Vincenzo Italiano is frustrated by the same old Bologna mistakes in a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa, but insists their opponents ‘will win the Europa League, as they made the most of everything.’

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It was a disappointing night at the Stadio Dall’Ara, but above all an unlucky one that showed many of the same problems we’ve seen all season from the Rossoblu.

They were wasteful in attack as well as being unfortunate, hitting the woodwork twice and seeing a Santiago Castro goal disallowed because his toe was offside.

In comparison, Aston Villa were clinical and made the most of defensive errors, first with Ezri Konsa as Federico Ravaglia flapped at a corner, then Ollie Watkins after the usual mistake playing out from the back.

Jonathan Rowe did pull one back to give hope going into the second leg, which was immediately snatched away again when Watkins was left unmarked on a corner in stoppages.

Italiano frustrated by Bologna errors

“We were in the game from start to finish, we saw what we expected from them, but if you make certain mistakes against them, you will be punished,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.

“If you gift two or three goals, you are going to inevitably struggle, both on the night and in the tie. Now we’ll see what happens in the second leg, but the performance was strong, we caused problems for a team of a truly high value.

“I think tonight we saw confirmation of what I thought beforehand, which is that Aston Villa will win the Europa League. Congratulations to them, because they made the most of absolutely everything we let slip, despite a good performance from Bologna.”

It was noted that Aston Villa don’t particularly press, and that the Rossoblu in turn were worried about pressing them too.

“If they put the ball over the top and move so many players into space, it can be damaging,” explained Italiano.

“Before the match, I told the lads these are situations where you mustn’t be superficial in any situation, whether it’s giving away a corner or a loose pass, because this team will punish you at the slightest error. Unfortunately, that’s what happened.

“The first goal was from a throw-in taken by Rowe, who shouldn’t have had it in his hands, and it changed the inertia of the game. On the second goal, we were playing out from the back and made a mistake. We just can’t seem to have a full game without errors.”

Bologna have a mountain to climb with the second leg of this quarter-final at Villa Park in Birmingham, where they already lost 2-0 in October 2024 and 1-0 earlier this season in the Europa League.

In both those matches, they again failed to convert their chances and were punished for errors, so it is a recurring pattern.

“We made too many mistakes this season, not just tonight, we never manage to go a full 90 minutes with total concentration, there is always an error or a distraction. The crucial moments of the game are either side of half-time and in the final minutes, and we conceded goals in all of them,” confessed Italiano.

“It’s frustrating, because when you see how many chances we created against the level of opposition, we did good things tonight.”

Does Italiano still have hope for the second leg?

“It would be a sporting miracle to turn this around, but as we saw yesterday with Barcelona losing to Atletico Madrid, anything can happen. It’s particularly odd in Europe, because sometimes you get referees who don’t whistle at all, others they give cards for the slightest contact.

“Admittedly, 2-1 would’ve been a different result, even if they have a different gear on their own turf, but we’ll give it our all,” assured Italiano.

David De Gea delivered a characteristically honest and grounded assessment after Fiorentina suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at Selhurst Park, leaving the Viola with a seemingly impossible task in the Conference League quarter-final second leg at the Stadio Franchi next week.

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It was a damaging evening for Paolo Vanoli’s side, who gifted Crystal Palace a strong platform in the opening half hour before finding their feet, only to concede a third goal deep into stoppage time that De Gea acknowledged was entirely avoidable.

“The third goal hurts,” the veteran goalkeeper told Sky Sport Italia.

“To concede at the last minute on a cross, it was too easy for them. But this is football, you have to be concentrated for 95 minutes.”

The Spanish stopper was not without hope for the second leg, even if he acknowledged the scale of the challenge.

“It looks difficult but not impossible,” he said.

“We have got to do something amazing, win 3-0, and we have it all to do at the Franchi.”

He did, however, believe the scoreline flattered Palace considerably, pointing to a strong second-half showing and several missed chances as evidence that the tie could have looked very different.

“I think if we had converted one of our chances, everything would have changed. We didn’t, and instead we conceded a third.”

De Gea: ‘Three months ago we were in serious trouble’

Characteristically, De Gea was keen to frame the result within the context of a season that has been far from straightforward for Fiorentina.

“We must not forget that three months ago we were in serious trouble,” he said.

“The team is doing better in Serie A, it might not seem like it, but getting out of the situation we were in is something impressive. We have achieved nothing yet and still have work to do there.”

Asked about the gap between Serie A and the Premier League, with Fiorentina losing 3-0 and Bologna falling 3-1 to Aston Villa on the same evening, De Gea was candid but measured.

“The Premier League is ahead of Serie A, but they also have a lot more money, better infrastructure and they do things very well,” he said. “But other than those first 20-30 minutes, where we had the wrong approach and conceded two goals, I think we played well and deserved to score tonight.”

Unai Emery was measured and respectful in his post-match assessment after Aston Villa secured a commanding 3-1 victory at the Renato Dall’Ara, candidly admitting his side were second best for long periods of the first half while defending the state of Italian football against what he considered an unfair narrative.

