Manuel Locatelli will front the media on the eve of Juventus’ showdown with Inter, stepping in for coach Luciano Spalletti at the pre-match press conference.

According to Tuttosport, via FCInterNews, The Bianconeri captain is set to address journalists ahead of the highly anticipated clash, taking on media duties in place of his manager.

The decision is understood to be part of Juventus’ internal communication strategy, allowing Spalletti to focus fully on preparations for one of the most important fixtures of the season.

Locatelli to speak to the press for Juventus to ease pressure on Spalletti

With tensions high and the spotlight firmly on the tactical battle, the club have opted to shield their coach from the traditional pre-match obligations.

Locatelli, as club captain and a key figure in the dressing room, will instead outline Juventus’ mindset and expectations heading into the encounter.

The move underlines the midfielder’s leadership role within the squad, as Juve look to make a statement in a crucial match that could have significant implications in the Serie A title race.

Benjamin Pavard’s future remains uncertain after a difficult spell on loan at Marseille, casting doubt over whether the French club will make his move permanent.

The defender joined Marseille last summer on a loan deal that includes a €15m option to buy, a clause Inter had expected would likely be triggered.

However, Pavard has struggled to convince in Ligue 1 and has reportedly come under increasing criticism from supporters, as per reports from the Corriere dello Sport.

De Zerbi departure offers Inter one last chance to cash in on Pavard

The recent managerial change could yet offer the Frenchman a fresh opportunity to revive his season, but if his performances do not improve, Marseille may decide against activating the purchase option.

Roberto De Zerbi was removed from his post as head coach and a breath of fresh air could be just what the former Bayern defender needs.

However, if Marseille choose not to activate their option, Pavard would return to Inter in the summer – although not necessarily for long.

The Nerazzurri are not believed to have plans to reintegrate him into the squad, meaning a new solution would have to be found.

Inter could also be forced to reassess their valuation of the player if they seek a permanent transfer elsewhere. Sporting director Piero Ausilio would then be tasked with finding a buyer and resolving the situation ahead of the new campaign.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso is set to travel to Naples for a dinner meeting with several Napoli players expected to be included in the upcoming national team squad.

According to reports from Nicolo Schira, the Azzurri boss will meet members of the Partenopei contingent ahead of the decisive play-off fixtures, with Antonio Vergara poised to receive his first senior call-up.

The youngster has been in impressive form in recent weeks and is now expected to join Alessandro Buongiorno, Alex Meret and Matteo Politano in the Italy squad.

Gattuso to meet Napoli players as Vergara anticipates first call-up

Vergara’s inclusion would mark a significant milestone in his rapid rise this season, as the youngster continues to establish himself as an important figure at club level.

Vergara earned his opportunity to make an impression at the Maradona after a series of serious injuries to the Napoli squad.

However, since his big break, he has done nothing but impress – and now is set to earn a maiden call-up to the national team.

Gattuso’s visit underlines the growing importance of Napoli’s core within the national team setup, as Italy prepare for crucial matches on the road to major tournament qualification.

Italy found out that they will face France, Belgium and Turkiye in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League, after being drawn into Group A.

The Azzurri were in pot 2 for the draw, and can feel slightly hard done by after what appears to be a difficult draw.

Italy and France have a decades-old rivalry, whilst the Azzurri have triumphed more often than not over Belgium and Turkiye.

However, all these nations are armed with players familiar with Italy – with several Serie A stars among the squads that will prepare to face Gennaro Gattuso’s side.

Who are the Serie A stars ready to face Italy in the Nations League?

France have a number of high-profile players playing in Serie A.

At Milan, Mike Maignan and Christopher Nkunku are both in contention for a place in the squad. Meanwhile, Inter & Juventus brothers Khephren and Marcus Thuram will also likely feature for Les Bleus. Former Rossoneri full-back Theo Hernandez will face many old teammates and rivals, whilst Roma’s Manu Kone is also involved in the French set-up.

Belgium have a handful of stars in Serie A. Kevin De Bruyne will likely feature after he recovers from his injury. Juventus forward Lois Openda is a regular, whilst Milan duo Alexis Saelemaekers and Koni De Winter both also feature. Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere could also potentially play against Italy in the Nations League.

Turkiye, meanwhile, have several influential players currently based in Italy. Kenan Yildiz, arguably one of the best forwards in the league, will no doubt be involved, alongside Roma wing-back Zeki Celik, Inter talisman Hakan Calhanoglu and Pisa midfielder Isak Vural.

Italy discovered their UEFA Nations League fate for the 2026-27 edition of the international tournament, with the Azzurri drawn into Group A alongside France, Belgium and Turkey.

It is a tricky draw for Gennaro Gattuso’s side, with three very competent teams standing in their way.

But how have Italy fared historically against these sides?

Italy & France old rivalry ignites

The Azzurri and France have met many times over the years, with 39 matches between the two nations.

Of course, the most famous of those meetings was the 2006 World Cup final, where Italy won on penalties after the infamous Zinedine Zidane headbutt.

France also knocked the Azzurri out of the 1998 World Cup, after a 0-0 draw resulted in a penalty shootout victory for Les Bleus.

More recently, the two teams met in the Nations League in 2024. The Azzurri won 3-1 in France in September before Didier Deschamps’ side returned the favour two months later with a 3-1 win in Milan.

Azzurri have more luck against Belgium & Turkiye

Italy have lost just four of 26 meetings with Belgium, with the most recent defeat coming in an international friendly in 2015. Italy’s last official defeat to Belgium came in Euro 1972. In the 2024 Nations League, the sides drew 2-2 in Italy before the Azzurri won 1-0 in Brussels thanks to an early goal from Sandro Tonali.

Italy’s record against Turkiye is even more impressive. Of the 14 meetings between the two sides, Italy have never lost – winning 10 times. The sides last met in an international friendly in 2024 that finished 0-0, with the last official match at the postponed Euro 2020, with a 3-0 Azzurri win in the tournament’s opening fixture.

Napoli turned down an approach from Como for rising star Antonio Vergara, with coach Antonio Conte and sporting director Giovanni Manna both blocking a potential transfer.

Vergara has enjoyed a sensational start to the year, scoring three goals in his last four appearances across three different competitions.

He found the net against Chelsea in the Champions League, Fiorentina in Serie A and most recently against Como in the Coppa Italia, despite Napoli’s quarter-final elimination.

His rapid development has strengthened Conte’s faith in the youngster, who is now viewed not merely as a squad option but as a genuine attacking asset capable of adding unpredictability to Napoli’s forward play.

Como failed in pursuit of Napoli sensation Vergara

Como sporting director Carlo Alberto Ludi confirmed his club’s long-standing interest.

“We wanted Vergara last July and even the year before,” Ludi told Kiss Kiss Napoli, via SportItalia.

“Giovanni Manna was very honest with us and said he wanted to develop him at Napoli. We have followed him for a long time and tried to sign him outright, because that is how we work.”

Meanwhile, Vergara’s agent played down talk of a contract renewal.

“There is absolutely nothing at the moment,” he said. “Antonio must only think about playing and helping Napoli reach the Champions League. Then, at the right time, President De Laurentiis will evaluate the situation.”

Italy have discovered their opponents for the UEFA Nations League group stage.

Gennaro Gattuso’s Azzurri side will face France, Belgium  in Group A

France were drawn as the Pot 1 side, before Italy were pulled out of Pot 2 by Portugal and former Real Madrid defender Pepe.

Pot 3 saw Belgium added into their group, before Turkiye were pulled out of Pot 4.

The draw took place in Brussels on Thursday evening, with Italy initially in Pot 2 of League A.

FIGC president Gabriele Gravina was present at the draw, alongside former Juventus and Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci.

Last Nations League campaign ended in quarter-final defeat to Germany, losing 5-4 on aggregate with Luciano Spalletti in charge of Italy.

Italy Nations League Draw

Nations League Group A: France, Italy, Belgium, Turkiye

Bologna have confirmed they have signed Argentine forward Santiago Castro to a contract extension, until June 2030.

On their official website, Bologna confirmed the extension with a brief statement: “Bologna FC 1909 announces that it has reached an agreement with striker Santiago Castro for a contract extension until June 30, 2030.”

The 21-year-old has been steadily improving and has eight goals in all competitions for the Rossoblu this season.

He played well in his club’s Coppa Italia quarter-final defeat to Lazio, scoring the opening goal and being a real thorn in the Biancocelesti defence.

Highly-rated Castro signs new deal with Bologna

Castro has been the topic of much transfer speculation, as so often is the case with young South American talents.

Rumours from the British tabloid press have linked Castro with the likes of Chelsea, Everton and Aston Villa.

Meanwhile, Italian sources claim that Inter are among the clubs interested in Castro’s progress; strange given their surplus of talented forwards.

Regardless, Bologna see the forward as a vital part of the current squad and a player who they see as somewhat of a jewel – whether they keep him long-term or cash in in a year or two.

Fabio Capello insists the Serie A title race is far from over, warning that Inter and Juventus cannot afford to ignore the growing threat of Milan and Roma.

Speaking in his latest column with La Gazzetta dello Sport, the former coach reacted to Antonio Conte’s downbeat comments following Napoli’s recent penalty shoot-out defeat to Como.

Conte had played down his side’s Scudetto chances, pointing to a nine-point gap behind Inter and describing Napoli’s situation as problematic.

Capello, however, believes it is too early to write anyone off.

“The Italian championship is not closed,” he said. “I heard Conte’s words after the defeat and I think they were influenced by the result. There are still many games to play, with plenty of direct clashes. Calm down.”

Capello: ‘More than just Inter in Serie A title race’

While acknowledging that Inter are playing well, Capello stressed that the season still has twists to come.

He also highlighted Milan’s steady improvement under Massimiliano Allegri and suggested Roma could yet enter the conversation if they have finally solved their centre-forward issue.

“There is still a lot to do before we can declare the title race over,” Capello concluded.

Inter currently have an eight point lead at the summit of Serie A, with Milan having a game in hand in second.

Napoli are nine points behind Inter, whilst an improving Juventus have closed the gap between themselves and Conte’s side to just three points.

Roma are tied on points with Juventus and it feels highly probably that one of these five sides will lift the Scudetto in May.

Juventus’s Dusan Vlahovic is currently the only Serie A player to feature in the list of the 20 highest paid footballers in Europe’s top five leagues according to the latest information. 

Juventus’s Vlahovic is Serie A’s highest paid player

According to the latest information from transfermarkt.it, Vlahovic is currently the seventh-highest paid player across Europe’s top five leagues in terms of gross salary.

Juventus currently pay the Serbian €22.2m per year in gross salary. It is widely believed that the 26-year-old takes home a net salary of around €12m per year after tax and deductions. This equates to a weekly take home of just over €230,000 per week (net).

Only six players in Europe are currently paid higher than Vlahovic is in the final year of his Juventus contract. They are Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, Real Madrdi’s Vinicius Jr., Liverpool’s Mohames Salah and Real Madrid’s David Alaba. 

Vlahovic currently earns more than the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Robert Lewandowski, Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembele and Bruno Fernandes. 

The next highest-paid player currently competing in Serie A is Inter’s Lautaro Martinez. With a reported gross salary of €16.67m per year at Inter, El Toro ranks as the 25th-best paid player in Europe’s top five leagues as things stand. 

Top 20 best paid players in Europe by gross salary 

1. Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – €31.495m per year
2. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)  – €31.250m per year
3. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) – €25.000m per year 
4. Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid) – €25.000m per year 
5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – €23.996m per year 
6. David Alaba (Real Madrid) – €22.500m per year 
7. Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus) – €22.220m per year
8. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) – €21.000m per year 
9. Casemiro (Manchester United) – €20.997m per year 
10. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – €20.997m per year 
11. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) – €20.830m per year 
12. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) – €20.830m per year 
13. Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) – €20.830m per year 
14. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) – €20.000m per year 
15. Frenkie De Jong (Barcelona) – €19.000m per year 
16. Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich) – €18.870m per year 
17. Ousmane Dembele (PSG) – €18.180m per year 
18. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) – €17.997m per year 
19. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) – €17.997m per year 
20. Omar Marmoush (Manchester City) – €17.697m per year 

Reports in Italy suggest that Francesco Totti is creeping ever closer to a return to his beloved Roma in a backroom role, but how much will it cost the Giallorossi to add their legendary former captain to their staff? 

According to reports from various outlets over the last week, Roma are discussing the potential return of club legend, Totti. Senior Giallorossi advisor Claudio Ranieri has recently confirmed that there have been talks: “I know the Friedkins are thinking about it, I hope Francesco can truly be useful to Roma as well, because he really is part of Roma,” he said. 

Totti is Roma’s all-time leading appearance maker with 785 outings across all competitions, and is also the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 307. 

Totti spent 25 years in Roma’s first team and had initially moved into a backroom role after hanging up his boots in 2017. He would later resign in 2019 citing disagreements with former co-owner and chair James Pallotta. Totti claimed that he was regularly left out of the club’s decision making. 

Totti insisted that he would only return to Roma under a different ownership, which is now the case with the Fridkins at the helm. 

Totti was recently seen at the Stadio Olimpico for the first time in several years, and it has been reported that this was at the invitation of Ryan Friedkin. 

How much will Totti earn to return to Roma? 

If Totti’s return to Roma does materialise, it is believed that he will earn an annual salary in the region of €1m according to reports from Calcio e Finanza. 

What is more important for Totti, however, is the exact role that he will take on if he does return to the Stadio Olimpico. 

There have been suggestions that he could be appointed as a technical director, a hands-on role assisting sporting director Ricky Massara. In that position, Totti would be involved in transfer decisions and negotiations as well as having a close relationship with the first-team coaches and playing staff. 

However, reports on Thursday claim that Totti is prepared to take on more of a consultancy, advisory or ambassadorial position, as long as it leads to a ‘decision-making role’ in the relatively near future. 

Juventus are preparing for one of their biggest games of the season against Inter in the Derby d’Italia on Saturday evening, but Bianconeri head coach Luciano Spalletti has decided against giving a customary pre-match press conference ahead of the Serie A crunch match. 

Why will Spalletti not speak to the media before Inter vs. Juventus?

Spalletti will not address the media before the Inter vs. Juventus match in San Siro, and will instead send captain Manuel Locatelli to give the pre-match assessment at around 14.00 GMT (15.00 CET) on Friday afternoon. 

According to TMW, this is because Spalletti will have to give a mandatory pre-match press conference on Monday ahead of Juve’s Champions League play-off round tie against Galatasaray anyway. 

To ‘avoid’ having the head coach speaking to the media twice within three days, Juventus have decided to send one of their senior players to do the Serie A press conference instead. 

Thursday’s reports claim that this practice is likely to continue until the end of the season. TMW expects that the Old Lady will send a different player to speak to the media before Juventus’s following Serie A match against Como on February 21.

