turan moved to the Camp Nou from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £35 million last summer, but the Turkey international wasn’t allowed to register as a player until January 2016 as a result of Barcelona’s transfer ban.

Borussia Dortmund are also mentioned by Heath-Smith as one of the teams interested in a move, and Bayern Munich media’s Cristian Nyari insisted a move to Signal Iduna Park would be good for the player:

Arsenal already have a host of star playmakers among their ranks in Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez, with Turan possibly following the same path as the latter and heading to the Emirates Stadium.

The £30 million arrival of Granit Xhaka has already beefed up the Gunners’ engine room, but Turan‘s acquisition could go a long way to injecting some more flair into Wenger‘s lineup.

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Arsenal‘s chances of signing Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi have been dealt a blow after a move for the forward was dubbed “unlikely.” Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Arda Turan could be available following reports the Spaniards transfer-listed their winger.

According to Vaishali Bhardwaj of the London Evening Standard, the Gunners are instead prioritising their interest in Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata or Lyon frontman Alexandre Lacazette.

Arsenal have been linked with a lengthy list of forwards since failing to sign any senior outfield players last summer, and Inter’s Icardi has long been associated with a San Siro exit.

Speaking to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Icardi‘s wife, Wanda Nara, hinted the 23-year-old could depart the Serie A giants this summer, per Bhardwaj‘s report:

From what I can see, Inter have put Icardi up for sale. There are many clubs interested. We will evaluate the situation with all due respect for everyone.

Mauro would be very sad to leave Inter, but we’ve understood the club’s economic situation and evidently they cannot hold Icardi back.

There is no release clause in his contract and we hope Inter won’t ask for a sum that is outside the market value, but rather suited to his contract.

The Argentina international has three years remaining on his current deal with Inter, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is facing the prospect of being without injured striker Danny Welbeck for the start of next season.

WhoScored.com managing director Cristiano Acconci recently highlighted the best and worst sides of Icardi, who has scored 57 goals in 122 Serie A appearances for Inter and former club Sampdoria:

Elsewhere, the Premier League giants have been linked with a move for Barca misfit Turan, who is reportedly on the club’s departure list just six months after making his first appearance for the club.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported the Blaugrana are even willing to accept a £12 million hit and sell their playmaker for just £23 million this summer (h/t Sun‘s Matt Heath-Smith).

Turan moved to the Camp Nou from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £35 million last summer, but the Turkey international wasn’t allowed to register as a player until January 2016 as a result of Barcelona’s transfer ban.

Borussia Dortmund are also mentioned by Heath-Smith as one of the teams interested in a move, and Bayern Munich media’s Cristian Nyari insisted a move to Signal Iduna Park would be good for the player:

Arsenal already have a host of star playmakers among their ranks in Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez, with Turan possibly following the same path as the latter and heading to the Emirates Stadium.

The £30 million arrival of Granit Xhaka has already beefed up the Gunners’ engine room, but Turan‘s acquisition could go a long way to injecting some more flair into Wenger‘s lineup.

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Arsenal‘s chances of signing Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi have been dealt a blow after a move for the forward was dubbed “unlikely.” Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Arda Turan could be available following reports the Spaniards transfer-listed their winger.

According to Vaishali Bhardwaj of the London Evening Standard, the Gunners are instead prioritising their interest in Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata or Lyon frontman Alexandre Lacazette.

Arsenal have been linked with a lengthy list of forwards since failing to sign any senior outfield players last summer, and Inter’s Icardi has long been associated with a San Siro exit.

Speaking to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Icardi‘s wife, Wanda Nara, hinted the 23-year-old could depart the Serie A giants this summer, per Bhardwaj‘s report:

From what I can see, Inter have put Icardi up for sale. There are many clubs interested. We will evaluate the situation with all due respect for everyone.

Mauro would be very sad to leave Inter, but we’ve understood the club’s economic situation and evidently they cannot hold Icardi back.

There is no release clause in his contract and we hope Inter won’t ask for a sum that is outside the market value, but rather suited to his contract.

The Argentina international has three years remaining on his current deal with Inter, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is facing the prospect of being without injured striker Danny Welbeck for the start of next season.