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The Villa manager made no attempt to overstate his side’s dominance, acknowledging that the scoreline at half-time somewhat flattered the visitors.

“Bologna did better in the first half, we were too timid, sat too deep and tried a lot of long balls to find Watkins without getting the game where we wanted,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“At the same time, we allowed Bologna very few shots on target. The result was good at half-time even if we felt we didn’t particularly deserve to be in that position.”

The second half, however, was a different story.

“It went much better after the restart, we were looser, more fluid and managed to score two more goals,” Emery said.

Emery: ‘No crisis in Italy, the clubs are very good’

He was quick to caution against complacency ahead of next week’s second leg at Villa Park, however.

“We must not rest on our laurels. We have seen Bologna overturn big results before and can take nothing for granted. They are very good on their travels and we have the utmost respect.”

Asked about the wider crisis engulfing Italian football following the World Cup elimination, Emery pushed back firmly.

“I don’t agree there are problems,” he said.

“In recent years Inter played two Champions League finals, Atalanta won it, Fiorentina and Roma played Conference League finals and won one. It is true Italy did not qualify for the World Cup, but their clubs are very good, Napoli, Roma, Inter, Milan, Atalanta, Juventus, Bologna. I have the utmost respect for Italian football. I also learned a great deal from Italian coaches like Gasperini and his 3-5-2, the same system that allowed Inter to have such success.”

Emery also addressed the subject of Donyell Malen, the Roma forward who left Villa Park in January and has since impressed in Serie A.

“It was a good agreement for him and for us,” Emery explained.

“He wanted to play as a centre-forward but we had Watkins, so there wasn’t much playing time available. I wanted to keep him, but he had this opportunity at Roma. I am pleased he is doing well, I think he can have a great career there.”

Paolo Vanoli insists ‘a goal would’ve changed the game’ for Fiorentina, who instead were crushed 3-0 by Crystal Palace in the Conference League quarter-final first leg.

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The Viola are going to need something extraordinary in the second leg to turn this around, as they were swept aside 3-0 at Selhurst Park by Crystal Palace.

There were a few question marks over the penalty converted by Jean-Philippe Mateta, as Evann Guessand had already missed his chance when Dodo clattered into him, but Tyrick Mitchell bundled over the line, and Ismaila Sarr nodded in during stoppages to make it a heavy 3-0 result.

Vanoli saw Fiorentina reaction

“We knew that they were strong, both physically and technically. We had a very good approach in my view, the penalty destabilised us and we didn’t manage to keep our focus,” said Vanoli on Sky Sport Italia.

“I saw a better second half with a lot of character, a goal would’ve changed the game. When you are up against a Premier League team, you will pay for errors, and what really irritated me was conceding the last goal.”

Crystal Palace are in their first ever UEFA tournament, while Fiorentina were hoping to reach their fourth consecutive edition of the Conference League semi-final.

However, the Tuscans seemed to show absolutely none of that extra European experience this evening.

“I thought that in many ways we had a very good performance. We were up against a Premier League side and this shows us what we need to grow in future,” continued the coach.

“Now we have to focus on Serie A, because there is still work to do there to secure safety after a strong run.

“It is frustrating, because a goal would’ve kept the tie wide open.”

Fiorentina have inevitably been torn between seeing the Conference League as prestigious and also a costly distraction from the main focus, which is avoiding Serie A relegation.

“There’s no point hiding the fact it was an added problem and we have done well to balance the two until now. I would’ve liked to reach this game with a full squad at my disposal, but the second and third goals were honestly avoidable,” concluded Vanoli.

Bologna were left to rue a series of costly defensive errors after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the Europa League quarter-final first leg at the Renato Dall’Ara, with both Lewis Ferguson and Federico Bernardeschi delivering frank and self-critical assessments of a result that leaves the Italians facing a mountain to climb at Villa Park next week.

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The manner of the defeat was particularly frustrating given how well Bologna performed in the opening 45 minutes.

Ferguson, who had a chance himself to open the scoring, felt the scoreline was a harsh reflection of a first half his side largely controlled, only to be undone by the kind of individual errors that Aston Villa, at this level, are ruthless enough to punish.

“We knew this would be a real challenge, Villa are a very strong side, but I thought we dominated the first half,” Ferguson told Sky Sport Italia.

“We conceded on a corner, we knew they were good in these situations, and I’m sad that we conceded a goal like that when we were doing so well. In the second half we paid for another avoidable error that made life difficult for ourselves.”

He remained defiant about the second leg, however. “We’ve got nothing left to lose at Villa Park.”

Ferguson also acknowledged the fine margins that separate the two sides at this level.

“There are details that decide games at this level, we saw the difference today in the details, and perhaps that is the big difference between us and Aston Villa.”

Bologna 1-3 Aston Villa – Bernardeschi: ‘You cannot afford to make these mistakes in Europe’

Bernardeschi was equally candid, and his words carried the weight of a senior player demanding higher standards from himself and his teammates.