Juventus reportedly have a price tag in mind when it comes to a potential sale of centre-back Federico Gatti, who has attracted interest from Milan, Napoli and some clubs in the Premier League so far this season. 

Both Milan and Napoli have expressed an interest in signing Gatti from Juventus this season. The Partenopei reportedly made an enquiry over the summer, while the Rossoneri sounded out the situation during the January transfer window. 

According to Thursday’s reports from Calciomercato.com, there was even a phone call between Massimiliano Allegri and Gatti, who have worked together previously in Turin, to discuss the situation. 

How much do Juventus want for Gatti?

However, the Rossoneri management were not unanimous over a decision to sign Gatti, and so the situation was left alone in the final days of the January window. 

For now, Gatti is focused on working his way back into Luciano Spalletti’s starting XI, and will also be aiming for a spot in the Italy national team squad for the upcoming World Cup play-offs in March. Should Italy qualify, Gatti will also want to push for a spot in the final World Cup squad. 

For now, a move away from Juventus is impossible until the summer transfer window, but Thursday’s reports claim that it would take an offer in the region of €25m to convince Juventus into selling. 

Juventus paid a fee of €7.5m plus uo to €2.5m in bonuses to sign Gatti from Frosinone in 2022. 

Massimiliano Allegri has shared his thoughts ahead of Milan’s upcoming Serie A clash against Pisa and has given an update on the fitness status of some of his key players, including Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, Alexis Saelemaekers and Santiago Gimenez. 

The Rossoneri are currently on 50 points after 23 matches of the 2025-26 Serie A season. They sit in second place in the table, eight points shy but with a game in hand over the league leaders, Inter. Allegri’s side are unbeaten across their last 22 league matches. 

The Rossoneri are also fresh off an encouraging 3-0 victory away against Bologna last time out in Serie A, which came in the absence of Pulisic and Saelemaekers, out of the squad through injury, and Leo, who remained an unused substitute. 

Allegri on Pisa vs. Milan, Leao, Pulisic and refereeing controversy

“At the moment, Pisa are fighting to stay in Serie A, they’re a physical team and create a lot at home. They’ve lost, but have kept games alive, we will have to be very careful and have to be ready for everything,” Allegri said at the beginning of his pre-match press conference on Thursday.  

“Tomorrow’s is one of four games that will lead us into the derby, it will be very important all round. We only got two points against Pisa, Cremonese and Parma during the first half of the season.” 

Allegri went on to give injury and fitness updates on some of his key Rossoneri players, beginning with Christian Pulisic, who is only expected to be available off the substitutes bench this weekend. 

“Pulisic will be available. He trained with the team for the first time yesterday but he only has 15-20 minutes in his legs. Leao is doing much better, Gimenez even better still. He will be available in around a month. 

“Saelemaekers is still out, but he’s also doing much better, we’ll see if he’s available for Como.” 

Allegri was also asked whether Rafael Leao could potentially return to the starting line-up against Pisa. He replied: “I have to see in the final training session today and will then decide on the formation, because we also have three close games afterwards. The most important match is still tomorrow’s, though.” 

And on Christopher Nkunuku, who has responded to a slow start in Serie A with five goals in his last six league outings, Allegri said: “I wouldn’t talk about a ‘rebirth’, but about adaptation. He’s a sensitive guy with extraordinary technique. I jokingly told him once: ‘Things go better when you laugh a little more’. Fortunately, he’s doing well. 

“I’m also happy for Loftus-Cheek and Fofana. Being able to rely on all the players is important at the moment, those who start from the first minute and those who take over. Together, we have a clear goal to achieve, to get to the Champions League.” 

Allegri has said in practically every one of his pre-match press conferences this season that the team’s goal is to earn Champions League qualification. He was asked once again on Thursday whether he has any thoughts about a potential Scudetto fight with Inter. 

“Today, we’re in a good position in the table, but it’s not enough,” he replied. “You don’t even get to the Conference League with 50 points. The closer we get to the Champions League mark, the better we’ll be doing in the standings. That’s why these games before the derby are so important.” 

And on Milan’s season so far, Allegri said: “We’ve had a good season so far. We started by trying to get back into the Champions League, and at the moment we’re in the top four. That’s the goal. 

“We could have done better in the Coppa Italia, which is our big regret. We have to stay focussed on our goal, aware that Inter, as we’ve known from the beginning, are a very strong team. Napoli are also strong, Juve are coming back up. It won’t be easy to finish in the top four.”

And on the recent refereeing controversies in Serie A, Allegri added: “There were discussions about referees 50 years ago as well. Now we have VAR, which helps a lot. It’s an important tool, they’re working to improve it further. 

“The most important thing about VAR is objectivity. They have to improve that 100% where possible. Everything else is subjective and so there will always be controversy. If you get something given in your favour, you shut up. If something goes against you, you get wound up. It can only improve with objectivity, not subjectivity.”

Journalist Federica Zille has come to the defence of Bianconeri head coach Luciano Spalletti, who kissed her live on TV while trying to make his point during a post-match interview after Juventus’s recent 2-2 draw against Lazio in Serie A. 

Why did Spalletti kiss a reporter after Juventus 2-2 Lazio? 

During the 2-2 draw between Juventus and Lazio, Teun Koopmeiners saw his opening goal ruled out by VAR due to Khephren Thuram standing in an offside position. There was also, however, an apparent foul on Juve’s Juan Cabal by Biancocelesti defender Mario Gila in the build-up, which refereeing analyst Luca Marelli argued should have been a penalty. 

This led Spalletti to debate the technicalities of contact in the penalty area during his post-match interview after full-time. 

“The referee can interpret it the way he wants, because the defender is imprudent when going into that sliding tackle, so he takes a risk. I am not here to say if it is a penalty or not. He could’ve run back onto the ball, but I would take a wider view,” Spalletti said.

“Everyone now goes to protest about the rules, but there is always an interpretation. The pressure of a step on foot, handball that nobody sees in the stadium but they zoom in with the camera, it is all open to interpretation. You cannot generalise that every contact is a penalty.”

Spalletti then turned back to an incident in a previous game against Atalanta when a penalty was awarded for handball that even Ederson, who had made the cross, hadn’t noticed.

“I never talked about referees when decisions went against me or in favour. In the game against Atalanta the VAR called the referee to view the handball a minute and a half later, when nobody including Raffaele Palladino who was right next to me on the touchline, had any idea what this was even for.

“The rules are too rigid right now, it is the rigidity that I find to be the problem. If nobody even realises it hit a hand, who is damaged by that? The analysts keep saying ‘there was contact,’ but that doesn’t mean anything, does it? May I kiss you, here, this is contact,” said Spalletti when giving the female interviewer, Zille, a peck on the cheek.

Luciano Spalletti ha stupito tutti quando dopo la partita Juve-Lazio ha dato un bacio a sorpresa alla giornalista di Dazn Federica Zille. Il tecnico bianconero voleva mettere a tema l’entità dei contatti in occasione dei rigori. Ha chiesto alla sua intervistatrice se poteva… pic.twitter.com/nTjFhdyWZE

— La Stampa (@LaStampa) February 9, 2026

“It’s about context, contact is not the same thing as impact. There will always be difficulty if there are rules where every touch of the hand is a penalty, every step on foot is a penalty. This is what VAR is for, you can evaluate the context in its totality.

“If we stick to the rules, then that is definitely a penalty, because Gila goes into a sliding tackle and takes responsibility for that gesture when he doesn’t get the ball.”

Zille defends Spalletti after TV kiss: ‘Exaggerated’

Zille, who was on duty with DAZN for the Juventus-Lazio match, has since come out to defend Spalletti, following some accusations of improper behaviour during his post-match interview. 

Speaking to FantacalcioTV (via corriere.it), Zille said: “There was no kind of malice in Spalletti’s gesture. He wanted to exemplify what he was saying, that there is a difference between contact and impact. 

“I know Spalletti. Many say ‘he wouldn’t have done that had it been a man’. No, he probably would have touched or nudged a man to say that it was just contact and not a foul.

“I wouldn’t like for people to talk about malice or a lack of respect in this situation, for me as a woman, as a journalist or as a professional. 

“I’ve read comments which have mentioned the word ‘harassment’. I’ve found that to be really exaggerated, perhaps even incorrect because harassment is a serious topic. And as a woman, I feel strongly about this issue, but that’s all the more reason to have clarity of mind and give the right balance to this sort of thing.” 

Premier League side AFC Bournemouth have officially announced the signing of Alex Jimenez on a permanent transfer from Milan. 

The Spaniard has spent the 2025-26 season on loan at Bournemouth in a deal that included an option to buy, which eventually became an obligation to buy. Having triggered the obligation to buy, Jimenez has now put pen to paper on a contract that runs until 2031 on the English south coast. 

It is believed that Bournemouth triggered their option to buy clause by starting or playing Jimenez for at least 45 minutes in 50% of their matches this season. 

As things stand after 24 rounds of Premier League fixtures, Jimenez has played for 45 minutes or more in 19 league matches (50% of Bournemouth’s 38 scheduled games). He also played for 49 minutes in Bournemouth’s only FA Cup appearance of the season. Bournemouth were eliminated from the EFL Cup before Jimenez signed in August, and are not involved in any European competition this season. 

Milan already received a fee of €2m for Jimenez’s season-long loan deal to Bournemouth, and the obligation to buy clause was set at €19.5m plus up to €5.5m in bonuses. 

Milan will not be entitled to the entire cut of that fee, though, as Jimenez’s former club, Real Madrid are owed a 50% sell-on fee. 

That means that Milan will see €9.75m from Jimenez’s permanent transfer to Bournemouth, not including bonuses and not including the €2m loan fee they have already received. 

What Bournemouth said after signing Jimenez from Milan 

“AFC Bournemouth can confirm that Alex Jiménez has completed a permanent move to the club, having met the appearance threshold required to activate the transfer clause following an initial loan,” a statement on the club website read. 

“The 20-year-old, who joined the Cherries ahead of the current season, has now featured in more than half of the club’s competitive fixtures, triggering the terms that secure his future until 2031 on the south coast.

“Arriving from AC Milan having come through the prestigious academy at Real Madrid, Jiménez has made a strong impression during his time at the Vitality Stadium, becoming a regular presence and gaining recognition weekly.

“The full-back won the club’s Player of the Month award for December, while also winning Sky Sports’ Man of the Match accolade in the 1-1 draw with Brighton just last month.

“Having made 22 appearances in all competitions, with his maiden Premier League goal coming against Liverpool, Jiménez has made quite the impression in red and black.”

The Corriere dello Sport newspaper claims that only three Juventus players would make it into Cristian Chivu’s starting XI at Inter, but who would make your combined team heading into Saturday’s Derby d’Italia in San Siro? 

The Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus is just around the corner, scheduled for 19.45 GMT on Saturday evening in Serie A. 

The Nerazzurri top the table after 24 matches of the 2025-26 season and are currently eight points clear of their closest competitors, Milan. Chivu’s side are currently 12 points ahead of Juventus ahead of Saturday’s derby. 

Inter have won five games in a row in Serie A and are unbeaten across their last 12 league fixtures, with their most recent defeat coming against Milan in the Derby della Madonnina on November 23. 

Juventus have picked up seven points from their last three matches in the Italian top flight. The Bianconeri have six wins, two draws and two losses to their name from their last 10 outings in the league. 

With a hotly-anticipated derby fast approaching, debates have started to arise over which players would make it into a combined starting XI made up of Inter and Juventus players. 

Corriere dello Sport writes on Thursday’s front page that only three Juventus players would make it into Inter’s strongest XI: Centre-back Gleison Bremer, midfielder Khephren Thuram and attacker Kenan Yildiz. 

Thursday’s article suggests that Bremer would slot into a back three alongside Inter’s Manuel Akanji and Alessandro Bastoni. Pierre Kalulu, Lloyd Kelly, Federico Gatti, Yann Bisseck, Stefan De Vrij and Francesco Acerbi are the main alternative options. 

Corriere dello Sport claims that Inter wins the battle of the wing-backs, and that both Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco would start over the likes of Andrea Cambiaso, Juan Cabal or Emil Holm. 

There is room for debate in midfield. Corriere dello Sport picked a trio of Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Khephren Thuram, but left out the likes of Manuel Locatelli, Weston McKennie, Teun Koopmeiners Piotr Zielinski, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Petar Sucic. 

There is also strength in depth in the attacking options: It has been suggested that Lautaro Martinez and Kenan Yildiz are the strongest attackers that Inter and Juventus have to offer, but that means that Marcus Thuram, Pio Esposito, Dusan Vlahovic, Jonathan David and Francisco Conceicao missing out as well. 

Combined Inter and Juventus XI 

Sommer; Akanji, Bremer, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, K.Thuram, Dimarco; L.Martinez, Yildiz.

Let us know who you think would start in a combined Inter and Juventus XI in the comments below.

Lazio booked their spot in the Coppa Italia semi-finals thanks to a victory on penalties against Bologna on Wednesday evening, which means that the final four is now complete for the 2025-26 season. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming semi-finals. 

Who will Inter, Lazio, Atalanta and Como face in the Coppa Italia semi-finals? 

Lazio’s victory on Wednesday evening means that they will go on to face Atalanta over two legs of the Coppa Italia semi-final. 

That leaves Inter and Como facing each other in the other semi-final. 

The Biancocelesti qualified thanks to a 5-2 penalty shootout victory over reigning Coppa Italia champions Bologna at the Dall’Ara on Wednesday night. The game had finished 1-1 after 90 minutes with goals from Santiago Castro and Tijjani Noslin. 

Atalanta booked their spot in the semi-finals thanks to a responding 3-0 victory at home against Juventus last weekend: Gianluca Scamacca, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Mario Pasalic came up with the goals on that occasion. 

Inter also booked their spot in the final four last weekend thanks to a 2-1 victory against Torino in San Siro with a heavily-rotated starting XI. Ange-Yoan Bonny and Andy Diouf’s goals were enough to see off a second-half consolation goal from Sandro Kulenovic. 

Como also required penalties to see off Napoli in their quarter-final earlier this week. Goals from Martin Baturina and Antonio Vergara saw the game end level at 1-1 before a 7-6 victory in favour of Cesc Fabregas’s side in the resulting shoot-out. 

When will the Coppa Italia semi-finals take place? 

The exact times and dates of the Coppa Italia are still to be confirmed. 

The semi-final slots are currently set to take place during the midweek slots between March 3 and March 5, and between April 21 and April 23.

The 2026 Coppa Italia final is currently scheduled for May 13, 2026.

The draw for the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League league phase will take place on Thursday evening. Here is a look at the 12 potential opponents that Italy could come up against this coming campaign. 

The Nations League draw is scheduled to get underway at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET) in Brussels. Italy will be competing in Nations League A in 2026-27, the highest level of the competition. 

16 teams will compete in League A and they will be divided into four groups of four teams. Each team will play home and away against each of the other three nations in their group.

