News from Panini, one would almost think of an end-of-season album but in reality it looks ahead, to a 2024 that will be poor for the Modena house given that after 44 years it will no longer be the publisher of the album of stickers on European soccer championships. Men’s Euro2024 will in fact be branded Topps.
There is a fundamental fact that we appreciate a lot about this collection, the men’s national team and the women’s national team have the same spaces within the album. From a graphic point of view, perhaps it would have been more captivating to have first one and then the other but from the point of view of the message we are here, the players and the players considered in the same exact way, as it will always be more normal.
It is undeniable that women’s football, after so many years of darkness, with the birth of professional club teams has been able to get back on top, thanks also to the results of our national team. Who knows that one day I can’t even bring back a star for the Azzurre shirt, difficult but nothing is impossible.
The album presents 38 footballers in great prominence, dedicating a page to each of them. Here too there is alternation, there is not always the champion first and then the champion or vice versa, small but important details. In reality there are many more male and female players, the solution of the rookie sticker is nice, where not only potential new champions are presented, but also those who have recently started wearing the blue shirt and successfully, as in the case of Mateo Retegui.
The format is the one proposed every year by Europublishing for club albums (Inter, Juve, Milan and Rome). The captions are linked to memories, records and curiosities. Appropriate choice, in order not to make a mere repetition of what we already find in the other albums already released. The color of the spaces is nice, reminiscent of the colors of our flag.
The stickers are honestly a little repetitive, they portray footballers in the classic bust photo or in action. More could have been daring, for example by making shaped figurines. Among the most interesting are those that have the tricolor in the background, the departure from the cards is also appreciable, with the photos in action that have the real background, be it the training field or the stadium. You could also leave it visible and not blurry, but that’s something.
For thematic collectors, pay attention to the final pages, where stickers from previous competitions of great champions such as Roberto Baggio, Buffon, Cannavaro, Riva, Maldini, Paolo Rossi and the coach of the first World Cup Italy Vittorio Pozzo are re-proposed.
A non-essential collection but for enthusiasts and always looking for new stickers to attach, it can be a pleasant pastime.
on sale at Coop Reno supermarkets, in the province of Bologna
A great new for all redandblue supporters, after many years an album of stickers entirely dedicated to Bologna FC is back available, as we already find in many other Italian cities that of the respective clubs. It is probably a request that came from many voices, ours included, often in our events and at the fairs we take part in in Bologna, it was a continuous tune “but don’t they make an album about Bologna?”.
The initiative is created by Coop Reno, the peculiarity is that the Bologna album is not available in .. Bologna! Understood as a city, the reason is plausible, the supermarket chain is widely scattered in the province but does not cover the capital. Not bad, as we did, Bolognese citizens, just move a few kilometers and you can find what you need.
As with crime novels, we didn’t go to the last page but leafed through from the beginning, the graphic layout reminded us of an editorial line well known to those of us who frequent newsstands. We weren’t wrong! The album is made by Euro Publishing, which has been involved for years with the albums of Inter, Juventus, Milan, Roma and others.
Every single footballer has his own dedicated page, with three stickers, one of which is special. The large photo has all its charm, there would have been some statistical details, but on the other hand (just see the photo above) space is limited. As many as 28 players from the squad are present in the album, starting from the goalkeepers up to the strikers. The album is closed by coach Thiago Motta.
A nice and interesting novelty are the traditional first pages with the stickers of all the players together, on this occasion with 30 initial shaped stickers which also include the BFC logo, also present in the center of the page. Choosing this not very happy, the two stickers naturally can only bend. The basic idea, however, is simple but guessed, to be repeated, this small detail aside.
Stickers linked to supermarket distribution often complicate collectors’ days. It is understandable that the goal is to increase sales, but the binomial amount of expenditure which is equivalent to a total of packets makes it difficult to complete the album, unless you are the Bradford Family (a joke that you will only understand if you are at least 40 years old..). Coop Reno opts for a different, applause-worthy solution. The packets are bought separately, not necessarily connected to the expense. They certainly believe in the result of this product and so do we.
Good quality of the stickers, to note the small number of stickers which allows for an, we believe, easy collection. For a product of this kind, it is always the guess to go just beyond the 100 stickers. Someone will turn up their noses at the fact that the album is entirely focused on Bologna 2023 without references to the past. Solution full of emotions but hardly practicable, on pain of creating an album that is too rich and not very suitable for this type of proposal.
Also because the history of Bologna is long and articulated, but an extra page with the stickers of the stadium, the Casteldebole Sports Center, the Curva Bulgarelli full of fans, would have been appreciated.
After all, maybe after a good success, next year we could make a different album, maybe to celebrate 60 years since the last Scudetto, the Bologna of Dall’Ara, Bernardini, Haller, Pascutti and Bulgarelli who won the play-off in Rome against Inter by Helenio Herrera.
In our own small way, within the solidarity sticker project, we have some ideas, you’ll see in the future 😉 (EN)
INTER 2022-23 (Euro Publishing)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 285
album: Juventus 2022-23 (Euro Publishing)
stickers: 216 (1-216) + 30 cards (I1-I30)
starter pack: album + 24 stickers 4,00€
box: 50 packets (5 stickers or 4 stickers + 1 card) 0,80€ each
The World Cup in December somewhat upset the release of various sticker albums, including the now traditional albums of the Milanese house dedicated to Inter, Juventus and Milan. In fact, to be completely honest, we almost thought they wouldn’t come out this year. Instead here they are.
We have had albums dedicated to the big three (we don’t want the others..) of Italian football for several years. Difficult to be innovative, year after year, in fact it doesn’t happen. In recent years the similar structure is quite similar. We think more could be done. The potential ideas are plentiful. At least there are always different details between one club album and another, with the result that, in our humble opinion, some releases are more appreciable than others.
(n.b. these first two introductory paragraphs are repeated in the three different reviews)
The rather sparkling first pages of the album, the entire squad of players, the typical team in 8 puzzle stickers and the new arrivals to which great prominence is given. The choice not to repeat the giant photos that we will find elsewhere in the album is appreciable and successful. Emphasis for the return of Romelu Lukaku and also for the newfound attacking duo with Lautaro Martinez, one of the main architects of the 2021 championship. Victories that in part continued the following year with the victory of the Italian Cup and Italian Super Cup, celebrated with one page each.
The most abundant part of the album is, as always, dedicated to the presentation of all the players of the first team, in addition to coach Simone Inzaghi. The choice in this part of giving the same space and the same number of stickers (5) to all 26 different players, whether they are established champions such as Handanovic and Barella or hopefuls of international football such as Asllani or Valentin Carboni, is always appreciable.
The stickers reproduce the player bust or in action, single and double. The autograph, in the past as a stick-on sticker, is now printed on the album. Better. We have opened several packets without finding special stickers, we are not sure but they may not be present. For this type of album it’s not a duty, maybe renewing yourself a little yes.
The album ends with the Primavera and Women’s, a look at the fans and at the Curva Nord Milano, an appreciable page dedicated to Inter Campus. For many years, the club has been at the forefront of solidarity and support initiatives for children and young people from many parts of the world.
Compared to the Juventus album, the Inter album is certainly more dynamic. However, it shares the same problem, the total lack of references to the historical glory of the club born in 1908. These types of albums are designed for diehard fans but we also believe for children, bringing them closer to the world of stickers, perhaps waiting to try to deal with the much more demanding, also in terms of costs, Calciatori Panini. Let the kids know who not only Javier Zanetti or Ronaldo the Phenomenon were, but also Giacinto Facchetti, Walter Zenga, Sandro Mazzola, Giuseppe Meazza, etc. it is to keep the collective memory alive and strong. Football was not born yesterday and has a beautiful history.