“The truth is you cannot afford to make these mistakes in Europe,” he said.

“I believe Bologna are not in any way inferior to Aston Villa, but the details make the difference, you cannot make any mistakes, and we were punished by three errors.”

He was particularly pointed about the third goal, which he felt was entirely avoidable.

“This game has to be a teachable moment. We need to mature, grow, and believe that if we want to take the step up in quality, we cannot do things like this.”

A first-half performance full of promise, three defensive lapses, and a 3-1 deficit — Bologna’s European education continues, and the lessons have never been more costly.

Fiorentina have a mountain to climb after losing 3-0 away to Crystal Palace in the first leg of the Conference League quarter-final.

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The Viola were hoping to reach their fourth consecutive Conference League semi-final, but also knew the focus was on avoiding Serie A relegation. Moise Kean, Fabiano Parisi, Manor Solomon, Niccolò Fortini and Tariq Lamptey didn’t make the trip.

Jorgen Strand Larsen was suspended, with Chris Richards and Caleb Kporha injured, so Palace gave Jean-Philippe Mateta his first start since January 25 after a failed medical ruined his move to Milan.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Mateta couldn’t keep his header on target from six yards on a Daniel Munoz cross, while Robin Gosens shinned a volley wide from a promising position.

Evann Guessand was inches away from scoring when he scuffed a volley inches wide of the far post from 12 yards.

Guessand got into the box again and had already taken the wayward shot before Dodo made contact with the clumsy sliding tackle, but the referee still awarded the penalty and VAR confirmed it.

Jean-Philippe Mateta slots the penalty past David De Gea to put Palace 1-0 up

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Mateta sent David De Gea the wrong way to give Palace the lead.

There was a second goal when Munoz sprung the offside trap on a ball over the top to knock down the ball over the top, Mateta’s tap-in was parried by De Gea, who could do nothing on the Tyrick Mitchell follow-up.

Crystal Palace have a two goal lead after just 30 minutes

Tyrick Mitchell forces it home at Selhurst Park

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The restart was delayed by several minutes when the Crystal Palace fans repeatedly threw rolls of paper at De Gea’s goal, forcing players to help stewards clean up the mess.

Fiorentina should’ve pulled one back when Dodo burst down the right and pulled back to find Giovanni Fabbian unmarked from 12 yards, but his first-time sweep only thumped the crossbar.

Former Lazio midfielder Daichi Kamada drilled just wide, while Roberto Piccoli sliding onto a Dodo assist forced a tricky save out of Dean Henderson.

Guessand went off injured and Piccoli failed to get a clean header to the Marin Pongracic cross, but it should’ve been 3-0 when Mateta steered a free header wide at the back post.

The third goal did arrive when Kamada’s cross found Ismaila Sarr for a free header at the back post, surprising Pietro Comuzzo.

Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina

Mateta pen 24 (C), Mitchell 31 (C), Sarr 90 (C)

09-04-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Selhurst Park Stadium

Crystal Palace

Fiorentina

3 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

		21'		Dodô
Jean-Philippe Mateta		24'
Tyrick Mitchell		31'

2nd half

		69'		Roberto Piccoli
Chris Richards		76'
Ismaïla Sarr (Assist: Daichi Kamada)		90'

Match statistic

52

Possession %

48

17

Total shots

8

6

Shots on target

2

8

Shots off target

5

3

Blocked shots

1

3

Corners

1

1

Offsides

1

16

Fouls

11

Crystal Palace

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

1

Dean Henderson

Goalkeeper

26

Chris Richards

Defender

2

Daniel Muñoz

Defender

23

Jaydee Canvot

Defender

5

Maxence Lacroix

Defender

3

Tyrick Mitchell

Defender

20

Adam Wharton

Midfielder

90'

18

Daichi Kamada

Midfielder

90'

Evann Guessand

Attacker

65'

7

Ismaïla Sarr

Attacker

14

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Attacker

83'

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

82'

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

90'

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

78'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

90'

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

77'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

17

Nathaniel Clyne

Defender

44

Walter Benítez

Goalkeeper

24

Borna Sosa

Defender

34

Chadi Riad

Defender

55

Justin Devenny

Midfielder

59

Rio Cardines

Defender

31

Remi Matthews

Goalkeeper

10

Yéremy Pino

Attacker

65'

8

Jefferson Lerma

Midfielder

83'

Brennan Johnson

Attacker

90'

19

Will Hughes

Midfielder

90'

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

23

Eman Kospo

Defender

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

64

Lapo Deli

Midfielder

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

77'

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

78'

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

82'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

90'

69

Giorgio Puzzoli

Midfielder

90'

Bologna were unlucky in attack and paid a heavy price for defensive errors, suffering a 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa in the Europa League quarter-final.

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The Rossoblu eliminated Roma in the all-Italian derby and went into this match without suspended Martin Vitik, plus injured Lukasz Skorupski, Thijs Dallinga, Charalampos Lykogiannis and Benjamin Dominguez.

