Paolo Vanoli admits Fiorentina have learned to put quality aside and focus on ‘a battling spirit’ to crush Jagiellonia 3-0 in the Conference League play-off and reboot in Serie A.

The Viola rotated the squad for this trip to Poland in sub-zero temperatures, aware that the focus had to be on climbing the Serie A table to escape the relegation zone.

Despite those changes, they put in a strong performance and emerged with a 3-0 victory over Jagiellonia, the team currently at the top of the Polish League.

Luca Ranieri’s header broke the deadlock, followed by a sensational Rolando Mandragora free kick and Roberto Piccoli penalty.

Vanoli sees new spirit at Fiorentina

“Since I’ve been here, I said that we care about this competition. Naturally, I have to make a lot of evaluations, we know what the situation is in Serie A, and we had hoped to be able to focus more on Europe at this stage,” Vanoli told Sky Sport Italia.

“I have to say that this evening this group of players wanted to prove we are all part of something important. It was not easy to play here, we suffered and sweat for the shirt, the same way we did against Como, and this is the attitude that will keep us going forward in Serie A and the Conference League.”

Fiorentina left behind David De Gea, Moise Kean, Dodo, Albert Gudmundsson, Manor Solomon, Marco Brescianini, Daniele Rugani and Oliver Christensen.

However, it feels like they have turned a corner now, especially a few days after the Serie A win away to Como.

“Before beautiful football, you must build team spirit. I think recently we’ve actually taken a step back in terms of quality, but a significant step forward with our spirit,” explained Vanoli.

“This is an approach we must maintain, and it was not easy to turn things around at this club after that start, it took a lot of work, but I can count on everyone now and we need them all for what will be a battle to the end.”

The second leg will be at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday February 26, to decide passage into the Conference League Round of 16.

“A lot of the criticism was entirely fair, but when you are an important club with big ambitions and find yourself in last place with five points, it’s a shock. Sometimes, just playing good football isn’t enough when you’re down there, you need to do battle.

“If we look at the games where we had the best performances, they were against the big clubs, whereas we dropped precious points against the sides closer to us in the table, which is where we really needed to get results.

“Next up there’s Pisa, so along with it being a local derby, it is also a relegation dogfight and a six-pointer, even a nine-pointer. We must behave like a provincial team, the way we did tonight, being ready to suffer and not be arrogant.”

Fiorentina made a lot of changes during the January transfer window, including the arrival of Giovanni Fabbian from Bologna.

“Fabbian has quality, pace, an eye for goal, but we are working to get him back into the role of mezz’ala, as in recent years he played mainly as a trequartista,” continued the coach.

“I want him in the midfield instead, and we had him a little deeper today for a 4-4-2 formation. I think he can do so much here, naturally it takes a little while to settle after changing club mid-season.”

There were also goals tonight for players who have been with Fiorentina for a while, but have been insulted by fans recently, namely Ranieri and Mandragora.

“I am truly happy for Luca, because I feel he was criticised too heavily, even if he did recognise his mistakes. He went through a tough time, but it helped him to grow and he is proving himself with this reaction.

“These are important players for Fiorentina and I’m really pleased for them,” concluded Vanoli.

Fiorentina have one foot in the Conference League last 16 after their 3-0 play-off victory away to Jagiellonia, with Luca Ranieri, Rolando Mandragora and Roberto Piccoli goals.

The Viola made the trip to Bialystok without injured David De Gea, Moise Kean, Dodo, Manor Solomon and Albert Gudmundsson, while Marco Brescianini, Oliver Christensen and Daniele Rugani are cup-tied. Luca Lezzerini therefore made his second UEFA appearance, after a 3-2 defeat to PAOK in November 2016. Jagiellonia were missing suspended top scorer Afimico Pululu and midfielder Taras Romanczuk, who will return for the second leg on February 26.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Nicolò Fortini risked an own goal getting into a terrible tangle dealing with the taught and low Jesus Imaz cross from the right.

Giovanni Fabbian’s cushioned volley with the inside of the boot on a Rolando Mandragora cross was well smothered by the local goalkeeper.

Fiorentina had a big chance on the stroke of half-time, as Fabbian controlled a cross from the left and hit the half-volley from 12 yards, forcing a tricky save at the base of the near post.

Cher Ndour also had two good efforts charged down, then on the resulting corner Jacopo Fazzini stood up a cross to the back post for Luca Ranieri’s header, bending back the goalkeeper’s gloves from a tight angle to give Fiorentina the lead.

Samed Bazdar nodded wide from a corner at the other end, but it was nearly 2-0 when the referee played the advantage after a foul and Fazzini dribbled into the area, but fired straight at the on-rushing goalkeeper.

Jagiellonia had the ball in the net when it was rolled across from the right, but Bartlomiej Wdowik was offside when sweeping in from close range.

Moments later, a Wdowik free kick bent around the wall and bounced off the base of the far post, beyond Lezzerini’s fingertips.

Instead, Fiorentina doubled their lead with a sensational Mandragora free kick into the top corner from just outside the box, laser-focused with the midfielder’s left foot.

Rolando Mandragora scores an INCREDIBLE free-kick for Fiorentina

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/TPkLYYzJoG

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 19, 2026

Fazzini was cut off after a slalom past two defenders, but Piccoli was felled by Dawid Drachal on the rebound for a penalty. Piccoli converted it himself to give the Viola a 3-0 lead in Poland.

Jagiellonia 0-3 Fiorentina

Ranieri 53 (F), Mandragora 66 (F), Piccoli pen 81 (F)

19-02-2026 20:00

1/16 Final

Chorten Arena (Stadion Miejski Białystok)

Jagiellonia Białystok

Fiorentina

0 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

		21'		Jacopo Fazzini
		41'		Rolando Mandragora

2nd half

		53'		Luca Ranieri (Assist: Jacopo Fazzini)
		65'		Rolando Mandragora
		76'		Luca Lezzerini
Bartlomiej Wdowik		78'
		81'		Roberto Piccoli

Jagiellonia Białystok

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

50

Slawomir Abramowicz

Goalkeeper

70

Andy Pelmard

Defender

27

Bartlomiej Wdowik

Defender

13

Bernardo Vital

Defender

7

Álex Pozo

Midfielder

86

Bartosz Mazurek

Midfielder

89'

11

Jesús Imaz

Midfielder

31

Leon Flach

Midfielder

60'

15

Norbert Wojtuszek

Midfielder

72

Kamil Jozwiak

Attacker

68'

14

Samed Bazdar

Attacker

89'

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

68'

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

84'

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

68'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

4

Yuki Kobayashi

Defender

66

Adrian Damasiewicz

Goalkeeper

53

Bartlomiej Krasiewicz

Defender

8

Dawid Drachal

Midfielder

60'

9

Dimitris Rallis

Attacker

68'

85

Eryk Kozlowski

Midfielder

89'

17

Youssuf Sylla

Attacker

89'

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

63

Piergiorgio Bonanno

Midfielder

64

Lapo Deli

Midfielder

67

Edoardo Sadotti

Defender

68

Gabriele Bertolini

Attacker

51

Mattia Magalotti

Goalkeeper

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

68'

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

68'

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

84'

Vincenzo Italiano is full of praise for Santiago Castro after Bologna won 1-0 away to Brann in the Europa League play-off. ‘I saw a mature performance this evening.’

The Rossoblu had an ideal start in the freezing temperatures of Bergen, as Santiago Castro’s angled drive surprised the goalkeeper to give them the lead after nine minutes.

There were more chances to bolster the scoreline with Riccardo Orsolini and Thijs Dallinga forcing saves, though Lukasz Skorupski also needed a difficult double save on the only real Brann chance.

Italiano feels Bologna turned a corner

“We had to adapt to the conditions, because we knew it would be difficult, and fortunately we did check the pitch even in the dark last night,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.

The floodlights were switched off when the team arrived from Italy on Wednesday for their media duties.

“Clearly, we couldn’t do much more than this, as we didn’t want to run unnecessary risks. We managed to bring home the victory, but it only means we have a one-goal advantage.

“Now we hope to do better at the Dall’Ara, because it feels like every time we play at home, there is some sort of curse on us.”

It puts Bologna in a strong position going into the second leg of this play-off, which will be at the Stadio Dall’Ara on Thursday February 26.

The Rossoblu had struggled so badly at the start of 2026, winning just two out of 14 competitive games, but have now managed back-to-back victories after the 2-1 away to Torino in Serie A.

“We got a bit of enthusiasm with these two victories, because it’s tough to work when you have one defeat after another, playing every three days, it can damage the self-belief you built up over a year and a half,” continued Italiano.

“I saw a mature performance today, and hope that in future it can become a habit, starting with the right attitude and keeping concentrated.

“We aren’t conceding as much now compared to a few weeks ago, and that is making the difference. We’ve got to always be switched on.”

Castro has really found his form too, scoring in three consecutive games in all competition, and he ran over tonight to celebrate with his coach.

“Santi has something so important for this sport, which is the hunger he shows every day, every training session, every minute on the field. Even on the team bus, he’s the one talking about football,” explained Italiano.

“It is a pleasure to work with such young players who are so hungry, so eager to help their teammates. I’m very happy that he is now scoring regularly too.

“He really is very mature for his age, and a team player, who as a centre-forward makes enormous sacrifices for the squad with his work off the ball. I always tell him, that work will pay off, don’t worry.”

When these teams met back in November in the league phase, it ended 0-0, with Bologna creating far more chances despite being down to 10 men for over an hour.

It was one of several matches that left them with regrets, as they narrowly missed out on direct qualification for the Europa League Round of 16.

“We played a tough game against Torino last week, because we knew that we could not afford another mistake,” noted Italiano.

“The lads showed focus, solidity and spirit of sacrifice, that is all I ask for from now to the end of the season. We paid a heavy price at times for errors, and lost a lot of ground in the Serie A table, but we can change that trend, especially on home turf.”

Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti is loving life with the Seleçao and declares he expects to ‘extend my contract for another four years’ with the Brazil team.

The former Milan, Juventus, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain boss took on his first international job when called by Brazil last summer.

Even before experiencing his first real challenges in the role for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada, he is already looking to the future.

Ancelotti won over by Brazil job

“It is a new type of work, I was honestly really struck by it,” Ancelotti told Movistar.

“I think that I will renew my contract with Brazil for another four years.”

The plan is therefore to build something ready for the 2030 World Cup, as well as the Copa America in 2028.

The 66-year-old has overseen two victories, one draw and one defeat since signing the contract in May 2025.

Many had been hoping that he would leave the Brazil job and one day take over his own national team, as Italy have struggled under a series of coaches and missed two consecutive editions of the World Cup.

Santiago Castro has given Bologna a precious 1-0 first leg lead in the Europa League play-off, defeating SK Brann in Norway.

These teams met in November during the league phase, the Rossoblu unlucky not to win that 0-0 draw despite being down to 10 men for over an hour. Charalampos Lykogiannis was sent off in that game, but injured here, with Lorenzo De Silvestri cup-tied. Norwegians Brann were on a winter break, so spent the last couple of weeks in a Spanish training camp, but Niklas Castro and Saevar Atli Magnusson were out of action. The second leg of this play-off is at the Stadio Dall’Ara on February 26.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It took nine minutes to break the deadlock, as Federico Bernardeschi intercepted a wayward clearance and Niccolò Cambiaghi’s disguised pass sent Santiago Castro down the left for a precise angled drive.

Ingason had penalty appeals for a cross charged down by Martin Vitik, but his arm was under his body as he went sliding in.

Lukasz Skorupski made a desperate double save on a corner, getting a hand to the Urik Mathisen glancing header and then throwing himself in the way of a Jon Dagur Thorsteinssen tap-in.

Riccardo Orsolini came on at half-time and made an immediate impact, stinging the goalkeeper’s gloves at the near post after a deflected Nikola Moro cross.

Cambiaghi and Orsolini had efforts charged down, while another trademark Orsolini curler was palmed away by Mathias Dyngeland.

Orsolini also shimmied away from two defenders to fire just past the far top corner, while Thijs Dallinga’s flick on a Juan Miranda cross looped up, forcing a tricky fingertip save under the crossbar.

Brann 0-1 Bologna

Castro 9 (Bo)

19-02-2026 17:45

Knockout phase play-offs

Brann Stadion

Brann

Bologna

0 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		9'		Santiago Castro (Assist: Nicolò Cambiaghi)
		14'		Federico Bernardeschi
Nana Kwame Boakye		30'

Match statistic

65

Possession %

35

4

Total shots

13

2

Shots on target

5

2

Shots off target

4

0

Blocked shots

4

7

Corners

4

4

Offsides

1

14

Fouls

20

Brann

Bologna

Starting lineups

1

Mathias Dyngeland

Goalkeeper

21

Denzel De Roeve

Defender

3

Fredrik Pallesen Knudsen

Defender

17

Joachim Soltvedt

Defender

79'

4

Nana Kwame Boakye

Defender

8

Felix Horn Myhre

Midfielder

18

Jacob Lungi Sörensen

Midfielder

16

Jón Dagur Thorsteinsson

Attacker

79'

10

Kristall Máni Ingason

Attacker

69'

29

Noah Jean Holm

Attacker

14

Ulrik Mathisen

Attacker

79'

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

75'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

75'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

46'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

87'

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

24

Mathias Engevik Klausen

Goalkeeper

43

Rasmus Holten

Defender

41

Lars Remmem

Midfielder

27

Mads Sande

Attacker

40

Jesper Nerhus Eikrem

Midfielder

12

Simen Vidtun Nilsen

Goalkeeper

23

Thore Pedersen

Defender

69'

11

Bard Finne

Attacker

79'

32

Markus Haaland

Attacker

79'

20

Vetle Dragsnes

Defender

79'

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

João Mário

Defender

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

46'

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

46'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

75'

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

75'

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

87'

Fiorentina director Fabio Paratici sees ‘a strong signal’ with the number of academy products against Jagiellonia in the Conference League and defends his ‘courageous’ decision to leave Tottenham.