In addition to the 216 stickers, we also find 30 cards this year. Nothing particularly significant, although of good quality. Also considering the unchanged cost of the packet, where you can find 4 stickers and 1 card or 5 stickers, we can accept this solution without problems.
In our opinion, this album has great uncultivated potential, where one could really indulge oneself even with different formats of the stickers, etc. However, if this leads to an increase in costs, then it is better to stick with the current proposal, which certainly pleases the most convinced Inter fans.
(EN)
MILAN 2022-23 (Euro Publishing)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 284
album: Milan 2022-23 (Euro Publishing)
stickers: 216 (1-216) + 30 cards (M1-M30)
starter pack: album + 24 stickers 4,00€
box: 50 packets (5 stickers or 4 stickers + 1 card) 0,80€ each
The World Cup in December somewhat upset the release of various sticker albums, including the now traditional albums of the Milanese house dedicated to Inter, Juventus and Milan. In fact, to be completely honest, we almost thought they wouldn’t come out this year. Instead here they are.
We have had albums dedicated to the big three (we don’t want the others..) of Italian football for several years. Difficult to be innovative, year after year, in fact it doesn’t happen. In recent years the similar structure is quite similar. We think more could be done. The potential ideas are plentiful. At least there are always different details between one club album and another, with the result that, in our humble opinion, some releases are more appreciable than others.
(n.b. these first two introductory paragraphs are repeated in the three different reviews)
In the first part of the album, we find the pages reversed from the Inter and Juventus albums. Solution that to some might seem almost chaotic. The new arrivals are presented (allow us a joke: it seems that Milan have only looked for players with impossible surnames!) followed by the general roster of the first team.
Next, page after page, we find the individual pages of 30 players with the addition of coach Pioli. The large photos of the players, around 5 stickers each, certainly have an impact. Nothing special, player posing, in action, including one in two parts. Some important captions, including career and personal records, sometimes quite curious.
Final part of the album that retraces the classic sections of the Euro Publishing albums, with the Primavera team, the Milan Women and the celebration of the 2022 championship which, frankly, we would have seen well as the opening of the collection. 216 stickers focused on today’s Milan, we will be repetitive but we would have appreciated a few pages of the glorious Rossoneri history.
In addition to the stickers, there is also room for 30 cards. Collection that is certainly pleasant for AC Milan fans, but in our opinion there is always the feeling of not going beyond a quality work, but still relatively simple. Every year we expect something more, every year we see interesting details, but the road is still long. However, an absolutely collectible album for Milan fans.
The choice of eliminating the plastic of the starter pack in favor of a version where the album already contains 24 stickers ready to be attached is excellent.
(EN)
JUVENTUS 2022-23 (Euro Publishing)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 283
album: Juventus 2022-23 (Euro Publishing)
stickers: 216 (1-216) + 30 cards (J1-J30)
starter pack: album + 24 stickers 4,00€
box: 50 packets (5 stickers or 4 stickers + 1 card) 0,80€ each
The World Cup in December somewhat upset the release of various sticker albums, including the now traditional albums of the Milanese house dedicated to Inter, Juventus and Milan. In fact, to be completely honest, we almost thought they wouldn’t come out this year. Instead here they are.
We have had albums dedicated to the big three (we don’t want the others..) of Italian football for several years. Difficult to be innovative, year after year, in fact it doesn’t happen. In recent years the similar structure is quite similar. We think more could be done. The potential ideas are plentiful. At least there are always different details between one club album and another, with the result that, in our humble opinion, some releases are more appreciable than others.
(n.b. these first two introductory paragraphs are repeated in the three different reviews)
The Juventus album opens with a double page with the squad’s squad followed by the jerseys and new arrivals. Important names, well-known faces of international football, starting with the “Flaco” Angel Di Maria. Given the weight of the player, it is strange that a larger space has not been dedicated to this new arrival.
Instead, it is right to dedicate two pages to the Juventus stadium, the pride and avant-garde of Italian stadiums. We are among the supporters that stadium stickers should always be present in albums, together with the fans they are the absolute protagonists of the colors and passion of football, much more than televisions.
Each page below is dedicated to a player in the squad, which also includes the youngest, the great promises of football, several potential rookies. Beautiful giant photos of the players, posing, different from each other. In addition to coach Allegri there are 27 players. For each of them 5 stickers, classic bust photo, in action, double.
Every year we report it and every time we expect something more, because the Juventus women’s team has been giving a lot to football and to the national team in recent years. We believe that it deserves the right tribute, even at the expense of fewer stickers for men but with four pages which, as at the beginning of the album, presented the entire squad.
We haven’t opened enough booster packs to confirm, but it appears there are no special stickers. For a sports album we don’t consider them essential, we prefer the quality and variety in the choice of images, which is lacking a little here. The static nature of this album is rather cumbersome, we also wonder how it is possible not to dedicate space to the history of the club, to the great players of the past.
It is appreciable that the cost of the packet has remained unchanged compared to previous years, where, among other things, there is no difference in value between the stickers and the cards. Inside the packets you can find 5 stickers or 4 stickers and 1 card without distinction. Last year, where there was no card, there was a special sticker.
Albums only “for true fans” or to introduce children to the world of stickers.
(EN)
GENOA the stickers 2021/22 (Erredi)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 236
album: Genoa the stickers 2021/22 (Erredi)
stickers: 230 (1-230)
album: 1,00€
box: 50 packets (5 stickers per packet) 0,70€ each
Also this year we have the opportunity to review the Grifone album. The oldest Italian football team, in its official album, made as in recent years by Erredi. Compared to last year, we have fewer stickers, the album is not affected that much. If anything, it’s a little bit of the whole that doesn’t make you cry out for a miracle.
Starting from the cover which, honestly, hardly not convinces us. We probably can’t understand the graphic choice but it seems really too abstract, also taking into account the specific weight that this club has in the history and the passion that distinguishes its fans.
Of course, making a rossoblu sticker album in recent years is not easy, given the high number of players replaced during the season. The same fate often happens to the coaches as well. Let’s say that for thematic collectors, those looking for the specific stickers of a single player, for Sheva fans a must have the stickers from 5 to 8 😉
In the album there are 34 players of the squad, no special treatment, for each of them a page with 5 stickers, the classic bust, the autograph, two full photos always posing (we would have preferred at least one in game action ) and the nicest and most captivating one with the player showing his game number from behind. No special stickers, the lack of stickers in action, as mentioned, makes the album very static and repetitive.
Do not call us nostalgic, even if in reality that is what we are, but the most interesting part of these monothematic albums is often the last where we leave room for history. This year we find many great former Genoa players represented, starting with the best goalkeepers of over in almost 130 years of history. Of course, Giovanni De Prà, the goalkeeper, the protagonist of our solidarity sticker Celebrative Sticker # 16, created in collaboration and in support of the Museum of the History of Genoa, cannot be missing (https://figurineforever.com/en/2021/11/22/celebrative-sticker-16-giovanni-de-pra-2/). After the 16 goalkeepers, it is the turn of the 16 great free throws and finally 26 stickers of Genoese footballers who have achieved great results in their city and their favorite team.
Final page with space for six stickers, updates. There is no further information. The stickers on the album have nothing particular or innovative, as already written the most interesting, even in terms of graphic choices, are those at the end of the album.
