After the curtain fell on the 2012/2013 Serie A season, it also fell signified the final act of Walter Mazzari at Napoli, revealing in the aftermath of a 2-1 defeat to AS Roma that suspicions he would end his four year spell at the San Paolo were true. The 51 year old coach will quit with his future plans as uncertain as that of the club he has just left behind.

Two days later and Aurelio De Laurentiis, Napoli’s film-maker owner, has publicly revealed that Manchester City are in talks to sign Edinson Cavani, the shining diamond of the club’s recent resurgence, scorer of 78 goals in 104 games since his move from Palermo in 2010.

The Uruguayan was at the forefront of the “Holy Trinity”, the attacking triumvirate, alongside Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi, that led Napoli to the Champions League in 2011. Lavezzi left for PSG last summer after a year of regression, they finished fifth, but Mazzarri managed to transform fortunes once more this season, guiding the Partenopei an automatic return to Europe’s premier competition through a runners-up spot in Serie A.

Mazzarri has been non-committal on his future for the duration of the season with his contract due to expire in the summer, but how his players have remained motivated to deliver success despite the unrest is testament to the abilities of the outgoing coach. There has been a 17 point improvement on last season as they finished second despite issues over strength in depth of the squad, only 13 players have started over 10 times for Napoli this term.

That has been largely down to the potent form of Cavani, scorer of 36 goals from 41 games despite suffering from an uncharacteristic goal-drought stretching 8 matches in the midst of the campaign. There was no coincidence in the fact Napoli went on a seven game winless run in the midst of El Matador’s goalless spell, his immaculate physique and powerful ability imperative to Napoli’s fortunes.

That he will be a monumental absence to the future of the club was best indicated by De Laurentiis’s desperation to tie his striker down to a six-year deal earlier in the season, in which he installed a £63 million buy-out clause. “I do not need the money, I need Cavani” he said.

There is a sense however, that the 26 year old is due to move on. In January, the gap between Napoli and Juventus at the top of the table was just 3 points and Cavani was targeting the end of Naples’ 23 year wait for a third Scudetto. The Uruguayan desperately wanted to win something during his time at the San Paolo and his three years has only reaped last year’s Coppa Italia.

Despite cautious ownership, recent accounts have revealed that Napoli are in the black for the 6th year running, ambition can often outweigh boardroom prudence and it has dictated Cavani and Mazzarri, sadly, should move on to realise it.

For Mazzarri’s successor, Napoli remain an attractive proposition. Threatened with the tribulation of losing Lavezzi and midfield enforcer Walter Gargano in the summer, the likes of Valon Behrami and Alessandro Gamberini were bought in, as well as Portuguese defender Rolando on loan from Porto. Mazzarri’s specialist 3-4-1-2 can be difficult to adapt to and that is what some of the players in their debut year have found.

In attack, Cavani’s goal-scoring burden hasn’t been eased by the struggling Goran Pandev or the extremely raw 21 year old Lorenzo Insigne. Gokhan Inler has perhaps suffered from burn-out in midfield, starting the season well but suffering from patchy form in the second half of the campaign.

However, with 73 goals scored, the most in the league, and a tally of 36 against giving them the second meanest defensive record, there is a righteous thought that Mazzarri is leaving behind an able squad that will only improve should De Laurentiis, as expected he will do, back his new man with sufficient finances.

Other than Cavani, the new man shouldn’t face too much disruption to his playing squad, Marek Hamsik, the gifted 25 year old playmaker who has laid on 14 goals for his teammates as well as hitting 11 himself this season, has already announced his desire to stay. Replace Cavani with a quality striker, Manchester City’s discarded Edin Dzeko has been mentioned, and the post-Cavani, post-Mazzarri world will suddenly look a lot brighter.

Replacing the eccentric, chain-smoking coach in the dugout will be a lot harder for De Laurentiis however, from struggling in the bottom half of Serie A under Roberto Donadoni to the Champions League under Mazzarri, the ex-Sampdoria manager turned Napoli into one of Europe’s most entertaining clubs along the way. His system, a modified 3-5-2, was highly innovative and centred around a dangerous counter-attack.

