STATS VS LOSSES: WHY JAMIE VARDY WON SERIE A AWARD DESPITE CREMONESE'S NOVEMBER SLUMP
Jamie Vardy became the first English player to win Serie A Player of the Month. We analyse the stats that earned him the award despite Cremonese's poor November results.
Jamie Vardy is making waves in Italy, becoming the first English player to scoop up Serie A's Player of the Month award.
The Leicester icon, who moved from King Power to join Cremonese in the summer, grabbed the November award. The winner is picked using a mix of fan votes and stats.
Even though he got the award, Vardy only scored one league goal in November during Cremonese's 2-1 loss to Juventus. Plus, his team lost all three games he played that month.
But things turned around on December 1 when he scored twice against Bologna. Since then, he’s helped the team move into the top half of the table with back-to-back wins—a first for them this season.
After Vardy’s two goals against Bologna, Cremonese coach Davide Nicola mentioned that the 38-year-old still has his usual eating habits.
In a 2022 interview, Vardy said his diet includes things like cheese and ham omelettes, pizza, coffee, port, and Red Bull.
The former Leicester City player and his family are getting used to life in Italy.
Nicola said that Vardy makes his own breakfast at the training ground. He told Record, a Portuguese news source, Each player gets meals that are special for them, whether it's for breakfast or dinner. The same menu for everyone is not used again.
Cultures are all different, with everyone having different needs because of things like allergies. Everyone gets their own menu. I don't control what they eat because it's part of their lives. They usually eat at the training grounds two or three times, and sometimes for dinner.
Vardy's routine has been talked about since he shared his pre-game habits with Sky Sports.
I wake up in the morning and then grab a Red Bull. After getting out of bed, I get the kids up and take them downstairs, help them with breakfast, and then drink a Red Bull, he said.
He also said that he drinks coffee before having a cheese and ham omelette with another can of Red Bull.
He said he used to drink port before games, adding that it helps him relax and sleep better the night before a game.
Serie A said on Thursday that Vardy was given the award because the EA SPORTS FC Player Of The Month award for November has been given to Jamie Vardy, who plays for Cremonese.
Online votes from fans, with stats, showed that Jamie Vardy should win. He beat other players such as Mike Maignan, Lautaro Martinez, David Neres, Leo Ostigard, and Nicolo Zaniolo.
Vardy's wife, Rebekah, has often been seen in the stands since they moved in the summer.
Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo said Vardy is from another era.
Since moving to Italy, Rebekah has had to deal with a robbery that happened at their new house on Lake Garda.
The six best players of the month have been chosen, considering Kama Sport's advanced review, with tracking data from the Hawk-Eye system. The rating system looks at stats and how they play, along with where they are on the field.
This helps look at key things such as how they move when they don't have the ball, their choices during the game, and how they help the team, which helps to fairly show how well they played.
Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Serie A, said, "Jamie Vardy is a player from a past era." He has a great history, successes, and a never-give-up attitude that shows how great football is.
Cremonese took the chance to sign him this summer, which was exciting for Serie A fans. Vardy is paying them back with great play, being a leader, and scoring important goals, which come from his competitive spirit and shooting skills.
LUCIANO SPALLETTI OFFICIALLY EXTENDS JUVENTUS TENURE UNTIL 2028 AFTER IMPRESSIVE INTERIM SPELL
Juventus coach Spalletti extends his contract until 2028. Get the latest on the Serie A top-four race and match news.
Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti just signed a new two-year deal with the club, capping off a promising six months at the helm.
He broke the news to his players first, right before Friday’s training session. Not long after, Juventus posted a video of Spalletti sharing the update. “I wanted you to hear it from me before anyone else,” he told the squad. “We’ve decided to extend my contract by another two years. I wanted to tell you before the news got out. Honestly, the road ahead looks tough, but I’m convinced we’ll tackle it together. With your character and your fight, we can turn every challenge into something bigger.”