It kicks off at Chorten Arena in Bialystok at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Brann vs. Bologna on the Liveblog.

The second leg will be at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on February 26.

While the Tuscans have traditionally done very well in the Conference League, reaching the Final twice and then the semi-final, this season it feels like a distraction from the focus of avoiding Serie A relegation.

Paratici has faith in Fiorentina future

“We are going through a delicate period, but we must divide Europe from Serie A, giving our all in every game,” Paratici told Sky Sport Italia.

“This evening we want to send a strong signal of motivation to the youth academy, as 13 players in the squad today were developed within the club. We are also playing with nine Italians, and four of the five defenders were formed in our club.

“We want to set the example, hoping to create something lasting for the future of Fiorentina.”

Fiorentina have David De Gea and Albert Gudmundsson injured, Manor Solomon has flu symptoms, Moise Kean and Dodo didn’t make the trip as they are carrying knocks, while Marco Brescianini, Oliver Christensen and Daniele Rugani are not on the Europa League list.

“We are trying to build a team that is functional to what the coach wants to do tactically,” continued Paratici.

“We wanted to move from a three-man defence to four, with midfielders who could take players on and give more quality.

“I was only partly involved in the January transfer window, because I was still working for Tottenham. We tried to build the best possible squad for the vision of this coach.”

Circa 350 brave Fiorentina fans have made the trip, greeted by reported temperatures of -8C in Bialystok this evening.

Considering the difficult situation that the club found itself in this season, sitting in the bottom three, why did Paratici leave Tottenham for this role?

“It might’ve seemed a mad decision, but instead it was courageous,” insisted the former Juventus director.

“Being courageous means being aware of the risks you are taking. Even in this difficult situation, I was convinced Fiorentina had the resources to emerge from this moment and build something for the future too.

“This is why I signed a very long contract. I’ve always spent many years at clubs in my career, I’ve never been someone just passing through.”

Fiorentina look to Roberto Piccoli, Jack Harrison and Giovanni Fabbian in the Conference League play-off away to Jagiellonia, as Luca Lezzerini returns after 10 years.

It kicks off at Chorten Arena in Bialystok at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Brann vs. Bologna on the Liveblog.

The second leg will be at the Stadio Artemio Franchi next Thursday evening, February 26.

The Viola are making no secret of their focus on avoiding Serie A relegation, despite having done so well in the Conference League in recent years.

Some squad rotation is also forced, as David De Gea dislocated a finger, while Manor Solomon has flu symptoms and Albert Gudmundsson is injured for a few weeks.

Moise Kean and Dodo are not fully fit and also left behind, plus Marco Brescianini, Oliver Christensen and Daniele Rugani are not on the UEFA squad list, so are ineligible.

It means goalkeeper Lezzerini gets his second ever UEFA appearance for Fiorentina, the first being a 3-2 defeat to PAOK Salonika in November 2016.

Piccoli leads the attack, with support from January signings Fabbian and Harrison.

The good news for Fiorentina is that Jagiellonia have to do without their top scorer Afimico Pululu, as he is suspended along with Taras Romanczuk.

Jagiellonia vs. Fiorentina line-ups

Jagiellonia: Abramowicz; Wojtuszek, Bernardo Vital, Pelmard, Wdowik; Pozo, Flach, B Mazurek, Jozwiak; Bazdar, Imaz

Jagiellonia bench: Damasiewicz, Kobayashi, Drachal, Rallis, Sylla, Krasiewicz, Kozlowski

Fiorentina: Lezzerini; Fortini, Comuzzo, Ranieri, Gosens; Mandragora; Harrison, Ndour, Fabbian, Fazzini; Piccoli

Fiorentina bench: Leonardelli, Magalotti, Pongracic, Fagioli, Kouadio, Braschi, Balbo, Bonanno, Deli, Parisi, Sadotti, Bertolini

Ref: Gishamer (AUT)

19-02-2026 20:00

1/16 Final

Chorten Arena (Stadion Miejski Białystok)

Jagiellonia Białystok

Fiorentina

0 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

		21'		Jacopo Fazzini
		41'		Rolando Mandragora

2nd half

		53'		Luca Ranieri (Assist: Jacopo Fazzini)
		65'		Rolando Mandragora
		76'		Luca Lezzerini
Bartlomiej Wdowik		78'
		81'		Roberto Piccoli

Jagiellonia Białystok

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

50

Slawomir Abramowicz

Goalkeeper

70

Andy Pelmard

Defender

27

Bartlomiej Wdowik

Defender

13

Bernardo Vital

Defender

7

Álex Pozo

Midfielder

86

Bartosz Mazurek

Midfielder

89'

11

Jesús Imaz

Midfielder

31

Leon Flach

Midfielder

60'

15

Norbert Wojtuszek

Midfielder

72

Kamil Jozwiak

Attacker

68'

14

Samed Bazdar

Attacker

89'

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

68'

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

84'

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

68'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

4

Yuki Kobayashi

Defender

66

Adrian Damasiewicz

Goalkeeper

53

Bartlomiej Krasiewicz

Defender

8

Dawid Drachal

Midfielder

60'

9

Dimitris Rallis

Attacker

68'

85

Eryk Kozlowski

Midfielder

89'

17

Youssuf Sylla

Attacker

89'

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

63

Piergiorgio Bonanno

Midfielder

64

Lapo Deli

Midfielder

67

Edoardo Sadotti

Defender

68

Gabriele Bertolini

Attacker

51

Mattia Magalotti

Goalkeeper

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

68'

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

68'

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

84'

Many were calling for video evidence to be used in punishing Como coach Cesc Fabregas for self-confessed ‘unsporting behaviour’ against Milan, but the rules wouldn’t allow it.

The incident caused controversy during last night’s rescheduled Serie A Week 24 match at San Siro, which ended 1-1.

Fabregas confessed to unsporting behaviour

At the 80^th minute, Alexis Saelemaekers was battling with two Como players for the ball on the touchline when he felt either a tug on his shirt or a push in the back.

It was Fabregas, but it made him turn around and react angrily, allowing Como to create a dangerous attacking situation.

The Saelemaekers response sparked a touchline row that saw Milan coach Max Allegri and Como team manager Davide Cattaneo sent off.

As there was no punishment for Fabregas, who confessed in his press conference and several post-match interviews to “unsporting behaviour” with Saelemaekers, many were calling for action to be taken using video evidence.

However, an analysis of the Lega Serie A rules show why that is not going to happen.

Article 61 of the sporting justice system clearly states that video evidence can only be used in situations where there is violent conduct, serious unsporting behaviour, or blasphemous phrases.

Serious unsporting behaviour is also clarified in the code of conduct as evident simulation to win a penalty or get a player sent off, scoring voluntarily with a hand, or denying a goal with intentional handball.

Violent conduct also cannot really be applied to this situation, because Saelemaekers was at most tapped on the back.

Fabregas therefore will not be punished, but it was an extremely unusual situation where a coach interfered with play while staying off the field.

{rsn-live-v2}

Vincenzo Italiano reveals the injury problems forcing changes to Bologna in the Europa League play-off against SK Brann. ‘We must adapt to a pitch that is not in good condition.’

It kicks off at the Brann Stadion in Bergen at 17.45 GMT (18.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action from this game and Jagiellonia vs. Fiorentina on the Liveblog.

The second leg will be at the Stadio Dall’Ara next Thursday, February 26.

These teams already met in the league phase during a 0-0 draw on November 6, when Bologna were unlucky not to get all three points, despite being down to 10 men for over an hour.

Italiano forced into Bologna changes

When Bologna arrived last night, they couldn’t have a proper pitch inspection, as the floodlights were switched off, so today was an unpleasant surprise.

“The pitch is not in good condition, so we must adapt immediately to what I think will become an increasingly muddy surface,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.

“We’ll also see what their approach is, as often when they are under pressure, they start hitting long balls, so we need to be alert on the rebounds.”

The Rossoblu had been in a dire crisis during 2026, crashing out of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals to Lazio on penalties, managing two wins in 14 competitive games.

That was ended with Sunday’s badly-needed 2-1 Serie A victory away to Torino, which got them back on track.

It was somewhat surprising to see Santiago Castro start upfront rather than Thijs Dallinga, but there is a reason for that.

“Dallinga’s ankle is not in good shape, and in those final 20 minutes against Torino, we preferred to play Odgaard there because Thijs is not at 100 per cent.

“Other than that, with the pitch like this, we needed a bit more power and physicality in the side, especially on the flanks with Bernardeschi helping the full-back,” explained the coach.

“We need to get a result that leaves the second leg open for us, must avoid superficiality, and if there are any scoring opportunities, we’ve got to take them. That might mean leaving the ball to a teammate in a better position and not being egotistical.”

Juventus are preparing for an important Serie A match against Como on Saturday, when they host Cesc Fabregas’ side at the Allianz Stadium in what could prove to be a decisive six-pointer in the race for European football.

According to the latest reports from Alfredo Pedulla, Brazilian defender Bremer and Canadian forward Jonathan David trained separately from the rest of the team in the run-up to the match.

Both, therefore, are major doubts for the match against Como and Luciano Spalletti will have to adjust his squad accordingly.

Bad news piles up for Juventus as Bremer & David to miss Como match

Juventus have not had a good week – suffering a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Galatasaray on Tuesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off round.

Now, they must get refocused for Saturday’s league match – with Como just four points behind Juventus as both teams chase Champions League football.

With Italian clubs’ overall underperformance in Europe this season, it looks unlikely that there will be a 5th Champions League spot given to Serie A this campaign.

Therefore, fourth place becomes even more valuable and Juventus and Como are amongst the sides that will be tussling for that coveted spot until the campaign is over.

Arsenal threw away a 2-0 lead at last-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers last night in the Premier League, as the Gunners lost valuable momentum in the title race – with just a two point lead if Manchester City win their game in hand.

Riccardo Calafiori was at the centre of much of the drama yesterday evening, coming on as a late substitute for an injured Leandro Trossard before being involved in the stoppage-time equaliser that gave Wolves a prideful point against the league leaders.

After a mix-up between goalkeeper David Raya and centre-back Gabriel, Wolves youngster Edozie was quickest to react and fired a shot goalwards.

The shot flew past Raya, before bouncing off Gabriel and onto the post, before bouncing back into the goalmouth, off Calafiori, and over the line.

Initially the goal was credited as a Calafiori own goal before it was given to Edozie in the end.

In fairness, there was not much that the Italian could have done – his body weight was already where it was and much of the blame can be placed on Gabriel and Raya for their mix-up which allowed the chance to materialise in the first place.

And Arsenal fans have leapt to the Italian’s defence on social media.

Arsenal fans react to Calafiori

“I actually felt really sorry for Calafiori last night,” one user wrote on X, “his face said it all and he did everything he could to stop that goal.”

“Leave Riccardo Calafiori out of this,” said another, “it’s between David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes and Mikel Arteta.”

I actually felt really sorry for Calafiori last night. He’s face said it all and he did everything he could to stop that goal. pic.twitter.com/xOxWSmnLTs

— Sir Johnny OBE (@Farmer_Boycie) February 19, 2026

Leave Riccardo Calafiori out of this. It’s between David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes and Mikel Arteta pic.twitter.com/4NDzXmKmqO

— Triple M (@Tripple____M) February 19, 2026

Arsenal fans coming for Riccardo Calafiori for this goal need to chill. First of all look at Martin Zubimendi then David Raya and Gabriel Marghaleas. This goal has nothing to do with Calafiori pic.twitter.com/cYQKy2i4aS

— ISAAC (@Isaac_AFC_) February 19, 2026

Bologna face a tricky trip to Norway against SK Brann in the Europa League play-off, with Jens Odgaard, Riccardo Orsolini and Santiago Castro upfront.

It kicks off at the Brann Stadion in Bergen at 17.45 GMT (18.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action from this game and Jagiellonia vs. Fiorentina on the Liveblog.

The second leg will be at the Stadio Dall’Ara next Thursday, February 26.

Curiously, these teams already met during the league phase and drew 0-0 at the Stadio Dall’Ara on November 6, despite the hosts being down to 10 men for well over an hour due to the Charalampos Lykogiannis red card.

He cannot replicate that, as he is out injured for this trip, with Lorenzo De Silvestri not on the UEFA list either.

The Rossoblu have been in a painful crisis period, crashing out of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals to Lazio, managing two wins in 14 competitive games.

That was ended with Sunday’s badly-needed 2-1 Serie A victory away to Torino.

Vincenzo Italiano rotates the squad to a degree, starting Nadir Zortea at right-back, with Ferguson, Niccolo Cambiaghi and Bernardeschi fanning out behind Castro.

They already won the Coppa Italia last season and now hope to reach the last 16 in Europe for the first time in 27 years.

SK Brann finished 24^th in the Europa League opening phase and the Norwegian league is on its winter break, so their only matches since mid-November were a 3-3 with Midtjylland and 1-0 loss to Sturm Graz on January 29.

They have been in a training camp in Spain over the last couple of weeks to stay in shape.

Niklas Castro and Saevar Atli Magnusson are on the treatment table, a big loss considering the latter is their top scorer this season with five goals in all competition.

Emil Kornvig has three goals in the Europa League this term, with Noah Holm on two.