Unai Emery won the Europa League four times as coach and made this trip without Jadon Sancho and Boubacar Kamara, so Youri Tielemans got his first start since January 25. Villa had won every game except one in the competition and already beat Bologna 1-0 in September, but that was the last Rossoblu defeat in this tournament.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Ollie Watkins didn’t get full control of a smart Youri Tielemans ball over the top, while Jhon Lucumi was booked early on and will be suspended for the second leg.

Bologna had a big double chance when first the Santiago Castro angled drive was charged down by Pau Torres, then Emiliano Martinez fingertipped the acrobatic Juan Miranda follow-up out from under the bar.

The hosts had the ball in the net on 26 minutes when Castro’s effort took a deflection off Ezri Konsa and was cleared by Matty Cash only after already crossing the line. However, it was disallowed by VAR as Castro’s toe was offside on the Jonathan Rowe pass.

Bologna were unlucky again moments later, this time Lewis Ferguson at full stretch poked a Rowe cross onto the underside of the crossbar.

John McGinn drilled inches wide, and Aston Villa took the lead against the run of play just before half-time. Federico Ravaglia flapped at a Youri Tielemans corner, as Konsa held off Lucumi to nod in at the back post.

Ezri Konsa gives Aston Villa the lead in Bologna!

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 9, 2026

Straight after the restart, Rowe ran from his own half and pulled back for Tommaso Pobega to fire just over from the edge of the area.

However, Bologna made another costly and avoidable error, this time Torbjorn Heggem struggling to control an overhit Miranda pass out from the back, so Buendia intercepted, allowing Watkins to place the angled drive under Ravaglia.

Incredibly, the hosts hit the frame of the goal for a second time, as Rowe set up Bernardeschi to fire against the outside of the near post.

Moments later, Dibu Martinez flew for a sensational fingertip save to push the Rowe curler out from under the bar.

Joao Mario also had an effort charged down, as did Rowe, but Bologna finally got the goal they deserved when Rowe cut inside from the left and bent a ferocious right-foot finish past Martinez.

However, just as they had hope, Watkins was left totally unmarked to tap in a flicked-on corner from five yards and restore Villa’s two-goal cushion.

Bologna 1-3 Aston Villa

Konsa 44 (A), Watkins 51, 93 (A), Rowe 90 (B)

09-04-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

Bologna

Aston Villa

1 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

Jhon Lucumí		14'
		31'		Morgan Rogers
		44'		Ezri Konsa (Assist: Youri Tielemans)

2nd half

		51'		Ollie Watkins (Assist: Emiliano Buendía)
Tommaso Pobega		65'
Jonathan Rowe (Assist: Jhon Lucumí)		90'
		90+4'		Ollie Watkins (Assist: Youri Tielemans)

Match statistic

58

Possession %

42

19

Total shots

8

4

Shots on target

4

5

Shots off target

4

10

Blocked shots

0

4

Corners

3

7

Offsides

1

18

Fouls

15

Bologna

Aston Villa

Starting lineups

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

João Mário

Defender

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

67'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

90'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

67'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

82'

23

Emiliano Martínez

Goalkeeper

4

Ezri Konsa

Defender

12

Lucas Digne

Defender

2

Matty Cash

Defender

14

Pau Torres

Defender

24

Amadou Onana

Midfielder

80'

7

John McGinn

Midfielder

8

Youri Tielemans

Midfielder

10

Emiliano Buendía

Attacker

88'

27

Morgan Rogers

Attacker

88'

11

Ollie Watkins

Attacker

Substitutes

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

82

Matteo Franceschelli

Goalkeeper

73

Francesco Castaldo

Attacker

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

67'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

67'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

82'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

90'

Tammy Abraham

Attacker

5

Tyrone Mings

Defender

40

Marco Bizot

Goalkeeper

3

Victor Lindelöf

Defender

9

Harvey Elliott

Attacker

Douglas Luiz

Midfielder

64

James Wright

Goalkeeper

16

Andrés García

Defender

26

Lamare Bogarde

Midfielder

80'

22

Ian Maatsen

Defender

88'

Leon Bailey

Attacker

88'

Crystal Palace took a controversial penalty in their stead on Thursday evening to take the lead against Fiorentina in their UEFA Conference League quarter-final.

Jean-Philippe Mateta converted from the spot after Dodo fouled Evan Guessand in the box.

However, Dodo’s foul on the Palace forward came after the player had already taken a poor shot at goal. Whilst the Brazilian’s follow through was not great, it had no effect on play.

Whether it should or should not have been given is up for debate but one thing is for certain, the yellow card shown to the Fiorentina man in the aftermath, likely for dissent, will see him miss the second leg in Florence.

You can follow all the action from the rest of the match, as it happens, on our Liveblog.

Jean-Philippe Mateta slots the penalty past David De Gea to put Palace 1-0 up

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 9, 2026

Crystal Palace double their lead over Fiorentina

Shortly after, the Premier League side doubled their lead through Tyrick Mitchell after the full-back pounced on a rebound after the hosts forced a good save out of David De Gea.