The teams that finish in the top two of these groups will progress to the Nations League quarter-finals, and the winners of those ties will progress to the final tournament next June (2027). 

The teams that finish bottom of their groups will be relegated to League B for the next Nations League campaign.

Who could Italy face in the Nations League league phase?

Italy are among the second seeds (Pot 2) in League A, along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Croatia. Gennaro Gattuso’s side will be drawn against one team each from Pot 1, Pot 3 and Pot 4. 

Portugal, Spain, France and Germany, the semi-finalists from the 2024-25 edition of the Nations League, are in Pot 1. 

England, Norway, Belgium and Serbia are the sides in Pot 3. 

Wales, Czechia, Greece and Türkiye are the sides in Pot 4. 

2026-27 Nations League draw: Pots in full 

League A 

Pot 1: Portugal, Spain, France, Germany

Pot 2: Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Croatia

Pot 3: England, Norway, Serbia, Belgium

Pot 4: Wales, Czechia, Greece, Türkiye 

League B

Pot 1: Scotland, Hungary, Poland, Israel

Pot 2: Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Ukraine

Pot 3: Slovenia, Georgia, Republic of Ireland, Romania

Pot 4: Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Kosovo

League C 

Pot 1: Iceland, Albania, Montenegro, Kazakhstan

Pot 2: Finland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Armenia

Pot 3: Belarus, Faroe Islands, Cyprus, Estonia

Pot 4: Moldova, San Marino, Luxembourg or Malta, Latvia or Gibraltar

League D 

Pot 1: Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Luxembourg or Malta, Latvia or Gibraltar

Pot 2: Liechtenstein, Andorra

The draw for the league phase of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League will take place later this evening: Here is everything you need to know about the draw, how it works, the teams competing and the sides that Italy could come up against. 

When is the 2026-27 Nations League draw?

The UEFA Nations League league phase draw will take place at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET) on Thursday, February 12. The draw will be conducted from Brussels. 

Which league will Italy be in?

Italy are one of 16 nations competing in League A in 2026-27, the highest level in the competition. 

The nations competing in League A in 2026-27 are as follows: Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, England, Norway, Wales, Czechia, Greece, Türkiye.

How does the draw work?

During Thursday’s draw, the 16 nations competing in League A, which includes Italy, will be seeded into four pots containing four teams each. (There will be separate draws for League B, League C and League D). 

These pots are based on rankings from the previous (2024-25) edition of the Nations League. 

The 16 teams in League A will be drawn into four groups of four, containing one team each from Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4. This will decide the fixture list for the 2026-27 Nations League league phase. 

Italy finished the last edition of the Nations League in second place of League A’s Group B, which means that they will be one of the four teams in Pot 2 in the 2026-27 Nations League draw. 

Italy will be in Pot 2 along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Croatia. These sides will avoid playing against each other in the Nations League league phase. 

Which teams could Italy face?

Italy will face one team each from the following: 

Pot 1: Portugal, Spain, France, or Germany

Pot 3: England, Norway, Belgium, or Serbia

Pot 4: Wales, Czechia, Greece, or Türkiye

How does the Nations League league phase work?

In Nations Leagues A, B and C, each team will play six matches during the league phase: At home and away against each of the other three teams in their group. 

In League A, the teams that finish the groups in first and second place will progress to the quarter-finals. The winners of those ties will then go on to compete in the final tournament. 

In Leagues B, C and D, teams that finish top of their group will be promoted for the following Nations League campaign, and teams that finish bottom in Leagues A, B and C will be relegated to a lower division. 

When do the 2026-27 Nations League matches take place?

As for the games themselves, there will be league phase matches played during the next September, October and November international breaks, a set of quarter-finals in March 2027 and a final tournament in June 2027.  

Matchday 1: September 24 – September 26, 2026

Matchday 2: September 27 – September 29, 2026

Matchday 3: September 30 – October 3, 2026

Matchday 4: October 4 – October 6, 2026

Matchday 5: November 12 – November 14, 2026

Matchday 6: November 15 – November 17, 2026

League A quarter-finals: March 25 – March 30, 2027

Final tournament: June 9 – June 13, 2027

When do Italy play next? 

Before the 2026-27 Nations League campaign gets underway in September, there is the small matter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Italy have not yet secured their spot at the final tournament in North America, and must qualify through the league phase if they are to avoid missing out on a third consecutive World Cup. 

That means that Italy will next be in action against Northern Ireland in a World Cup play-off semi-final in Bergamo on March 26, 2026. 

Should Italy win against Northern Ireland, they will then progress to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home in a World Cup play-off final on March 31: A one-match decider for a spot at the final tournament.

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

The Fantastic 4 

Two golds in the luge: Italian pairs triumph

Voetter-Oberhofer (women’s doubles) and Rieder-Kainzwalder (men’s). History made on the pistes of Cortina. A dream games: Third in the medals table with 13 podiums

Ariana (and noe only) for the record 

From skis to skates, we can make it even more today 

Fofana, Lollobrigida, Goggia, Sighel: Here come the stars again 

Lazio in semi-finals on penalties, Bologna fall from their throne 

Coppa Italia: Sarri gets Atalanta 

Chivu advises Inter: Don’t lose your head

Juve in San Siro on Saturday

Corriere dello Sport 

Juve, 3 for Inter 

Chivu dominantes in 8 positions. Only Bremer, Yildiz and Thuram would also be starters under Cris

Derby confrontations 

12 points difference in the table and a clear gap in quality, but Spalletti is looking to turn the tide on Saturday 

Referee chosen: La Penna 

Sliding into gold 

Another fantastic day at the Olympics. Two historic gold medals for Italy in the luge

Voetter and Oberhofer dominate the women’s doubles, Rieder and Kainzwald surprise everyone in the men’s competition. Italy now in third place in the medals table with 13 

Sarri, celebrating on penalties 

Coppa Italia: Lazio in the semi-finals, Bologna eliminated 

Decisive errors from Ferguson and Orsolini: Finishes 5-2 (1-1 after 90’ after goals from Castro and Noslin). The Biancocelesti will take on Palladino’s Atalanta. Brutal injury for Pedro: tests in hospital 

Napoli, McTomina pushes for Roma 

The Champions League race 

Conte in the lead: 14 games to secure qualification 

Nations League: Italy risk Norway 

Draw at 17.00 

The Azzurri in the second tier. England also to be avoided 

Tuttosport 

Spectacular golds! 

Madness in the luge: Triumphs in the men’s and women’s doubles. Celebrations with Mattarella in Cortina

Also dreaming with Goggia, Brignone, Fontana and Lollobrigida 

First the pairing of Voetter-Oberhofer, then Rieder and Kainzwaldner with a memorable comeback: It’s an historic double achievement. Tonight we try again in the mixed relay. Italy flying with four goals and now up to third place in the medals table: The President applauds

The venom of Lucio 

Inter-Juve on Saturday 

Spalletti, two seasons in Nerazzurro and an end full of tension and insults 

Left alone to deal with the Icardi case, brought the team to the Champions League, then Conte was called in in his place. Time has softened the anger, but the will for revenge remains. Interview with Felipe Melo, former Inter player now at Galatasaray: ‘I support the Nerazzurri, but looking forward to the Bianconeri in the Champions League draw. I’ve made peace with Chiellini

Toro: Juric divides the fans 

Hushes of a possible return for the Croatian ignite and divide the Granata fanbase. The background: Cairo has already thought about him for post-Vanoli

Lazio on penalties, semi-final with Atalanta. Bye Bologna 

Coppa Italia: Errors from Ferguson and Orsolini 

Conte, insults to the referee: A referral? AdL reflects 

247 million spent, but Napoli flop 

Lazio beat Bologna 4-1 on penalties this evening, after their Coppa Italia quarter-final tie finished 1-1 at full-time.

Football Italia’s Player of the Match was Tijjani Noslin, despite impressive performances from Kenneth Taylor and Bologna striker Santiago Castro.

You can relive all the action, as it happened, on our Live Blog.

Coppa Italia – Bologna 1-1 Lazio – Player Ratings

Bologna: Skorupski 6; Zortea 6.5, Vitik 6.5, Lucumi 6 (Helland N/A), Miranda 6; Moro 7 (Freuler 6), Ferguson 6; Orsolini 7, Odgaard 5.5 (Sohm 6), Cambiaghi 7 (Bernardeschi 6); Castro 7.5 (Dallinga 6)

Best Bologna player: Santiago Castro – Not only did he score Bologna’s only goal but looked a constant menace in and amongst the Lazio back line. In the first half especially, he was a real threat and showed signs of great promise for the future.

Lowest Bologna rating: Jens Odgaard – Did not get much right tonight and struggled to find space in Lazio’s deep midfield line. Was taken off with twenty minutes to go after a quiet evening.

Coach: Vincenzo Italiano 5.5 – Things are not going his way at the moment as the pressure mounts after what can only be described as a dismal run of recent form. He got it all right in the first half but seemed unable to adjust to Lazio’s improved momentum in the second half.

Lazio: Provedel 6.5; Marusic 6, Gila 6.5, Romagnoli 6.5, Pellegrini 6 (Tavares 5.5); Dele-Bashiru 6.5, Rovella 6 (Cataldi 6), Taylor 7; Pedro 7 (Noslin 7.5), Maldini 6 (Dia 5.5), Isaksen 6.5 (Cancellieri N/A)

Best Lazio Player: Tijjani Noslin – The Dutchman’s introduction really unsettled Bologna, who were barely able to cope with Pedro. The runs in between lines caught the hosts out and he found himself practically unmarked in the six yard box to score the equaliser and help send his side into the Coppa Italia semi-finals.

Lowest Lazio rating: Nuno Tavares – Feels a bit harsh for a player who only played ten minutes, scored his penalty in the shoot-out but he did feel like a bull in a china shop after his introduction. Was booked for a reckless challenge and does not feel like the kind of man you want to rely on to hold on to your defensive stability. That being said, Tavares was hardly awful and the most of his teammates were only marginally better.

Coach: Maurizio Sarri 7 – No matter what obstacles get thrown in Sarri’s way, he manages to overcome them. Pedro, who had probably been Lazio’s best player before his injury, gets taken off – Sarri brings Noslin on, tweaks the dynamics in the front line with Maldini and Lazio are back in the game before they know it. Surprisingly flexible performance from a coach known for his rigidity.

Lazio may have emerged victors this evening with a penalty shootout victory against Bologna, but it is not all sunshine and rainbows for the Biancocelesti after they suffered another concerning injury.

Experienced forward Pedro started the match on the wing, and offered some promising glimpses in the early stages of the match.

However, with just a few minutes left of the first half, the Spaniard suffered a nasty injury and had to be taken off.

Pedro in pain as Lazio progress past Bologna on penalties

The stretcher was called onto the pitch but the former Barcelona man refused, only to eventually hop on the stretcher once he was off the pitch.

The Lazio man looked in a serious amount of pain and given his age, this could be a costly blow for an already-thin Lazio squad.

Maurizio Sarri will be hoping that the injury is not as bad as it initially looked.

Tijjani Noslin came on for Pedro in the first half and, if every cloud has a silver lining, helped shift the momentum in the game and scored Lazio’s equaliser.

Bologna and Lazio had to go all the way to penalties to settle their Coppa Italia quarter-final tie tonight after a 1-1 draw in the ninety minutes, with the Biancocelesti holding their nerve to win 4-1 in the shootout.

Santiago Castro opened the scoring for Bologna before Tijjani Noslin equalised for the visitors.

It was a must-win game for both sides, who currently view Coppa Italia success as the easiest route into European football next season.

You can follow all the action, as it happened, on our Live Blog.

Bologna came into the game as holders, winning the cup last season, whilst Lazio have struggled with injuries and a transfer embargo last summer that severely hindered head coach Maurizio Sarri’s return to the club.

The first half started cagey as expected, neither team willing to take too many risks. Bologna looked more threatening in the early stages, with more of the ball in Lazio’s third, but the Biancocelesti stayed defensively resilient.

After giving away a clumsy corner around the half-hour mark, Moro whipped in a low corner; Santiago Castro diving to angle the ball past Provedel in the Lazio net.

The last 15 minutes of the first half saw Bologna keep Lazio relatively on a leash, with matters going from bad to worse for Sarri when experienced forward Pedro had to be taken off due to a nasty injury.

Bologna 1-1 Lazio – Noslin changes the game for Lazio

Tijjani Noslin took his place, in a move that ended up benefitting Lazio greatly.

Noslin’s introduction opened up a lot of space for the Biancocelesti in the second half, with his pace immediately throwing off the Bologna defence.

After a nice run from Dele-Bashiru on the right wing, the Nigerian squared a simple ball to Noslin to fire home and tie the game up.

Lazio seemed to gain confidence from the goal, with a lot more forward momentum compared to their rather stagnant first half.

In the final twenty minutes of normal time, the game grew sluggish – despite substitutions from both coaches to inject some pace into the match.

Danilo Cataldi went close with a shot from the edge of the box but the fouls flying in left, right and centre meant that the rest of regulation time played out in a very stop-start manner.

With the score level at the end of the 90 minutes, the tie went to a penalty shootout.

Lazio had no trouble converting their penalties but Provedel made two good saves and Orsolini drove his penalty wide to give the visitors the win.

Lazio will now face Atalanta in the semi-final.

Former England and Arsenal legend David Seaman has criticised modern goalkeeping celebrations, singling out Gianluigi Donnarumma for what he feels are exaggerated reactions to routine saves.

Speaking on the Beast Mode On podcast with Adebayo Akinfenwa, via Goal, the ex-Arsenal and England goalkeeper said he is not a fan of keepers celebrating every stop, even when the effort does not warrant it.

“The ones that really celebrate shots… Donnarumma, who’s one of my favourites at the moment, was doing some massive celebrations after some half-decent saves,” Seaman said.

“When they do that, I’m like: ‘Come on, you’re better than that.’

Seaman annoyed with Donnarumma celebration

Donnarumma signed for Manchester City in the summer after being frozen out of PSG, with the Ligue 1 giants signing Lucas Chevalier to replace him.

“When I see goalkeepers who’ve just signed for a club and they’re giving it all that after a save, and it’s not even a really good one, I think: ‘What are you doing? Celebrate when it really means something.’ That really annoys me.”

Seaman also discussed the evolution of the position and gave his thoughts on current David Raya, who is playing a key role as Arsenal chase Premier League success.

The former England No.1 suggested that while modern keepers are more involved with the ball at their feet, the fundamentals of the role, positioning, decision-making and composure, remain just as important as ever.

Bologna host Lazio at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara this evening in the final Coppa Italia quarter-final, as both sides fight for a place in the semis.

Bologna come into the game off the back of back-to-back defeats at home – with a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Milan followed by the weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Parma.

For a Bologna side who started the season strongly, fatigue has begun to set in – especially given their participation in multiple tournaments – domestically and abroad.

You can follow all the action, as it happens, on our Live Blog.