WhoScored.com managing director Cristiano Acconci recently highlighted the best and worst sides of Icardi, who has scored 57 goals in 122 Serie A appearances for Inter and former club Sampdoria:

Elsewhere, the Premier League giants have been linked with a move for Barca misfit Turan, who is reportedly on the club’s departure list just six months after making his first appearance for the club.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported the Blaugrana are even willing to accept a £12 million hit and sell their playmaker for just £23 million this summer (h/t Sun‘s Matt Heath-Smith).

Turan moved to the Camp Nou from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £35 million last summer, but the Turkey international wasn’t allowed to register as a player until January 2016 as a result of Barcelona’s transfer ban.

Borussia Dortmund are also mentioned by Heath-Smith as one of the teams interested in a move, and Bayern Munich media’s Cristian Nyari insisted a move to Signal Iduna Park would be good for the player:

Arsenal already have a host of star playmakers among their ranks in Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez, with Turan possibly following the same path as the latter and heading to the Emirates Stadium.

The £30 million arrival of Granit Xhaka has already beefed up the Gunners’ engine room, but Turan‘s acquisition could go a long way to injecting some more flair into Wenger‘s lineup.

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Arsenal‘s chances of signing Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi have been dealt a blow after a move for the forward was dubbed “unlikely.” Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Arda Turan could be available following reports the Spaniards transfer-listed their winger.

According to Vaishali Bhardwaj of the London Evening Standard, the Gunners are instead prioritising their interest in Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata or Lyon frontman Alexandre Lacazette.

Arsenal have been linked with a lengthy list of forwards since failing to sign any senior outfield players last summer, and Inter’s Icardi has long been associated with a San Siro exit.

Speaking to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Icardi‘s wife, Wanda Nara, hinted the 23-year-old could depart the Serie A giants this summer, per Bhardwaj‘s report:

From what I can see, Inter have put Icardi up for sale. There are many clubs interested. We will evaluate the situation with all due respect for everyone.

Mauro would be very sad to leave Inter, but we’ve understood the club’s economic situation and evidently they cannot hold Icardi back.

There is no release clause in his contract and we hope Inter won’t ask for a sum that is outside the market value, but rather suited to his contract.

The Argentina international has three years remaining on his current deal with Inter, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is facing the prospect of being without injured striker Danny Welbeck for the start of next season.

WhoScored.com managing director Cristiano Acconci recently highlighted the best and worst sides of Icardi, who has scored 57 goals in 122 Serie A appearances for Inter and former club Sampdoria:

Elsewhere, the Premier League giants have been linked with a move for Barca misfit Turan, who is reportedly on the club’s departure list just six months after making his first appearance for the club.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported the Blaugrana are even willing to accept a £12 million hit and sell their playmaker for just £23 million this summer (h/t Sun‘s Matt Heath-Smith).

Turan moved to the Camp Nou from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £35 million last summer, but the Turkey international wasn’t allowed to register as a player until January 2016 as a result of Barcelona’s transfer ban.

Borussia Dortmund are also mentioned by Heath-Smith as one of the teams interested in a move, and Bayern Munich media’s Cristian Nyari insisted a move to Signal Iduna Park would be good for the player:

Arsenal already have a host of star playmakers among their ranks in Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez, with Turan possibly following the same path as the latter and heading to the Emirates Stadium.

The £30 million arrival of Granit Xhaka has already beefed up the Gunners’ engine room, but Turan‘s acquisition could go a long way to injecting some more flair into Wenger‘s lineup.

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On one hand, Thiago Silva’s omission from Brazil’s Copa America Centenario squad could work in Paris Saint-Germain’s favour this season. The centre-back will be well rested and fully fit going into the new campaign, which is always good when you are on the wrong side of 30.

For the player, it must be a blow not to be involved with his country. It hurt him after the 2014 World Cup exit to Germany. Something that it took time to get over but could be turned into a positive after Brazil’s early exit in the competition.

Regardless of whether he is picked by current or future Brazil coaches, Silva is still a world-class defender.

Inter Milan centre-back Miranda, who did make the Copa America squad, believes Silva, alongside his PSG team-mates David Luiz and Marquinhos, all merit a place in the Selecao.

“I think Thiago Silva is a great defender who deserves to be selected,” the Inter man told Globoesporte, via Goal. “But it’s a choice for the coach and you have to respect that. I’ve also been rejected and I have learned lessons.”

Silva had previously told Canal Football Club, per Goal: “I suffered a lot because of what happened in Brazil. It was not easy to digest that.”

