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.
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
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