Lazio, meanwhile, seem to remain at the eye of the storm. Chaos on and off the field has led to a dramatic season for the Biancocelesti but head coach Maurizio Sarri has instilled a sense of calm that has seen the Biancocelesti eke out important results.

At the weekend, they were unlucky to draw 2-2 at Juventus, leading the game by a two goal cushion before a late Bianconeri comeback. Sarri’s side have lost just two of their last twelve games, yet with six draws, they find themselves somewhat off the pace in the race for European football.

For both sides, in fact, winning Coppa Italia would seem to be the most likely route to participating in Europe next season, so there is a lot on the line tonight.

Coppa Italia | Bologna vs Lazio – Official Lineups

Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Zortea; Vitik, Lucumi, Miranda; Moro, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Castro

Lazio (4-3-3): Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Dele-Bashiru, Rovella, Taylor; Isaksen, Maldini, Pedro.

11-02-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

Bologna

Lazio

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		9'		Mario Gila
Santiago Castro (Assist: Nikola Moro)		30'

2nd half

Santiago Castro		47'
		48'		Tijjani Noslin (Assist: Fisayo Dele-Bashiru)
Juan Miranda		74'
		86'		Nuno Tavares
Martin Vitik		90+1'

Penalty shootout

	Event
Lewis Ferguson
Thijs Dallinga
Riccardo Orsolini

Event
	Nuno Tavares
	Boulaye Dia
	Adam Marusic
	Kenneth Taylor

Match statistic

49

Possession %

51

13

Total shots

5

2

Shots on target

2

6

Shots off target

3

5

Blocked shots

5

Corners

2

1

Offsides

1

17

Fouls

12

Bologna

Lazio

Starting lineups

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

80'

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

61'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

70'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

70'

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

80'

94

Ivan Provedel

Goalkeeper

77

Adam Marusic

Defender

13

Alessio Romagnoli

Defender

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

80'

34

Mario Gila

Defender

Daniel Maldini

Midfielder

61'

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

6

Nicolò Rovella

Midfielder

61'

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

80'

9

Pedro

Attacker

45'

Substitutes

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

João Mário

Defender

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

61'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

70'

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

70'

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

80'

Eivind Helland

Defender

80'

26

Toma Basic

Midfielder

4

Patric

Defender

23

Elseid Hysaj

Defender

55

Alessio Furlanetto

Goalkeeper

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

45'

32

Danilo Cataldi

Midfielder

61'

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

61'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

80'

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

80'

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Mario Balotelli scored his first goal since 2024 when he found the back of the net last Friday for his new club Al-Ittifaq.

The UAE First Division club signed the Italian journeyman in January, after his contract expired with Genoa at the end of last season.

Al-Ittifaq have been struggling so far this season but the Italian scored the second of three goals as the team won 3-1 away at Gulf United.

The club will be hoping that the 35-year-old will score more as they hope to avoid relegation this season.

Watch: Balotelli scores first goal for new club Al-Ittifaq

Roberto De Zerbi has left his position as head coach of Olympique de Marseille, but this is not expected to change the transfer agreement between the Ligue 1 side and Juventus for USA international Timothy Weah. 

Will Marseille still sign Weah from Juventus after De Zerbi sacking?

Inter and Juventus both have players out on loan at Marseille this season: The Nerazzurri sent Benjamin Pavard to the Stade Velodrom at the end of the window, at the same time that they brought in Manuel Akanji from Manchester City, while Weah had joined from Juventus a few weeks earlier. 

The deal for Pavard was made up of a season-long loan deal for €2.5m and an option to buy for an additional €15m, however, recent reports in France and Italy claim that the Frenchman is increasingly likely to return to Inter at the end of the season. 

This is not the case for Weah, however, whose loan deal to Marseille includes a potential obligation to buy. According to Calciomercato.com, Marseille will trigger that obligation to buy once they secure mathematical safety in Ligue 1 this season. 

Marseille are currently in fourth place in the Ligue 1 table, 25 points clear of the relegation zone with 13 games of the season left to play. 

It is a case of when, rather than if Marseille trigger their obligation to buy. Once that happens, Juventus will be entitled to a fee of €15.4m plus up to €4.1m in add-ons. The Bianconeri have already received €1m for Weah’s season-long loan deal.

Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to have Paulo Dybala back at his disposal when Roma take on Napoli in Serie A over the weekend, and there is also positive news regarding January signing Robinio Vaz according to Wednesday’s reports. 

Dybala and Robinio Vaz fighting to be fit for Napoli vs. Roma

Dybala has missed Roma’s last two Serie A matches due to a knee issue, but returned to training on Wednesday and is now expected to compete for a spot in the team to take on Napoli at the Stadio Maradona on Sunday evening, potentially as a starter. 

Robinio Vaz was also partially involved in Wednesday’s training session at Trigoria. The 18-year-old joined the Giallorossi in a €25m deal during the January transfer window, but has spent the last week nursing a soleus injury after picking up an injury three substitute appearances into his Roma career. 

According to Corriere dello Sport, Matias Soule and Mario Hermoso trained on personalised programmes on Wednesday. The former has been struggling with a bit of discomfort around his pubis, while the Spaniard has been dealing with a minor impact injury to his foot. 

Manu Kone, Stephan El Shaarawy, Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk continued to work individually on Wednesday.

Juventus are close to triggering the obligation to buy clause in the contract of forward Lois Openda, but reports on Wednesday claim that the Bianconeri are already considering plans for the Belgian’s exit in the summer. 

Terms of the Juventus-Openda obligation to buy revealed

Openda joined Juventus towards the end of the summer transfer window, joining on loan for a fee of €3.3m plus up to €800,000 in bonuses in a deal that also includes an obligation to buy if certain ‘sporting conditions’ are met. 

According to reports from Calciomercato.com, Juventus will be obliged to make Openda’s move permanent in the event that they finish the Serie A season in 10th place or above.

Though there are still 14 games of the 2025-26 campaign left to play, the feeling is that Juventus, currently in fourth on 46 points, are not at any immediate risk of finishing in 11th or lower. They already have a 17-point buffer between themselves and the bottom half of the Serie A table. 

In the event that Juventus do finish in 10th or above, they will be obliged to pay a fee of €40.6m plus bonuses of up to €1.7m to sign Openda on a permanent basis. 

However, according to reports from Calciomercato, Juventus will look to sell Openda during the next summer transfer window. The Belgian is on two goals from 31 appearances across all competitions this campaign, and there are concerns that his profile does not fit Luciano Spalletti’s current set-up. 

He is not considered an out-and-out centre-forward, and doesn’t quite fit into one of the supporting roles in attack typically occupied by Kenan Yildiz, Fabio Miretti, Weston McKennie or Francisco Conceicao. 

As per Calciomercato, Juventus might have looked into the possibility of moving Openda on during the January transfer window, but this was impossible given that he had already played for two different clubs in Juventus and RB Leipzig in 2025-26, and would have therefore been ineligible to play for another team this season. 

Selling Openda this summer while avoiding a capital loss remains a difficult task, however. 

If the Old Lady were to sell Openda this summer and avoid a capital loss, they would need to find a buyer willing to match the €40.6m obligation to buy fee. Moving forwards, a fee in the region of €30m would be required to avoid a capital loss in the summer of 2027, and €20m in the summer of 2028. 

As per Calciomercato, it is unlikely that another team steps forwards with a €40m offer this coming summer. A slightly more feasible scenario is that Openda puts in a slightly more convincing season in 2026-27, leading to a €30m move away from the club in the summer of 2027. 

Wednesday’s reports confirm that Denzel Dumfries has finally returned to training with Inter, just a few days out from the highly-anticipated Derby d’Italia against rivals Juventus. 

Dumfries back in Inter training ahead of Juventus clash

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dumfries was partially involved in Inter’s training session on Wednesday, just a few days shy of the Juventus match, which kicks off at 19.45 GMT on Saturday evening. 

The Dutchman has not featured for the Nerazzurri since coming off midway through a 2-0 Serie A victory over Lazio on November 9. He suffered an injury to his ankle, which required surgery to amend. 

Dumfries has missed the last 13 Serie A matches, plus four in the Champions League, two in the Coppa Italia and one in the Supercoppa Italiana while recovering from his ankle injury. 

It remains to be seen whether he will be called up to Cristian Chivu’s squad for the Juventus match. Given the extent of his lay-off, he is not currently expected to start. 

This is still a big boost for Chivu’s side, who were also able to welcome both Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu back to training earlier this week. Calhanoglu had been out injured since January 11 and Barella since January 28. 

Recent reports claim that Barella is slightly more likely than Calhanoglu to return to the starting XI straight away for the Juventus match.

Barcelona and Bayern Munich have made contact with Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic ahead of a potential free transfer over the summer, but the Serbia international still has no agreement to leave the Allianz Stadium.

Vlahovic is one of the highest-rated players available on a free transfer in June as his Juventus contract runs out at the end of the season.

Juventus still hope to extend Vlahovic’s contract

Fabrizio Romano has provided the latest updates on the Serbian striker after Juventus director Marco Ottolini admitted the club still hopes to extend with the 26-year-old.

Romano confirmed that talks between Juventus and Vlahovic are on hold, but the ex-Fiorentina striker hasn’t signed with any other club yet.

Barcelona have already made contact with Vlahovic, but Bayern Munich are an option as well, Romano confirmed.

Barcelona are looking for a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, while Bayern need a backup for Harry Kane as Nicolas Jackson will leave at the end of the season.

However, Bayern last made contact with Vlahovic around October/November and have not made a formal proposal yet.

Vlahovic also remains on Milan’s radar as Massimiliano Allegri already worked with the Serbia international at Juventus.

Juventus are expecting to have Francisco Conceicao at their disposal for Saturday’s Derby d’Italia against rivals Inter, but Weston McKennie has had to have five stitches in his leg on Wednesday according to the latest updates. 

Juventus team news heading into Inter clash

The Bianconeri are underway with their preparations for Saturday’s Serie A crunch match against rivals Inter, who sit eight points clear at the top of the league table ahead of kick-off. 

Juventus are coming in off the back of a 2-2 draw against Lazio last time out in the league. 

Conceicao was expected to come on at half-time during the Lazio game. He was out warming up during the interval, was seen receiving detailed instructions from the coaching staff, but then reported some discomfort in his knee before coming on. In the end, it was Edon Zhegrova who came on at the start of the second half instead of the Portugal international. 

According to the latest reports, Conceicao was able to train as usual with the rest of the Juventus first team on Wednesday, which means that he is currently expected to be part of the squad for the derby against Inter on Saturday. 

Wednesday’s reports confirm that McKennie was not involved in Juventus training on Wednesday. That is because he suffered a cut just above his ankle during the Lazio game over the weekend and had five stitches put in on Wednesday. 

However, according to Sky Sport Italia and Calciomercato, McKennie should be back in training on Thursday as long as he does not feel too much discomfort, which means that he should also be available for the Inter game over the weekend. 

Strikers Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik remain the only Juventus players expected to miss out through injury over the weekend. 

Fabrizio Romano confirms that Milan and Bournemouth have signed the documents for Alex Jimenez’s permanent move to the English club for €19m, a fee that the Serie A giants will split with Real Madrid.

Spanish full-back Jimenez has completed a permanent move to Bournemouth from Milan.

Jimenez joins Bournemouth permanently

The 20-year-old joined the Premier League side on loan last summer, and Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed on YouTube that “all the documents have been signed” to make his move permanent.

Romano reports that Jimenez’s permanent acquisition will cost Bournemouth €19m, which will be split between Milan and Real Madrid.

How much Milan earn from Jimenez’s Bournemouth transfer

Milan will also receive add-ons superior to €3m.

Jimenez is a product of the Merengues’ academy, and the La Liga giants held a 50% sell-on clause.

Jimenez has scored one goal and one assist in 24 appearances across all competitions this season.

During his latest interview with Mundo Deportivo, he said he decided to leave Milan last summer because he feared he’d not receive enough playing time.

For decades, the image of Italian football was defined by the local industrialist pouring money into a beloved club as a passion project. It was charming, sure, but it wasn’t exactly a sustainable business model for the modern era.

Those days are mostly a memory now. If you look at the corporate hallways of Inter or Juventus today, you won’t just find scouts looking for the next number ten; you’ll find data scientists crunching numbers that have nothing to do with expected goals and everything to do with who we are as fans.

From Mass Marketing to Personal Connection

The big shift is that Italian giants have finally stopped treating their global fanbases as one giant, anonymous mass. They’ve started looking at supporters from every possible angle to figure out what actually makes us tick. By tracking how we interact with OTT streaming services and what we’re liking on social media, clubs can tell if you’re a casual viewer in New York or a die-hard season ticket holder in Turin.

It’s a move toward hyper-personalised entertainment. Inter, for instance, has been vocal about their “Media House” approach, ditching the old PR playbook to build something that feels more like a tailored Netflix experience. Why send the same generic email to everyone when you can offer a specific behind-the-scenes video to the fan who just spent twenty minutes watching training clips? It’s about making engagement feel like it was earned rather than just forced on us.

The New Face of Sponsorship

This move toward deep analytics has completely flipped the sponsorship market on its head. The traditional companies and local food brands are still around, but they’re being eclipsed by digital-first players—the kind of companies that live and breathe data. We are talking about AI-driven fintech apps, crypto platforms, and massive global sportsbooks like Lottoland that understand the value of a digital-savvy audience.

These partners aren’t just paying for a logo on a shirt anymore. They want the data. They want to know they’re reaching people who are already comfortable managing their lives through an app. It’s a bit of a two-way street; a club’s digital maturity is now the main bait for brands that live in that same fast-paced, data-heavy world.

• Clubs are turning into media companies first and sports teams second.
• Revenue is finally moving away from just relying on ticket sales and TV rights.
• Direct-to-consumer platforms let clubs own their stories completely.

Why This Matters for the Fans

You might wonder if all this talk of “data points” and “monetisation” sucks the soul out of the beautiful game. It’s a fair concern. But look at it this way: a more profitable, modern Serie A is a more competitive one.

The truth is, leaning so hard on data analytics changes the way we enjoy the sport in ways we don’t always notice. Better data means better stadium experiences, more immersive apps, and content that actually reflects what we want to see. When clubs stop guessing, they can finally build an environment where football is the centrepiece of a much larger, smarter entertainment package.

Is it a bit cold? Maybe. But in a world where Italian football needs to keep pace with the financial might of the Premier League, this digital evolution isn’t just a choice—it’s a survival tactic.

What do you think about your club knowing your digital habits? Does the data-driven approach make you feel like a valued customer, or just another number in a spreadsheet? Drop a comment below and let us know if you prefer the old-school ways or this new digital frontier.

Roberto De Zerbi’s time with Olympique de Marseille has come to an end after just over 18 months, but what went wrong at the Stade Velodrome and what could the future hold for the former Brighton coach? 