One will hope his presence remains in football as he moves on from Naples, a city that boasts a wealth of spectacular architecture. Now it is time for its club to rebuild again, without their revolutionary coach and ruthless striker.

Written by Adam Gray

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamGray1250

Please like O-Posts on Facebook

You can follow O-Posts on Twitter @OPosts

Goalkeeper- Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid)

The 21 year old Belgian still belongs to Chelsea, but he has provided the solid backbone to Atletico’s qualification to Champions League qualification. Superb shot-stopping and solid command of his defence has ensured he has conceded just 30 goals this season, giving Simeone’s men the best defensive record in La Liga.

With 18 clean sheets he has won the league’s “Golden Glove” award in a season where he broke Abel Resino’s club record of games without conceding at home, going 820 minutes without breach at the Vicente Calderon.

Right-back- Carlos Martinez (Real Sociedad)

Without Martinez, Sociedad began the season by losing five of their opening eight games. Since returning, the Andalusians have embarked on a run of just 3 defeats in their last 27 as they make a surprise challenge for a Champions League qualification place.

His no-nonsense style makes him effective in defence whilst he also likes to charge forward in Phillipe Montanier’s fluid 4-3-3 system, registering 3 assists with his impressive crossing.

Left-back- Damia (Osasuna)

Osasuna sit in 16th place in La Liga but they possess the joint-4th best defensive record with 45 goals conceded. The 31 year old full-back, who can also play on the right, has been central to such solidity under manager Jose Mendilibar, starting 28 matches and contributing with his cautious play and rigid positional sense.

Centre-half- Martin Demichelis (Malaga)

The combative Argentinean has been an immense presence at the back for Manuel Pellegrini’s team, defying his 32 years of age to play 37 times, in which his love for a tackle and superb ability in the air has contributed to Malaga’s challenge for a top four spot.

Despite their hopes dying out in recent weeks, Demichelis has reinforced his reputation as a hugely-promising defender as well as being comfortable on the ball.

Centre-half- Inigo Martinez (Real Sociedad)

That Barcelona have been intensely linked with the 22 year old to take-over from the ageing Carles Puyol at the Nou Camp is indicative of the standard of season Martinez has had. The Spaniard has made 32 appearances in Sociedad’s superb season, combining a fantastic reading of the game with strength in the tackle.

Despite being sub-6ft, he also competes well in the air with an impressive leap and, like all good Spanish defenders, is able to bring the ball out of defence, completing over 1,000 passes over the course of the season.

Centre-midfield- Geoffrey Kondogbia (Sevilla)

In his first year in Spain, the 20 year old Frenchman has grown into an excellent force at the heart of Sevilla’s midfield, attracting the likes of Arsenal to his availability. The ex-Lens enforcer patrols the area in front of his back-four with an intelligent positional sense and a dogged nature, winning 61 of his 78 attempted tackles.

As well as being able to win the ball back with impressive strength, he can also move it on effectively too, registering an 87% pass completion rate as he keeps possession ticking in Unai Emery’s midfield.

Centre-midfield- Benat Exteberria (Real Betis)

The 26 year old has made 30 appearances for Pepe Mel’s Europa League hunting side, scoring 4 goals and assisting another 8 with his ability to thread a fine pass from deep in midfield. Constantly on the look-out to play the ball around, he averages 53 passes per game, creating 2 chances per match on average too.

Benat also likes to get involved in the “ugly” side of the game judging by his 16 bookings, suggesting he is definitely not a tackler, but a gifted passer of the ball blessed with superb vision.

Right-midfield- Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad)

The 22 year old graduate of Sociedad’s impressive youth system has chipped in with 8 goals and 3 assists as La Real look on course for a Champions League spot. Able to play right across Phillipe Montanier’s attacking quadrant, he is most at home on the wing, cutting inside of his marker with electric pace and close control.

The French youngster has made 32 appearances this term for Sociedad, impressing with his direct, intelligent displays. He also shows a high-work rate, contributing heavily to the defensive side of Sociedad’s play.

Left winger- Pizzi (Deportivo La Coruna)

On loan from Athletico Madrid, 23 year old Luis Miguel Afonso Fernandes, shortened to Pizzi, has shown life is bright on the left side at the Calderon with 8 goals and 6 assists to help Deportivo in their fight against relegation.