Fiorentina have a mountain to climb, now, or at the very least must enforce damage limitation so as to not leave themselves with too much of a hurdle in to clear in the second leg.

Crystal Palace have a two goal lead after just 30 minutes

Tyrick Mitchell forces it home at Selhurst Park

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 9, 2026

Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner spoke to the microphones of TNT Sport before kick-off against Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals.

The Austrian coach discussed his team’s progress in training, as well as providing updates on returning stars Jean-Phillipe Mateta, Daniel Munoz and Dean Henderson.

“They trained fully, Dean was ill before the international break and JP [Mateta] and Daniel were managing their minutes. Of course they are starters but we still have to manage Mateta’s knee and so it’s good Strand Larsen comes back for the Newcastle game.

“It’s always good to have many options because as we saw at Larnaca, we needed Strand Larsen and Mateta up front to help us score goals so it’s good to have many options.

Follow all the action, as it happens, on our Liveblog: Bologna vs. Aston Villa, Crystal Palace vs. Fiorentina

Crystal Palace vs Fiorentina – Glasner: ‘We are refreshed and ready’

Asked about how he was feeling, and how the squad have been doing in training, Glasner said

“Yes we’re feeling refreshed. We made the best of it. Many players played for their national team and we had an in-house game so everyone can stay in rhythm with a good week in training.

“Yes I feel relaxed, the players give me a good feeling. We had a great week in training but on the other hand, we know the most important part is after the kick off, how we perform. But the preparation is very good.”

Glasner’s Crystal Palace come into the game with extra rest compared to Fiorentina, who played at the weekend. The English club have not played since before the international break, with many English clubs given an extra week of rest due to the FA Cup weekend.

Weston McKennie has delivered a glowing tribute to Luciano Spalletti in a wide-ranging interview for DAZN’s Remember the Name format, describing the Juventus head coach as the best manager of his career while also reflecting on the extraordinary experience of sharing a dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo.

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The American midfielder has been one of Juventus’ most consistent performers this season and recently signed a contract renewal, a far cry from the period not long ago when he appeared to have no future at the club. Much of that transformation, McKennie suggests, is down to the environment Spalletti has created around him.

“I get on very well with him,” McKennie said, with quotes via AlfredoPedulla. “I think every player has different needs and there are different expectations on each of us. Every time I see the manager he gives me a sense of security.”

He was particularly struck by Spalletti’s ability to deliver criticism constructively, an approach he contrasted with other managers he has worked under.

“When he tells you off he never does it in a harsh way, he always does it to make you improve. Some coaches humiliate you, but Spalletti’s personality makes you think that you need to get better. He commands your attention every time he speaks, he has experience, he is wise.”

Juventus, McKennie: ‘Spalletti is the best coach I’ve had’

McKennie also highlighted the collective philosophy that underpins everything Spalletti does. “He focuses heavily on team success,” he said.

“He always says that you can dribble past four opponents, score and be happy, but if you provide a beautiful assist, two people are happy. That is why I say he is the best coach I have had in my career. The numbers say it and the way he manages the group makes him an outstanding coach.”

On Ronaldo, McKennie was equally vivid, recalling the sheer reality of the Portuguese superstar’s legendary dedication. “It was incredible to play with him,” he said. “When I met him I thought that everything you hear about his professionalism is completely true.”

He went on to describe scenes that have become almost mythological in football, returning from away matches at three in the morning to find Ronaldo heading for an ice bath rather than home, and seeing him back in the gym the morning after a gruelling fixture. “It was something I needed to see with my own eyes to believe,” McKennie said.

Vincenzo Italiano warns Aston Villa ‘are the favourites’ in the Europa League quarter-final, but Bologna need to be ‘clinical, because we didn’t make the most of opportunities’ last time.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

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

The Rossoblu are the only remaining Italian team in the Europa League, having surprisingly eliminated Roma in the Round of 16 after a 4-3 second leg thriller in extra time.

They already faced Aston Villa twice recently, losing 2-0 in October 2024 and 1-0 back in September, but that was also the only Europa League defeat this season, followed by four draws and seven victories.

Italiano wants Bologna coup

“It is good to be here and taking part in games like this, we’ll see if we can perform on the night against a great opponent, a coach who has already won this competition four times. They are the favourites, and we need a super performance to cause them problems,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.

Martin Vitik is suspended, with Lukasz Skorupski, Thijs Dallinga, Charalampos Lykogiannis and Benjamin Dominguez out injured.

Santiago Castro leads the attack, with Federico Bernardeschi and Jonathan Rowe in support, plus Lewis Ferguson and Tommaso Pobega in midfield.

“We’ll see if we are able to work between the lines and into those corridors with Ferguson and Pobega. Once we lose the ball, we’ve got to chase it down immediately, and when we have it, we’ve got to try to hurt them, especially in the home leg.

“Above all, I want to see us be clinical, because we did create plenty of chances in the two previous matches against them, and we didn’t make the most of those scoring opportunities.”