Late on Tuesday evening, it was confirmed that Marseille and De Zerbi had parted company by mutual consent. De Zerbi leaves the club in fourth place in Ligue 1, 12 points off the table-topping Paris Saint-Germain. 

De Zerbi’s time at Marseille: Re-cap 

De Zerbi took over at Marseille in the summer of 2024, following a difficult 2023-24 campaign in which the team had finished in eighth place in Ligue 1. That eighth place finish meant that Marseille did not compete in any European competition during De Zerbi’s first season in charge. 

Among De Zerbi’s signings during his first summer in charge were Mason Greenwood, who finished as the division’s joint-top scorer, Adrien Rabiot, Amine Gouiri, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Manu Kone.

Those signings helped Marseille on their way to a second place finish in Serie A during De Zerbi’s first season in charge. They finished the 2024-25 campaign on 65 points, four points clear of their closest competitors, Monaco, but 19 points shy of the eventual champions, PSG.

Still, a second place finish was enough for Marseille to confirm their place in the Champions League for the 2025-26 campaign.

The Champions League campaign did not go to plan, though. Marseille beat Ajax, Newcastle and Union SG over the course of the league phase, but recorded defeats against Real Madrid, Sporting CP, Atalanta, Liverpool and Club Brugge, which meant that they finished the league phase in 25th place, being knocked out of the tournament on goal difference. 

Marseille’s Champions League exit was confirmed on January 28. De Zerbi followed that up with a 2-2 draw against Paris FC in Ligue 1, a victory over Rennes in the Coupe de France, but then a 5-0 hammering away against rivals PSG: De Zerbi’s final game in charge. 

That 5-0 defeat against PSG was Marseille’s worst ever loss against their archrivals. 

Despite an unceremonious end to his time in charge of Marseille, De Zerbi leaves the club with the best win percentage of any Marseille coach of the last 10 years (57%). He also has the third-highest points-per-game record of any Marseille coach from the last 10 years with 1.84. Only Jorge Sampaoli (1.87) and Igor Tudor (1.85) did better by that metric. 

In the end, De Zerbi lasted for 590 days at Marseille, taking charge of 69 matches over that period. The average under Marseille’s current ownership is 374 days and 49 matches. Only Rudi Garcia, who lasted for 142 games between 2016 and 2019 lasted longer than De Zerbi under the current Marseille regime.

Milan star Christian Pulisic returned to group training on Wednesday, meaning he’ll probably be available on Friday when the Rossoneri visit Pisa.

Milan star Pulisic returned to group training on Wednesday morning, according to several sources in Italy, including Milan News.

Pulisic injury boost for Milan

The American star had missed Milan’s latest Serie A game against Bologna due to bursitis.

The 27-year-old is Milan’s best scorer this season with 10 goals in 20 appearances, but hasn’t yet found the net in 2026, receiving limited playing time due to fitness issues.

His return to training today, however, suggests he should be eligible on Friday, when Milan meet strugglers Pisa in an away Serie A match.

Saelemaekers still trains separately

On the other hand, Alexis Saelemaekers continued to train separately today due to an adductor problem that already forced him out of action against Bologna.

It remains to be seen whether the Belgian will be available in two days, but his return to the squad seems unlikely as the Rossoneri doctors want to take a cautious approach and give Saelemaekers the time he needs to fully recover.

Juventus directors Damien Comolli and Giorgio Chiellini unveiled a new project involving startups that will collaborate with the club this season: ‘Football and sporting entertainment move quickly.’

Juventus CEO Comolli and Director of Football Strategy Chiellini unveiled a new project at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Wednesday morning.

Comolli and Chiellini unveil new Juventus project

During the event Forward. In Play – Innovation Takes the Field Juventus presented their ‘Forward Squad’, which consists of a new team of startups that will collaborate with the club this season in various capacities, including the development and storytelling of new projects.

“Football and sporting entertainment move quickly, and we can’t stand still,” Comolli said via Ilbianconero.com.

“We must look ahead, think big regarding football and the entertainment business in the next 15 years. We must not think about now, but what will happen in the next five or ten years and how the fans get to the stadium in five or ten years.”

Chiellini added: “We’re happy to launch an innovation squad. Innovation has been an important part of Juventus since its foundation. We are at the stadium, we were the first club to own one with a vision that went beyond matchdays.”

Chiellini was on the pitch on September 11, 2011, when Juventus played their first competitive match at the Allianz Stadium, beating Parma 4-1.

The former defender would go on to win nine Serie A titles with the Bianconeri under Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri and Maurizio Sarri.

After his retirement, Chiellini returned to Juventus in 2024 as the Head of Football Institutional Relations but was then promoted to Director of Football Strategy last summer.

Chiellini on Juventus’ development on and off the pitch

“We will launch a project that goes beyond sport. Football clubs are not just about what happens on the pitch; they are much more than that,” Chiellini continued.

“You see a variety of startup and we are happy to host a sports startup accelerator at the Juventus Stadium. We are proud to become a local and national point of reference.

“We want to implement something measurable, something truly useful for the club. All the startups have been selected to address everyday challenges, and we are working to support each other and everything around us. This is a launch, a call to share innovation. Our goal is to be a driving force and a catalyst for collaboration toward an increasingly integrated and innovative future.”

Former Argentine striker Martin Palermo is full of praise for Inter star Lautaro Martinez: ‘For me, he’s the best striker in Europe.’

Former Boca Juniors star Martin Palermo lauded Inter star Lautaro in an interview with Argentine podcast Clank! 

Lautaro the ‘best striker’ in Europe

“Lautaro. For me, he’s the best striker in Europe,” Palermo said.

“He scores goals, he’s powerful and continuously looks to score. But at the same time, he drops deep to play the ball, he moves a lot, passes the ball wide and runs inside the box. He does these movements without being clumsy, as they told me sometimes.”

Lautaro is the best scorer in Serie A this season with 14 goals.

The 28-year-old Inter captain has scored 18 times in 33 games across all competitions this term, having also bagged four goals in seven Champions League appearances.

Emil Holm has made no secret of the fact that he wants to stay on with Juventus beyond the 2025-26 season, and has shared his first impressions of Luciano Spalletti, Kenan Yildiz and the upcoming Derby d’Italia against Inter. 

Holm wants to stay at Juventus on permanent basis

Holm joined Juventus on the final day of the January transfer window, signing an initial loan deal that also includes an option to buy for €15m plus €3m in bonuses. The Bianconeri also sent Joao Mario to Bologna on loan on the same day. 

The 25-year-old has represented four different clubs in Serie A, along with Spezia, Atalanta and Bologna, but is hoping that he finds a permanent home in Turin. 

“All my teammates, the coach and the staff have helped me to feel part of the group. My goal is to be here beyond the summer,” the Sweden international told Sky Sport in an interview. “I want to help as much as I can and I want to give 100% to stay here.” 

Holm also revealed what was said in his first conversation with Bianconeri head coach Luciano Spalletti: “He told me that his wife is from La Spezia, so she watched a lot of games when I was there. We haven’t spoken much, but it’s gone well so far.” 

Holm also spoke about his best positions on the pitch: “As a full-back and as a wing-back,” he said. “I have to push a lot on the pitch and give my best. I want to learn something new every day and push as hard as I can.” 

And when asked for his initial thoughts after seeing starman Yildiz up close and personal, Holm added: “He’s really strong in my opinion. I played against him in training and you can immediately see that he has this impressive quality.” 

And looking forward to the Derby d’Italia against rivals Inter this weekend, he added: “If we win, we’ll make up a bit of ground in the standings. It’s a long season, though.
If we win it, it’s a great opportunity of course.”

Antonio Conte insulted referee Gianluca Manganiello during Napoli’s Coppa Italia game against Como on Tuesday, which, according to Gazzetta, will likely lead to a disciplinary proceeding.

The FIGC Prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné will likely open an investigation against Conte after the Italian was spotted insulting referee Manganiello during Napoli’s Coppa Italia game against Como last night.

What Conte told Napoli-Como referee

Conte called the referee “d***head’ while urging him to go to the pitchside monitor to review a potential red card for Como defender Jacobo Ramon.

As reported by Gazzetta, the insult was not heard by the referee on the pitch, nor by the fourth official, but emerged from a video released by Sport Mediaset, the Coppa Italia TV right holders in Italy.

Conte risk a one-game ban

According to the report, the FIGC Prosecutor is now collecting all the images and audio from the episode, which will likely lead to a disciplinary proceeding against Conte.

The Napoli boss could even face a one-game suspension unless he accepts a plea deal requiring him to pay a fine.

Tuttosport newspaper reports that Atalanta’s Ederson is one of Juventus’ top targets to strengthen their midfield in the summer, with the Brazilian available for €40m.

Juventus have set their sights on Atalanta midfielder Ederson.

Ederson available for €40m

The Brazilian’s contract at the New Balance Arena runs out in June 2027, and according to Tuttosport, the midfielder is unwilling to extend it.

Therefore, Juventus have emerged as one of the interested clubs to sign the Atalanta star in the summer transfer window.

Ederson is a key Atalanta player, but he’ll enter the final year of his contract in Bergamo in July, so the Nerazzurri will release him for €40m at the end of the season.

Atletico Madrid to rival Juventus for Ederson?

According to the report, Atletico Madrid also showed interest in Ederson after signing Ademola Lookman from Atalanta in the January transfer window.

Juventus, on the other hand, signed Teun Koopmeiners for €60m less than two years ago after months of negotiations with Atalanta.

Juventus are expected to bring in midfield reinforcement in 2026-27, and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali has also been linked with a move to Turin.

Roberto De Zerbi is the early favourite to replace Thomas Frank as head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, just a few hours after his departure from Olympique de Marseille was confirmed. 

De Zerbi and Maresca among early options for Tottenham

Marseille confirmed in the early hours of Wednesday morning that they have parted company with De Zerbi after just over 18 months in charge. The Italian leaves the French outfit in fourth place in the Ligue 1 standings, 12 points off league leaders PSG after 21 matches. 

De Zerbi’s final match in charge came in a 5-0 hammering by PSG away from home after the weekend. 

Iti was also confirmed on Wednesday that Premier League side Tottenham have dismissed head coach Frank, who was appointed as the successor to Ange Postecoglu over the summer. He leaves Spurs in 16th place, just five points above the Premier League relegation zone. 

According to reports from the Evening Standard, De Zerbi is currently the odds-on favourite to replace Frank as head coach of Tottenham. Another Italian in Enzo Maresca has also been mentioned in early reports.

Former Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino has also been mooted for a return to North London, but he is currently in charge of the United States men’s national team, and is not expected to leave before the 2026 World Cup this summer. 

Meanwhile, former Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao has been linked with a potential move to the Stade Velodrome to replace De Zerbi according to reports from Footmercato.

Milan defender Koni De Winter hopes that his performances with the Rossoneri this season will help him get a spot in the Belgium squad for the 2026 World Cup.

De Winter has become a regular starter at Milan in recent months, starting seven of the last eight Serie A matches.

The Belgium international moved to San Siro from Genoa last summer and has scored one goal in 18 appearances with the Rossoneri.

“I used to follow Milan’s games in the Champions League as a kid,” De Winter told Tuttosport (via Gianluca Di Marzio).

“My dad had done it even before I was born. I really liked Seedorf; he even wanted to call me Clarence.”

De Winter’s Juventus debut under Allegri

De Winter is a product of the Juventus Academy and made his senior debut with the Bianconeri under Massimiliano Allegri in 2021, in a Champions League match against Chelsea.

“It was nice to reunite with Allegri; I’m on excellent terms with him,” the defender said.

“When he has a target, he goes forward to accomplish it. When I arrived at Juventus, I felt disoriented, but when I trained with him, he was always very attentive. When he saw I was ready, he added me to the first team and gave me my senior debut.”

De Winter on his role models, Milan targets and World Cup

De Winter went on talk about his role models and Milan’s target this season.

“I’ve always liked Kompany and Thiago Silva,” he said.

“At Juventus, I only had to look to Chiellini, Bonucci and De Ligt to learn something. I’d be very happy if we return to the Champions League this season.”

I hope to live this experience. Being here in Milan will help me improve and get the call-up.

De Winter made his senior Belgium debut in 2024 under Domenico Tedesco and has made five appearances with his national team.

The 23-year-old has been regularly called up to the senior Belgian national team since June 2025.

Sport Mediaset shows Antonio Conte’s furious reactions to referee decisions in Napoli’s Coppa Italia defeat against Como last night: ‘He does it on purpose with me.’

Napoli were eliminated from the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Tuesday, losing on penalties against Cesc Fabregas’ Como.

Conte was highly unhappy with the referee’s decisions, as he clearly stated in his post-match interviews.

Sport Mediaset showed Conte’s reactions from the sidelines to the ref’s most controversial calls last night.

What furious Conte told the referee during Napoli vs. Como

At the end of the first half, Jacobo Ramon fouled Rasmus Hojlund at the edge of the box, prompting Conte to ask for a VAR check.

“At least go check it, d****head, go check it at least,” he shouted.

When the fourth official arrived to calm him down, Conte continued: “It might be red or not, but what the f**! VAR should check and call him.”

At the beginning of the second half, Ramon made a similar foul, also at the edge of the box, but received no yellow card.

Conte wanted Ramon to be sent off twice

Conte’s protest continued, and this time he was joined by some of his staff members.

“That’s a yellow, that’s a yellow,” Conte shouted.

“He [the referee] does it on purpose with me,” the Napoli coach told the fourth official, who once again arrived to clear the air.

“That was a yellow card. How is it not yellow? You are destroying us,” Conte concluded.

Antonio Conte says he will list all the teams that have won ‘zero titles’ in his upcoming press conferences, in a clear reference to José Mourinho after Napoli’s Coppa Italia exit.

Napoli were eliminated from the Coppa Italia quarter-finals by Como on Tuesday night, suffering a 7-6 defeat on penalties.

Napoli, the defending Serie A champions, have won the Supercoppa in 2025-26, but faced elimination from Coppa Italia and Champions League. They sit third in the league standings, nine points below Inter.

Following Napoli’s Coppa Italia exit last night, Conte showed pride in the results he has achieved over the last 18 months, even mentioning Mourinho indirectly.

Why Conte mentioned Mourinho after Napoli’s Coppa Italia exit

During his time at Inter, the Special One once taunted the Nerazzurri’s rivals, listing those who would not win titles that season.

“There are many positive things. It’s true, we’ve been knocked out of the Coppa Italia and Champions League. Now Serie A is what remains, and we have to do the best we possibly can,” Conte said at a post-match press conference last night (via TuttoNapoli).

“I want to thank the fans because they appreciate and understand the efforts this team is making, all together. Two years, a Scudetto and a Supercoppa, that shouldn’t be forgotten.”

At that point, Conte made gestures, showing zero in his right hand and two in his left hand.

“So, from now on, every time I hold a press conference, I’ll start like this, and then I’ll list the teams that, as one coach used to say, have won zero titles, okay?” he concluded.