(EN)
SAMPDORIA the stickers 2021/22 (Erredi)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 235
album: Sampdoria the stickers 2021/22 (Erredi)
stickers: 252 (1-252)
album: 1,00€
box: 50 packets (5 stickers per packet) 0,70€ each
We find it fun to have the opportunity to prepare the reviews of the Genoa and Sampdoria albums together, so that we can compare them, without, who knows, the need to prefer one to the other. So as not to upset the fans of either team.
The graphic layout is similar, but not the same. Above all, this album has 22 more stickers than Genoa’s.
Very large space for the squad, 26 players. Taking into account that the cousins’ album has 34 players, as a result the final part of the album can only be richer. Each player is represented with 5 stickers, nothing particularly exciting, especially a useless repetition of the two whole stickers in pose, one in action would have been more appropriate.
From sticker 176 onwards we enter the second part of the album. Notion of merit is the presence of the female selection stickers, not just some as happens for example with the Europublishing albums of Inter, Milan, Juventus, but as many as 26 stickers! Bravi, who has been following us for some time, knows that we are great advocates of the right space, in all sports albums, even of women’s teams.
From sticker 202 to final 252 we dive into the history of the Sampdoria team, first with the Genoese players who grew up and became important in the team of their city, then with the Top 33 of the greatest players in the history of Sampdoria. Of course, it is impossible to put them all, just as it is to put everyone in agreement. Some names? Pagliuca, Mannini, Vincenzi, Morini, Vierchowood, Lippi, Lombardo, Frustalupi, the goal twins Vialli and Mancini, etc. Obviously, the idol of the curve par excellence could not be missing: Ernestro Bernardo Cucchiaroni, from whom the ultras take their name.
On the back cover, space for the 6 updated stickers. It is not known, at least on the album, how to recover these stickers. Probably in Genova, we hope, there is such a consolidated practice that it is not even necessary to notify it.
We recovered the album but not some stickers, however, being made similar to those of the Genoa album, we can imagine they are not particularly special. If not precisely those related to Sampdoria history and for this reason with an irresistible charm.
(EN)
Inter 2021-22 (Euro Publishing)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 226
album: Inter 2021-22 (Euro Publishing)
stickers: 216 (1-216) + 30 cards (I1-I30)
starter pack: album + 5 packets 3,50€
box: 50 packets (4 packets + 1 card or 5 stickers per packet) 0,70€ each
“Amala, pazza Inter amala“. You have to admit, for any team your heart beats, it’s impossible not to find yourself singing the chorus of the Nerazzurri anthem. And if you are really an Inter fan, then this is your album. Small spoiler: we will open our review with a rather similar phrase also for the Juventus and Milan albums released on the same days.
Year after year, Euro Publishing albums have difficulty renewing themselves, this year of the three released the one linked to Inter Milan is the most interesting and varied, perhaps on the wave of enthusiasm for the championship won. They are perhaps just details but even in a sticker album, the details can make a difference.
Despite the departures of great players such as Lukaku and Hakimi, the club has been able to bring new level players and 7 new arrivals that we find in the front pages: Correa, Dumfries, Cordaz, DiMarco, Calhanoglu, Satriano and Dzeko. Only the Bosnian striker can find three stickers, to point out that he is the top player on which the club has focused.
In the following pages 25 players are presented, each with their own dedicated page, without making distinctions, five stickers for each, a few special ones, from Handanovic to Skriniar, from Barella to Lautaro Martinez.
It is in the final part of the album that you have the most interesting parts, which make the album better than the likes of Juventus and Milan. The 2021 championship is celebrated with two pages that retrace the most important moments of the past season.
For us who, as you know, are very sensitive to solidarity issues, it is important and significant that the final pages open with the beautiful reality of Inter Campus and, after the stickers on the 2021 Scudetto and the women’s and spring teams, close with a beautiful page on the choreography of the curve, especially with a puzzle with 8 stickers.
Classic stickers with bust and action players, a few specials, no caricatures or comics that could make the proposal more varied. The 30 cards are well made. We do not yet know the results on the pitch but at the moment the Inter album wins hands down on Juventus and Milan. Then clearly being an album for fans, everyone will make the choice based on where their heart takes them.
(EN)
JUVENTUS 2021-22 (Euro Publishing)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 225
album: Juventus 2021-22 (Euro Publishing)
stickers: 216 (1-216) + 30 cards (J1-J30)
starter pack: album + 5 packets 3,50€
box: 50 packets (4 stickers + 1 card o 5 stickers per packet) 0,70€ each
“Juve, sogno di un grande amore”. You have to admit, for any team your heart beats, it’s impossible not to find yourself singing the refrain of the Bianconeri anthem. And if you really are a fan of the Old Lady, then this is your album. Small spoiler: we will open our review with a rather similar phrase also for the Inter and Milan albums released on the same days.
Just as it is not easy to make innovative albums year after year, it is also not easy for us to make reviews that do not seem both very similar to the previous editions, and to the albums of other clubs since the setting is practically the same.
In the first part of the album we find the squad with 25 players, all grouped on a page, followed by the new arrivals Kaio Jorge, Moise Kean and the European champion Manuel Locatelli. Only two stickers per player, more than enough since we will find them again later. Following is a page that presents a mix of the historical jerseys of the last 40 years with some famous triumphs. Valid and interesting news, even if reduced to a minimum. We believe Juventus’ triumphant history could have been developed in another way.
As always, a large part of the album is dedicated to the entire squad of the first team, each player plus coach Allegri has their own page and 5 stickers, in action, bust, puzzle. From Szczesny to Dybala all Juventus players are celebrated equally. Following is the interesting page with 8 stickers on the evolution of the Juventus logo from 1905 to the present day, a nice idea but also melancholy if you think about the involution of the logo itself, a matter of taste but we really don’t like the recent one ..
Final pages on the world of Juventus, given the many successes and the many contributions of players that it provides to the national team, we believe also this year that Juventus Women deserved much more space and in all respects should present the squad of all athletes such as the album ago at the beginning of the album with the men’s team.
To review the chromatic choice of the album, too black that also obscures certain graphics and in the long run tired, unless Juventus has become a black metal band we think they have exaggerated a little. A little bit of color or at least white would not be out of tune.
Fairly standard stickers that will still make fans happy, the 30 cards can instead be an excellent addition to those found in the other Panini and Topps collections, especially for lovers of thematic collections. In general, perhaps the publisher was as blown away by the departure of CR7 as the club but certainly a more captivating and less repetitive product could have been created.
(EN)
MILAN 2021-22 (Euro Publishing)
EDICOLA NEWS: LE RECENSIONI nr. 224
album: Milan 2021-22 (Euro Publishing)
stickers: 216 (1-216) + 30 cards (M1-M30)
starter pack: album + 5 packets 3,50€
box: 50 packets (4 stickers + 1 card or 5 stickers per packet) 0,70€ each
“Milan, Milan, sempre con te”. You have to admit, for any team your heart beats, it’s impossible not to find yourself singing the chorus of the “Rossoneri” anthem. And if you really are a Milan fan, then this is your album. Small spoiler: we will open our review with a rather similar phrase for the upcoming Inter and Juventus albums 🙂
Traditional appointment with the annual album of the team, a “only for fans” production but necessary for fans to have even more stickers of the traditional players, although the Panini album already features a very large squad.
After several difficult years to renew itself, Euro Publishing tries by changing the introductory pages, this year dedicated to the return of Milan to the Champions League. We would have dared more, presenting maybe 7 stickers, one for each club victory with vintage stickers of the great champions.