Brann vs. Bologna line-ups

Brann: Dyngeland; De Roeve, Pallesen, Boakye, Soltvedt; Ingason, Sorensen, Myhre; Mathisen, Holm, Thorsteinsson

Brann bench: Vidtun Nilsen, Klausen, Finne, Dragsnes, Pedersen, Sande, Haaland, Eikrem, Remmem, Holten

Bologna: Skorupski; Zortea, Vitik, Lucumi, Miranda; Freuler, Moro; Bernardeschi, Ferguson, Cambiaghi; Castro

Bologna bench: Ravaglia, Pessina, Pobega, Orsolini, Rowe, Heggem, Casale, Joao Mario, Odgaard, Sohm, Dallinga, Dominguez

Ref: Obrenovic (SVN)

19-02-2026 17:45

Knockout phase play-offs

Brann Stadion

Brann

Bologna

0 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		9'		Santiago Castro (Assist: Nicolò Cambiaghi)
		14'		Federico Bernardeschi
Nana Kwame Boakye		30'

Match statistic

65

Possession %

35

4

Total shots

13

2

Shots on target

5

2

Shots off target

4

0

Blocked shots

4

7

Corners

4

4

Offsides

1

14

Fouls

20

Brann

Bologna

Starting lineups

1

Mathias Dyngeland

Goalkeeper

21

Denzel De Roeve

Defender

3

Fredrik Pallesen Knudsen

Defender

17

Joachim Soltvedt

Defender

79'

4

Nana Kwame Boakye

Defender

8

Felix Horn Myhre

Midfielder

18

Jacob Lungi Sörensen

Midfielder

16

Jón Dagur Thorsteinsson

Attacker

79'

10

Kristall Máni Ingason

Attacker

69'

29

Noah Jean Holm

Attacker

14

Ulrik Mathisen

Attacker

79'

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

75'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

75'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

46'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

87'

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

24

Mathias Engevik Klausen

Goalkeeper

43

Rasmus Holten

Defender

41

Lars Remmem

Midfielder

27

Mads Sande

Attacker

40

Jesper Nerhus Eikrem

Midfielder

12

Simen Vidtun Nilsen

Goalkeeper

23

Thore Pedersen

Defender

69'

11

Bard Finne

Attacker

79'

32

Markus Haaland

Attacker

79'

20

Vetle Dragsnes

Defender

79'

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

João Mário

Defender

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

46'

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

46'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

75'

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

75'

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

87'

Roma forward Paulo Dybala has been missing since the beginning of the month due to a knee problem but the latest reports from Italy claim that the Argentine will not require surgery and is progressing with his recovery ‘as originally planned.’

According to reports from TuttoMercatoWeb, there was initial speculation that the Argentine would have to undergo surgery on his knee. However, Roma’s staff are now considering other options.

Indeed, after an MRI scan revealed no issues that would be fixed with surgery, Roma decided against any extreme medical intervention.

No Dybala surgery required but Roma teammate Soule not so lucky

Instead, it appears that another of Roma’s forwards, Matias Soule, may not be so lucky.

The Argentine has been suffering from a pubalgia injury that has prevented him from playing a full ninety minutes since last October.

Surgery may help prevent any issues from reoccurring and could likewise help Soule manage the pain.

Roma will need all hands on deck as they prepare to battle for a place in the top four of Serie A. They currently lead 5th-placed Juventus by just one point, and will welcome the Bianconeri to the Stadio Olimpico in March 1 in what is a must-win game.

La Stampa reports that Tuesday’s heavy defeat against Galatasaray led to a change in Luciano Spalletti’s attitude towards his Juventus players.

• Read more – At least six Juventus players not part of Spalletti’s future plans

Safe to say Juventus coach Spalletti is highly disappointed following a 5-2 away Champions League defeat against Galatasaray on Tuesday.

Spalletti ‘ unusually shaken’ after Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus

As reported by La Stampa, Spalletti appeared unusually shaken and uncommunicative when the team resumed training at Continassa the day after the match.

The Italian tactician had praised his players in recent weeks, even after a 3-2 loss against Inter last weekend.

However, since Tuesday, his mood and demeanour have shifted dramatically, prompting the coach to call on his players to reflect deeply and take full responsibility for their roles.

Spalletti argued that it’s “useless to talk if actions don’t follow”, and, according to the report, the Tuscan tactician is considering a tactical switch in the upcoming games, with a possible return to a three-man defence.

Juventus’ next games in Serie A and UCL

The coach’s priority, however, remains rediscovering the team’s personality and strong spirit.

Next Saturday, the Bianconeri will host Como in Serie A before the return leg against Galatasaray next Wednesday.

Milan will breathe a sigh of relief this morning, after medical examinations revealed that Strahinja Pavlovic has not suffered a fracture after being forced off at half-time in Milan’s Serie A draw against Como yesterday evening.

According to what has been reported by the Gazzetta dello Sport, Pavlovic underwent tests this morning which have confirmed no fractures but instead a hematoma in the soft tissue around his fibula in his left leg.

Therefore, a serious injury has been ruled out but it is one that may still keep the Milan defender out for a little while at least.

Pavlovic fracture ruled out as Milan prepare for absence in Parma clash

The Gazzetta reports claim that there’s some concern that the Serbian will be unavailable for Sunday’s match against Parma, whilst he will aim to return for the trip to Cremonese at the start of March.

With Pavlovic in doubt for Sunday, the reports suggest that Allegri will turn to Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia and Koni De Winter as his back three – as he did for the second half in the draw against Como.

Verona and Pisa have been struggling in Serie A this season and are desperate for points in the race for survival, but five more teams will fight to avoid the drop in Italy’s top flight this term.

Having just combined three victories in the opening 22 games, it comes as no surprise to see Pisa and Verona as the Unibet sports betting favourites to be relegated to Serie B this term.

Verona have only won two matches so far, while Pisa, who were promoted to Serie A in 2024-25, have just one victory in the current Serie A campaign.

Although the Tuscans have signed several new players in the January window and Verona sold one of their best footballers, Giovane, to Napoli, their record in the league is quite similar. Not only have they conceded 37 goals each, only Torino have more with 40, but they are also winless in the new year. Verona have earned two points in their last five games, and Pisa have just one more in the same period.

They remain nine points below safety after 25 rounds, so Verona and Pisa remain the most likely Serie A teams to get relegated this season.

Fiorentina are surprisingly fighting to avoid the same fate, sitting in the relegation zone below Lecce, Torino, Parma, Cremonese and Genoa.

Bookmakers see Lecce as the third most-likely candidate to go to Serie B, as Eusebio Di Francesco’s side only have a three-point lead over 18th-placed Fiorentina.

The Viola have the seventh-highest wage bill in Serie A and have made many new acquisitions to strengthen the team for their new coach, Paolo Vanoli, who replaced Stefano Pioli in November.

Fiorentina won two of their last five league matches, moving just three points below safety. One of their last home games against direct rivals Cagliari, however, saw the Tuscans suffer a painful 2-1 loss.

“We still have to work out how to face this type of match. We cannot concede two goals like that and throw the game away. We were too slow and scared when making choices,” Vanoli said after the match.

“I am disappointed, it was an important fixture, it can be a valuable lesson, if we learn it.

“Since I arrived, I’ve told the lads they need to not kid themselves when there are some positive results, because we are still in a very bad situation. In terms of mentality, this can be a lesson, because it’s the head-to-head clashes with the teams in the bottom half where we lost points.

“In that sense, there’s still a long way for us to go.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Inter ‘informally complained’ about Bodo/Glimt’s artificial turf before their Champions League game on Wednesday, and Lautaro Martinez’s injury further irritated the Serie A giants.

Lautaro Martinez’s calf injury during Wednesday’s Champions League clash away at Bodo/Glimt irritated Inter, as the Nerazzurri believe that the artificial turf in which the game was played contributed to their captain’s physical issue.

Lautaro to be assessed on Friday

Inter coach Cristian Chivu admitted at full-time that Lautaro’s injury was serious.

According to Gazzetta, the Argentine and Piotr Zielinski will undergo medical tests on Friday as the Nerazzurri only returned from Norway today.

According to the report, Lautaro dragged his right leg at the airport this morning, while Zielinski was walking ‘normally.’

Inter complained to UEFA before Bodo/Glimt match

Gazzetta reports that Inter directors feel the artificial turf fell far short of the standards expected at the highest levels of European football.

The pink paper adds that the pitch ‘looked like a poorly laid Subbuteo mat’ with strange wrinkles around the edges and that Inter had already informally complained to UEFA before the match, fearing for the safety of their players.

Lautaro was subbed off at minute 60 last night, while Zielinski replaced Henrikh Mkhitaryan at minute 76. Zielinski played until the end of the match, but still needs to be assessed tomorrow due to a minor injury.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry praised ex-Milan talent Jens Petter Hauge and his Bodo/Glimt teammates after a stunning win over Inter in the Champions League: ‘You are all technically sound.’

Former Arsenal and Juventus striker Henry was full of praise for Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt after their 3-1 win over Inter in the Champions League knockout play-off first leg on Wednesday. 

Henry impressed by Hauge and Bodo/Glimt

Hauge, a former Milan starlet, scored a goal last night and then examined the match in a post-match interview with CBS Sports.

One of their pundits, Henry, praised Hauge and the Bodo/Glimt squad, and asked: “You are all technically sound; all the players, especially in attack, play with both right and left feet. You have awareness in and around the box. Is it something you develop at a young age in your country? It seems like you are all technically sound when you have the ball, especially up front.”

Check out Hauge’s reply and his full interview in the video below.

Jens Petter Hauge reflects on Bodø/Glimt’s magical #UCL run, and doesn’t mind taking a shot at @MicahRichards pic.twitter.com/NsmTNvrV8j

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 18, 2026

Former Serie A star Lilian Thuram says José Mourinho became a ‘small man’ by brushing off Real Madrid’s complaints about alleged racist abuse directed at Vinicius Junior.

Tuesday’s Champions League encounter between Real Madrid and Benfica in Portugal was marred by claims that Benfica prospect Gianluca Prestianni aimed racist remarks at Vinicius Jr.

The Benfica player denied accusations, and his coach, Mourinho, protected him at full-time and appeared to blame Vini Jr. instead.

“I told him: ‘When you score a goal like that, you just celebrate and walk back.’ They [Vinícius and Prestianni] told me different things. But I don’t believe in one or another. I want to be an independent,” Mourinho told Prime Video via The Guardian.

“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. A stadium where Vinícius plays, something always happens.”

Ex-Serie A star Thuram, a 1998 World Cup winner with France and the father of Serie A stars Marcus (Inter) and Kehphren (Juventus), hit back at the Portuguese in an interview with L’Equipe.

“The nature of his statements explains the reasons why progress isn’t being made. Mourinho is a great coach with an exceptional career,” Thuram said.

Thuram sees ‘sense of superiority and white narcissism’ in Mourinho’s comments

“He has worked with many black players, and yet that doesn’t stop him, first, from doubting the nature of a racist act and, second, from questioning the victim’s responsibility. Vinicius, in this case, because of the way he celebrates a goal.

“How can he say something like that? Who is Mourinho to decide what Vinicius can or cannot do? In Mourinho’s judgment, there is a sense of superiority and white narcissism.

“The racist act against Vinicius was not related to his behaviour, but to the colour of his skin,” Thuram continued.

“Mourinho suggested that Vinicius might be at fault, that he brought it on himself. This is total violence. His feeling of superiority that some white people have prevents them from putting themselves in the victim’s shoes. A bit more humility would be needed.

“A bit more humility would be needed. And how can Mourinho ignore what the players themselves say? Are Vinicius and Mbappé crazy? Are black people paranoid, inventing stories? It’s pathetic that Mourinho makes it seem as if Vinicius is responsible for the racism he endures.

“By doing so, he becomes a small man. As long as behaviours like this persist, we will not move forward together in this fight, and that is also part of the history of racism. Mourinho does not analyse the racist act as a human being, but as a white man.”

Former Juventus and Lazio striker Paolo Di Canio is unsure Lloyd Kelly will continue to be a regular starter at Juventus: ‘He’s a tuna.’

Ex-Italy international Di Canio was highly critical of Italian football on Wednesday night as he examined Serie A clubs’ defeats in the Champions League knockout play-off first leg.

Di Canio critical of Italian football

Juventus lost 5-2 away at Galatasaray on Tuesday night. Kelly was blamed for the Turkish side’s fourth goal as the English defender lost possession inside the box, leading to Noa Lang’s strike.

West Ham legend Di Canio didn’t mince words when criticising Serie A football, including Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti and Bianconeri defender Kelly.

“He [Spalletti] said: ‘Kelly doesn’t even know how strong he is’, but actually, he’s a tuna,” Di Canio said via TMW.

Di Canio: Kelly ‘is a tuna…in a good way!’

“In a good way, because he’s such a nice guy. However, there isn’t a storytelling that makes us think Kelly will be the starting defender of a Juventus side that wins the Scudetto or the Champions League in the future. Some things are said to motivate the players at times, but then you see performances like the one in Istanbul, which kill you.”

Kelly has had regular playing time under Spalletti this season, making 20 appearances across all competitions.

The English defender joined the Bianconeri from Newcastle in the 2025 January transfer window and has already played 51 games across all competitions with the Old Lady.

His contract at the Allianz Stadium runs out in June 2029.

Paolo Di Canio strongly criticises Italian football after Serie A clubs suffered three defeats in three Champions League matches and is ‘sorry’ that Donyell Malen was compared to Gianluca Vialli.

• Read more – Di Canio suggests Kelly unworthy of Juventus: ‘He’s a tuna’

Former West Ham and Lazio star Di Canio lashed out at Italian football on Wednesday night after seeing Juventus, Atalanta and Inter lose their opening games in the Champions League knockout play-off.