Unai Emery won the Europa League four times, but also expressed admiration for Italiano’s record, having reached two Conference League Finals and two in the Coppa Italia, winning the latter last season.

“We are talking about a coach who gets his teams playing well, has won so many trophies, and that means he’s a winner. Here too, he immediately got Aston Villa into the Champions League, he’s a great European coach, it is an honour to challenge him and we hope to do well,” concluded Italiano.

Unai Emery said he ‘will pay’ for dinner with Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano after the Europa League quarter-final, but first Aston Villa must ‘show respect’ to their opponents.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

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

Emery really is a specialist in the Europa League, winning it four times at two different clubs in his coaching career between Sevilla and Villarreal.

Emery admires Bologna and Italiano

“I asked my team to show respect for this competition, for this opponent. It is very difficult to be competitive and Bologna will do so much to cause us problems, so we need to be very well-organised and ready,” Emery told Sky Sport Italia.

Bologna already lost 2-0 to Aston Villa in the Champions League last season and 1-0 back in September for this tournament, but this is the first time Aston Villa have played at the Stadio Dall’Ara.

“We have individual talents, but we need to be organised as a team in order to get the best out of them. Football is a team sport, and we need everyone to work together so that they can all give their best individually too.”

Aston Villa are flying high in the Premier League, currently in fourth place, one point behind Manchester United and five ahead of Liverpool, so are on track to qualify for the Champions League.

They eliminated Lille in the Round of 16 of the Europa League, 3-0 on aggregate, and won every game in the tournament this season except for a 2-1 loss away to Go Ahead Eagles on October 23.

Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano said he would like to meet Emery for dinner one day to talk football, away from competition.

“I have great respect for Italiano, he was already a strong player, now as a coach he has reached three finals in three years. That means he knows how to prepare his teams in these competitions and transmit his ideas, the competitive approach to the players,” smiled Emery.

“Of course, I will pay! It is always fascinating to exchange ideas with people from other countries and styles of football.”

Paolo Vanoli explains how he believes Fiorentina can ‘create problems’ for Crystal Palace in the Conference League quarter-final. ‘We must play with character and positivity.’

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It kicks off at Selhurst Park at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

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

The Viola are hoping to reach their fourth consecutive Conference League semi-final, but are also well aware that the priority is managing to avoid relegation in Serie A.

Vanoli outlines Fiorentina approach

“I expect everyone to put in a great performance and help the team,” Vanoli told Sky Sport Italia.

“I always said the team spirit is what allowed us to get results when we had started from the bottom. This is a match against a strong, Premier League team, so we must play with character and positivity.”

Moise Kean is still struggling with that recuring ankle issue and has not made the trip to London, along with Fabiano Parisi, Manor Solomon, Niccolò Fortini and Tariq Lamptey.

Crystal Palace are in their first major UEFA tournament, but Jorgen Strand Larsen is suspended, with Chris Richards and Caleb Kporha injured.

Jean-Philippe Mateta gets his first start since January 25, when his failed medical ruined the planned €30m transfer to Milan.

It was put to Vanoli that Fiorentina can do damage to Crystal Palace’s defence, especially with Giovanni Fabbian’s position.

“In modern football, midfielders make the difference. Fagioli pulls the strings and has been sending passes to the strikers so well lately. I think we can create problems for them between the lines and support the striker, even if Palace are a very strong team,” agreed the coach.

Usually, Fiorentina were the favourites in their Conference League fixtures this season, but this is not the case for the quarter-final and might actually help them.

“Pressure is part of the game and you need it if you want to achieve something important. With the emotional state we were in domestically, the fact we got this far in the Conference League was remarkable.

“Now this is a reward for us and our fans that we are able to play this quarter-final. We’ve got to enjoy it and remember the tie is played over two legs,” concluded Vanoli.

Juventus have identified Ederson as a primary midfield target for this summer, with Luciano Spalletti personally requesting the Atalanta and Brazil international as the player he believes can fundamentally change the character of his squad, even if the path to signing him is far from straightforward.

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According to Tuttosport, via CalcioMercato, the Brazilian has already decided to leave Bergamo at the end of the season.

With his contract running until 2027 and Atalanta determined to cash in rather than risk losing him for a reduced fee next summer, the Brazilian’s entourage have been active in exploring options for some time.

They have already reached a preliminary agreement with Atletico Madrid, who have tabled a bid in the region of €35 million, though Atalanta are holding firm at €40 million and are prepared to let a bidding war develop if necessary.

That is where Juventus see their opportunity.

Juventus aim to sabotage Atletico move for Ederson

Despite Atletico’s head start, the Bianconeri believe their own appeal, particularly under Spalletti, who has a strong track record of maximising the potential of dynamic box-to-box midfielders, could prove persuasive.

The pursuit of Sandro Tonali has been abandoned due to the prohibitive cost and fierce English competition, making Ederson the most realistic route to the high-quality midfield addition Spalletti has been promised.