Next pages dedicated to the new arrivals: Messias, Pellegri, Bakayoko, Florenzi, Ballo-Tourè, Maignan and the world champion Olivier Giroud. It is right to dwell on the new faces even if, finding the same players also in the large part of the album dedicated to the squad, it has a bit of the flavor of repetition. You could integrate the album with different pages and maybe in the player’s pages simply write a “new arrival” in relief.
This is followed by the most conspicuous part of the album where the coach Stefano Pioli and all the players (as many as 28!) Are presented, each with their own page and five stickers. Having many stickers of the player in action or in any case in motion, the album has the advantage of presenting a very large part of unpublished stickers, not with photos also used by other publishers for the Serie A or Champions League album.
Final part of the album dedicated to the “world” of Milan, always quite interesting, where both the women’s team with the Giacinti bomber and the Primavera team rightly find space. Very interesting news are the 7 stickers with the history of the logo from 1899 to today to 1997, which has remained the same to this day. Thinking about the pages of the new arrivals, not fundamental, for example in the future it would be interesting to find the entire squad of Milan Women or Primavera, it would not only make the album more complete but would be absolute joy for collectors always looking for rookie stickers.
The album is completed by the 30 cards, always of good quality, featuring the 28 players plus the coach Pioli and the Milan logo. Price of the packet absolutely competitive at 0.70 with the variant of finding 4 stickers + 1 card or 5 stickers. An interesting detail is that last year, where we had 5 stickers, there was always a special that, on the contrary, we could not find in the envelope with the card. However, at least in the packets we have opened, there are 5 standard stickers. Now it is not a rule, the special metallics are only 24. In this case, make friends with your newsagent, so that you can choose the packets, to the touch it is easy to understand which cards can be found 😉
Meanwhile, we continue to dream of an entire album dedicated to Zlatan!
We certainly arrive after the deadline, for a product that has been out for over a month, but it has only arrived now and for the Grande Torino an exception is more than willingly made. Nice idea of Galata edizioni that makes a nice tribute in memory of the players who died in the Superga tragedy of 1949.
The Grande Torino, the team of all Italians. The most malicious will say that it is a crafty one, to entice people to collect the current Torino album which unfortunately is quite a disaster. In fact, in the box there are 15 packets of the collection. The fact remains that we have in our hands a product that gives emotion and that is enough for us.
In addition to the 15 packets already mentioned, in the box we find the mini poster of the Grande Torino, on one side the photo of the squad, on the other the space for the stickers, 11. The twelfth in fact proposes the complete team and does not find space on the poster. The stickers are not unpublished, they are the adhesive reissue of the series released for Lavazza within the Campioni dello Sport collection, which is not the Panini one from the late 60s. Without retouching or updates.
Hence the numbering of the sticker on the front, which naturally has nothing to do with the poster, the correct numbering is the standard one on the back. It is impressive to see the wording in brackets “dead” next to the name of our grenade heroes and the black stripe on the left. Could it have been done differently without simply re-proposing the product of the time? Perhaps, it remains a nice tribute to the invincibles and we like it.
The most exciting and interesting aspect is found in the texts under the space for stickers, with the memory of family members, a wonderful idea to make something personal in some way owned by everyone, as was and always will be the memory of the Grande Torino.
Bacigalupo, Ballarin, Maroso, Grezar, Rigamonti, Castigliano, Menti, Loik, Gabetto, Mazzola, Ossola have never died, they are only away.
(EN)
LND women’s football 2020/21 (Akinda Italy)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 183
album: LND WOMEN’S FOOTBALL 2020/21 (Akinda) stickers: 1193 in four different albums (Group A 1-297, Group B 1-339, Group C 1-286, Group D 1-271)
packets: 5 stickers € 1.00 album: € 3.00
Football is (also) a woman. There are sticker albums that need a broader interpretation than the simple review of a product, the social aspect and the message are just as important if not more than the stickers they contain. First of all, don’t be afraid of the nearly 1200 stickers, it’s a total of four albums sold separately.
This is the first important point, Akinda and LND (National Amateur League) had two hypotheses: to create a single one by limiting the space for each club or to make four different albums allowing to expand the squad of players as much as possible, team by team. As collectors, we probably would have preferred the first option, but we must return to the concept with which we opened this review, namely the importance of the message and the widest possible participation.
Right to have followed this path, thus giving the possibility to a very high number of athletes to be present with their own sticker in the album. Above all, this allows you to collect not the entire collection but only the one connected to your favorite club, the sale at sports clubs is the logical consequence, based on where you go to buy it, you will find the reference album. In Bologna, for example, you can find the album C. It is still possible to request the others by contacting the publisher directly (http://it.akinda.com/en/).
Women’s football is mostly amateur, but don’t be fooled, in this album you will also find the female versions of Serie A men’s clubs, beloved by the fans. It is probably our mistake to dwell on redundant names when the growth of the movement is thanks to sports clubs that have started to support women’s football before other more well-known ones arrived later.
In Serie C we find the women’s teams of clubs such as Torino, Spezia and Genoa (Group A); Triestina, Venezia, Padova and Spal (Group B); Bologna, Pistoiese (Group C); Palermo, Lecce and Pescara (Group D). At the same time we also have here “fallen nobles” who in the past have won championships such as Trani and Sassari Torres.
Not all teams have the same number of stickers, this is due both to a wider range of players and also to the presence of trainers, assistant coaches, athletic coaches and sometimes club president. There is no clear rule, we can imagine that the publisher has worked on the information and material sent by the LND and by the individual clubs.
An important detail, the numbering restarts from 1 to each album. A little extra trick could be to print the reference album on the back as well, if you have any doubts, each lot still has an identification number at the bottom, ID7094 Girone A, ID7095 Girone B, ID7096 Girone C, ID7097 Girone D.
The sporting and social importance of this initiative makes it difficult to point out some defects, but they must be said, in the hope that this album will only be the first of a new series and that therefore certain precautions may eventually be considered for future productions. The album could have more information inside, for example the club index and possibly the match schedule could be a valid addition. The massive presence of commercial spaces is not accidental but linked to the sponsors of individual clubs, sponsors committed to supporting women’s football and therefore welcome.
The stickers in turn pay for the sometimes invasive white background and probably the difficulties encountered by the publisher in working on the material received from the companies. Taking into account that official photos provided by the club are also used in the Footballers album, we think that the defects come from sources. It is also clear that a graphic processing in the smallest details would have involved a much longer realization time, as we must take into account the fact that the period is certainly not the most suitable.
In a different period, probably the same publisher could have gone to the various clubs for photographs. Activity that is already in their DNA as you can read on their interesting website. The price of the packets is in line with the current prices. In this case, there is certainly also the need to make up for the important economic commitment in carrying out the initiative.
However, these details and criticisms are overwhelmed by the splendid smiles of the many athletes present in the album, you have the distinct feeling of their happiness of being part of an album, important because with the jersey of their club and important because it is an official product of the National Amateur League. We hope it is the first not only of a series but also a starting point for other albums dedicated to football in pink.
(EN)
GENOA LE FIGURINE 2020/21 (Galata Italy)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 171
stickers: 300 (1-240, 48 fig. The best Genoa, 12 updates) starter pack: album € 1.00 packets: € 0.70 (5 stickers – 50 packets box)
Album on sale only in Genoa and its province
It is the first album that we have the opportunity to review on Genoa and therefore we apologize if it is actually similar to that of previous years. Being the same publisher of Sampdoria, someone will have informed the red&blue club of the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the Sampdoria championship and they did not want to be outdone. After all we are talking about the Genoa Cricket and Football Club, the oldest in Italy. They have so many stories to tell!