“Don’t even mention the Premier League, who are on a different level. Our perception of Italian football is that we are phenomenal. Yet, we play away at PSV and concede six goals,” Di Canio told during Sky Sport Italia’s post-match show via TMW.

“This season, many thought Napoli would have gone who knows where in the Champions League, then they conceded six goals against a team [PSV] that collected three points against them and then five in the other seven matches. Inter conceded five goals in the Champions League Final against PSG, but it could have been 10.”

Di Canio was also critical of Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who had said he saw “similarities” between Vialli and Malen.

“He [Malen] is 27, and nobody ever paid attention to him. At Aston Villa, he was a backup for Rodgers and Watkins, who are stronger,” Di Canio said.

“He gets here and scores five goals in five matches, and we are dragging Vialli into this? My big brother, a kiss to heaven, I’m sorry they mentioned you.”

Di Canio went on to say: “I hear that it is difficult to play in Pisa. How is it possible? Pisa have scored 2 goals in 12 home games. If you play blindfolded in Pisa, you draw 0-0. There’s a narration according to which Italian players could play for Manchester City. Who? Italian payers have not been signed across Europe for 15 years, which means they are not considered up to the task.”

Watch how Cesc Fabregas pulled the shirt of Alexis Saelemaekers and how Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri confronted his counterpart on the sidelines during Wednesday’s Serie A clash.

Tension flared during Milan-Como on Wednesday, particularly after the visitors’ coach Fabregas tugged on Saelemaekers’ shirt from the sidelines while the game was in progress.

Fabregas’ move enraged Allegri, prompting him to confront the Como coach and a staff member, which led to Allegri being shown a red card.

Fabregas apologised at full-time, but Allegri was still upset as he was heard shouting at the Spaniard before a post-match press conference.

Below are videos of the touchline confrontation and the shirt tug that infuriated Allegri.

#MilanComo In Eccellenza si vedono queste cose? Forse nei campionati colombiani.
Guardate il numero di maglia come si deforma! Il quarto uomo cieco. Le scuse post gara di #Fabregas sono ipocrite. Almeno #Allegri gliele ha cantate, perché sanzioni ahimè non ce ne saranno pic.twitter.com/yIlroxcJln

— Fabio (@redneroo) February 19, 2026

quanto gasa max pic.twitter.com/yqvA7neRkd

— ّ (@paolo_is_dead) February 19, 2026

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirms Tottenham goalkeeper Gugliemo Vicario is ‘fully open’ to joining Inter in the summer.

Tottenham goalkeeper Vicario is interested in a potential Inter move this summer, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirms.

Fabrizio Romano’s latest updates on Vicario

Other Italian media reported some weeks ago that Vicario was Inter’s top target for next season and that the Italy international was tempted to move to San Siro.

“Vicario is very high on Inter’s list,” Romano said on YouTube.

“There is total openness from Vicario towards Inter. He’s fully open to joining the Inter project.”

Vicario was already close to joining Inter in 2023 when he eventually moved to North London from Empoli.

Inter to replace Sommer in 2026-27

Inter are yet to open talks with Tottenham over a possible summer transfer, but the Serie A giants will surely sign a new goalkeeper for 2026-27 as Yann Sommer is expected to leave San Siro at the end of his contract in June.

Vicario has kept 13 clean sheets in 36 Tottenham appearances this season, conceding 48 goals.

He’s Italy’s second-choice goalkeeper with five international appearances under his belt.

Napoli hope Scott McTominay will be eligible for their upcoming Serie A clash with Atalanta, as the Partenopei have not won any game this season without the Scotland international.

McTominay’s return from injury is a priority for Napoli as the defending Serie A champions have not won any game without the Scotland star on the pitch this term.

Napoli work for McTominay’s return to action and new contract

As Gazzetta highlights, Napoli have collected two defeats and one draw when McTominay was unavailable, so his return to action against Atalanta over the weekend is a must.

The ex-Manchester United star missed the last two Napoli matches against Como in Coppa Italia and Roma in Serie A.

Napoli drew 1-1 with Como but lost on penalties last week, while their match with Roma ended in a 2-2 stalemate. Back in October 2024, Napoli lost 1-0 away at Torino without McTominay on the field.

McTominay has ten goals and four assists in 34 appearances across all competitions this season, but his value to the Napoli squad extends beyond his goal contributions, averaging 12 kilometres covered per game this term.

Napoli’s injury crisis continues despite Billy Gilmour’s return to action after over two months.

Kevin De Bruyne is not expected to play again until mid-March, while Frank Zambo Anguissa should be back in a couple of weeks.

Gazzetta confirms that Napoli are also working to extend McTominay’s contract until 2030.

Source: Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper. February 19, 2026, page 31.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, at least six Juventus players are not part of Luciano Spalletti’s plans for next season, should the Tuscan tactician stay in Turin.

Juventus coach Spalletti has already identified the players who won’t be part of his project in 2026-27 if he remains at the club beyond the summer.

Which players are not part of Spalletti’s plans at Juventus?

Lois Openda has surely disappointed Spalletti in training, as the Belgian has played just 87 minutes across eight appearances in 2026.

Dusan Vlahovic and Jonathan David were injured against Galatasaray on Tuesday, yet Spalletti picked Weston McKennie as a centre-forward, rather than Openda.

Juan Cabal had a terrible impact in Istanbul the other night, and according to Gazzetta, the Colombia international is struggling to adapt to Spalletti’s style of play, especially when it comes to building up from the back.

Federico Gatti also struggled in Istanbul after being introduced from the bench, and will serve as a backup again next season if he stays in Turin.

Goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio has naturally attracted criticism as Juventus conceded 13 goals in their last four matches, while Vasilije Adzic and Edon Zhegrova have received reduced playing time in recent weeks.

As per Gazzetta, all these players are not expected to be part of Spalletti’s future plans if the Tuscan tactician remains in Turin next season.

Spalletti’s contract at the Allianz Stadium runs out in June.

Source: Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, February 19, 2026, page 28.

Moise Kean, David De Gea and Dodo are not even available as Fiorentina coach Paolo Vanoli will rotate his squad for the first leg of the Conference League knockout play-off against Jagiellonia.

It kicks off at 21:00 CET (20:00 GMT) at the Stadion Miejski in Białystok, Poland, right after Brann-Bologna in the Europa League.

Fiorentina coach Vanoli has left many of the Viola stars at home as the Tuscans have an important Serie A match against Pisa next Monday.

The likes of Kean, Dodo, De Gea and Manor Solomon haven’t even made the trip, while Albert Gudmundsson is injured, and Marco Brescianini and Daniele Rugani are not part of the Tuscans’ UEFA list.

Roberto Piccoli will start in attack, and Jacopo Fazzini is expected to begin as a left winger, according to Sky Sport and other media.

Vanoli has also called up seven Primavera players for this match.

Rolando Mandragora is expected to feature in the Viola XI tonight as he’ll be suspended for the next Serie A fixture against regional rivals Pisa.

Jagiellonia vs. Fiorentina – where to watch on TV

The match will be shown live on TNT Sports 9 in the UK and Ireland and on Paramount+ in the USA. Football Italia will provide live updates via a liveblog.

Jagiellonia vs. Fiorentina – probable line-ups

Jagiellonia (4-3-3): Abramowicz; Wojtuszek, Vital, Pelmard, Wdowik; Flach, Mazurek, Pozo; Jóźwiak, Baždar, Imaz.

Fiorentina (4-3-3): Lezzerini; Fortini, Comuzzo, Ranieri, Gosens; Ndour, Mandragora, Fabbian; Harrison, Piccoli, Fazzini. 

Riccardo Orsolini is expected to return to the Bologna XI for the first leg of the Europa League knockout play-off against Brann.

It kicks off at 18:45 CET (17:45 GMT) today.

It’s an away fixture for the Rossoblu, who already met Brann at home during the league phase.

It ended in a 0-0 draw, but the Rossoblu were forced to play down to ten men for nearly 70 minutes due to a red card shown to Charalampos Lykogiannis early in the first half.

The Greece international will miss today’s fixture, as will Eivind Helland and Lorenzo De Silvestri.

As reported by Sky Sport Italia and other media, Orsolini is expected to start as a right winger with Nicolò Cambiaghi on the opposite flank and Thijs Dallinga in attack.

Torbjørn Heggem has recovered from an injury and will partner with Jhon Lucumi in central defence.

Brann vs. Bologna – where to watch on TV

The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 5 in the UK and Ireland and on Paramount+ in the USA. Football Italia will provide live updates via a liveblog.

Brann vs. Bologna – probable line-ups

Brann (4-3-3): Dyngeland; De Roeve, Knudsen, Boakye, Soltvedt; Ingason, Sorensen, Myhre; Mathisen, Holm, Thorsteinsson.

Bologna (4-3-3): Skorupski; Zortea, Heggem, Lucumi, Miranda; Pobega, Ferguson, Odgaard; Orsolini, Dallinga, Cambiaghi.

More details emerge about the confrontation between Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri and Como’s Cesc Fabregas after last night’s Serie A match at San Siro: ‘You are a kid who only started coaching the day before yesterday,’ the Rossoneri boss reportedly said.

There was bad blood between Allegri and Fabregas after a 1-1 draw at San Siro last night.

Tension between Fabregas and Milan

Fabregas infuriated Milan in the second half when he pulled Alexis Saelmaekers’ shirt from the touchline while the game was ongoing. The referee didn’t see it, but Allegri did, and protests led to a red card for the Tuscan tactician.

Fabregas apologised in a post-match interview, while Allegri joked: “Next time I see someone run past me, I’ll just go into a sliding tackle.”

It wasn’t, however, the end of the dispute as the pair crossed paths again before a post-match press conference.

What Allegri told Fabregas after Milan 1-1 Como

As reported by TMW and other media, Allegri’s remarks were audible to reporters waiting in the press room.

“You are a child, you are an idiot, you are a kid who only started coaching the day before yesterday,” Allegri reportedly said, though Fabregas’ reply wasn’t heard.

Allegri and Fabregas had already argued after the reverse fixture last month when the Rossoneri secured a 3-1 away win.

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Inter, three slaps

But they are still +7 in Serie A.

Pio not enough, a feat needed on Tuesday at San Siro. Lautaro anxiety: calf injury and derby at risk.

Milann pull the brake

Maignan’s error, Leao’s equaliser. Tension Allegri-Fabregas

All who failed under Spalletti: from Di Gregorio to Openda, half Juve out of play.

Corriere dello Sport

Inter collapse

Fourth defeat in the Champions League, but this hurts

Bodo shaming

The +7 on Milan in Serie A doesn’t console Chivu

Pio replies to Fet, Hauge and Hogh. Leao saves Allegri (1-1) in the rescheduled Serie A fixture, but the coach is sent off. Paz-goal to miss Juventus.

Spalletti doesn’t lose Bremer

Bologna, attack with Odgaard.

La Viola in Europe: focus on Pisa

Tuttosport

They have to rebuild Juve

Spalletti has convinced the club: it’s not possible to return to the top like this

A new contract for the coach is expected by the international break in March. The signal is one of revolution based on his suggestions. Too many players are not up to par, and a leap in quality is needed, also on the market. An immediate reaction is needed on the pitch. Bremer relief, hope for Vlahovic. Kelly reports: racist insults.

Inter fall, what a bad impression against the Norwegians: Italy cry

Three defeats in three games for our teams in the Champions League playoff. The ex-Milan man Hauge sends Chivu into a tilt after Esposito’s 1-1. Bastoni booed, Lautaro injured and protests for the artificial turf.

Toro, when it rains, it pours

Soleus injury: 20 days out

Bologna want to feel big again, half Viola

Maignan’s howler, Leao saves Milan.

Nico Paz (suspended against Juventus) complicates the Rossoneri’s dream of a comeback over Inter.

There is bad blood between Max Allegri and Cesc Fabregas, as they had another row in the press room after the Milan coach was sent off, as the Como tactician apologised for ‘unsporting behaviour.’

There had already been tension between the two coaches when Milan beat Como 3-1 at the Stadio Sinigaglia on January 15, with the Rossoneri winning very much against the run of play.

What caused Allegri-Fabregas row tonight

The situation erupted during tonight’s 1-1 draw at San Siro when Fabregas seemed to reach across the touchline and either tug Alexis Saelemaekers by the shirt or push him when play was on-going.

The Milan winger reacted angrily, sparking a response from the Como team manager, who then got into a shouting match with Allegri.

It seems the initial Fabregas tweak was not spotted by the referee or any of his assistants, because the red cards went to Allegri and the Como member of staff.

This annoyed Allegri, who joked “in that case next time I see someone run past me, I’ll just go into a sliding tackle.”

Afterwards, Fabregas immediately made an apology in all his post-match interviews and the press conference.

“I apologise, it was just a little touch and Allegri’s response was exaggerated, but I admit I shouldn’t have done it,” said the Spaniard.

“It was unsporting behaviour, as Cristian Chivu said the other day, we’ve got to keep our hands to ourselves, especially if you are a coach.

“I would’ve got angry too, so I can only apologise and say I hope it never happens again in my career.”

However, Sky Sport Italia and DAZN Italia reveal Allegri was waiting to come on and give his press conference when he crossed paths with Fabregas, the pair exchanged more tense words away from the cameras.

Lautaro Martinez was forced off with an injury tonight, in one of many painful moments as the Nerazzurri slumped to a 3-1 defeat to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.

Cristian Chivu’s side came into the first leg of their Champions League play-off, knowing it was going to be a tough test in the freezing temperatures and on the artificial pitch.

Speaking after the game, Chivu described Lautaro as “lost”, and when prompted to elaborate, confirmed “it’s pretty serious.”