The PSG captain paid tribute to the guidance given to him by Laurent Blanc, but his former coach insisted the 31-year-old is responsible for his own revival.

Per Goal, Blanc told reporters in March:

This is mostly thanks to him.

He had a difficult time, it can happen to everyone. His potential is still there. He can still progress, even if he laughs when I tell him that!

He regained confidence in himself and with the help of some people who helped him to maintain that trust. You had to be with him and encourage him.

When he arrived in Paris, Silva brought a level of defending that Ligue 1 hadn’t seen in a long time. The former AC Milan man was head and shoulders above anyone else in the division.

Instantly, he showed that centre-backs didn’t need to dive into tackles. He kept upright, read the game and pounced when the moment was right. He quickly became a visible wall.

Regardless of how good or bad PSG played in the league, it took a gargantuan effort from the opposition to penetrate a back four with Silva involved.

There was a dip in his form before the 2014 World Cup, and at the time Blanc felt the need to defend his captain and explain the possible reasons.

“We expect such excellence from him that when he’s less good, we wonder what’s happened to him,” said Blanc via L’Equipe (h/t ESPN).

“He’s had a tricky spell, but that could also be explained by the fact he has had some injuries. When you’re certain to go to the World Cup, when you’re Brazil captain—all those injuries mean you are a little bit afraid of missing the World Cup.”

Analysing his statistics on WhoScored, you can see the dip from his debut season—both domestically and in the Champions League. As Blanc said, he set the bar so high that it became noticeable when he wasn’t at his best.

Instantly, after the disaster in Rio, Silva’s numbers jumped back up once wearing the PSG shirt. Spending £50 million on his countryman David Luiz, you would have perhaps expected the duo to share the work load, but with continuing doubts over the former Chelsea player’s ability to actually defend, Silva had to return to his imperious best.

His numbers increased all over the board. He was winning more balls in the air, forced to make more tackles, and in the league, his interceptions and clearances were more apparent.

Last season, with the domestic challenges offered to PSG almost disappearing, his numbers dropped slightly. However, he was excellent in the Champions League, putting up his best return in terms of clearances, aerial challenges won and tackles made.

In the league, as PSG pushed forward and dominated games, Silva found himself more involved in the possession game. His average passes per game went up from somewhere in the 50-60 mark, to up at 80.6—something that was noticeable in their 9-0 win over Troyes last term.

PSG were more commanding, more in control, with the players pushed higher up the pitch, Silva was allowed to push higher up and almost play like a midfielder.

At times it does seem that he is a little immune to criticism, there have been moments where his mistakes could have been punished further, if not for the lack of quality among Ligue 1 opposition. Mistakes are instantly forgotten when they don’t lead to goals.

During the 2013/14 Champions League campaign, it is often forgotten that it was Silva who gave away the penalty that put Chelsea 2-1 up and minutes away from the quarter-finals. He then capitalised on some terrible defending to head PSG level and the French side advanced on away goals.

What goes in Silva’s favour is his high level of performance, even when PSG struggle. When you look at the Ligue 1 defeats to Lyon and AS Monaco last season, plus the game at the Etihad Stadium when Manchester City knocked them out of the Champions League, the Brazilian was still excellent and the numbers from WhoScored back that up.

Beaten 2-1 away at Lyon in March, the game that ended their unbeaten season, he finished with two tackles, four interceptions and eight clearances, higher than his season average. Even in the 2-0 home defeat to Monaco he made five tackles, seven interceptions, seven clearances and blocked one shot. It was David Luiz who got booked and made an error for Monaco’s goal in that match.

“We can see that there isn’t a defender on the list—it’s a pity,” Blanc told a news conference, per ESPN FC, when Silva wasn’t included in the Ligue 1 Player of the Year shortlist in April.

“If there was one, it would have certainly been him. If we ask the players of Ligue 1 who the best defender is, the majority will respond that it’s Thiago. We like players who score goals—you only have to look at the Ballon d’Or [nominees].

“Defenders are not often truly appreciated. But that doesn’t take away from the season he’s having. It’s been terrific.”

Even in the second-leg loss to Manchester City, he made eight clearances. It begs the question; it’s not so much what he brings to the team—we’ve seen that for four seasons now—but where would Paris Saint-Germain be without him?

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