First part of the album (stickers from 1 to 167) dedicated to the 2020/21 championship with an incredible number of players represented, 38! From this point of view, certainly the richest album among the various dedicated to clubs, from Mattia Perin to Steeve Eyango, two for each page and each players with four stickers. It is a commendable choice, it also makes the album different from the Calciatori, it allows for a much higher number of players and stickers than can only be found in this edition. The policy of President Preziosi certainly helps, Genoa in recent years has been synonymous with a truly exponential movement of players.
The second part is very interesting (stickers from 168 to 240 plus extra), four steps in over 100 years of history, ample space for the star’s missing shield. It is a story that we know well, because our association lives in the city of the club “executioner” of what happened, of course they think differently in region Emilia. It almost seems to be talking about the millennial dispute between Bologna and Modena about who invented tortellini (you already know the answer, of course!). 1925, almost a hundred years have passed but the wound for the Rossoblu fans is still open.
Always fascinating are the stickers in vintage black and white, shots from the matches and the great footballers. 6 pages and 13 stickers are dedicated to this historic championship and the long confrontation between Genoa and Bologna. Great prominence for a distant page of our football that we feel ours, because more than one of those protagonists are destined to become our Celebrative Sticker, for now, we have printed the great Angelo Schiavio.
Subsequently, the album takes a leap of 50 years and traces the rebirth of the Griffin, from Montevarchi to Anfield, from Serie C in 1970 to the unforgettable victory at Anfield in 1922 in the Uefa Cup. 22 highlights stickers traveling through 22 years of Genoa history. The pages of memories through the images of the matches and the players continue in the following pages, the victories in the derbies from Milito to Lerager and again the last 15 years with memorable moments, fluctuating seasons but always with the Curva Nord to win for their heat and the colors of the supporting.
“The best Genoa in our life” is the final part of the album, we had seen something similar in the Napoli album but here it is even more emphasized. 48 stickers are printed, 4 for each role, including the coach. Precisely the latter are the starting point, the most loved footballers in the years of Genoa coached by Silvestri, Simoni, Bagnoli and Gasperini are chosen. The fan collector can create the four favorite teams, from best to least best (worst, it seems a wrong definition).
To give you an idea of the names we took the liberty of choosing the ideal eleven, they are not mysterious stickers, as the 48 names are written in the album, here is ours: Martina, Torrente, Nela, Rosato, Signorini, Ruotolo, Eranio, Maselli, Simoni, Milito, Aguilera (coach Bagnoli). But it was tough!
Finished the album? Not yet, we also find space for 16 update stickers that will be printed later. Really a great album, the only flaw is the internal graphics really reduced to the minimum terms, however an applause also to the quality of the album paper, hard cardboard cover and glossy paper interiors, not our favorite, but at least we don’t see here folds and other horrors seen in albums by other publishers.
Albums and stickers for sale ONLY in Genoa and its province
An important year for the Sampdoria hearts, the usual official album could not ignore it. This is why we have a product that is current but also celebratory, it is in fact 30 years since the Sampdoria championship, a team that has become legendary and that thanks to those successes still has fans in all parts of Italy.
Among other things, a good choice, better a single album than two separate ones, in theory more captivating, but in practice very risky for economic reasons. We still remember the splendid album made by Panini for the 30th anniversary of the Hellas Verona championship, with poor sales results and therefore without a sequel of other clubs.
Fortunately, Galata Edizioni takes care of it, making this year’s album a gem to be preserved and treasured with care, even for those who are not Sampdoria fans but love celebratory albums. We must congratulate this product, cardboard cover and interiors with glossy paper but without the unpleasant creases that we have found in other releases, especially around Modena ..
The first part of the album (stickers from 1 to 175) presents the 2020/21 team, in addition to coach Ranieri each player has their own page with 6 stickers, the usual presence of a bust sticker, in action, autograph, etc. Setting similar to all the other releases dedicated to individual clubs, but it cannot be otherwise. From Audero to Quagliarella, 26 players in the squad have their own stickers. The Sampdoria world, the youth teams and the rest are missing, but to the advantage of the last pages, glorious and celebratory as mentioned.
The second part of the album (stickers from 176 to 252) is entirely dedicated to the 1990/91 season, currently the only championship title in the club’s history. The great victories in the league, that of overtaking at the beginning of the season against Milan and that of May 1991 at San Siro against Inter, remembered with 6 collage images for a total of 19 stickers! Who’s writing was present that day at San Siro but in the black and blue curve and the penalty missed by Mattheus he still remembers it, as a fan of football stories it was just like that.
If the first part of the album were all single stickers, in this second part they are all puzzles of 2, 3 or 4 stickers. We have no ability to control but we hope the cut is excellent so that the final image can be as perfect as possible. The headlines, the curve, the celebrations, all in stickers. That Sampdoria was a very nice team, just to celebrate the coach Vujadin Boskov by remembering the famous phrase “penalty is when the referee whistles” but also the “exploits” of the players, first in extra sporty clothes and then all blond for a promise made at the beginning championship. It is also right to remember the father of the championship, the President Paolo Mantovani, the stickers 242 and 243 should be put in a picture to hang, the merit of that perhaps unrepeatable season is all of this great character of Italian football.
(EN)
NAPOLI LE FIGURINE 2020/21 (Erredi)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 167 stickers: 288 (1-288) starter pack: album + 1 packet € 2.00 packets: € 0.80 (5 stickers)
We don’t always have the opportunity to view the album dedicated to SSC NAPOLI, so let’s assume that our review may be inaccurate compared to the products of the past years. The 2021 edition is really interesting, it has a setting where the present and the past have their space, so we can separate this editorial issue into two distinct parts. The album is on sale ONLY in Naples and its province.
In the first part of the album (stickers 1-172) we find the current Napoli, it is a fairly classic part for all the albums dedicated to a single club, even if here is the sticker of the president De Laurentis, unusual compared to other teams, but not for Napoli, knowing the charisma and character of the owner of the Neapolitan club.
After coach Rino Gattuso, each player has their own page with 6 stickers, 26 players, from Ospina to Milik. Each sticker has its own theme, from personal data to football history, from autographed to the shirt, etc. Having only one packet available, we cannot know if there are also special stickers.
In the second part of the album (173-288) we find the history of Napoli through its great champions, thus making room for nostalgia. Nice separation, 12 stickers for the Neapolitans DOC (Ferrara, Insigne, the Cannavaro brothers, Bruscolotti and all the others) and 36 for the foreign champions, in double stickers with the player in action, from Altafini to Careca, from Krol to Higuain but NOT Maradona! Diego is present but not as sticker, just a photograph. This has already happened in past years, a symptom that the relationship between the Argentine champion and the Napoli club was not idyllic.
We recall that the album was printed before Maradona’s death, who knows if things will change in next year’s edition. Also taking into account that a space in the album should be given to the new name of the San Paolo Stadium, perhaps it will also be an opportunity to see Diego in the sticker again. Even just the famous and immortal one of his entrance to the stadium crowded with fans on the day of its presentation.
Final part of the celebratory album of the 2020 Italian Cup but above all to the Dream Team. A commendable initiative that will drive collectors crazy, the 21 most winning and loved formations in the history of Napoli are presented. The curious aspect is that in the pages you do not find the consequential numbering but it is repeated A and B (stickers from 240 to 281). The fan is therefore free to attach the stickers of the various formations according to their taste, from the first to the last favorite.