Inter forward Lautaro to undergo medical exams on Friday

Sky Italia are now reporting that the Argentine forward will undergo tests on Friday to establish the seriousness and nature of the injury, which early reports indicated may be calf-related.

It looks unlikely, therefore, that the Argentine will be available for the second leg of the play-off, due to take place next Tuesday at San Siro.

It comes as a major blow to Chivu’s side, who need to overcome a two-goal deficit to progress in Europe and are still attempting to consolidate their lead at the top of Serie A.

Lautaro has been ever-present this season for the Nerazzurri and whilst the club have talented back-up options in the likes of Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny, their talismanic forward’s absence is sure to sting.

Rafael Leao and Ardon Jashari argue Milan ‘played better’ in their 1-1 draw than they did when beating Como 3-1 last month, but insist the Scudetto race is still open.

These teams met at the Stadio Sinigaglia on January 15 and the Rossoneri ran out 3-1 winners with goals largely against the run of play and heroics from Mike Maignan.

The goalkeeper went from hero to villain this evening, as his howler gifted Nico Paz the opener, until an inspired Jashari ball over the top found Leao for a precise lob.

Leao and Jashari saw strong Milan

“It was a game that we should’ve won, as we played much better compared to the last time we beat Como,” Leao told DAZN Italia.

“We had more of the ball, although we should’ve been more decisive in front of goal in the first half. We conceded, but we kept pushing and had to be more determined on the final cross.”

Milan slide seven points behind leaders Inter in the Serie A table, despite extending their unbeaten run to 24 rounds.

Can they still dream of winning the Scudetto this season?

“There are many games left to play, Serie A is becoming a very difficult league, you never know who can win or lose,” insisted Leao.

“We can only do our best, we’ll try to win the next game and then we’ll see. We want to keep climbing.”

After his goal, the Milan striker made the effort to run over to Maignan and hug the goalkeeper, as if to reassure him after that costly error on Nico Paz.

“He is a very important person for me, we already played together at Lille and he helps me every day. It was a difficult moment after that error, but this is a fantastic group, we have the energy to aim high,” concluded Leao.

Jashari had his first start in midfield alongside Luka Modric, as Adrien Rabiot was suspended, and he provided the decisive assist for Leao.

“I agree with Rafa, it was for sure a difficult game, but we played better than the first game in Como,” Jashari told DAZN Italia.

“We were dangerous when we played behind them, that’s how we scored as well. It’s sad we couldn’t win tonight, but we look forward to the next match.”

Inter fell to a 3-1 defeat on a cold night in Norway to a strong Bodo/Glimt side who used their artificial pitch to their advantage to overcome the Nerazzurri with a quick-fire second-half double.

Speaking to the press after the game, Chivu was quick to acknowledge the inevitable point about the pitch, saying his side “tried, despite the pitch” but also acknowledged that “it’s not an excuse, but I can’t be too harsh on the players,” he said, via FCInter1908.

He added that “[Bodo/Glimt] are more accustomed to this pitch, that’s not an excuse. The tie is wide open, there’s the return leg to come. We knew they are a team that can hurt you on the break, now we’ll try to advance to the next round at San Siro.”

Bodo/Glimt 3-1 Inter – Chivu: ‘Lautaro is lost’

Cristian Chivu also issued a pretty concerning statement that Lautaro Martinez is “lost” and when asked to elaborate on what he means by “lost”, he said “it means Lautaro got injured, it’s pretty serious.”

“I think he’s hurt and he will be out for a while,” he concluded on the matter.

The Romanian added that the Nerazzurri have “a few issues” that “we need to take stock of.”

When asked if his side showed a ‘lack of determination’, Chivu replied that “We asked for pressure on the markers but that was not the problem.”

“The problem is that on some transitions,” he added, “we were surprised by their speed on the break.”

Inter and Chivu must now prepare for the second leg, next week at San Siro. They have a two-goal deficit to overcome, and there can be no blaming of the pitch if they don’t turn the tie around.

Max Allegri insists Milan must see the 1-1 draw with Como as ‘a valuable point’ for the top four, and explains why Cesc Fabregas sparked the situation for his red card.

This Week 24 fixture had been postponed from February 8 because San Siro was being used for the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, but plans for months to move it to Australia were shelved.

Instead, it was just put back by 10 days, and Como took the lead when Nico Paz pounced on a Mike Maignan howler, but Rafael Leao cancelled it out with a fantastic lob on the Ardon Jashari ball over the top.

Allegri looks on the bright side for Milan

“It was not an easy match against Como, who in the first half took advantage of a mistake during a balanced encounter,” Allegri told DAZN Italia.

“Errors can happen, the team reacted well and could’ve made more of other opportunities that we created. We have gained a point on Juventus, Napoli and Roma, so we just need to focus on getting back to winning ways against Parma this weekend.”

Milan are still unbeaten in 24 Serie A rounds, since the opening weekend against Cremonese, but now slide seven points adrift of leaders Inter.

“It was a very balanced and at times even dull game in the first half. We attacked the line well, Leao scored a great goal and Jashari put in a wonderful pass. We’ve got to stay calm, keep working, get players back from injury. We had Saelemaekers and Pulisic back off the bench today, Fullkrug did well as a substitute as always.

“We are currently on track for our objective, and this is a very useful point to achieve those aims.”

The gap with leaders Inter is opening up and this can take some of the pressure off the Nerazzurri going into the Derby della Madonnina next month.

“Football is wonderful because there’s always something unexpected from one day to the next. All we can do is keep working, trying to continue the unbeaten run, and above all get back to winning ways so we can maintain the gap from the chasing pack,” insisted the Milan coach.

Allegri and the Como team manager were both sent off for a tense row on the touchline during the second half, but it wasn’t entirely clear what had sparked it.

“I think there was a foul with Saelemaekers who was on the counter, he was pulled I think by Fabregas. If that’s allowed, then next time someone runs by me, I’ll go into a sliding tackle,” joked Allegri.

“Saelemaekers reacted angrily, I went over there trying to defend my player, then someone came up to me, but nothing really happened.”

The footage shows that there were three players right on the touchline battling for the ball, Fabregas pushed Saelemaekers in the back with the ball in play, but Allegri was penalised for leaving his technical area.

Strahinja Pavlovic was substituted at half-time after struggling with a knock, so are there any updates on the Milan defender?

“Fortunately, Pavlovic is fine.”

Cesc Fabregas apologised for his touchline row with Max Allegri, but was ‘very proud’ of Como’s 1-1 draw with Milan. ‘The one time you aren’t perfect, they hurt you.’

The Rossoneri won 3-1 at the Stadio Sinigaglia when these sides met on January 15, despite Como dominating possession and having more chances.

They made changes in light of that encounter, moving to three at the back and using a False 9 system to give the Milan defence fewer reference points in their marking.

Nico Paz pounced on a Mike Maignan howler to give them the lead, but Rafael Leao ran onto a long Ardon Jashari ball over the top to lob Jean Butez for the equaliser.

Fabregas calms Milan vs. Como tension

There was tension on the touchline between Alexis Saelemaekers, a member of Como’s staff, and Milan coach Allegri, which Fabregas wanted to discuss right off the bat.

“I want to apologise first and foremost, I did something I am not proud of, and was unsporting. We’ve got to keep our hands to ourselves, as Chivu said the other day, especially the coaches,” Fabregas told DAZN Italia.

The Como team manager was sent off along with Allegri for that argument.

“It was a game where our goalkeeper was only really tested at the 70^th minute, which shows how well we did. We showed impressive calm and focus in this atmosphere, especially for such a young and inexperienced squad.

“We lost a silly ball and know that when we leave too much space for the counter-attack against world class players, they can hurt you. It was practically the only time they played it behind us, but that shows you the level, as one time you aren’t perfect, that is when they hurt you.

“We can only try to aspire to the perfect performance, which of course does not exist, but we hope to one day get close to it.”

The former midfielder has become something of a challenger to those who adjust their teams to neutralise the strengths of others, but tonight he showed it can be done in a balanced way.

“I am very proud of this strong performance, now we need to do it again on Saturday if we want to pick up points in Turin. We’ve got to get our heads there too. The team proved that playing one way or another, we still manage to give a good account of ourselves, and it was important to put in this performance after the defeat to Fiorentina.”

Luka Modric was pulling the midfield strings for Milan this evening.

“It’s a true pleasure to watch him play. What can you say, when he’s 41 years old and playing at this level? You try to press him with three or four players, he doesn’t care, he just controls it perfectly and turns to get away. We can be thankful that he is in Serie A and we get to watch him every week.”

Nico Paz will be suspended for the showdown with Juventus in Turin, as he was booked today for a mistimed sliding tackle. Can Como keep up the pace with the European places?

“I try not to talk about the table. We had two tough months, as we were not accustomed to playing every two or three days. We did it with 17 players available, so we need to rotate, have fresh legs, players who are convinced they can play, that’s why I don’t tell them until the last minute who is starting. I want them all concentrated and on their toes.

“The body is not going to be at 100 per cent, the doctors say you should leave 72 hours minimum between matches and we don’t have that, but we’ve got to keep going.”

Bodo/Glimt and Inter played out an exciting match in their Champions League play-off first leg, with Inter collapsing in the second half to slump to a 3-1 defeat.

Football Italia’s Man of the Match was Bodo forward Kasper Høgh.

Bodo/Glimt 3-1 Inter – Player Ratings

Bodo/Glimt: Haikin 6; Sjøvold 6.5, Bjørtuft 6, Gundersen 7, Bjørkan 7; Evjen 6.5, Berg 7, Fet 7.5; Blomberg 7, Høgh 9, Hauge 7.5

Best Bodo/Glimt player: Kasper Høgh – The Danish forward keeps up his impressive form in the Champions League with a goal and two assists this evening, spearheading his side to a massive victory over a strong Inter team. Was a menace for the Inter backline and deserves his plaudits.

Lowest Bodo/Glimt rating: Nikita Haikin – Bit harsh to have to pick a lowest rating but goalkeeper Nikita Haikin did nothing to shout about. He made a few easy saves and potentially could have done more to prevent Inter’s goal but he had a decent game overall.

Coach: Kjetil Knutsen 8 – Continues his giant-killing displays in Europe with tonight’s opponents added to the scalps of Manchester City and Atletico Madrid this season. Put out his strongest team, allowed them to soak up and neutralise Inter’s pressure – and then coached his side to an impressive second half display to pick up an important win.

Inter: Sommer 5.5; Akanji 5.5, Acerbi 5.5, Bastoni 6; Darmian 7 (Luis Henrique), Sucic 6.5, Barella 7, Mkhitaryan 6 (Zielinski), Augusto 6; Lautaro 6.5 (Thuram 6), Esposito 7 (Bonny)

Best Inter player: Nicolo Barella – Not much more the midfielder could have done, playing the regista role in place of the still-absent Hakan Calhanoglu. He created a number of chances for his attackers and was strong in his midfield battles.

Lowest Inter rating: Manuel Akanji – Arguably could have been any of Inter’s back line and goalkeeper but Akanji was especially weak on all fronts. Bastoni was beaten far more often by his man but was more instrumental in Inter’s other phases of play. Acerbi looked weak but less exposed than Akanji, sitting on the right-hand side of the back three.

Coach: Cristian Chivu 5 – Made some questionable adjustments to his side that make you wonder if the Champions League is being seen as second priority to the Scudetto. The Nerazzurri look placid without Federico Dimarco and whilst Darmian and Carlos Augusto were not horrific on the wings, they did not offer the sort of killer final ball that Dimarco can deliver. His substitutions failed to inspire either and matters were made worse when Lautaro Martinez was forced off with an injury.

Inter capitulated in the second-half on a freezing night in Norway, losing 3-1 to Bodo/Glimt after conceding two goals in the space of three minutes in the second half.

The Nerazzurri came into the game with a lot of debate around their hosts’ artificial turf and the freezing temperatures of the Norwegian city ahead of the Champions League play-off first leg.

However, the occasion got the better of Cristian Chivu’s side and has left them with it all to do in the second leg at San Siro next week.

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

Bodo/Glimt took the lead after a nervy first twenty minutes, with midfielder Sondre Fet scoring a lovely goal, beating Yann Sommer in the Inter net.

Their lead, however, did not last long. Ten minutes later, Italian youngster Francesco Pio Esposito equalised – after a Nicolo Barella cross was nodded down by Carlos Augusto and turned in by the Italy international.

Inter had a couple of late chances in the first half but neither amounted to a serious attempt on goal.

Bodo/Glimt 3-1 Inter – Second-half double sinks Nerazzurri

The second half started brightly for the Nerazzurri, with Lautaro Martinez hitting the woodwork before Bodo goalkeeper Haikin saved a Carlos Augusto free-kick.

However, after a more tame ten minutes, it was the hosts who would score the next goal, with former Milan forward Jens Petter Hauge converting after an error from Carlos Augusto gifted Bodo/Glimt the ball in a dangerous position.

Things quickly went from bad to worse for Inter, who found themselves 3-1 down just three minutes later, with Kasper Høgh tapping the ball in from close range after good work from Ole Blomberg.

Inter were also forced into a change after Lautaro Martinez felt an issue in his calf, with Marcus Thuram coming on in his place.

However, Thuram and the rest of Chivu’s substitutes offered too little, too late, as Bodo confirmed their victory, with a two-goal advantage heading into next week’s pivotal tie at San Siro.

