Capocannoniere, translated literally from Italian to English, means "chief gunner". The martial use of the term these days is far less common than the footballing one, which denotes the most prolific goalscorer in a league season. But if it really were a gun, there is no doubt about the direction it would be facing: Paris.
The last winners of the award have been Zlatan Ibrahimovic, formerly of AC Milan, and Edinson Cavani, whose 29 Serie A goals in 2012/13 for Napoli helped propel him to the €64 million (Dh313.75m) transfer fee paid by Paris St Germain to unite him with Ibrahimovic, bought 12 months earlier, in their forward line.
For the second successive summer, a major star left Italy for the bigger money available in the French capital.
Is Serie A weakened as a result of these moves and others, like Marquinhos leaving Roma for Paris to pair up in defence with Thiago Silva, who departed Milan for PSG at the same time as Ibrahimovic?
To an extent, yes, and the economic uncertainties of the Italian game mean Serie A clubs are facing a broader range of competitive peers on the European stage than they did a decade ago.
But that does not mean that Italian football is in inexorable decline, and to look at the array of intriguing newcomers in Serie A is to feel the pulse quicken, especially the several who nourish genuine aspirations to be the next Capocannoniere.
In 2013, the following individuals have joined the Serie A star parade: the leading scorer of the 2010/11 English Premier League and three-time South American Footballer of the Year; the current top scorer in South American World Cup qualifying; a prized centre-forward from the Spain national team who hold the World Cup and European championship; the centre-forward from Uefa's Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament; and the top goalscorer from Euro 2012 and Golden Boot winner of the 2011 Bundesliga season.
That is some stack of credentials. And they attach not to players whose best days lie in the past.
The exciting accumulation of firepower that has distinguished Italian clubs' activities in the summer transfer market is not of the hype-and-hope style that AC Milan, in particular, indulged for a period, when they signed a slowing Ronaldinho and a swelled-up, late-career incarnation of his Brazilian compatriot Ronaldo.
These arriving marksmen are footballers who should be in their prime, or ahead of it. Here are the names and ages, respectively, of the strikers whose distinctions were listed: Carlos Tevez, who has joined Juventus, is 29; Gonzalo Higuain, now at Napoli, is 25; Fernando Llorente, in at Juve, is 28; Mario Balotelli, who joined Milan in January, is 23 and Mario Gomez, who will lead the line for Fiorentina, is 28.
Tevez and Llorente are two extra reasons to believe in Juventus retaining their title. Antonio Conte's squad did not have quite the immaculate record last season of their invincible title-winning campaign of 2011/12, but their progress has been about adding panache to solidity.
They already had variety in the striking positions, with Mirko Vucinic, Sebastian Giovinco and Alex Matri, but there has been a lack of a 15-or-more-goals-a-season type of striker.
Spain's Llorente gives them the option of an orthodox target man, with generous instincts in the penalty area. Tevez's skills are several and proven, while his price - €9m from Manchester City - was low simply because of the deteriorating off-the-field relationship he had with the coaching staff at City.
Can Conte handle the Tevez temperament?
"Players have a habit of becoming less problematic at Juventus," says the ex-Juve and Italy coach, Marcello Lippi.
AC Milan will hope the same is being said next May of their relationship with Balotelli.
Ditto Inter Milan, whose ninth-place finish last term leaves new head coach Walter Mazzarri with huge room for improvement. The impact of young striker Mauro Icardi, handed the blue-and-black No 9 shirt on joining from Sampdoria, will be closely monitored.
Napoli may not have Cavani anymore, but have the experience of Rafael Benitez on the bench, plus the class of Higuain, one of three players who have joined from Real Madrid. With Napoli back in the Champions League, their worldliness should be helpful. Crucially, Marek Hamsik, the Slovakian playmaker, has stayed in Naples.
Roma are in flux, as ever, with a head coach new to the division in Frenchman Rudi Garcia, and may have to set their main target as finishing above neighbours Lazio.
Fiorentina look potentially stronger than either of the capital's clubs, even without the departed Stevan Jovetic, who joined Manchester City. With Spaniard Joaquin delivering from the wing, and Gomez his target in the penalty box, they have something new to add to the vibrant attacking approach cultivated by Vicenzo Montella, coach of the dark horses for Serie A in 2013/14.
sports@thenational.ae
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Copa del Rey final
Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Scorebox
Dubai Sports City Eagles 7 Bahrain 88
Eagles
Try: Penalty
Bahrain
Tries: Gibson 2, Morete 2, Bishop 2, Bell 2, Behan, Fameitau, Sanson, Roberts, Bennett, Radley
Cons: Radley 4, Whittingham 5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