The album helps by specifying why the formations were chosen, we go to the first Napoli 1926/27, the year of the foundation, to last year. Can we predict that in many albums we will find the 1986/87 lineup first? The first Scudetto and with Maradona .. you never forget 🙂 In the introductory caption we talk about 22 formations but in reality 21 are listed and also the space is for 21, who knows which will be the twenty-second forgotten.
The stickers are simple, more beautiful than those of the time and during the game phases. In each packet there is also a coupon to donate points to your school or sports association, the most voted will receive material donated by Napoli Calcio. The pressure closure of the packet also damaged the stickers inside. Since our only packet is the free version inside the album, we do not know if the problem is repeated in the other ones as well. Rarely, the cost of the packet has dropped compared to the past.
Interesting album, especially for the part on the history of Napoli, it could be more captivating with fewer stickers, inserting 5 or even 4 instead of 6 for actual squad. However, in our opinion improved compared to those we have seen in recent years .
As expected after Milan and Inter, Euro Publishing also releases the Juventus album. The cover is already curious, there is no image of the trainer, a particular choice taking into account that Pirlo is much loved by Juventus fans and beyond. Another detail is putting McKennie in the center and the ever-present Cristiano Ronaldo behind, maybe CR7 is not happy 🙂
We reiterate what has already been written in other reviews, an applause to Euro Publishing in knowing how to prepare different albums year after year (we are in the fourth) and also different between the three clubs, waiting to see if the AS Roma album will be released for 2021 too, however, for sale only in the Eternal City.
Let’s start from the bottom, who knows if anyone at Juventus has read the criticisms of the 2019/20 edition present in our review, however more space has finally been given to the female team, both with a few more stickers (including specials) and with the presence in the cards of the top players Gama, Girelli and Bonansea. A very just tribute to the leading squad in Italy and that through these players (not only them .. for example the goalkeeper Giuliani is missing) brings a fundamental contribution to the success of the national team too. Maybe next year we will have the stickers of the entire squad of the black and white girls!
The first pages of the album highlight the new arrivals with many stickers on Chiesa, Morata, Kulusevski, Arthur and the coach Andrea Pirlo. Following the celebration of the ninth consecutive Scudetto, the next page is an interesting novelty with stickers linked to QR codes where you can rediscover the salient moments of the recent Juventus history. The page is also present in the Milan album but in that case with no stickers attached, only printed images.
Following space for the complete squad, 22 players, from Szczensy and Buffon to Ronaldo, Dybala and Morata. The lower number of players compared to the Milan and Inter albums is what allows you to have the pages of stickers with QR codes and more space for women, probably. The album ends with the Under 23 team and the Juventus “vivaio”. It is appreciable that even for team B, engaged in the Serie C championship, we find stickers dedicated to individual players, who knows that they will not become important rookies of future great champions.
The 32 cards are a nice addition, taking into account that they do not affect the cost of the packet which has remained unchanged at 0.70 (good Euro Publishing!). Great to add the three queens of women’s football, for next year instead of the repeated logo and jerseys, maybe they could think of paying homage to the greats of the past, an appointment to be repeated year after year so as to cover part of the many champions who have dressed the black and white jersey.
After Milan, here is the Inter album, also in its fourth edition by Euro Publishing. Juventus is also coming, who knows if the final classification of the championship will be the same as the releases, certainly the many Rossoneri fans hope so!
A virtue of Euro Publishing is not only to try to make different albums year by year, but also not to make them perfectly the same between clubs in the same season. Clearly the setting is the same, but for example the first Nerazzurri pages are different. In particular we find a mega photo of 8 stickers with the 2021 team. Here, the Inter album wastes no time, immediately the team, immediately the protagonists that after last year, Mr. Conte hopes to bring them into triumph after so many years of disappointments.
An album dedicated to a single club must be as complete as possible and therefore the entire squad of players is rightly presented, fortunately updated to the latest transfer market news, well presented in four dedicated pages with extra stickers of Hakimi, Kolarov, Darmian and Vidal.
Subsequently 6 stickers for each player plus Mr. Conte, bust, glitter, double, in action, too bad that unlike the first editions, the rest of the technical staff do not find space. From Samir Handanovic to Lautaro Martinez, unpublished stickers also of possible future champions such as Filip Stankovic (yes, the son of the great Dean); 26 players in all with 4 goalkeepers. Nobody is missing!
Final pages for the Inter world, the women’s team, the Primavera and more generally the men’s and women’s youth teams, teams that over the years have given the club great satisfaction even if sometimes they have not helped to prevent mistakes (see the Zaniolo case …) . Always underlining the great commitment of the “Biscione club” to solidarity through the Inter Campus.
In the Milan album, space was also given to the San Siro stadium (with a strong didactic emphasis) and to the memories of the great victories, here the first is not named and just so after the space dedicated last year for the tenth anniversary from the mythical Triplete.
The cards are also back, more classic than the pop-ups of 2019, perhaps not fundamental but they do not affect the cost of the packets (always € 0.70, well done Euro Publishing!) and are a nice solution to have the complete squad also in this format. Maybe, instead of making 5 cards of the logo, you could make those of the great club flags, from Facchetti to Zanetti, from Meazza to Zenga, from Corso to Mazzola, the unforgettable players are so many!
A collection that will surely warm the hearts of the many Nerazzurri fans.
It was not taken for granted, given the situation, but the official AC Milan album, also published by Euro Publishing, is back this year, so we can expect the next release of Inter and Juventus, on a national scale.
The first impression left us a little perplexed, given the additional choice of cards (it’s true, there were also last year, but in a pop-up version, therefore a slightly different product), the combination of sticker + card is not always necessary, on the contrary. On the other hand, like last year, it did not lead to an increase in the cost of the packet, while most publishers have moved towards 0.80, Euro Publishing is good at keeping the price unchanged.
Not all the packets contain cards, it is not a defect, being few (just 32) so you avoid finding many doubles against the real stickers.
An album dedicated to a single team, now in its fourth year, cannot be expected to be original and innovative, it is still pleasant, with a pleasant visual impact and we imagine a joy for the eyes of all the Rossoneri fans. Always positive side is the presentation of the squad as wide as possible, here we have 27 players, all with the same number of stickers (5 including specials, in action, doubles + 1 present in the double page summary), an important and welcome detail , although we still dream of an entire album dedicated to the great career of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In that case, however, we would not be talking about Milan alone.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still a focus of this album, it couldn’t be otherwise. Two extra stickers are dedicated to him at the beginning, after the pages dedicated to kits, stadium (always popular stickers) and the new arrivals, a somewhat enlarged concept since we also find Daniel Maldini (son of Paolo and grandson of Cesare) having already played in the last championship.
For rookie fans, the spotlights will be on Daniel Maldini and Lorenzo Colombo, potential great promises of Italian football. Usual final pages on the Milan world: the women’s team, which in our opinion deserves more space, the Primavera team, the beautiful initiative of the Milan Foundation and waiting to return to win a blast from the past with some stickers of the glorious history of Milan, here we find the sticker of Paolo Maldini (nr. 211) and Gunnar Nordhal (nr. 215).
There is not much to add on the 32 cards, just a useful outline especially for having the complete Milan squad even in hardback version. They could be made interactive, perhaps with the QR code where you can see the player in action. Little advice if any for next year’s album.