18-02-2026 20:00

Knockout phase play-offs

Aspmyra Stadion

Bodø/Glimt

Inter

3 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Sondre Brunstad Fet (Assist: Kasper Högh)		20'
		30'		Pio Esposito (Assist: Carlos Augusto)
		45'		Pio Esposito

2nd half

Jens Petter Hauge (Assist: Kasper Högh)		61'
Kasper Högh (Assist: Ole Didrik Blomberg)		64'
Ole Didrik Blomberg		77'

Match statistic

42

Possession %

58

8

Total shots

15

6

Shots on target

4

1

Shots off target

7

1

Blocked shots

4

3

Corners

3

0

Offsides

3

12

Fouls

6

Bodø/Glimt

Inter

Starting lineups

12

Nikita Haikin

Goalkeeper

15

Fredrik Björkan

Defender

6

Jostein Gundersen

Defender

89'

4

Odin Bjørtuft

Defender

20

Fredrik Sjövold

Midfielder

7

Patrick Berg

Midfielder

19

Sondre Brunstad Fet

Midfielder

89'

26

Hakon Evjen

Attacker

10

Jens Petter Hauge

Attacker

9

Kasper Högh

Attacker

78'

11

Ole Didrik Blomberg

Attacker

78'

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

75'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

76'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

90'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

76'

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

61'

Substitutes

14

Ulrik Saltnes

Midfielder

1

Julian Faye Lund

Goalkeeper

22

Anders Klynge

Midfielder

45

Isak Sjong

Goalkeeper

24

Daniel Bassi

Midfielder

94

August Mikkelsen

Attacker

2

Villads Nielsen

Defender

23

Magnus Riisnæs

Midfielder

8

Sondre Auklend

Midfielder

78'

21

Andreas Helmersen

Attacker

78'

5

Haitam Aleesami

Defender

89'

25

Isak Dybvik Määttä

Midfielder

89'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

45

Leonardo Bovo

Midfielder

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

61'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

75'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

76'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

76'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

90'

Rafael Leao’s remarkable lob cancelled out a Mike Maignan howler on Nico Paz, as Milan were held 1-1 by Como in this rescheduled tie.

This Week 24 fixture was meant to be played on February 8, but with San Siro out of action for the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony, they planned to move it to Perth, Australia. Months of negotiations broke down and it was instead rescheduled for 10 days later.

Adrien Rabiot was suspended, with Santiago Gimenez injured, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic not fully fit, but Rafael Leao and Ardon Jashari returned to the starting XI. Como knocked Napoli out of the Coppa Italia to reach the semi-finals, but in Serie A were held 0-0 by 10-man Atalanta and lost 2-1 at home to Fiorentina. Alvaro Morata sat out a ban, with Assane Diao and Edoardo Goldaniga sidelined, but Nico Paz was used as a False 9. These sides met on January 15, with Milan winning 3-1 amid Mike Maignan heroics.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Mergim Vojvoda had the ball in the net with a curler off the inside of the right boot after 25 minutes, but only after he had wandered offside.

Rafael Leao’s angled drive tested Jean Butez at the near post, but while Maignan was the hero last month, he was the villain here.

The goalkeeper was so busy looking to where he could play out from the back that he didn’t realise Nico Paz had ghosted into his path, intercepting the pass to score into an empty net.

Milan tried to fight back immediately, Butez flying to push the Fikayo Tomori bullet header over the bar, but Tomori also needed a decisive interception at the other end to prevent Jacobo Ramon tapping in the Nico Paz free kick. On the resulting corner, Maignan made a tricky save from point-blank range on Sergi Roberto.

Strahinja Pavlovic went off with a knock, replaced by Matteo Gabbia for the restart, while Nico Paz was booked and will be suspended for the showdown with Juventus this weekend.

Just as Como were pouring forward seeking a second, they were caught by a moment of Milan magic. A long Ardon Jashari ball over the top sent Rafael Leao running against two defenders and the on-rushing Butez, he let it bounce and placed a precise lob into the empty net from 25 metres out.

Milan nearly turned the game around completely moments later, but Youssouf Fofana couldn’t keep his header down from five yards on the Alexis Saelemaekers cross.

Rafael Leao also saw his header hit the underside of the bar, but he was offside on the Gabbia flick-on from a corner, while Douvikas fired his volley onto the side-netting at the back post.

Max Allegri was sent off following a furious touchline row with a member of the Como staff, which had started with Saelemaekers and the visiting team manager. Saelemaekers was involved in controversy again when Como wanted him to receive a second yellow card for a mistimed challenge on Martin Baturina.

Milan 1-1 Como

Nico Paz 32 (C), Rafael Leao 64 (M)

18-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 24

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Milan

Como

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

32'

Nico Paz

2nd half

		53'		Nico Paz
Rafael Leão (Assist: Ardon Jashari)		64'
		64'		Jean Butez
Rafael Leão		68'
		68'		Jacobo Ramón
Alexis Saelemaekers		87'

Match statistic

54

Possession %

46

6

Total shots

10

4

Shots on target

4

2

Shots off target

3

0

Blocked shots

3

4

Corners

4

5

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

12

Milan

Como

Starting lineups

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

46'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

55'

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

56'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

62'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

82'

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

71'

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

90'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

78'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

71'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

79'

Substitutes

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

46

Matteo Gabbia

Defender

46'

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

55'

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

56'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

62'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

82'

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

42

Jayden Addai

Attacker

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

71'

3

Álex Valle

Defender

71'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

78'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

79'

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

90'

Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has written a recounting of his life and career in The Player’s Tribune, describing Luciano Spalletti as “like a father to me”, when he moved to Napoli from Lille at a difficult personal time.

In the article, titled ‘A Prayer From the Gutter’, he covers the entirety of his career, from playing barefoot in the streets of Nigeria as a boy, to having to help provide for his family at a young age – before his big break after a heartbreaking rejection.

It is quite the touching tale for the former Napoli man, and he was clearly very fond of his time in Naples.

Osimhen recounted how transfer negotiations at Lille prevented him from being able to go home and visit his dying father at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. He even considered “never playing football again” after the incident, as he was so “disgusted” by how the club operate as a business.

Osimhen said “When I left Lille, I was lost. When I came to Napoli, I was found.”

“I really have to thank the city and the fans and my teammates for turning my life around.

“I remember the first meeting I had when I arrived, I told the coach, Mr. Spalletti, “I am not well. I am very angry right now. Very sad. My head is not straight.””

Osimhen went on to describe Spalletti as “like a father to me. When I wasn’t doing something right, he came for my neck. But he believed in me deep in his soul, I swear. He thought I could be the best in the world.”

Osimhen: ‘Spalletti would sleep in his office at Napoli, I chose Galatasaray for their passion’

The Nigerian forward then described the hard working conditions expected at Napoli:

“We couldn’t even complain, because Mr. Spalletti was sleeping in his office during that time. He had a little bed set up. Like in the army. He had a wife at home, but for five months, he slept there.

“I remember before big matches he would tell us, “You guys don’t understand what will happen if you win the title. Me? They might speak about me for 2 or 3 years. But you players, they will speak about you until you are old men.””

His time at Napoli was summed up quite well in the end by the Galatasaray forward: “To win a title is one thing. But to win a Scudetto for Napoli for the first time in 33 years is true history. This is why I choose the teams that I choose.”

On this topic, he went on to describe why he left Napoli and, in particular, why he chose Galatasaray.

“When I left Napoli, do you know how many people told me, “Do not go to Turkey. Are you crazy?”

“A former agent even told me, “No, no, no. Don’t go there. It’s not a smart move.”

“But I think with my heart. I wanted to play for Galatasaray. How can I go from the emotion of Napoli to just any club? Impossible. Boring.

“I wanted to go to a top 3 club in the world in terms of passion. Those are the kind of people who really understand me. The ones who live football in a different way.”

Inter Milan president Giuseppe Marotta has expressed his eagerness to move on from the controversy surrounding Alessandro Bastoni and Pierre Kalulu’s red card in the Derby d’Italia as his side focus on tonight’s Champions League play-off against Bodo/Glimt.

You can follow all the action from the first leg, in addition to Milan-Como, as it happens, on our Live Blog.

Speaking on Sky, Marotta discussed several topics.

First he was asked about the debate surrounding tonight’s stadium, with Bodo/Glimt’s home pitch being an artificial turf. It has caused problems for some teams visiting the Norwegian side but Marotta dismissed it was any breaking news:

“We don’t want to get into controversy, we know this is an old-school synthetic pitch that inevitably is problematic. We must adapt to this situation too.”

Speaking about the Bastoni debate, the Inter president said:

“I don’t want to add anything else, this is a chapter that left a bitter taste in the mouth. We want to focus on this very difficult match, hoping that all the Italian teams can go through to the next phase in Europe.”

Bodo/Glimt vs Inter – Marotta on Italian football crisis & Stankovic buy-back

Marotta then addressed ongoing issues within Italian football, that he described as “going backwards in terms of quality, results and appeal.”

He added that “The foreign funds arrived during a moment of difficulty and complexity in the Calcio world, and if not for them, the Milanese clubs would be in a much worse situation.”

“Since Oaktree took over, we invested, and can consider ourselves fortunate in that sense. I am not sceptical about foreign funds owning clubs at all. Obviously, they must also have the desire to invest and not just have speculative interests.”

Marotta was then asked to talk about Aleksandar Stankovic, who is enjoying a fantastic season with Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge.

Stankovic joined the Belgian side last summer but the Nerazzurri kept a buy-back clause in his contract.

With his performances improving month-on-month, it seems fairly likely that Inter will activate said clause.

On the matter, Marotta said:

“He is from a fine football family and is doing very well. We have the option to buy him back, and we didn’t put that in the deal for no reason.

“It is premature to talk about it now, we’ll see what happens. He is our player and is having a wonderful experience in the Belgian league and Champions League.”

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Inter head coach Cristian Chivu has spoken to Prime Video ahead of Inter’s Champions League play-off first leg against Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt.

In the interview, he said that “there can be no alibis or excuses” when asked about playing in freezing conditions on an artificial turf in Norway – stating that “the pitch shouldn’t worry us, we have to be mentally and physically ready to play in these conditions.”

Inter vs Bodo/Glimt – Chivu warns of ‘proven’ opposition

He warned his side not to underestimate their opposition tonight, describing the Norwegian club’s “intensity that they are capable of on this pitch.”

Chivu said Bodo/Glimt have “proven themselves with the results they’ve achieved and beyond,” with all quotes via FCInterNews.

Finally, the Romanian coach underlined that the play-off covers two legs.

“There are two games to play, you have to play with maturity and understanding in these conditions. And you have to remember that it will be played over two legs. You have to do everything to secure qualification.”

You can follow all the action from the game, as well as Milan’s Serie A clash against Como, where they look to close the gap on their city rivals in the Scudetto race, on our Live Blog.

Milan director Igli Tare shrugs off Scudetto talk ahead of tonight’s rescheduled clash with Como and assures Rafael Leao ‘is doing much better physically.’

It kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter on the Liveblog.

This Week 24 fixture was meant to be on February 8, but the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza needed to prepare for the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

For many months, the plan was to move the entire match over to Perth, Australia, until negotiations with the local authorities broke down.

Instead, it was just shuffled along by 10 days once San Siro was back in action.

Tare not interested in Milan title talk

DAZN Italia reporters on the touchline asked Tare before kick-off if this match would be potentially decisive to keep clinging to the Scudetto dream.

“We are not clinging to anything, as there are 14 more rounds to go including this one. We must try to give a sense of consistency to the work we’ve done so far. It won’t be easy, but a win tonight would be very important for the table,” replied the Milan director.

“It is absolutely not crucial for the Scudetto, there is such a long way to go, but we are coming off back-to-back wins and we want to keep building that momentum.”

Leao returns to the starting XI with Christopher Nkunku, though Adrien Rabiot is suspended, with Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek only fit for the bench.

“The positive thing about Leao is that in the last 10 days he is doing much better physically. The issue remains, but he’s certainly stronger now, you can see it in training. We never doubted his qualities.”

Tare was also asked about the controversy over Alessandro Bastoni’s simulation to get Pierre Kalulu sent off in Inter 3-2 Juventus last week, but the former Lazio striker was not interested in getting drawn into the debate.

“These are things that happened in the past and will happen again in future. It is not good for football, we must all take a step back and try to let the referees do their work in the best possible way.

“There’s no point discussing this now, we want to look at the next 90 minutes with positivity.”

Cesc Fabregas gives hints who is playing False 9 for Como this evening against Milan, warning they must ‘not just keep the ball, but hurt them when we have the chance.’

It kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter on the Liveblog.

This fixture was originally meant to be on February 8, but had to be moved because San Siro was being used for the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

After months of negotiations with the Australian authorities to shift it over to Perth, those plans were abandoned and it was simply delayed by 10 days.

Fabregas reshuffles Como for Milan test

“If we need to motivate lads in a night like this, then we have a problem,” joked Fabregas on DAZN Italia.

“We are coming off a day that didn’t go well with Fiorentina, but the great thing about football is that it gives you the chance to make up for it four days later in an incredible stadium like this.”

Como have eliminated Napoli from the Coppa Italia on penalties and will face Inter in the semi-final next month, but in the last two Serie A games were held 0-0 by 10-man Atalanta and lost 2-1 at home to Fiorentina.

“We are not a team built to play twice a week, so we need to spread out some of the playing time, as we’ve been playing regularly for a while now. I think the lads are doing well, we rotated in the past and the lads responded well, so I have faith in everyone.”

Milan beat Como 3-1 on January 15, despite having far less possession, so Fabregas makes adjustments here with a three-man defence and no recognised centre-forward.

Will Maxence Caqueret, Nico Paz or Martin Baturina be the False 9 this evening?

“They are all sort of False 9, we’ll see mobility, the way we play means creating spaces that we think can be useful to hurt Milan. When one player vacates that space, another can occupy it,” replied Fabregas.