Ederson has been at Atalanta since 2022 and has made 173 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals, while also collecting a Europa League winner’s medal in 2024. This season he has featured 34 times, contributing two goals, numbers that underline his consistency if not his attacking output.

The broader picture at Juventus this summer involves significant investment across the squad, with the Vlahovic renewal situation still unresolved and at least one further striker required. But in midfield, Spalletti has made his wishes clear, and Ederson is the name at the top of his list.

Bologna look to Santiago Castro, Jonathan Rowe and Federico Bernardeschi in the Europa League quarter-final against Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

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

Vincenzo Italiano’s side were the surprise victors in the all-Italian derby in the Round of 16, eliminating Roma after a 1-1 first leg draw and 4-3 win in extra time at the Stadio Olimpico.

Martin Vitik is suspended for the first leg, with Lukasz Skorupski, Thijs Dallinga, Charalampos Lykogiannis and Benjamin Dominguez injured.

Federico Ravaglia therefore has to go in goal, with Castro the only centre-forward, but Bernardeschi and Rowe are preferred to Riccardo Orsolini and Niccolò Cambiaghi.

These teams have met twice before very recently, with Aston Villa winning 2-0 in the Champions League in October 2024, then 1-0 back in September 2025 as part of the Europa League opening phase.

Both those games were at Villa Park, so this is the first time they’ve faced off on Italian soil.

That 1-0 loss in September is also the only defeat Bologna suffered in the Europa League this season, along with four draws and seven victories.

Aston Villa currently sit fourth in the Premier League, one point behind Manchester United and five ahead of Liverpool, so are on track to qualify for the Champions League.

They eliminated Lille in the Round of 16 of the Europa League, 3-0 on aggregate, and won every game in the tournament this season except for a 2-1 loss away to Go Ahead Eagles on October 23.

Boubacar Kamara and Jadon Sancho are the only injury absentees for coach Unai Emery, who is a real specialist in this competition, winning the Europa League a record four times.

Their squad includes Argentina hero goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, ex-Roma full-back Lucas Digne, former Milan and Roma striker Tammy Abraham, Douglas Luiz on loan from Juventus and Roma flop Leon Bailey.

Bologna vs. Aston Villa line-ups

Bologna: Ravaglia; Joao Mario, Lucumi, Heggem, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Pobega; Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe

Bologna bench: Pessina, Franceschelli, Moro, Orsolini, Casale, Zortea, Odgaard, Sohm, Cambiaghi, Castaldo

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne; Onana, Buendia; McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers; Watkins

Aston Villa bench: Bizot, Wright, Lindelof, Mings, Elliott, Andres Garcia, Abraham, Douglas Luiz, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey

Ref: Schärer (SUI)

09-04-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

Bologna

Aston Villa

1 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

Jhon Lucumí		14'
		31'		Morgan Rogers
		44'		Ezri Konsa (Assist: Youri Tielemans)

2nd half

		51'		Ollie Watkins (Assist: Emiliano Buendía)
Tommaso Pobega		65'
Jonathan Rowe (Assist: Jhon Lucumí)		90'
		90+4'		Ollie Watkins (Assist: Youri Tielemans)

Match statistic

58

Possession %

42

19

Total shots

8

4

Shots on target

4

5

Shots off target

4

10

Blocked shots

0

4

Corners

3

7

Offsides

1

18

Fouls

15

Bologna

Aston Villa

Starting lineups

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

João Mário

Defender

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

67'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

90'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

67'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

82'

23

Emiliano Martínez

Goalkeeper

4

Ezri Konsa

Defender

12

Lucas Digne

Defender

2

Matty Cash

Defender

14

Pau Torres

Defender

24

Amadou Onana

Midfielder

80'

7

John McGinn

Midfielder

8

Youri Tielemans

Midfielder

10

Emiliano Buendía

Attacker

88'

27

Morgan Rogers

Attacker

88'

11

Ollie Watkins

Attacker

Substitutes

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

82

Matteo Franceschelli

Goalkeeper

73

Francesco Castaldo

Attacker

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

67'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

67'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

82'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

90'

Tammy Abraham

Attacker

5

Tyrone Mings

Defender

40

Marco Bizot

Goalkeeper

3

Victor Lindelöf

Defender

9

Harvey Elliott

Attacker

Douglas Luiz

Midfielder

64

James Wright

Goalkeeper

16

Andrés García

Defender

26

Lamare Bogarde

Midfielder

80'

22

Ian Maatsen

Defender

88'

Leon Bailey

Attacker

88'

Fiorentina are without Moise Kean, so Roberto Piccoli and Albert Gudmundsson lead the attack against Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta in the Conference League quarter-final.

• Read Football Italia Ad-Free and get access to Exclusive News and Content – Free Trial – Click Here

It kicks off at Selhurst Park at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

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

The Viola are torn between focus on avoiding relegation from Serie A after a disastrous start to the season, and trying to reach the Conference League semi-final for the fourth year in a row.

Star striker Kean is again forced out with a recurring ankle issue and has not even made the trip, with Fabiano Parisi, Manor Solomon, Niccolò Fortini and Tariq Lamptey also injured.