Spalletti took charge back in October, stepping in after Juventus sacked Igor Tudor. Tudor’s departure came after three straight losses and a long, frustrating stretch without a win. At the time, Juventus handed Spalletti an eight-month contract. The word was, he'd get an automatic two-year extension if the team qualified for the Champions League.
Right now, Juventus sits just outside the Champions League spots, one point back from fourth-place Como, with seven games left in the season.
“When I joined seven months ago, the club gave me this short contract,” Spalletti explained. “The idea was simple: let’s give it some time, get to know each other, then decide at the end of the season if we want to keep going.”
Back then, Juventus sat in seventh place, fighting just to stay in Europe. In the Champions League, they were already scrambling to avoid elimination.
Things have improved since Spalletti took over. Juventus has picked up 17 wins, six losses, and eight draws in 31 matches. They managed to push through to the Champions League playoffs, though Galatasaray knocked them out.
Club CEO Damien Comolli praised Spalletti’s impact. “Since joining us, Luciano’s made a real difference on the pitch, around the club, and among our fans,” Comolli said. “He’s exactly the kind of leader we need. His ambitious football matches what we all expect from Juventus, and he stands for what our club’s all about. So, we want to keep going with him. We believe stability and continuity are key to reaching our goals.”
Juventus hasn’t lifted the Serie A trophy since 2020, when they wrapped up a run of nine straight titles.
Before arriving in Turin, Spalletti led Napoli to the Serie A title in 2023, then took charge of Italy’s national team. That stint didn’t go well; he lost his job last June after a shaky start in World Cup qualifying. Now, he’s got another shot to lead a powerhouse club.
NAPOLI LEAPFROG AC MILAN INTO SECOND PLACE WITH VITAL 1-0 SAN SIRO VICTORY
Napoli beat AC Milan 1-0 to move into second place. Discover how Politano and McTominay are chasing Inter for the title.
Napoli snatched a late 1-0 win over AC Milan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, keeping their hopes for a second straight Serie A title very much alive. Scott McTominay played the entire match, and with Napoli sitting third before kickoff, their victory bumped them ahead of Milan into second place, just seven points behind Inter. That gap was a daunting 11 points a mere three weeks ago, but Napoli's five-game winning streak, combined with Inter dropping points, has changed the picture fast. With seven matches left, McTominay and the team aren’t giving up on defending their scudetto.
Early in the game, McTominay nearly had Napoli fans holding their breath when he tried a bicycle kick, a move that’s become one of his signatures. This time, though, he couldn't duplicate his Hampden magic from last November against Denmark. The ball skipped wide.
The game felt tense and looked to be heading for a draw until the 79th minute. That’s when Napoli broke through with a quick attack down the left. McTominay didn’t get the goal, but his movement from a Mathias Olivera cross caused chaos in the Milan box. Matteo Politano, coming on as a sub, pounced at the far post and put in a tidy left-footed finish.
Billy Gilmour, McTominay’s Scotland teammate, didn’t get on the pitch. He’d started in three of his last four Serie A appearances, but this time watched from the bench.
Napoli’s next game takes them away to Parma, who sit in 13th. Inter travelled to play Como later that same day. Talking about the title race, manager Antonio Conte said, “Scudetto? It's tough. Inter is really strong and is having an incredible season. We can’t slip up; we need them to make mistakes, and not just once. Honestly, we have to be realistic… Inter deserves to lead. Still, we’ve won the Supercoppa and sit second. We should be pretty happy. With all our injuries and problems, this season could easily have gone off the rails.”
Around the rest of Serie A, Lennon Miller, who didn’t see action for Scotland over the international break, came off the bench for Udinese in the 65th minute of their scoreless draw with Como. On Sunday, Lewis Ferguson saw red for the first time in Italy after picking up two yellows in thirty seconds late in Bologna’s 2-1 win at Cremonese. Che Adams found the net for Torino in their 1-0 victory over Pisa.