Many Napoli stars have been out of action for several months, limiting Conte’s chances to rotate.

At full-time, the Italian tactician complained about referee decisions and suggested his team is unable to fight for the title due to the high number of injuries.

Guglielmo Vicario is reportedly Inter’s priority target to replace Yann Sommer in 2026-27, but Juventus have emerged as a potential rival in the race for the Tottenham goalkeeper.

Inter and Juventus will meet in the Derby d’Italia at San Siro next Saturday, but the two Serie A giants could also find themselves competing away from the pitch during the summer transfer window.

Vicario is Inter’s top target to replace Sommer

According to Gazzetta, in fact, both clubs are keeping an eye on Italy international Vicario.

Inter have been thinking about Vicario for a few months as they prepare to replace Yann Sommer in 2026-27.  The 37-year-old’s contract expires in June, and Inter are not expected to offer him a new deal.

Vicario is said to be Inter’s priority target for next summer. The Italian goalkeeper has plenty of Serie A experience, and he’d consider a return to the Peninsula if a top club knocks on his door, although he’s still happy at Tottenham.

The only concern for Inter is tied to Tottenham’s asking price, not expected to be below €25m.

Juventus to rival Inter for Vicario?

Juventus are one of the potential contenders as Michele Di Gregorio is no longer considered ‘untouchable’ in Turin, while Mattia Perin could leave to get more time elsewhere in Serie A.

Therefore, the Bianconeri are open to making a change between the sticks next season if an appealing opportunity arises.

Vicario is Italy’s second-choice goalkeeper behind Gigio Donnarumma. A former Empoli, Cagliari and Udinese shot-stopper, Vicario has kept 13 clean sheets in 36 appearances this season. He has collected five appearances with the Italy national team, making his debut in March 2024.

Source: Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, page 19. Feb 11, 2026.

Bologna and Lazio meet at the Stadio Dall’Ara tonight in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, with the winner facing Atalanta in the semis.

It kicks off at 21:00 CET (20:00 GMT) at the Dall’Ara Stadium in Bologna.

The Rossoblu are the defending champions, but are struggling in Serie A with four consecutive losses that left them 10th in the standings.

Vincenzo Italiano must cope without Charalampos Lykogiannis, Lorenzo De Silvestri and Torbjørn Heggem.

Lazio have prepared for the game in Coverciano, Florence, in the last two days and have travelled to Bologna without the injured Mattia Zaccagni, Toma Basic, Manuel Lazzari and Samuel Gigot.

Mario Gila and Oliver Provstgaard are not fully fit after sustaining minor injuries in the previous match against Juventus, but they are still expected to be available.

According to Gazzetta, Gila will get the nod in central defence, while Corriere dello Sport reports that Provstgaard will start.

The winner will face Atalanta in the semis, while Como’s win over Napoli on Tuesday sent Cesc Fabregas’ side into the other semifinal against Inter.

Bologna vs. Lazio – where to watch on TV

The match will be broadcast live on Premier Player in the UK and Ireland and on Paramount+ in the USA. Football Italia will provide live updates via a live blog.

Bologna vs. Lazio – probable line-ups

Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Zortea, Casale, Lucumì, Miranda; Pobega, Freuler; Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Castro.

Lazio (4-3-3): Provedel; Marusic, Provstgaard, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Dele-Bashiru, Cataldi, Taylor; Isaksen, Maldini, Pedro.

Ligue 1 side Marseille confirm they have parted ways with Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi ‘by mutual agreement.’

Italia coach De Zerbi is no longer in charge of French side Marseille.

The Ligue 1 side confirmed on Tuesday night that the Italian had left the club by mutual consent.

Official: Marseille confirm De Zerbi’s exit

“Olympique de Marseille and Roberto De Zerbi, coach of the first team, have announced the end of their collaboration by mutual agreement,” OM said in a statement.

“Following discussions between all stakeholders in the club’s management—the owner, president, director of football, and coach—it was decided to make a change at the helm of the first team.

“This was a difficult collective decision, taken after careful consideration in the best interests of the club, in order to respond to the sporting challenges of the end of the season.

“Olympique de Marseille would like to thank Roberto De Zerbi for his dedication, commitment, professionalism, and seriousness, which were particularly evident in the team’s second-place finish in the 2024/25 season.

“The club wishes him all the best for the rest of his career.”

Marseille sit fourth in the Ligue 1 standings following a 5-0 loss against PSG last weekend.

They were also eliminated from the Champions League group phase, finishing outside the top 24.

Marseille appointed De Zerbi as their head coach in the summer of 2024.

The Italian tactician, who previously worked for Sassuolo, Shakhtar and Brighton, won 39 games out of 69 in charge of OM.

In the current campaign, Marseille collected 18 wins, three draws and 12 defeats under his guidance.

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Napoli out again

Como into the semifinals: they gift themselves Inter on penalties

Derby d’Italia.

Boos, victories, controversies and the feeling Chivu-Spalletti

Corriere dello Sport

Last meeting

‘Vlahovic, it’s not over’

The director Ottolini puts Dusan’s future into play again as his contract expires

Juve: move for the renewal. Lucio, a trap for Inter

Elkann’s club waits for the Serbian: ‘It’s not a closed matter. McKennie? Negotiations continue. Spalletti? Ahead together.’ Chivu climbing: 34 points in 12 games: +10 compared to the opening 12.

Napoli not having it. Cesc’s joy

Orsolini, Maldini and the night of truth

Italiano wants to cancel the last four defeats. Sarri follows the European dream. The winner meets Atalanta.

Milan little treasure: 108m from permanent transfers

Tuttosport

Ederson, Spalletti says yes

He can leave Atalanta for 40m. Juventus challenge Atletico

The coach has identified the Brazilian as the man who can raise the quality in central midfield. His contract expires in a year, and the conditions are favourable. DS Ottolini: ‘It’s not over with Vlahovic.’ Meantime Boga aims for Inter. Ref director Tommasi admits: ‘Gila-Cabal contact punishable.’

De Winter: ‘From Allegri to Seedorf. I love my Milan.’

Exclusive interview with the defender: ‘Nice to reunite with the coach of my Juve. He’s ideal for young players. My father wanted to call me Clarence.’

Toro, incredible! Juric rumour after Baroni

Possible return of the Croat if the current coach won’t be confirmed. Obrador injured right away: at least three weeks out.

Butez hero: historic Como into the semifinals with Inter

Antonio Conte explained his anger at the referee after the Coppa Italia shoot-out exit to Como, but above all the injury crisis. ‘We’re having an incredibly positive season, in the circumstances.’

They were held to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, as Antonio Vergara struck at the dawn of the second half to cancel out the Martin Baturina penalty.

There was a great deal of controversy too, as at the 50^th minute Jacobo Ramon was fortunate not to receive a second yellow card for his foul on Rasmus Hojlund on the edge of the penalty area.

Even the first card caused some anger on the touchline, as some thought Ramon’s foul on Hojlund was enough to warrant a straight red for denying a clear scoring opportunity.

Conte fuming at referee after Napoli exit

“Let’s not always go and talk about referees, because there’s always going to be someone complaining,” Conte told Sport Mediaset when asked immediately about those decisions.

“It’s certainly not a good season for referees and for VAR, I hope they can find something that will improve the situation. The fact is, everyone is complaining, coaches, players and fans, so the sport needs to step up and improve, because just as we improve our teams, Rocchi has to improve his referees and VAR officials.

“It’s not good for football, it’s not good for us.”

It went to not just a penalty shoot-out, but sudden death, where the decisive errors were made by Romelu Lukaku and Stanislav Lobotka.

“I credit the lads, because it was certainly not easy to face a Como side with a full squad available, who had rested for 10 days,” continued Conte.

“We were coming off a game played against Genoa three days ago, which we ended with 10 men and lost another player to injury, as Scott McTominay is so important for us.”

The Partenopei were already out of the Champions League and are now eliminated from the Coppa Italia in the quarter-final stage too.

“I can only praise these players, because we are pushing beyond our current potential. We have very few resources available, which are simply nowhere near the ambitions that we should’ve had for this season.

“Despite that, the lads are doing remarkably well. Como will go into the semi-final, we won the Supercoppa Italiana and the Scudetto in the last year and a half. It’s disappointing, because there are years where you’d want to do more, but considering the squad at our disposal right now, any coach would struggle.

“I thank the fans, who can see the effort we are putting in against a complete Como squad. Despite all the difficulties, we were centimetres away from qualifying for the semi-final.”

At least with only Serie A to focus on and one game per week, Conte was asked if he could promise Napoli can at least try to challenge Inter for the Scudetto now, and potentially find out why they’ve had so many injuries?

“What an absurd question,” he laughed bitterly.

“How can you predict Di Lorenzo’s injury, or Lukaku with a detached tendon, De Bruyne with damage to a tendon in a leg he already had an operation on, or Gilmour who needs surgery and spends months out. How can you predict that?

“What we can do is go to a shrine and pray, because these are injuries that last for the whole season. With six or seven important players out for months at a time, it forces the same ones to keep playing all the time, so that creates problems for McTominay and Rrahmani.

“I don’t think this sort of thing has ever happened to another club. On top of that, I was told we couldn’t do anything on the transfer market either, we brought in two young lads to give us a hand.

“I think what we are doing this season is incredibly positive, in the circumstances. As for the Scudetto, there’s a nine-point gap, we have serious problems and you are talking about the Scudetto. Come on. There’s Inter, Milan, Roma, Juventus, even Como, what are we talking about?

“We have to be serious in questions and evaluations too, otherwise it all becomes ridiculous,” concluded a visibly angry Conte.

Cesc Fabregas reveals what he told Como about his experience ahead of the penalty shoot-out against Napoli to reach the Coppa Italia semi-final. ‘I’d been in their situation.’

The Lariani will face Inter in the Coppa Italia semi-final, a stage of the tournament this club had only ever reached once before in 1986, when once again they eliminated the reigning Serie A title holders.

It was Verona back then, but Napoli this time, needing a sudden death penalty shoot-out following the 1-1 draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Martin Baturina had converted the opening spot-kick before half-time, while Antonio Vergara scored the equaliser straight after the restart.

Fabregas taking Como to new heights

“It is an historic achievement, a positive time, but we have another very important game coming up on Saturday. We must leave the euphoria to the end of the season,” Fabregas told Sport Mediaset.

“It will be tough to shake off the adrenaline, but we listened to music for 10 minutes in the locker room, now we will begin preparing for the weekend, as we want all three points.”

There was a moment of controversy on 50 minutes when Jacobo Ramon was very lucky not to receive a second yellow card for his foul on Rasmus Hojlund just outside the box.

Seeing that his player was fortunate, Fabregas immediately moved to substitute the defender moments later.

“Obviously, he would get sent off at the next foul, he is a 20-year-old who is lacking experience, this is his first full season as a professional. A good thing about being that young is you don’t feel the pressure, but the negative is that you can be a bit too free and easy as well.

“I had to take him off, because going down to 10 men in a situation like this would make everything far more difficult.”

The decisive errors in the shoot-out were Romelu Lukaku drilling wide and Jean Butez parrying from Stanislav Lobotka, while Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saved from Maximo Perrone.

“I thought the first half was good, but in the second less so, and unfortunately it’s not the first, second or even third time that has happened. It means we need to improve a few things,” noted Fabregas.

“We had from the start sent a positive signal, that we came here to play on the front foot and not just wait and defend. We did do things a little differently in defence today, because we didn’t press too high, as they have players with such quality who can find those spaces and hurt you.

“In order to compete in Serie A, you need a centre-forward of the level of Hojlund and he’s so good. I understand that Napoli had a lot of injuries, but we had suffered with quite a few injuries too in January and February, but with a young squad we always tried to take the initiative and play on the front foot.

“We moved to five at the back for a few minutes, as don’t forget we are Como, and we are a small club in this competition, so in that situation we preferred to lock it down.”

In his speech to the team before the penalties, Fabregas told the Como players to ‘enjoy’ themselves, which is quite an ask in that tense atmosphere.

“I thanked them for giving me this experience as a coach, as a person, because many of them had never been through an experience like this, so it was fundamental they had belief, but also needed to enjoy this moment.

“I told them, I’d been in Napoli’s situation of being the ‘big’ team expected to win and that it adds a bit of fear. We were also lucky to be first in the draw, as that helps. I thanked the players for all they do, as removing a few older lads like Moreno, Morata and Alberto, the average age is 22.

“We need to maintain humility and keep working, because we’ve got three in a row now.”

The semi-final is the only stage of the Coppa Italia that is played over two legs, so with home and away fixtures, although it’s not a long trip in this Lombardy Derby.

The other semi-final is between Atalanta and either Bologna or Lazio.

Como will face Inter in their first Coppa Italia semi-final for 40 years, after eliminating Antonio Conte’s Napoli in a sudden death penalty shoot-out, following the 1-1 draw.

The Partenopei lost Scott McTominay in a controversial 3-2 win over Genoa, so Eljif Elmas dropped into midfield with Giovane getting his first start upfront, as David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour and Kevin De Bruyne were injured, but Vanja Milinkovic-Savic returned in goal. Como earned a 0-0 draw here in Serie A back in November, but were well rested as their Serie A Week 24 fixture with Milan was rescheduled to February 18.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Jayden Addai’s ambitious lob landed on the roof of the net in the opening minute, while Jean Butez rushed out of his area to nod clear when Rasmus Hojlund sprung the offside trap.

Juan Jesus needed a desperate block after Alex Valle shrugged off Pasquale Mazzocchi to get into the area, but Como were awarded a penalty.

Alex Valle got down the left and stood up a cross to the back post for Ivan Smolcic, who was brought down clumsily by Matias Olivera from behind. The Lariani have failed to convert numerous penalties this season, including one in their Serie A match against Napoli in November, but this time Baturina drilled it into the near bottom corner just beyond Milinkovic-Savic’s fingertips.

Como open the scoring in Naples!

Cesc Fàbregas' men take the lead as Martin Baturina converts from the spot pic.twitter.com/FG9XnHH0vl

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) February 10, 2026

Jacobo Ramon was inches away from giving Napoli a spot-kick, as he brought down Hojlund just outside the penalty area on a long goal kick and VAR evaluated, but decided against upgrading the yellow card to red.

The hosts equalised within 60 seconds of the restart, as Hojlund’s first-time flick in the centre-circle was probably supposed to be for Giovane, but instead kept rolling into the path of Vergara, who surged forward and kept his cool to beat Butez one-on-one.

There was controversy moments later, as Jacobo Ramon brought down Hojlund on the edge of the box and was very lucky not to receive his second booking. Inevitably, Cesc Fabregas took Ramon off to rescue him from danger, amid fury from Conte on the touchline.

Napoli were a different team to the first half, as Hojlund’s head only grazed a Sam Beukema cross, then on the resulting corner Amir Rrahmani’s header was cleared practically off the line by Nico Paz.