Among the emblematic captions the presentation of the San Siro / Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, celebratory and fiery as if it were written by the Fossa dei Leoni of the South Curve, despite the fact that even the ultrà leaders would have had to go to the dictionary to discover the meaning of “hieratic stadium” 🙂
(EN)
Sentimento Granata – 100 YEARS SALERNITANA (Creatiwa Italy)
comment: it
is not wanted, but we are happy that the review nr. 100 matches with this
well-made album on the centennial of Salernitana. I had seen some photos and
images on social media but being able to touch it with my hand was a pleasure.
Meanwhile,
the editorial choice to make it paperback and not stapled, certainly an extra
cost that immediately bears fruit and maintains the idea of what we can
imagine was in the intentions, not only an album of stickers but a small encyclopedia,
to be kept in the library in plain sight. An album that is also a story, of a
father who tries to explain to his son the love for a team and its colors.
The fans of
Salernitana do not want it, but from a distance it seemed an
“exaggeration” to celebrate a team, certainly loved, but still with a
history of sport not of a high standard. Well they thought not to present the
album for decades or similar, but creating a sort of “best of” in the
history of the team, dividing the album into chapters that were not strictly
connected to precise historical periods.
Front pages
of the album of great graphic impact, reviewing famous badges and shirts and
their evolutions over the years. A drop of Romagna in the album with the next
chapter entitled Fellinian “Amarcord”, dedicated to the memories and
the most ancient history of club. The captions that allow you to discover
anecdotes and curiosities are also very interesting, often the lifeblood of our
beloved football, at all levels.
From here
on, the players who made the history of Salernitana follow each other role by
role: captains, bombers, goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, fantasy players
and forwards.
Finished
album? no, still missing a lot because it is an album all over the world of
Salernitana, not only the players and therefore here are the great victories,
the winning teams, the trainers (in these parts Gianpiero Ventura remains very
loved), the presidents and of course the twelfth man in field, the Curva Sud,
the heart of the grenade supporters.
The album
ends with the current team, 2019/20 season, fighting to bring Salernitana back
into the gotha of Italian football.
The
graphics of the entire album are captivating, pages full of colors where the
passion of those who made this product shines through, surely with a thought
more to the heart than to the wallet.
We come to
the stickers, certainly here too has been done a good research and appreciable
attempt, successful, to make sure that the album was not monotonous. Color
photos, black and white, players in action, posing players, shirts,
choreography, matches. Not all of them are perfect, for example those of the
matches we have found one that is certainly a still image photographed by the
TV (with bad results), but on the other hand they are very good.
Another
important detail, after the release of the album some important errors were
discovered, of text, of players instead of others, etc. Further effort by the
authors who made extra free packets to replace the stickers. Deed? In theory
yes, in practice it was not obvious and is absolutely welcome.
The great
work behind this project can also be found on the website
(www.sentimentogranata.it), of good quality and with lots of information (I am
also convinced that it will be further updated in these months). The
promotional videos with historical images of the team and its fans are also
exciting.
Not only
that, the album is on sale in Salerno but can also be purchased on the
internet. Two sales phases, the first one, in progress now, is the Gift Box
with album + box of 50 packets for only 29.90 (39.90 including shipping),
subsequently it will be possible to buy only the album or single packets at the
points sale scattered in various parts of the city.
Finally for
the more technological, the ability to download the album app and interact with
the stickers by discovering hidden sides, videos and more.
This is a
job for enthusiasts but also for professionals, when these two worlds meet,
often, as in this case, the result is excellent.
Final judgement: 10/10
(EN)
(ITALIAN LANGUAGE)
110 JAHRE Sk STURM (Sturm Graz Austria)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 93
stickers: 113 (1-110, N1-N3)
comment: the writer is a lover of celebrative albums, those not only linked to a particular season but to the history of a club, mixing old black and white photos with the most “human” players with recent ones much more colorful and often with players who have just been to the hairdresser.
110 years of Sturm Graz, the club of the second Austrian city, perhaps not a first-rate team in the international panorama, but the city center is Unesco heritage, so a good visit with an annexed stadium may be a good solution.
The album is made directly by the club, of excellent quality, complete with a poster holder on the back cover for a beautiful picture of the whole SK squad. The setting is made for a young public, the Pucky mascot, the panther of the stylized cartoon club that introduces young collectors (not only them) in the club’s history through the stickers.
It’s not a Japanese production, but this review will be atypical, starting from the bottom of the album and going backwards. Why this? To leave the best at the end, of course.
Of the total 110 stickers (a sticker for each year of the club’s life) those from 110 to the 75 tell us the world of Sturm Graz, from the women’s team (now fixed presence, rightly so, of all the official albums of the clubs), to the youth teams, to the sports center , to the fans, etc .; from 33 to 74 the first team, all the technical staff and the complete squad divided by role (goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, forwards).
The best part of the album is certainly the first, from 1 to 32, where the history of the club is traced, “wie alles begann” (where it all began) to the victories in the Austrian championship of 1998, 1999 and 2011!
There was talk of 110 stickers, in reality they are 113, the 3 extra N1-N2-N3 are not in the packets, but do not worry, they are attached to the album as you can see from our photo. It is not really a historical album, but only for the first 15 pages and 32 stickers, the purchase is valid even if you are not a Sturm Graz fan.
Alles gut!
Final judgement: 8/10
(EN)
PRO LEAGUE 2019-20 (Panini Belgium)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 91
stickers: 572 (1-572)
starter pack: € 7.45 (11 packets)
album: € 2.90 sachets: € 0.80 (5 stickers)
comment: 50 years of Panini in Belgium. Not everyone knows that Belgium was the first country where the Panini stickers were distributed and from 1972/73 the album dedicated to the soccer championship was released, the longest and most historic Panini album after the Italian Calciatori.
The album has changed its name in recent years, from the classic “FOOTBALL” in recent years has taken the new name given to “PRO LEAGUE”. Although Belgian football is not considered a top European championship, the album has always maintained its charm with a rich offer of stickers and a document of a football season.
Each Pro League club is represented with 21 stickers, including a shield, a double team, a coach and a space dedicated to updates. Players are presented in the classic Panini bust with various information on as career, technical characteristics and place of birth.
To follow also the Proximus League (Second Division), double stickers to propose 17 players, coach, badge and team. It is not over yet, ahead of the rest of Europe we also find the women’s Super League with all the 6 teams (Anderlecht, Brugge, Genk, Gent, Leuven, Standard), also with well-19 images (championship, team, coach and 11 players).
The part of the album is splendid, where the vintage stickers are reproduced from 1972/73 until last year, a series of 40 stickers that will surely make football fans and “figurine history” rejoice.
Grand finale with the “road to Euro 2020”, Belgium once again among the big favorites for the final victory, 16 stickers, including a mega 8 puzzle, to push the Red Devils towards triumph.
Last pages with the best of the previous championship and a page where to attach the stickers of your favorite Top 11 (of course, dear collectors, we will leave the page as we find it).
Pro League 21 stickers, Proximus League 11 stickers (17 players), Super League women’s 11 stickers (17 players), celebratory pages from 72/73 to today, this album is really a beautiful collection!
Final judgment: 9.5 / 10
(EN)
AS ROMA OFFICIAL 2019/20 (Euro Publishing Italy)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 94
stickers: 200 (1-200) + 28 pop-up cards (R1-R28)
starter pack: 4,90€ (album + 7 packets)
packets: 0,70€ (5 stickers / 4 stickers + 1 card)
comment: second year for the Euro Publishing album on AS Roma. The format is similar to those already made for Inter, Juventus and Milan. In contrast, each album has unique details that set it apart from those of other clubs.
