05 August 2015
While Juventus and Lazio prepare for Saturday’s Super Cup final in Shanghai, several leagues across Europe have already kicked off, with the UEFA Champions League and Europa League play-offs also in full flow.
For talent track’s opening instalment of the season, Juventus.com takes a look at three players already in the thick of domestic and continental action.
Belgium: Mame Thiam
The first stop on this week’s European tour is in Belgium where Mame Thiam, the 22-year-old Senegalese striker, is plying his trade for the coming season with Zulte Waregem.
The forward, who is yet to make a first team appearance for the Bianconeri, got off the mark in the Jupiler League’s curtain raiser last week against Standard Liege, scoring the equaliser just before the half-hour mark.
Mame played the full ninety minutes for his new team but could not prevent a 2-1 reverse at the hands of last season’s fourth-placed side.
Switzerland- Zoran Josipovic
Heading south-east from Belgium, this week’s second player under the microscope is another young striker in Zoran Josipovic, currently on loan at Swiss club Lugano.
Josipovic, who represents Switzerland's Under-20 side, joined the Juventus setup in 2011 before spending the 2013/14 season on loan at Novara in Serie B.
The forward, who has dual Swiss-Serbian nationality, joined Lugano last season and helped them gain promotion from the Swiss Challenge League.
Last weekend, Josipovic opened his account for the new season, scoring in a 1-0 win over Vaduz.
Hungary- Alhassane Soumah
Every player dreams of playing in the Champions League and Alhassane Soumah, on loan from Juventus’ Primavera at Hungarian outfit Videoton this season, has the chance to do just that.
His new team face BATE Borisov tonight in their Champions League play-off second leg in Belarus to take them one step closer to the group stages.
The Guinean striker, who spent the second half of last season in the colours of Cesena and featured in last season’s Youth League for the Bianconeri, came off the bench with 30 minutes remaining in last week's first leg, as his side earned a last gasp 1-1 draw.
Vinovo friendly tomorrow
The Primavera’s other up and coming stars will have a chance to impress the club’s coaching staff before the new season starts, when they face the Bianconeri’s reserve side at Juventus Center tomorrow evening with kick-off at 17.30 CEST.