Tasos Douvikas couldn’t keep his header down on a Lucas Da Cunha free kick, but Mergim Vojvoda forced a great fingertip save out of Milinkovic-Savic at the near post.

Just like in Serie A, the teams could not be divided, but here went straight into a penalty shoot-out. Como famously have a poor record from the spot this season, while Milinkovic-Savic is the best goalkeeper in the league on these situations.

Lukaku stepped up with a stuttering run-up only to drill it wide of the target, while Baturina beat Milinkovic-Savic for the second time this evening, but Maximo Perrone’s central attempt was parried.

It went to sudden death, and Milinkovic-Savic was so lucky, as his penalty went in off the underside of the bar and the back of Butez’s head.

They kept going until Butez parried the Stanislav Lobotka effort, sending Como through to their first Coppa Italia semi-final in 40 years.

Napoli 1-1 Como (6-7 on pens)

Baturina pen 39 (C), Vergara 46 (N)

Penalties: Da Cunha (C, goal), Politano (N, goal), Douvikas (C, goal), Lukaku (N, miss), Baturina (C, goal), Spinazzola (N, goal), Perrone (C, saved), Alisson Santos (N, goal), Smolcic (C, goal), Elmas (N, goal), Diego Carlos (C, goal), Milinkovic-Savic (N, goal), Vojvoda (C, goal), Gutierrez (N, goal), Valle (C, goal), Lobotka (N, saved)

10-02-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Como

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		39'		Martin Baturina
		44'		Jacobo Ramón

2nd half

Antonio Vergara (Assist: Rasmus Højlund)		46'
		62'		Sergi Roberto
Eljif Elmas		69'

Penalty shootout

	Event
Matteo Politano
Romelu Lukaku
Leonardo Spinazzola
Alisson Santos
Eljif Elmas
Vanja Milinković-Savić
Miguel Gutiérrez
Stanislav Lobotka

Event
	Lucas Da Cunha
	Anastasios Douvikas
	Martin Baturina
	Máximo Perrone
	Ivan Smolcic
	Diego Carlos
	Mërgim Vojvoda
	Marc Oliver Kempf

Match statistic

48

Possession %

52

8

Total shots

9

3

Shots on target

4

1

Shots off target

2

4

Blocked shots

3

6

Corners

4

1

Offsides

3

13

Fouls

8

Napoli

Como

Starting lineups

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

13

Amir Rrahmani

Defender

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

60'

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

61'

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

26

Antonio Vergara

Midfielder

74'

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

23

Giovane

Attacker

61'

19

Rasmus Højlund

Attacker

74'

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle

Defender

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

53'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

53'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

82'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

67'

42

Jayden Addai

Attacker

67'

Substitutes

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

98

Emmanuele De Chiara

Midfielder

95

Vincenzo Prisco

Midfielder

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

60'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

61'

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

61'

9

Romelu Lukaku

Attacker

74'

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

74'

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

98

Samuele Pisati

Attacker

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

53'

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

53'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

67'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

67'

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

82'

Inter are increasingly likely to have Benjamin Pavard returned to them in the summer, as Olympique Marseille do not intend to buy him outright.

The defender was sent out on loan to the French side at a cost of €2.5m, with an option to buy at the end of the campaign for a further €15m.

It had been hoped that Marseille would be willing to activate that purchase option and therefore put some much-needed funds into the Inter coffers.

Inter might get Pavard back from Marseille

Pavard has made 26 competitive appearances so far this season for Olympique Marseille, contributing one goal and three assists from defence.

His performance was singled out by the French media following the embarrassing 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, and is therefore increasingly unlikely to remain beyond June 30.

It would also devalue Pavard, whose contract with Inter only runs to June 2028.

The 29-year-old had hoped that this experience in Ligue 1 would give him more regular playing time and a better chance of making the France squad at the 2026 World Cup.

Como director Carlalberto Ludi assures Cesc Fabregas ‘was a world class player and is even better as a coach’ working with a club that has ‘unlimited ambition.’

The Coppa Italia quarter-final against Napoli kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The winner will be decided after 90 minutes or go straight to a penalty shoot-out, as there is no extra time, to decide who faces Inter in the semi-final.

Como set no limits on Coppa Italia ambition

“Our idea is to keep growing, week by week, with the work of Cesc and the squad in training,” director Ludi told Sport Mediaset.

“We cannot know where we will end up, but the ambition of this club is unlimited. We want to keep raising the bar every single time.”

It is always a special moment when Fabregas faces off against Antonio Conte, who was his coach when Chelsea won the FA Cup.

They already met earlier this season in a 0-0 draw at the Stadio Maradona in Serie A, where Vanja Milinkovic-Savic parried an Alvaro Morata penalty.

Big clubs are believed to be sniffing around the coach, so are Como worried about someone making Fabregas an offer?

“It has already happened. Cesc was a world class player and he is even better as a coach,” said Ludi.

“We are in a honeymoon period, he is added value for the present and the near future.”

Como are well-rested, because their Serie A Week 24 fixture against Milan was rescheduled to February 18 due to San Siro being used for the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Tasos Douvikas is only on the bench, so it looks as if Nico Paz could be used as a False 9, or alternatively Jayden Addai.

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Giovanni Manna insists the Coppa Italia quarter-final against Como is ‘a very important competition,’ but he wishes Napoli had played this season ‘with a normal number of injuries.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The winner will be decided after 90 minutes or go straight to a penalty shoot-out, as there is no extra time, to decide who faces Inter in the semi-final.

Como are well-rested, because their Serie A Week 24 fixture against Milan was rescheduled to February 18 due to San Siro being used for the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Napoli reshuffle again in Coppa Italia

“This is part of the sport, it’s not our fault and not theirs either, so we are not seeking any alibis,” Manna told Sport Mediaset.

“It is a very important competition, we want a prestigious semi-final against Inter. We are accustomed now to playing in difficult circumstances, so we’ll give our best.”

Scott McTominay aggravated an inflammation of the tendon in his thigh and is therefore rested, with David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour and Kevin De Bruyne injured.

It means January signing Giovane gets his first start for Napoli, while Alisson Santos is on the bench. Are they the buys Manna wanted in mid-season?

“It was certainly more complicated than we had hoped, we tried to do some other deals, but the parameters weren’t suitable. So we decided to focus on two young players with margin for significant improvement and in my view can be functional for our style of football both today and in future.

“So we are eager to see them in action, but also in no rush.”

Others like Matteo Politano and Romelu Lukaku are only fit for the bench, while Alessandro Buongiorno is left out after his disastrous performance against Genoa.

Goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic returns after several weeks out with a muscular problem, especially as his penalty save allowed Napoli to earn a 0-0 draw here with Como in November.

“I would prefer to have seen how things would’ve gone if we’d had the full squad at our disposal, or at least a normal number of injuries. I’d have loved to be able to see how this team would’ve handled the season in normal circumstances,” noted Manna when asked how the campaign was going.

“Seeing as that was not possible, we have to look forward. We already won the Supercoppa Italiana, we have the chance to progress in the Coppa Italia, it’s true we went out of the Champions League, but in Serie A we are pretty much where we expected to be.

“What happened is not an alibi. We are fortunate enough to have a great squad, a real coach, and a group with guts. That has allowed us to stay pretty much on track, then we’ll see what happens.”

Khephren Thuram reveals what it feels like to face his brother Marcus and why he thinks their father Lilian will be cheering on Juventus against Inter. ‘Our whole family will be in the stands.’

The Derby d’Italia kicks off at San Siro on Saturday at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

Neutrals will be hoping for a repeat of the extraordinary thriller that saw Juve emerge 4-3 winners in stoppages, with both Thuram brothers on target.

Thuram brothers face off in Derby d’Italia

“When you grow up with a brother who plays football, it’s natural you would always love to be in the same team,” Khephren told Sky Sport Italia.

“In school, we would always pick each other first to go into our sides. But now we are professionals, we both play for big Italian clubs, and that is good too. I hope to play many games alongside him for France.

“I expect a great game, because these are two big teams, both playing well, and tough on a tactical level. It will be difficult for both sides.”

Will the two brothers speak before the big match this weekend?

“We speak every day, but never about matches. We discuss more important things than football. Our whole family will be in the stands this time, though.”

It is a situation where their father, former Juventus and Parma defender Lilian, is going to feel a little torn.

However, Khephren has an idea of why the Bianconeri might get the benefit of a smile from their dad.

“He will be neutral, but I am the baby, so perhaps he’ll have a little bit more attention towards me.”

Juventus have certainly boosted their form since Luciano Spalletti took over from Igor Tudor, so how does the coach differ from his predecessor?

“He asks me to always keep moving, to anticipate the play, but the most important thing is to play with my qualities and know that I am strong,” said Khephren Thuram.

“He is one of the coaches who most in my career has tried to make me understand my own strength. I enjoy working with him, he also gives me tips on where to improve, but I’ll keep those details to myself.

“Spalletti is very demanding with the team, he asks us for many things, and we try to deliver for him.”

With Scott McTominay out of action, Napoli rely on Rasmus Hojlund, Giovane and returning Vanja Milinkovic-Savic against Nico Paz’s Como in the Coppa Italia quarter-final.

It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The winner will be decided after 90 minutes or go straight to a penalty shoot-out, as there is no extra time.

Whoever goes through can then prepare for the semi-final against Inter.

Napoli earned a controversial last-gasp 3-2 victory away to Genoa in Serie A at the weekend, but McTominay felt pain from a recurring inflammation after scoring one of the goals.

He is therefore rested, with the usual list of absentees like David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, Billy Gilmour and Kevin De Bruyne.

The good news is that goalkeeper Milinkovic-Savic is available after a couple of weeks out, with Matteo Politano and Romelu Lukaku fit for the bench.

January signing Giovane therefore steps into the trident attack with Hojlund and Antonio Vergara, dropping Eljif Elmas into midfield to replace McTominay.

Como have been the surprise outfit of this season under coach Cesc Fabregas, and already held Napoli to a 0-0 draw here in Serie A.

Nico Paz is the star man in attack, with impressive Martin Baturina and Jayden Addai, but with Tasos Douvikas and Alvaro Morata on the bench, it’s possible the Argentine will be used as a False 9.

Edoardo Goldaniga and Assane Diao are on the treatment table, but the squad is rested because their Serie A Week 24 fixture with Milan was postponed to February 18 so San Siro could prepare for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Of course, this is a big reunion for Fabregas and Antonio Conte, who worked together to win the FA Cup at Chelsea.

It could also be the first Coppa Italia semi-final for Como in 40 years, since eliminating then reigning Champions of Italy Verona in 1986.

Napoli vs. Como official line-ups

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus; Mazzocchi, Lobotka, Elmas, Olivera; Giovane, Vergara; Hojlund

Como: Butez; Smolcic, Ramon, Diego Carlos, Valle; Perrone, Sergi Roberto; Addai, Caqueret, Baturina; Nico Paz

10-02-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

NAP

COM

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		39'		Martin Baturina
		44'		Jacobo Ramón

2nd half

Antonio Vergara (Assist: Rasmus Højlund)		46'
		62'		Sergi Roberto
Eljif Elmas		69'

Penalty shootout

	Event
Matteo Politano
Romelu Lukaku
Leonardo Spinazzola
Alisson Santos
Eljif Elmas
Vanja Milinković-Savić
Miguel Gutiérrez
Stanislav Lobotka

Event
	Lucas Da Cunha
	Anastasios Douvikas
	Martin Baturina
	Máximo Perrone
	Ivan Smolcic
	Diego Carlos
	Mërgim Vojvoda
	Marc Oliver Kempf

Match statistic

48

Possession %

52

8

Total shots

9

3

Shots on target

4

1

Shots off target

2

4

Blocked shots

3

6

Corners

4

1

Offsides

3

13

Fouls

8

NAP

COM

Starting lineups

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

13

Amir Rrahmani

Defender

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

60'

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

61'

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

26

Antonio Vergara

Midfielder

74'

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

23

Giovane

Attacker

61'

19

Rasmus Højlund

Attacker

74'

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle

Defender

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

53'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

53'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

82'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

67'

42

Jayden Addai

Attacker

67'

Substitutes

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

98

Emmanuele De Chiara

Midfielder

95

Vincenzo Prisco

Midfielder

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

60'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

61'

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

61'

9

Romelu Lukaku

Attacker

74'

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

74'

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

98

Samuele Pisati

Attacker

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

53'

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

53'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

67'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

67'

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

82'

Vincenzo Italiano outlines where Bologna must be more alert and effective if they are to break the crisis against Lazio in the Coppa Italia quarter-final. ‘We must battle for every ball.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara on Wednesday at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

The winners will be decided after 90 minutes or go directly to a penalty shoot-out, as there is no provision for extra time.

Whoever emerges will then go on to play Atalanta in a two-legged semi-final.

Italiano dealing with Bologna crisis

Although Bologna are the reigning Coppa Italia holders and reached the Supercoppa Italiana Final, losing to Napoli in December, their recent Serie A form has been dismal.

Since the start of December, they scraped just one Serie A victory, three draws and eight defeats, crumbling 1-0 at home to Parma over the weekend.

“We must battle for every ball, knowing that any situation can become favourable, for example in the build-up to the Christian Ordonez goal for Parma,” said Italiano in his press conference.

“This is when we need determination and presence. I ask all the players to read the game, to have a greater sense of danger.

“We also must create more scoring opportunities, that is the key to emerging from this difficult moment. We know the path that we have to take.”

Balancing Serie A, the Coppa Italia, Europa League and Supercoppa Italiana is proving to be quite a strain on Bologna’s resources this season.

“What surprised me the most is how much energy we waste, we are struggling to recover from one match to the next. Our focus has to be on preparation and studying the opponents.”

Lazio have changed quite a bit in the January transfer window, with some players leaving and others like Kenneth Taylor and Petar Ratkov arriving.

“Lazio achieved a great result against an on form Juventus at the weekend, but Maurizio Sarri and I know each other well. We’ve got to put in an impeccable performance if we are to reach the semi-final,” concluded Italiano.

Torbjorn Heggem and Lorenzo De Silvestri are out of action.

Bologna squad for Lazio

Pessina, Ravaglia, Skorupski, Casale, Helland, Lucumì, Joao Mario, Miranda, Vitik, Zortea, Ferguson, Freuler, Moro, Pobega, Sohm, Bernardeschi, Cambiaghi, Castro, Dallinga, Dominguez, Odgaard, Orsolini, Rowe

Turkiye coach Vincenzo Montella visited the Inter training ground today to see Hakan Calhanoglu’s recovery, and praised ‘extremely intelligent’ Cristian Chivu.

The Italian tactician is currently back home so that he can meet up with some of the Turkish football talents who are playing in Serie A, as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

After seeing Juventus and Cagliari for Kenan Yildiz and Semih Kilicsoy, today Montella was in Milan for the Inter training camp.