Curious is the choice of the cover, practically the same as 2018/19, except that the only confirmed player is Dzeko in the middle (also due to force majeure, given that Manolas and De Rossi are playing elsewhere, Florenzi is now a separate player at home).
The always interesting side of these albums is the richness of the images to the delight of all the fans, even here the squad is presented with as many as 25 elements, for each player a page with 5 stickers in addition to the one dedicated to the trainer Fonseca.
Unlike the other clubs offered by Euro Publishing, we do not find stickers on newcomers (only printed photographs) but to the advantage of the final part of the album where there are the beautiful stickers of the cups won and above all a beautiful space in the world AS ROMA with the stickers of the Under 15 Italian champions, the Youth team, the Roma women and the final stickers for the legendary Curva Sud, the heart of Romanist supporters.
Also for Roma, at the center of the album, the poster and the 28 pop-up cards, a very nice and interesting novelty for Euro Publishing products for the 2020 season.
In general the album is pleasant, appreciable to limit the initial space to the new arrivals (they already have 5 stickers in the pages dedicated to individual players) to give more to the rest of the “Giallorossi” club, which is giving so much satisfaction to the club and the fans.
At historical lows the captions, from this point of view some slogans or words as we find in the other albums would have been good.
comment: third year of Euro Publishing also for the new official FC Inter album. The colors of the Nerazzurri society help to make the product very attractive and of impact, the basic black greatly helps the quality.
The slogan “Not for everyone” proudly traces the entire first part of the album, particularly the opening page with the 8 puzzle stickers of the squad and the imposing Milan Cathedral in the background.
As already seen with Milan and Juventus, new purchases are subsequently presented, but here in 4 pages, many have in fact been purchases in the summer of 2019.
Following are the pages dedicated to the coach Conte and to all the players, from Handanovic to Esposito, as many as 27 different players have 5 stickers each dedicated, including a double in action and a special glitter. The 28 pop-up cards to be used on the poster at the center of the album make this album a real reality for the fans and make it a non-alternative product but complementary to the next Calciatori Panini.
Many final pages dedicated to the Inter world, from the youth to the women’s (climb in Serie A this year) and to the Inter Campus project, born under the Moratti presidency, in order to help different football schools in the developing countries.
Love her? Attack it (in the sense of the stickers, no to violence)
Final judgment: 8.5 / 10
(EN)
JUVENTUS OFFICIAL 2019/20 (Euro Publishing Italy)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 86
200 stickers (1-200) + 28 cards pop up (1J-28J)
starter pack: € 6.90 (album + 7 packets)
packets: € 0.70 (5 stickers)
comment: after AC Milan, here is the new Euro Publishing album of the “Old Lady”. Cared for and realized to make all Juventus hearts happy.
Interesting the background of the spaces where to attach the stickers that takes up the new jersey of this season, white / black with a red stripe in the center. Naturally the eighth consecutive championship is celebrated and takes place in the front pages, unlike Milan, however, the album starts immediately with 26 stickers of the 2020 squad.
Then each page is dedicated to each player with 5 stickers, including a double in action and a glitter. Even the new coach Maurizio Sarri has his stickers and a great photo in gym suit, almost wanting to maintain contact with the previous style of the coach (now much more often in a suit and tie than in the past).
Given the news, the album pays out too early and so there are also players at the margins of the project (Emre Can and Mandzukic, for example).
Final part of the album dedicated to the world of Juventus, youth and Women. Sincerely, given the great successes of the women’s team and the important number of players also given to the national team, two stickers for girls is very little, they deserved more space.
Last pages for the stadium photo album and the game jerseys.
Then the 28 pop-up cards to be used on the soccer field in the middle of the album is very nice.
Interesting, but given the firepower of Juventus (including, I repeat, the female team) the album could have been produced in a much more articulate and engaging way.
Final judgment: 6.5 / 10
(EN)
MILAN OFFICIAL 2019/20 (Euro Publishing Italy)
EDICOLA NEWS: THE REVIEWS nr. 84
stickers 200 (1-200) + 28 pop up cards (M1-M28)
starter pack: € 4.90 (album + 7 packets)
packets: € 0.70 (5 stickers or 4 stickers + 1 pop up card)
box: 50 packets
comment: for the third year Europublishing realizes the official Milan album, it must be given credit to the publisher to always try to add new news and fun initiatives so as to renew part of the album while maintaining the most classic parts of the team’s presentation.
The album is really enjoyable for all the “Rossoneri” fans and for fans of football and stickers in general, first pages dedicated to the news with 4 gaming jerseys and new arrivals; afterwards, as many as 25 players from the squad are presented plus coach Pioli (instead of Giampaolo who had started the season), a page for each player of the rose with 4 stickers of which a special glitter.
For the nostalgic and lovers of great football, the page of the company is beautiful where we also find the stickers of Paolo Maldini and Zvonimir Boban in a suit and tie.
The usual final album on the Milan world, from the fans, to the nations represented by the many players and the stickers of the Milan Museum with the top players of the glorious history of the team, the stickers of the San Siro Stadium (perhaps the last in this version?) and just homage also to the strong women’s team Milan Women.
The big news this year are the 28 pop-up cards for playing in the field at the center of the album, many will remember them in some Panini albums in the mid-90s. Play or not are nice cards to keep apart, too bad it’s not expected any type of binder.
Inside the packets are found when one of the many special stickers is not present. In general, the stickers are good, beautiful to leaf through, especially for the “Rossoneri” hearts.
Congratulations to Euro Publishing for never presenting the same soup as last year, waiting to review the new releases of Inter, Juventus and Rome.
Final judgment: 8 / 10
(EN)
FORZA SPAL! (Panini Italy)
album: FORZA SPAL! 2019/20
stickers: 106
hardcover album: € 1.90
packets: distributed only in Coop supermarkets (4 stickers)
comment: good from Ferrara! SPAL makes an album like Panini already offers in other countries of Europe (especially France, Belgium and Switzerland) of excellent quality and very interesting.
Hardcover edition only, available for purchase at all COOP in the province of Ferrara (ONLY) at the extremely popular price of just € 1.90. Given the quality it is really a gift. Inside we find 106 well-subdivided stickers, an approximate product has not been made, we notice both the care and the passion for the blue-white team of those who prepared it.
The packets are NOT for sale, they are given free every 15.00 euro spent at COOP supermarkets, in the province of Ferrara, of course. If you have any distant relatives living in the area, it is the right time to re-establish relations 🙂
The album starts with the stickers dedicated to the Mazza stadium, which is located in the center of the Estense city, then the stickers of the company staff and then coach and 28 players, for each two stickers, a special silver “In action” and a shaped head in the classic pose of the Calciatori albums.
The choice to present the printed images of the players on which to place the stickers is very fascinating, one of the cases where, if desired, even the album has its charm! (but being of the old guard I always remain of the idea that the stickers are born to be attached).
In the final part of the album, the history of the club, the supporters and the stickers of the great ones who dressed in the colors of the SPAL, on the field or on the bench. Any name? Fabio Capello, Osvaldo Bagnoli, Luigi Delneri, everything then became winners also as coaches.
Really nice, the nice SPAL turns out even more after having browsed these pages. Too bad that other clubs, at least until now, have not wanted to involve Panini in similar projects.
Album to collect and keep in bookstores over the years.
