Only Good Stickers: Panini Calciatori 2023

venerdì 7 luglio 2023

Panini Calciatori 2023

Panini released another high-class sticker album with the 2022/2023 Calciatori edition. The shiny stickers used for clubs badges and Elite players are simply spectacular and the quality of the hardcover album makes the collection memorable. The negative aspect is the increase in prices, especially for the update set (18€) in which there 60 unnecessary extra stickers in addition to the 40 stickers that finds place in the album. Morevover, the usual "film of the season" with the stickers of the tournament highlights is not part of the album anymore, as Panini released a dedicated set (album + stickers) at the end of the season.

The album begins with two introductory pages in which there are six metallic stickers: the Panini logo, the "first" Panini sticker (Bolchi) and the trophies (Serie A, Super Cup, Italian Cup, Serie B). Then the 20 Serie A clubs are shown in alphabetical order with 28 stickers each over four pages. In the first two pages there are the shiny club badge sticker and 22 player portrait stickers, whereas in the following two pages there are five stickers: the manager, the Elite player, the new signing, the home shirt, and "La più amata" (=the most loved) sticker. The latter could be found in four special packets released during the season with the magazine "Gazzetta dello Sport". Those packets included also the player and coach of the month stickers.

After the clubs of Serie A, there are four special sections: the players of the month (9 stickers), the coaches of the month (9 stickers), the transfer updates (Calciomercato, 40 stickers), and the women's Serie A (10 team photo stickers). The collection resumes with the Serie B, including the club badge (half sticker) and four player stickers (four players per sticker) for all of the 20 competing clubs. The Serie C is also included, as usual with just a small badge sticker for each club (there are four club badges on one sticker).

As explained above, to complete the album it is necessary to get the update set (40 "Calciomercato" stickers) and the extra packets released during the season (20 stickers "La più amata", 9 player of the month stickers, 9 coach of the month stickers). With the update set there are also 60 extra stickers, three for each Serie A team. Those stickers are extra club badges, home shirts, and best players printed on golden foil.

In the 2022/2023, Napoli won the Serie A after 33 years, with a fantastic season. Inter won the Italian Cup, Super Cup, and they reached the Champions League final. The best scorer of the Serie A was Osimhen with 26 goals.