Sampdoria coach Claudio Ranieri is looking forward to today's season opener against Juventus.
The match will mark Andrea Pirlo's coaching debut with Juve.
“It'll be like a debut for me, seeing as I only came in when the season had already started last term," said the coach in his press conference.
“It always makes me proud to begin a season from the start. Obviously, it'll never be the same without the fans there, but we have to make do. We are ready to fight it out with Juventus and I wish Andrea Pirlo success in his career going forward.
“Juve remain the team to beat, as they've won the Scudetto for nine years running and are seeking the 10th, but have this unknown quantity of Pirlo as the new coach.
“There are several different clubs challenging to win the title and I am convinced the gap between Juve and the rest is slowly getting whittled down."