Welcome to Calcio Square, an email newsletter dedicated to Serie A and Italian football. Every Thursday, I dedicate my entire post to one specific theme or trend. With the U.S. celebrating Thanksgiving Day, here's what each Serie A club can be thankful for.

Clubs are listed in order of their position in the Serie A table.

Napoli: Antonio Conte. In just 13 games, Conte has made Napoli competitive again. Holdovers from Napoli's Serie A-winning roster are back to their best, and no one is thinking about Victor Osimhen.

Atalanta: Mateo Retegui. Atalanta wouldn't have signed Retegui if Gianluca Scamacca hadn't destroyed his knee in August. Now it's hard to see Scamacca starting again. Retegui's 12 goals lead Serie A.

Inter: Oaktree Capital. The U.S. investment fund took over in June when owner Suning defaulted on a payment. It could've stripped Inter of their assets but injected funds instead and re-signed key players Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez.

Fiorentina: David De Gea. No one expected De Gea to have such an impact after sitting out a full season. He saved two penalties in the win over Milan and pulled off a sensational triple save against Como on the weekend.

Lazio: Marco Baroni. His arrival in June didn't make international headlines. Maybe that was the point. Baroni has stabilized a traditionally unstable environment with a focus on team building and proactive football. Lazio haven't won seven in a row by accident.

Juventus: Pierre Kalulu. Juventus somehow convinced Milan to send them one of their most versatile defenders on loan with a cut-rate buyout option. Kalulu has delivered a huge return on their meager investment, anchoring the back line while Bremer sits out injured.

Milan: Christian Pulisic. With eight goals and four assists in all competitions, Pulisic has kept Milan firing despite their many issues. He's approaching career-best numbers and producing big moments in big games.

Bologna: Champions League experience. Bologna had never played in the Champions League before this season. After losing key players, coach Thiago Motta, and the magic that propelled them to fifth place, Bologna may not get there again for some time.

Udinese: Stadio Friuli. While other Serie A clubs fight local bureaucrats for permits to build and renovate their stadiums, Udinese can enjoy the 25,000-seat facility they tastefully renovated with great sight lines and efficient solar paneling.

Empoli: Consecutive Serie A seasons. Empoli are playing in the Italian top flight for a fourth consecutive year. That's the longest they've ever stayed up at any one time. Currently in 10th place, they're in good position to maintain their status.

Torino: Samuele Ricci. Every few years, Torino produce a player who catches the eye of Europe, setting themselves up for a massive bidding war. The club has fumbled previous opportunities in the past. Ricci is their shot at redemption.

Roma: Claudio Ranieri. While their season is well and truly in the gutter, Ranieri at least brings some pride back to Roma. As a local and fan of the club, he's also impossible to hate. Maybe he's the unifying force the slumping Giallorossi need.

Parma: Youth. Parma have the youngest team on average in Serie A, but that hasn't stopped them from competing with the best. They drew Fiorentina, beat Milan, gave Napoli a scare, held Juventus, and threatened to fight back against Atalanta last weekend.

Verona: Second chances. Verona are in relegation form. Fortunately, they still have two-thirds of the season left to play. The first thing they have to do is clean up their act. No other team in Serie A has drawn more than Verona's five red cards and 33 yellows.

Lecce: Patrick Dorgu. Lecce are only clear of the relegation zone thanks to Dorgu's match-winning heroics. His goals against Verona and Venezia clinched six of Lecce's 12 points. At 20, he's already Lecce's guiding light.

Cagliari: The spotlight. Despite winning just twice this season, Cagliari can feel proud of the points they took off Roma, Juventus, and Milan. The islanders erased multiple one-goal deficits in their 3-3 draw with Milan.

Genoa: Andrea Pinamonti. With four goals and an assist, the journeyman striker can take credit for as much as eight of Genoa's 11 points this season. He's done the work while Mario Balotelli has hogged the headlines.

Como: Nico Paz. Protect this kid at all costs. Como may have fallen off a cliff, but Paz continues to baffle defenders with slick one-touch play. He'll have to keep doing special things for Como to have any hope of surviving the drop.

Monza: Time. Monza have just one win but haven't yet moved on from coach Alessandro Nesta. The team has good pieces — Daniel Maldini being one of them — and enough time to turn things around.

Venezia: That they're here at all. Venezia would've gone bankrupt without the help of Drake, who rallied a group of investors to raise the €40 million they needed to save off extinction.

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