Montella on tour of Serie A clubs

“I am having a series of meetings, because we are getting close to the call-ups for the play-offs,” Montella told Sky Sport Italia.

“I received a warm welcome, and it was lovely to see Cristian again after so many years. Plus obviously Hakan too. So much depends on having players in good shape at the right time for international duty, so we’ve got our fingers crossed.”

pic.twitter.com/o9sGHBQmf9

— Inter (@Inter) February 10, 2026

Calhanoglu had been out of action since suffering a left soleus strain on January 11, during the Scudetto showdown with Napoli, but today was his return to training with his teammates.

Nicolò Barella also resumed work with the squad, so both are available for Saturday’s clash against Juventus.

“It is always a classic, the Derby d’Italia generally is an exciting fixture. I expect a real spectacle, regardless of the result.”

Montella was teammates with Chivu when both were in the Roma squad, so they had a warm embrace as they were reunited.

“We were teammates, there is a great rapport, he’s a really good guy and I wish him all the best. He is proving himself to be a great coach who is extremely intelligent, so he’ll do well.”

pic.twitter.com/NbycpRHnsT

— Inter (@Inter) February 10, 2026

Jean-Philippe Mateta failed a medical test with Milan to scupper his €30m transfer from Crystal Palace, but today Oliver Glasner insisted the striker ‘does not need surgery.’

The deal was all done between the clubs, and he had accepted the personal terms on offer for the move to San Siro, in a package worth in excess of €30m.

Mateta rejected by Milan after failed medical

However, it all fell apart at the final hurdle when Milan requested extra medical tests in London, their staff deciding that Mateta would not be fit for a while due to a knee injury.

It was even suggested that the centre-forward could need surgery, which would rule him out for several months.

The mystery continues, as today Crystal Palace coach Glasner tried to provide a little more clarity.

“I can’t say two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, but he doesn’t need surgery,” said Glasner.

“That’s very positive and hopefully he’s back soon.”

Instead, Crystal Palace medical staff are confident that the striker only needs two weeks of individual training to strengthen the muscles around his knee.

Juventus had also been heavily linked with Mateta during the January transfer window.

Sassuolo midfielder Nemanja Matic has received a two-match Serie A ban for insulting the referee, while others suspended include Napoli defender Juan Jesus.

The Disciplinary Commission gave its verdicts following the Week 24 fixtures, although one is still to be played.

That is because Milan vs. Como was rescheduled for February 18, as San Siro was being used for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Serie A bans after Week 24 games

Matic saw red for insulting the referee during Sassuolo’s 5-0 defeat to Inter, and he has been punished with a two-match ban, plus €10,000 fine.

Parma player Mariano Troilo was also fined €2,000 and given a one-match ban, as he initially refused to leave when sent off.

Napoli defender Juan Jesus is suspended for his team’s big match against Roma, having received two yellow cards in the 3-2 win over Genoa.

Also given one-match Serie A bans are Tommaso Pobega (Bologna), Alessio Romagnoli (Lazio), Lameck Banda (Lecce) and Marius Marin (Pisa).

Napoli’s controversial winning penalty against Genoa was ‘absolutely in no way a foul,’ confessed Dino Tommasi, representing the Italian Referees’ Association (AIA).

The incident caused a huge amount of controversy, especially as it was so decisive, happening deep into stoppages in what turned out to be a 3-2 victory for the Partenopei.

VAR spotted Maxwel Cornet’s foot on that of Antonio Vergara, which was considered the classic ‘step on foot’ that referees automatically give a penalty for, even when contact itself is fairly minimal.

The footage was analysed on the DAZN Italia show Open VAR with representative of the AIA, former referee Tommasi, who confessed it was a catalogue of errors.

Genoa denied a point by controversial Napoli penalty

“VAR Di Bello and AVAR Fabbri are drawn to the contact between Cornet and Vergara,” explained Tommasi.

“In truth, he is simply taking up a position, the movement from Cornet is entirely accidental and in absolutely no way is it a foul.

“The issue of ‘step on foot’ was created to punish recklessness, but here it is not that. He touches the top of the foot, but the dynamics of the movement are normal within football.

“There is no recklessness, and no need to punish it. The first camera angle might make it seem like a foul, but there’s very little in real football terms.

“It is an accidental ‘graze’ and fouls need to be clear, not like this.”

So was it the correct decision to get the referee to review it himself with the On-Field Review?

“With hindsight, it was not the right choice to call him. The On-Field Review is for a clear and obvious error, whereas this was a normal movement in the dynamics of the game, so the call was incorrect.”

Even when the referee had been called to evaluate it, he still could’ve stuck with his original decision not to award a penalty to Napoli.

“There are situations where the referee has correctly rejected the indications of the VAR. The referee must analyse what he sees, he is the ultimate decision-maker,” confirmed Tommasi.

VAR had already intervened in the opening minute when the referee did not spot a clear Alex Meret foul on Vitinha for a Genoa penalty.

“In this situation there are no doubts, the Meret foul on Vitinha is clear.”

Cornet colpisce il piede di Vergara Rigore per il Napoli!
L'episodio di #GenoaNapoli visto al microscopio

L'audio del VAR e la spiegazione dell'episodio ad #OpenVAR, ora su #DAZN pic.twitter.com/qWy1rnPpI6

— DAZN Italia (@DAZN_IT) February 10, 2026

There is good news for Inter ahead of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia with Juventus, as Nicolò Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu are back in training.

It kicks off at San Siro on Saturday at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET) and reignites the bitter rivalry as well as precious points in the top four.

Inter welcome back star midfielders

The Nerazzurri are on a roll at the moment and flying away at the top of the table, despite missing half their first choice midfield.

Denzel Dumfries is still out of action following ankle surgery, but there was a significant development today, because Barella and Calhanoglu returned to training.

The Turkish veteran had been missing since limping off during the game with Napoli, suffering from a left soleus strain on January 11.

As for Barella, he suffered a right thigh problem in training ahead of the Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund on January 28.

It is more likely that the Italian will be straight back into the starting XI, whereas Piotr Zielinski is expected to keep hold of the midfield reins to start this weekend’s big match.

Inter have been far the most consistent team in Serie A this season, but they have yet to beat any direct rival, which feels like the final step missing to claim the Scudetto.

Inter have an eight-point lead over second-placed Milan after Serie A Round 24, but the Rossoneri have a game in hand to be played against Como at San Siro on February 18.

Cristian Chivu’s side have been the more consistent team this season as they hardly dropped points against teams in the bottom half of the table, a reliability that bettors following the trend with a fanduel promo code have been quick to take advantage of.

Inter, however, have yet to win a game against either Juventus, Milan or Napoli and that is an issue that has been ongoing for some time as the Nerazzurri faced the same problematic under Chivu’s predecessor Simone Inzaghi.

Inter have not won any of their last 14 Serie A meetings against Milan, Juve or Napoli and they’ll be hoping to reverse this trend in the second part of the campaign.

Inter have the best attack in the league with 57 goals scored in 24 matches. The Nerazzurri just beat Sassuolo 5-0 away with a dominant performance at the Mapei Stadium.

“This team seems more mature now, of how to accept and adapt in certain moments of the game,” Chivu said at full-time.

“We’ve understood the moment that we’re in, we suffered from their intensity and once they got hold of the ball, they went straight at the game. We struck at the right time with that corner, then our solidity became an important factor for how we went about the game.

“We can’t forget where we’ve come from. We can’t be afraid of anything, but we have to be aware that we can still improve. There’s no such thing as perfection.

“It isn’t easy because there’s still a long way to go in the league and these are important phases of the season. We’re halfway through the marathon, we have to keep our maturity and be competitive.”

Inter are still running for three titles this season, having qualified for the Coppa Italia semifinals and the Champions League play-off, where they’ll meet Bodo/Glimt.

Despite their impressive results in recent weeks, Chivu remained cautious when asked about the Nerazzurri’s chances to win the Scudetto in 2025-26.

“Zero for me. There are fourteen games left to play. Theory’s still work to be done,” he replied.

Inter last won the domestic title in 2023-24, collecting 94 points under Inzaghi and lifting the 20th Scudetto in the club’s history.

During Inzaghi’s tenure, Inter also reached two Champions League Finals but lost to Manchester City and PSG, in 2023 and 2025, respectively.

Twente’s technical director Erik ten Hag says the ‘door is open’ for ex-Torino defender Perr Schuurs: ‘I only hope he can recover in the best way for himself and his family.’

Dutch defender Schuurs recently terminated his contract with Torino, having made no appearances for the Granata in over two years.

Schuurs’ unfortunate Torino spell

The 26-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture on October 21, 2023 and underwent surgery twice since.

Schuurs had joined Torino from Ajax in 2022 and made 43 appearances with the Granata before his serious injury.

Before joining Roma, Schuurs had made 92 appearances under Ten Hag at Ajax and the former Manchester United coach, now the technical director for Dutch side Twente, would love to reunite with his ex-defender.

Ten Hag eager to ‘help’ Schuurs

“If I have a chance to help him, I’ll surely do it. The door at Twente is always open for him, but we must first consider his shape when he returns,” Ten Hag told De Telegraaf.

“He might be a very important resource in a club like ours, but currently, I only hope he can recover in the best way for himself and his family. He deserves it. The rest will come afterwards.”

Schuurs was called up for the Netherlands’ Nations League games against Poland and Italy in September 2020 but spent both matches on the bench, failing to make his debut with his national team.

The Dutchman played 39 Serie A games with Torino, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

Arne Slot is ‘aware’ that the lack of Champions League football in 2026-27 will limit Liverpool’s spending next summer: ‘When I arrived after a Europa League season, we could only sign Federico Chiesa.’

Liverpool sit 6th in the Premier League table, five points below a Champions League spot. Missing out on qualification for Europe’s elite competition would naturally impact their spending next summer.

Slot: Liverpool ‘could only sign Chiesa’ after Europa League campaign

“When I arrived here, we could only sign Federico Chiesa and that was after a Europa League season,” Slot said at a press conference on Tuesday.

“So, that does have an enormous impact on the way this club is run, that is clear. So, we are completely aware and I am completely aware of that.

“If we don’t have Champions League football it has definitely not been an acceptable season.”

Chiesa joined Liverpool from Juventus on the 2024 summer transfer window deadline day.

He has been struggling with playing time under Slot, especially in his first season at Anfield, when he collected just three goals and two assists in 15 appearances across all competitions.

Will Chiesa play for Italy again?

There have been slight improvements in 2025-26 as Chiesa has scored three times and assisted just as many times in 25 games for Liverpool.

Chiesa has not been part of the Italy national team since the 2024 Euros.

However, Azzurri coach Gennaro Gattuso has been eager to bring Chiesa back to the team for some time and recently met him for dinner in London, along with other Italy players.

Juventus winger Francisco Conceiçao is confident that it’s ‘just a matter of time’ before he starts scoring consistently and hopes to stay at the Allianz Stadium ‘for a long time.’

Juventus star Conceiçao released an interview with Sportmediaset ahead of some tricky fixtures for the Bianconeri who will meet Inter in the next Serie A match on Saturday and then Galatasaray in the Champions League knock-out play-off.

“We must do our job. We want to win and prove we are a great team,” Conceiçao said.

“We know Inter are in a very good moment, winning every game comfortably, but we have the quality to do well and win, and we’ll go there to do just that.

“We know the Champions League is the best competition in the world. It will be a very tough game, against a strong team with strong players, but the least we can do is to win and join the top clubs.”

Juventus have recently been eliminated from the Coppa Italia by Atalanta and were held to a 2-2 home draw by Lazio in Serie A, wasting many chances in both games.

Juventus ‘a bit nervous’ for lack of goals

“Many times, creating chances is the most difficult thing, but I’ve lacked the goals that could have helped the team, which is the most important thing,” Conceiçao noted.

“I think it’s just a matter of time if I continue like this.

“We want to win every game; it’s what we want to do. We must continue to win in Serie A to remain up there. I want to help the team as much as possible, with more goals and assists to reach our objectives,” the Portuguese winger continued.

“If we score first, the team feels more confident, but we are lacking it now, so we feel a bit nervous as we want to score to win. I think we create many chances, which is the hard part, but we must improve, score goals and improve.”

Conceiçao has only scored one goal and provided one assist in 18 appearances under Luciano Spalletti, who was appointed as the new Juventus coach at the end of October.

The Bianconeri have climbed the table and are currently in the top four, but Conceiçao sees ample room for improvement.

“I like the way we play and the way we want to win,” he said.

Conceiçao opens up about Juventus future

“The results speak for themselves; we’ve won more games, and we must continue to improve. We all know we have the potential to do much more, including myself.”

Conceiçao is in his second season at Juventus and hopes to remain in Turin long-term.

“Yes, obviously, for a long time, I want to win titles and do great things personally,” he concluded.

Alex Jimenez feared he’d get limited playing time at Milan, so he joined Bournemouth last summer and feels Como star Nico Paz is ‘ready’ to return to Real Madrid.

Spanish full-back Jimenez has recently completed a permanent move to Bournemouth, just six months after joining the Premier League side on loan from Milan.

The 20-year-old has scored one goal and provided one assist in 23 appearances across all competitions this season and is happy with his life on and off the pitch in England.

“Life is much calmer than in Milan or Madrid, and I think that’s helping me stay even more focused on football,” he told Mundo Deportivo.

“My family is living with me, and I have a very peaceful daily life.

“In Italy, [football] it’s a bit slower because football there is much more tactical than in the Premier League. Here it’s much more physical, back and forth, and you have to be very well prepared physically. Given my characteristics, I feel more comfortable, and the Premier League suits me better.”

Jimenez went on to explain why he decided to leave Milan last summer, after making 34 appearances with the Rossoneri.

Jimenez on why he left Milan for Bournemouth

“I think at Milan I wasn’t going to get the minutes I wanted this season, and this opportunity came up,” he said.

“I saw it as a chance, and I think I’m making the most of it.

“I really valued that the coach was Spanish [Andoni Iraola], considering he could help me integrate into the team,” Jimenez continued.

“In the end, changing language and country makes a difference. Also, I’ve always liked watching Premier League matches, and it seemed like a fun team based on what I saw last season.”

During his time at Milan, however, Jimenez had the chance to play alongside one of his role models, Theo Hernandez.

“I’ve always had Dani Carvajal as a reference because I spent many years at Madrid,” said the 20-year-old.

“Also, Alexander-Arnold, Davies and Theo Hernandez, whom I was lucky enough to play alongside at Milan.”

Nico Paz ‘ready’ for Real Madrid return

Lastly, Jimenez argued that Como star Nico Paz has done enough in Serie A this season to justify a return to Real Madrid next summer.

The Merengues have an option to re-sign the Argentine in 2026 and 2027.

“Yes, he’s ready. He already did very well last season, and in the current campaign, he’s made a further step forward,” Jimenez said.

“I’ve always liked him, and I’d be very happy if he eventually returns to Real Madrid.”