“This is about not just keeping the ball, but trying to hurt Milan when we have the chance.”

Vincenzo Italiano hopes Bologna have ‘turned a corner’ after their crisis and can build on that in the Europa League play-off with SK Brann. ‘It was an odd game in the group phase.’

The first leg kicks off in Bergen, Norway, on Thursday at 17.45 GMT (18.45 CET).

The Rossoblu plane arrived quite late and there was no time for a pitch inspection, but the coach was already concerned with what he could see of the turf.

“It’s dark, but the pitch still doesn’t look in perfect condition, so we’ll be able to evaluate it tomorrow,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.

“This is the first leg, we need to get a result that can allow us to do our best in the home match and go through to the next phase of the competition.”

Italiano and Bologna know Brann dangers

Brann have been focusing only on preparing for this game, as the Norwegian domestic tournaments are currently on their winter break.

These sides met at the Stadio Dall’Ara in the Europa League group phase, ending 0-0 despite Charalampos Lykogiannis getting sent off after just 23 minutes.

“They have been in a training retreat in Spain to prepare for this important match. We already faced them in the group phase, but I expect a different atmosphere on their own turf, we already saw other teams struggled here. We must adapt straight away to all the difficulties that it presents,” added Italiano.

“It was an odd game in the group phase, as we went down to 10 men straight away, but even then we did really well. It’s a long game for the play-off, it is decided over 180 minutes, so we’ll see what happens.”

Bologna had been in an epic crisis, crashing out of the Coppa Italia and sliding down the Serie A standings, but got back on track at the weekend with a 2-1 victory away to Torino.

“It was important to end that run of defeats in Serie A, but we must also try to build on that in Europe and the league, as we lost ground there and must show that we have turned a corner. Winning helps you to work with enthusiasm and confidence.

“The Europa League is a good tournament, it is satisfying to go far, and gives you the self-belief that we can also take to Serie A. We had cared about the Coppa Italia too, but unfortunately we went out there.”

Lykogiannis is out injured for this trip, with Lorenzo De Silvestri and Torbjorn Heggem cup-tied.

“I think teams involved in many competitions are always forced to evaluate the fixture list and the fitness levels, so we are forced to rotate,” concluded Italiano.

Bologna squad for Brann

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

Bodo/Glimt welcome Inter on a freezing cold February evening in Norway, in what promises to be an interesting match as the two sides tussle in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie – Nerazzurri head coach Cristian Chivu has decided to start Matteo Darmian in a surprising move.

The match kicks off at 20:00 GMT (21:00 CET) and you can follow all the action from that game, and Milan’s Serie A clash against Como, on our Live Blog.

The Serie A leaders looked strong for most of the Champions League league phase but narrowly missed out on a place in the top eight – which would have seen them bypass this tricky play-off tie altogether.

However, the cards have been dealt and Chivu has opted to rotate his team in part for the match.

La nostra formazione
Forza Nerazzurri pic.twitter.com/xxIMbcQdrP

— Inter (@Inter) February 18, 2026

The second leg will decide the Nerazzurri’s fate in the competition next Tuesday at San Siro, but they will hope to get themselves off to a good start this evening.

Bodo/Glimt vs Inter – Official Lineups

Bodo/Glimt: Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Fet; Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge

Inter: Sommer; Bastoni, Acerbi, Akanji; Darmian, Sucic, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto; Pio Esposito, Lautaro

18-02-2026 20:00

Knockout phase play-offs

Aspmyra Stadion

Bodø/Glimt

Inter

3 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Sondre Brunstad Fet (Assist: Kasper Högh)		20'
		30'		Pio Esposito (Assist: Carlos Augusto)
		45'		Pio Esposito

2nd half

Jens Petter Hauge (Assist: Kasper Högh)		61'
Kasper Högh (Assist: Ole Didrik Blomberg)		64'
Ole Didrik Blomberg		77'

Match statistic

42

Possession %

58

8

Total shots

15

6

Shots on target

4

1

Shots off target

7

1

Blocked shots

4

3

Corners

3

0

Offsides

3

12

Fouls

6

Bodø/Glimt

Inter

Starting lineups

12

Nikita Haikin

Goalkeeper

15

Fredrik Björkan

Defender

6

Jostein Gundersen

Defender

89'

4

Odin Bjørtuft

Defender

20

Fredrik Sjövold

Midfielder

7

Patrick Berg

Midfielder

19

Sondre Brunstad Fet

Midfielder

89'

26

Hakon Evjen

Attacker

10

Jens Petter Hauge

Attacker

9

Kasper Högh

Attacker

78'

11

Ole Didrik Blomberg

Attacker

78'

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

75'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

76'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

90'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

76'

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

61'

Substitutes

14

Ulrik Saltnes

Midfielder

1

Julian Faye Lund

Goalkeeper

22

Anders Klynge

Midfielder

45

Isak Sjong

Goalkeeper

24

Daniel Bassi

Midfielder

94

August Mikkelsen

Attacker

2

Villads Nielsen

Defender

23

Magnus Riisnæs

Midfielder

8

Sondre Auklend

Midfielder

78'

21

Andreas Helmersen

Attacker

78'

5

Haitam Aleesami

Defender

89'

25

Isak Dybvik Määttä

Midfielder

89'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

45

Leonardo Bovo

Midfielder

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

61'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

75'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

76'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

76'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

90'

Milan have Rafael Leao and Christopher Nkunku upfront for the rescheduled Serie A clash with Como’s Nico Paz and Martin Baturina.

It kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter on the Liveblog.

This Week 24 fixture was meant to be on February 8, but moved because the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza needed to prepare for the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

For many months, the plan was to move the entire match over to Perth, Australia, until negotiations with the local authorities broke down.

Instead, it was just shuffled along by 10 days once San Siro was back in action.

Milan are unbeaten in Serie A since the opening weekend, and are the only side keeping up with leaders Inter after winning four of the last five.

Adrien Rabiot was sent off against Pisa and is therefore suspended, with Santiago Gimenez a long-term absentee.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic are also not at 100 per cent, but Rafael Leao returns to the starting XI with Nkunku.

Ardon Jashari is also back in midfield with Luka Modric and Samuele Ricci, forming a new trio.

Como are becoming a truly ambitious club in only their second season back in Serie A under coach Cesc Fabregas.

They knocked Napoli out of the Coppa Italia on penalties last week and will face Inter in the semi-finals next month.

Their Serie A form stuttered a little lately, held 0-0 by 10-man Atalanta with a last-gasp saved Nico Paz penalty, then suffering a surprise 2-1 home defeat to Fiorentina.

Alvaro Morata was sent off in that match and is therefore suspended against his former club, with Assane Diao and Edoardo Goldaniga injured.

Martin Baturina has flourished in recent months, but Maxence Caqueret steps in to provide more physicality to the attack, using Nico Paz as a centre-forward ahead of a three-man defence.

Como have lost all three of their Serie A meetings with Milan since returning to the top flight in 2024, including a 3-1 home result back on January 15 with heroics from Mike Maignan.

Milan vs. Como line-ups

Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Athekame, Jashari, Modric, Ricci, Bartesaghi; Nkunku, Leao

Como: Butez; Kempf, Ramon, Diego Carlos; Van Der Brempt, Perrone, Sergi Roberto, Vojvoda; Caqueret, Baturina; Nico Paz

18-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 24

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Milan

Como

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

32'

Nico Paz

2nd half

		53'		Nico Paz
Rafael Leão (Assist: Ardon Jashari)		64'
		64'		Jean Butez
Rafael Leão		68'
		68'		Jacobo Ramón
Alexis Saelemaekers		87'

Match statistic

54

Possession %

46

6

Total shots

10

4

Shots on target

4

2

Shots off target

3

0

Blocked shots

3

4

Corners

4

5

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

12

Milan

Como

Starting lineups

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

46'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

55'

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

56'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

62'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

82'

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

71'

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

90'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

78'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

71'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

79'

Substitutes

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

46

Matteo Gabbia

Defender

46'

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

55'

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

56'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

62'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

82'

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

42

Jayden Addai

Attacker

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

71'

3

Álex Valle

Defender

71'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

78'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

79'

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

90'

Fiorentina have a decimated squad for their Conference League play-off against Jagiellonia, as the conditions do not bode well.

The first leg kicks off on Thursday at the Stadion Miejski w Bialymstoku in Bialystok at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

The decider will then be at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence next week.

Coach Paolo Vanoli’s mood was boosted by last week’s unexpected 2-1 Serie A victory away to Como, which lifted them out of the Serie A relegation zone.

However, it came at a cost, because they had to leave several top players behind for this trip to Poland due to fitness concerns.

David De Gea suffered a dislocated finger on his left hand during the win over Como, while January signing Manor Solomon has flu symptoms.

Moise Kean, Dodo, De Gea and Manor Solomon remain in Florence, along with injured Albert Gudmundsson and Tariq Lamptey.

Marco Brescianini, Oliver Christensen and Daniele Rugani are not on the UEFA squad list for this stage of the competition, so are ineligible.

It means Vanoli has had to call up eight players from the Fiorentina youth team, including two goalkeepers.

Luca Lezzerini should therefore play his first UEFA match for the Viola since the 3-2 Europa League defeat to PAOK in November 2016.

No risks will be taken with the most important players, considering the conditions in Poland, where it has been snowing heavily.

This is not a synthetic or even hybrid pitch, so it has suffered more than most from the freezing temperatures.

Fiorentina squad for Jagiellonia

Balbo, Bertolini, Bonanno, Braschi, Comuzzo, Deli, Fabbian, Fagioli, Fazzini, Fortini, Gosens, Harrison, Kouadio, Leonardelli, Lezzerini, Magalotti, Mandragora, Ndour, Parisi, Piccoli, Pongracic, Ranieri, Sadotti

Milan are working hard to sign Luka Modric to a new one-year contract extension, after the legendary Croatian midfielder continues to play an important role for the Rossoneri.

The Croatian veteran has been a huge hit in Lombardy, after signing from Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer in a one-year deal.

So far this season, he has played nearly 2000 minutes for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, in all competitions, scoring twice, assisting three more and being an ever-present cog in the Rossoneri machine.

Milan working hard on Modric contract

According to CalcioMercato, there is a ‘growing optimism’ at Milan that Modric will agree to a new deal, after Allegri has developed a reported ‘relationship of great mutual respect and trust’ with the former Madrid midfielder.

The Croatian will turn 41 in September and it looks increasingly likely that he will continue into yet another year of football – for a man who in his own words just loves playing the sport.

There is already a clause in his contract that allows the club to trigger a one-year extension, with a higher salary of around €4.5 million, if the club qualify for the Champions League.

Of course, the former Ballon d’Or winner also wants guarantees that he will continue to play a starring role for the club – not content to just sit on the bench.

Inter make a chilly trip to Bodo/Glimt this evening, in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off clash against the Norwegian side.

The match promises to be interesting for a number of reasons, with cold temperatures and an artificial pitch for the Nerazzurri to contend with – and the Serie A side have four players at risk of missing the second leg if they receive a booking tonight.

As noted by FCInterNews, Lautaro Martinez, Francesco Acerbi, Henrik Mkhitaryan and Alessandro Bastoni are all in danger of a one-match ban.

Bodo/Glimt vs Inter – Challenging Nerazzurri test with bans on the line

For players like Martinez, Mkhitaryan and Bastoni especially, being without them in the return leg could become a problem if Inter do not pick up a comfortable result in Norway.

However, that is easier said than done.

It is a tricky place for any team to go in the Champions League and strong teams like Manchester City have already slipped up in the freezing cold city of Bodø.

Inter hoped to avoid having to participate in the play-offs but just missed out on a place in the top eight of the league phase, giving them an awkward play-off tie against an unpredictable team.

Follow all the action from the match, as it happens, on our Live Blog.

Torino have confirmed that Scottish forward Ché Adams will miss up to three weeks after being pulled out of training and undergoing medical examinations that revealed a fresh injury.

According to the official statement from the Turin club, Adams has “undergone medical examinations that have revealed a partial sprain in the soleus muscle of his right leg.”

Frustrating blow for Torino as Adams confirmed injured

In short, it means that the forward will miss around 20 days of football, putting him out of action for Sunday’s trip to Genoa and the match against Lazio on March 1.

It will then be touch-and-go as to whether or not he is available for the match against Napoli after that.

It is a frustrating setback for the forward especially, who will want to be in prime condition for this summer’s World Cup.

Fortunately, Scotland qualified automatically and therefore Adams’ injury comes as no real blow to the national set-up, other than concerns if it becomes a reoccurring issue in the run-up to the tournament in North America & Mexico.

Former Juventus midfielder Massimo Mauro has claimed that whilst there is nothing special about struggling left-backs Andrea Cambiaso and Juan Cabal, there is a deeper rooted problem at the club in that they are missing the “five or six players who control the game, the ones they’ve always had.”

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mauro said “Cambiaso isn’t a leader, he’s just a normal person.”

However, he added that “neither he nor [Juan] Cabal are Juventus’ problem – rather the lack of five or six players who control the game, the ones they’ve always had.”

Mauro, on the whole, was not impressed by the players at Juventus’ disposal and claimed that “the coach [Luciano Spalletti] is the only one the club need to keep.”

Juventus brushed aside by Galatasaray in Istanbul

Juventus were humbled in a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Galatasaray on Tuesday night, with two goals from former Napoli man Noa Lang and a Juan Cabal red card adding insult to injury. Cabal had only come on for Cambiaso at half-time and it took him twenty minutes to pick up two yellow cards, putting a massive dent in the Bianconeri’s hopes of staying in the Champions League.

