The film of Daniele De Rossi's career as a footballer is over. You can hang around and hope for a post-credits scene in the MLS, in China, or wherever, but we all know that once his Roma shirt comes off after the game against Parma, it will be time for us to stand and leave the cinema.

Empoli have Serie A safety in their own hands after clambering out of the relegation zone and against Inter on Sunday will be looking to goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski for another headline-grabbing performance.

For the first time since the summer of 2014, Juventus are looking for a new Coach. It was announced last week that Max Allegri would be departing the club after five successful seasons, winning an impressive 11 trophies and enhancing his reputation as one of the game’s top tacticians. In truth, it was a separation that felt somewhat inevitable, but the news still came as a shock when officially communicated.

The current race for Champions League football among Serie A’s third through sixth place teams has captivated fans of the league and outsiders alike. However, just as intriguing is the fight to escape the drop that is occurring at the bottom of the table.

The history of Italy has often been linked to Northern powers and the Papal States. Often in the tussle lies a smaller yet politically-relevant state. While we're not at a time when Sforza’s Borgias vie for power, the struggle for being one of the biggest names in Europe continues. This week in Serie A, the apparent protagonists for Europe’s elite club competition have done their duty, disappointed, imploded and - in one case - fought above their station. Now, as the final week approach, the true character of each will be tested.

Carlo Ancelotti called the 4-1 demolition of Inter “a demonstration of what Napoli could be next season.” After a year of tinkering, tweaking and development, the Partenopei prototype might finally be ready to launch.

It is tough to place this season in a ‘success’ or ‘failure’ bracket for Napoli. They did get knocked out of the Europa League in the quarter-finals at the hands of Arsenal, but will finish second in the league.

If we’re being honest, this was never going to be a good season for Roma. Prior to the sales of Radja Nainggolan, Alisson and Kevin Strootman, the Giallorossi looked like a team who, with a few quality signings, could possibly challenge for the Scudetto.

It will take the passing of time to fully analyse and appreciate the true measure of the Max Allegri era, to comprehend what he brought to the club during his five-year stint.

Let’s start with the statistics: five consecutive Scudetti, four consecutive Coppa Italias, four consecutive domestic doubles, two Champions League finals and two Italian Supercups. That’s 11 trophies in total, which puts him third in the pantheon of Juve managers, behind Giovanni Trapattoni and Marcello Lippi. If basing it on one spell, he would be second behind Trap.

Massimiliano Allegri leaves with 11 trophies, two Champions League finals in only five years with a 71% win ratio in all competitions. Juventus’ decision to part ways with Allegri doesn’t only mean that the Bianconeri will have a new Coach starting from next season, but it also marks the end of an era in Turin.

Since the days of the eyebrow-raising Carlo Ancelotti parading the touchline for Milan, only Massimiliano Allegri has been able to provide some semblance of balance and stability, with the current Juventus boss having coached nearly 180 official matches for the Rossoneri spanning nearly four seasons before his sacking in January 2014. From that point forward, it has been a revolving door at the post for the seven-time European champions.