Standing at just 5ft 7, his small frame may have seen him get edged out of games, yet his ability has progressed him into a complete winger, able to cut inside, take a man on to cross, get shots away from range or take a dangerous free-kick. His electric pace and fine balance also helps Deportivo on the counter-attack.

The Portuguese has shown enough in his 33 appearances to suggest his will be a bright future.

Attacking midfielder- Isco (Malaga)

The 21 year old is set to follow his manager Manuel Pellegrini to Manchester City and this year’s La Liga campaign has suggested he has everything it takes to succeed in the Premier League. Blessed with fine skill and control, he is able to weave his creative magic between the lines, producing a total of 42 chances for his side this term.

He has made 43 appearances for Malaga so far this season as they narrowly missed out on the semi-finals of the Champions League and sit 6th in La Liga.

Isco’s 8 goals has contributed to that, as well as his comfort on the ball when closely marked, averaging an 84% pass completion rate in the final third, helped by his fine balance and vision.

Centre-Forward- Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

It hasn’t been the most successful of seasons when you consider the Argentinean’s own frighteningly high-standards, but the stats speak for themselves. 54 goals from 43 games as Barcelona romped home to the league title, on top of 14 assists.

Dribbling like the ball is tied to his feet, playing like his on his own untouchable plateau, Messi was threatening to beat last season’s outrageous record-breaking goal-tally before a hamstring injury took its toll towards the end of the year, his struggle for fitness clearly felt as Bayern Munich demolished the Catalans in the Champions League.

Despite his troubles, he remains the best player in the world.

Manager- Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)

Tito Vilanova deserves a big mention for guiding Barcelona to the La Liga title despite his cancer diagnosis, whilst Phillipe Montanier has done a remarkable job in guiding Real Sociedad to the edge of the Champions League on a limited budget.

But Simeone has built on winning the Europa League last season with a superb campaign, leading Atletico to third place, their best finish since 1996, and winning the Copa Del Rey.

The 28 goals of Radamel Falcao has been platformed by the consistent quality of Diego Costa behind him, whilst Diego Godin, Miranda, Mario Suarez and Gabi have embodied Simeone’s fierce nature in the spine of the team, providing a rock solid shield to Thibaut Courtois’s goal.

Written by Adam Gray

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamGray1250

Please like O-Posts on Facebook

You can follow O-Posts on Twitter @OPosts

The World Cup playoff game between the United States and Costa Rica on March 22, 2013 was especially memorable. Played in the middle of a storm in Colorado, the game was the closest thing to blizzard soccer fans had seen in awhile.

For 90 minutes, players had to contend with an increasingly torrential downpour of wet, white flakes. Afterwards, the severity of the conditions had millions of soccer enthusiasts wondering: should play in such treacherous conditions really be allowed?

Why Continue?

World Cup games are obviously the most important in the sport and can be difficult to reschedule. When a team and its fans have already traveled thousands of miles for the game, canceling is something to avoid at all costs. In addition, postponing the game may mean players won’t get enough rest before their next round.

In this particular game, it didn’t look like the weather would cooperate any time soon. If the game hadn’t been played that night, it wouldn’t have been for quite awhile.

Is It Safe?

In spite of tight tournament schedules and pending forecasts, the safety of the players should be the number one consideration when choosing to continue a game. Looking back, was it really safe to continue a game in the middle of a blizzard?

In defending their decision to continue play, refs saidthe players hadn’t been sliding on the snow very much. While this may be true, any soccer player will tell you injuries don’t necessarily happen during slides.

These players were cold, wet, and covered in so much snow that they could run it through an EDI water purification system and use it to hydrate themselves. In these conditions, even the slightest misstep can cause an injury. If nothing else, the players’ immune systems were lowered by the weather.

Who Should Make the Call?

If the game has already started, refs make the final call as to whether it will continue. However, is this fair? Shouldn’t the league, coaches and players have more of a say in whether conditions are safe?

Written by Michael Deaven

Follow Michael on Twitter @MichaelCDeaven

Please like O-Posts on Facebook

You can follow O-Posts on Twitter @OPosts