It would now take a miracle in Turin for Juventus to qualify for the next round but former players like Mauro remain unconvinced that the club have what it takes to pull it out of the bag.

On the upside, elimination from the continental competition would allow the Bianconeri to focus their efforts on a top four place in Serie A.

Milan are preparing to host Como at San Siro this evening, as the Rossoneri look to increase their pressure on league leaders Inter and prevent their rivals from running away in the Scudetto race. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is set to miss the match, with Christopher Nkunku ready to pair with Rafael Leao in attack.

The match kicks off at 19:45 GMT (20:45 CET) and provides the Rossoneri with a fascinating challenge in Cesc Fabregas’ tricky Como side.

According to Sky Sport, via CalcioMercato, Loftus-Cheek is struggling with his overall fitness and is not ready to lead the line for Milan.

Milan vs Como – Loftus-Cheek to miss San Siro clash

Loftus-Cheek has scored in back-to-back games for the Rossoneri, playing in the front two but now Nkunku will step in to replace him.

The Frenchman has been inconsistent to say the least, since his big money move from Chelsea last summer.

However, Massimiliano Allegri will be hoping that Nkunku can step up in what may turn out to be a pivotal game in the race for the Scudetto.

Juventus and centre-back Gleison Bremer can breathe a sigh of relief following his early withdrawal during Tuesday night’s 5-2 loss away against Galatasaray, as medical tests have confirmed that the Brazilian has not torn a muscle in his leg. 

When is Bremer expected to return for Juventus?

Bremer was forced off the pitch in the 37th minute of Juventus’s 5-2 Champions League play-off defeat against Galatasaray on Tuesday evening with the scores 2-1 in favour of the Bianconeri at the time. Many outlets in Italy suggest that it was not a coincidence that Juventus collapsed in the second half after their most trusted defender went off. 

Initial reports suspected that it was a muscular injury that was troubling Bremer during the first half in Istanbul. 

The club have since been able to rule out any serious tears or lesions, which means that Bremer is not expected to be sidelined for a significant period of time. 

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Bremer will follow an individualised training programme over the next few days, but a spot in the squad to face Como in Serie A on Saturday evening has not been ruled out. 

A more likely scenario, however, is that Bremer is rested for the Como match and marks his return in the second leg against Galatasaray on Tuesday according to the Pink Paper. 

Milan are due to take on Como in Serie A on Sunday evening, the only league fixture on the schedule for this midweek block of fixtures. Here’s why the Rossoneri and Lariani are facing each other in the league despite Champions League action taking place on the same night. 

Why is Milan vs. Como taking place on Wednesday night?

The Milan vs. Como match was originally scheduled to take place on February 8, during the 24th round of Serie A fixtures, but was later pushed back due to a clash with the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, which revolved around San Siro. 

For much of the 2025-26 season, the Lega Serie A had sought to play this game in Perth, Western Australia instead. There were talks and agreements in place between the Lega Serie A, all 20 member clubs, the FIGC and from UEFA to play the match abroad as a one-off, but the idea was eventually blocked by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in December. 

In the end, the Lega Serie A opted to simply rearrange the match instead of relocating it. 

It will now kick off in San Siro at 19.45 GMT on Wednesday evening.

The latest Serie A match between Inter and Juventus further reignited the rivalry between the Italian football giants, with a referee incident that will have consequences for some of those involved.

Pierre Kalulu’s sending off in the latest derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus has sparked plenty of reactions from coaches, directors, fans and the media.

The Frenchman received a second yellow card for a foul on Alessandro Bastoni, but the Inter defender appeared to go down too easily on the challenge, leading to a red card for the Juventus defender.

The Nerazzurri were the favourite side going into this game despite failing to beat Juventus, Milan or Napoli in their previous 14 Serie A meetings. If not into Italian football, you can still enjoy football-themed slots at uudet kasinot. They have no post due date and are available from anywhere at any time.

Kalulu’s red card sparked an angry reaction from Juventus directors Giorgio Chiellini and Damien Comolli, who confronted referee Federico La Penna inside the tunnel. Their actions led to a ban and a fine for Comolli as the referee mentioned the incident in his match report.

La Penna will also be suspended for at least one month as referee designator, Gianluca Rocchi, confirmed that the decision to give Kalulu his marching orders was wrong.

On the other hand, Bastoni is not expected to be retrospectively punished for his dive, as TV footage can’t be used for an incident leading to a second yellow card, but only to a straight red.

Inter President Beppe Marotta admitted Bastoni had made a mistake, but also reiterated that the Italian centre-back was subject to exaggerated media coverage.

“Last season, we lost the Scudetto by one point, and there was a confirmed error in Inter-Roma, but we didn’t protest,” Marotta said on Monday.

“This season, Inter have only intervened once, after Napoli-Inter, where a penalty kick, later deemed unfair, had been given.

“If we talk about simulations, I want to remember Juventus-Inter in 2021 and a penalty given despite a clear simulation from Cuadrado with Calvarese as a referee.

“Afterwards, both the referee and the technical bodies confirmed it had been an obvious simulation, and with that win, Juventus qualified for the Champions League, which is worth €60-70m.”

Some fans and journalists in Italy called for Bastoni to be dropped from the Italy national team, mostly because of how he celebrated Kalulu’s red card, but several sources in Italy claim that Gennaro Gattuso will continue to rely on the Nerazzurri star, particularly for the imminent World Cup play-off.

Italy’s chances of receiving an extra spot in next season’s Champions League were dealt another blow after defeats for both Juventus and Inter in the play-off round first legs on Tuesday night. 

The Bianconeri were defeated 5-2 away against Galatasaray in Istanbul, while La Dea fell to a 2-0 loss in front of Borussia Dortmund’s Yellow Wall at the Westfalenstadion. 

These losses mean that Italy remains in fifth place in UEFA’s season association coefficient, which is used to determine which nations receive an additional spot in the following season’s tournament. Only the nations that finish the season in the top two will be afforded an extra Champions League spot. 

As things stand after the conclusion of Tuesday night’s fixtures, England remain top of the rankings with a score of 20.958. Portugal are in second on 16.600, Germany in third with 16.500, Spain in fourth with 15.781 and Italy in fifth with 15.500. 

Unfortunately for Italy, the gap between themselves and Spain has opened up slightly following the conclusion of Tuesday night’s games. 

How are the extra Champions League spots decided? 

The nations that finish the season in the top two on UEFA’s season association coefficient are awarded one additional spot each in the following season’s Champions League. 

So, how does the coefficient ranking work?

Teams competing in the three UEFA competitions (the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League) are awarded points based on their results in the European competitions. Nations are awarded two points for each of its teams’ wins, one for a draw and zero for a defeat. Those points are halved for qualifying matches. 

Bonus points are also awarded depending on each team’s finish in the league phase table. The team that finishes top of the Champions League pile gets an additional 12 points, the team in second gets 11.750, the team in third gets 11.500 and so on all the way down to the team in 36th. The winner of the Europa League league phase is awarded 6 points and 4 for the team at the top of the Conference League table. Points are awarded for places 1-24 in both the Europa League and Conference League. 

Additional bonus points are also awarded for each knockout stage that a team passes through. 

All of those points are added up and are then divided by the number of teams that the nation in question has competing in UEFA competitions. 

Italy’s collective points tally stands at 108.500, which comes to a coefficient score of 15.500 when divided by the number of Italian sides involved in European competition this season (seven). 

That score of 15.500 keeps Italy in fifth place in the season’s association coefficient ranking. 

Bologna have officially announced their signing of Tommaso Pobega on a definitive, permanent transfer from fellow Serie A outfit Milan. 

The 26-year-old has spent the last season-and-a-half on loan at the Dall’Ara from Milan, initially signing on loan with an option to buy in the summer of 2024, reuniting with head coach Vincenzo Italiano, under whom he had played at Spezia. 

Bologna then negotiated a new loan deal for Pobega in the summer of 2025, this time with a conditional obligation to buy. 

How much will Milan receive from Pobega transfer to Bologna?

According to recent reports, the obligation to buy clause was triggered after the first point that Bologna picked up during the month of February, which came in a 2-1 victory away against Torino on Sunday. 

Bologna have confirmed on Wednesday that the obligation to buy clause has been triggered and that Pobega is now a Rossoblu player on a permanent basis. He has put pen to paper on a contract that will run until the summer of 2028 with an option for an additional 12 months. 

It is understood that Milan will receive around €7m from Bologna for the Pobega transfer. 

Juventus conceded five goals in a European match for just the second time in the club’s history with their 5-2 loss away against Galatasaray on Tuesday night, and now the Bianconeri are left needing to make history if they are to qualify for the Champions League round of 16. 

Juventus’s Champions League play-off round got off to the worst possible of starts after a 5-2 thrashing in Istanbul on Tuesday evening: Teun Koopmeiners came up with a half-time brace, but the Old Lady were overwhelmed with goals from Gabriel Sara, Noa Lang (x2), Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey. 

Gleison Bremer was forced off with an injury in the second half, and half-time substitute Juan Cabal was also sent off in the 67th minute. 

Not since a 7-0 defeat against Wiener Sport-Club in the second leg of the preliminary rounds of the 1958/59 European Cup have Juventus conceded five or more goals in a European match. 

What do Juventus need to do in the second leg of the Champions League play-off?

Juventus are left needing a three-goal victory at a minimum if they are to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 alive. Even more damning for the Bianconeri and their hopes of progressing is previous the precedent set by Lazio, Inter and Roma. 

There has only ever been four times previously that an Italian side has conceded five goals or more in the first of a two-legged European tie. Those results were as follows: 

• Valencia 5-2 Lazio 1999-2000 (Champions League)
• Inter 2-5 Schalke 2010-11 (Champions League) 
• Liverpool 5-2 Roma 2017-18 (Champions League) 
• Manchester United 6-2 Roma 2020-21 (Europa League)

On all four of those previous occasions, the Italian sides were knocked out in the second leg. 

Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly has named and shamed an individual for racially abusing him on social media in the hours following Juventus’s 5-2 loss against Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday night: ‘This I won’t accept’. 

Kelly names and shames racist fan after Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus

The first round of Champions League play-off matches were marred by accusations of racist abuse on Tuesday evening. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. has accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of making a racist remark during their first leg match in Lisbon, and Kelly has shown evidence of a racist comment that he was subjected to online. 

Posting on his Instagram story on Wednesday morning, the former Newcastle and Bournemouth defender has shared a screenshot of a comment left on one of his posts, which reads: “Go back to the zoo.” 

Kelly himself wrote: “Criticism comes all throughout life and in sports and I’ve always accepted this. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions but this I won’t accept. 

“Words and actions have meaning and also consequences.” 

He proceeded to tag the individual who left the comment as well as the company that he is believed to work for. 

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero has had his say on the 5-2 hammering by Galatasaray in the Champions League play-off round on Tuesday evening, and has claimed that it might not be ‘the worst of evils for this side to play one game a week’ if they are to be knocked out of the competition next week. 

Juventus’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 were dealt an enormous blow after a 5-2 defeat away against Galatasaray in the first leg of their play-off round tie on Tuesday night. 

Gabriel Sara opened the scoring for the hosts, but Juventus still went in for the interval leading 2-1 thanks to a brace from Teun Koopmeiners. The Old Lady capitulated in the second half, though, with goals from Noa Lang (x2), Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey, plus a red card for half-time substitute Juan Cabal in the 67th minute. 

The situation means that Juventus need to win by a three goal margin at a minimum in the return leg at the Allianz Stadium on Tuesday if they are to keep their Champions League campaign alive. 

• Read more: Five disappointing Juventus players of 5-2 Galatasaray defeat

Del Piero: ‘Maybe it’s not the worst of evils for this Juventus side to play one game a week’

Del Piero was among the pundits on Sky Sport Italia for Tuesday night’s hammering in Istanbul. 

The legendary former no.10 was not best pleased with what he saw from Luciano Spalletti’s side, and claims that this sort of performance is what Juventus ‘risk’ if they do not perform at their best. 

“All aspects affected Spalletti, outlining that everything went wrong,” Del Piero said (via Tuttosport). 

“It shows that if Juventus aren’t at their best, then this is what they risk. That’s the reality. They risk making trivial mistakes, which are punished, they risk not having a real presence on the pitch. 

“Galatasaray played an excellent game, they played better. Juve struggled a lot, mentally and physically. 

“When you play every three days and you need to be at your best in every game, that’s where you see the real potential in a team and where it can aspire to finish. If Juve can’t find that, they will struggle with having three games a week, despite what they had shown in the weeks before.”

Del Piero went on to explain what Juventus need to do if they are to have any hope of qualifying for the next round of the Champions League. He also conceded that it might not be the worst thing in the world if this current Juve side were to be eliminated, though. 

“They need to reverse their energy if they are to get through to the next round, because those Galatasaray players were almost possessed.” 

And if the Champions League journey were to come to an end for Juventus next week, Del Piero admitted: “Maybe it’s not the worst of evils for this Juventus side to play one game a week.”

Newspapers in Italy have not looked kindly on Juventus after their 5-2 Champions League defeat away against Galatasaray on Tuesday evening, which has put their chances of qualifying for the round of 16 in major doubt. 

The Bianconeri travelled to Istanbul to begin the first leg of their Champions League play-off round tie with Galatasaray on Tuesday night. 

Luciano Spalletti’s side fell 1-0 behind after a 15th-minute strike from Gabriel Sara, but went in for the interval 2-1 up thanks to a brace from Teun Koopmeiners. The Old Lady capitualted in the second half, though, with goals from Noa Lang (x2), Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey and a red card for half-time substitute Juan Cabal. 

• Read more: Five disappointing Juventus stars of 5-2 Galatasaray defeat