Piccoli therefore is the centre-forward, supported by Gudmundsson, Italy Under-21 international Cher Ndour, Giovanni Fabbian and January signing Jack Harrison.

Veteran goalkeeper David De Gea takes the gloves, with Robin Gosens at left-back.

Crystal Palace are forced to do without suspended Jorgen Strand Larsen, while Chris Richards and Caleb Kporha are carrying injuries.

They too are struggling domestically this season, sitting 14^th in the Premier League, albeit with a healthy cushion from the relegation zone.

Mateta starts upfront after a failed medical test on his knee ruined a January transfer to Milan that had been agreed for over €30m.

Strand Larsen was signed as his replacement, so Mateta has not started since a 3-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League on January 25.

Ismaila Sarr is Palace’s top Conference League scorer with five goals in 10 games this season, while Yeremy Pino netted once in eight appearances.

England international Dean Henderson is in goal and ex-Lazio midfielder Daichi Kamada in midfield.

They reached the quarter-final after a 2-1 extra time win over AEK Larnaca in the Round of 16, but this is their first ever major UEFA tournament.

Crystal Palace vs. Fiorentina line-ups

Crystal Palace: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Canvot; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Guessand

Crystal Palace bench: Benitez, Matthews, Lerma, Pino, Johnson, Clyne, Hughes, Sosa, Riad, Devenny, Cardines

Fiorentina: De Gea; Dodò, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Fagioli; Harrison, Fabbian, Ndour, Gudmundsson; Piccoli

Fiorentina bench: Leonardelli, Christensen, Mandragora, Comuzzo, Fazzini, Kospo, Kouadio, Braschi, Balbo, Deli, Puzzoli

Ref: Rumsas (LTU)

09-04-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Selhurst Park Stadium

Crystal Palace

Fiorentina

3 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

		21'		Dodô
Jean-Philippe Mateta		24'
Tyrick Mitchell		31'

2nd half

		69'		Roberto Piccoli
Chris Richards		76'
Ismaïla Sarr (Assist: Daichi Kamada)		90'

Match statistic

52

Possession %

48

17

Total shots

8

6

Shots on target

2

8

Shots off target

5

3

Blocked shots

1

3

Corners

1

1

Offsides

1

16

Fouls

11

Crystal Palace

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

1

Dean Henderson

Goalkeeper

26

Chris Richards

Defender

2

Daniel Muñoz

Defender

23

Jaydee Canvot

Defender

5

Maxence Lacroix

Defender

3

Tyrick Mitchell

Defender

20

Adam Wharton

Midfielder

90'

18

Daichi Kamada

Midfielder

90'

Evann Guessand

Attacker

65'

7

Ismaïla Sarr

Attacker

14

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Attacker

83'

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

82'

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

90'

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

78'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

90'

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

77'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

17

Nathaniel Clyne

Defender

44

Walter Benítez

Goalkeeper

24

Borna Sosa

Defender

34

Chadi Riad

Defender

55

Justin Devenny

Midfielder

59

Rio Cardines

Defender

31

Remi Matthews

Goalkeeper

10

Yéremy Pino

Attacker

65'

8

Jefferson Lerma

Midfielder

83'

Brennan Johnson

Attacker

90'

19

Will Hughes

Midfielder

90'

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

23

Eman Kospo

Defender

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

64

Lapo Deli

Midfielder

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

77'

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

78'

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

82'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

90'

69

Giorgio Puzzoli

Midfielder

90'

Juan Sebastian Veron knows a thing or two about thunderous long-range strikes, and the Argentine midfield legend watched Hakan Calhanoglu’s stunning effort against Roma with the appreciative eye of someone who spent a career doing exactly the same thing.

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Calhanoglu‘s powerful drive to seal Inter’s victory over Roma was a goal of genuine quality, precise, powerful and deliberate in its execution. Whether goalkeeper Mile Svilar could have done better is debatable, but the Turkish international gave him precious little chance, picking his spot and striking with conviction from well outside the penalty area.

For Veron, it was a moment of rare craft in a modern game that has largely abandoned the art of shooting from distance.

“Calhanoglu did today what was fairly common in my time,” Veron explained, via La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Back then, midfielders, especially box-to-box players, would always have a go when they reached 25 metres. Now the preference is to carry the ball inside. I loved shooting from distance, and I wasn’t bad at it either.”

What impressed Veron most was not simply the power of the strike but the intelligence behind it.

“He had no opponent pressing him, so he had time to take aim and shoot,” he said.

“He was clever enough to generate power without losing his coordination, which is an error you often see. What I particularly liked was that he aimed for a specific part of the goal and found it. So often you see wild shots that somehow end up in the net. This was different. Well done.”

Veron: ‘Calhanoglu is an excellent regista, dictates Inter tempo’

On why players attempt so few long-range efforts in the modern game, Veron was blunt.

“Because it requires courage, the courage to miss, to ignore the criticism,” he said. “And it requires considerable technique. The ball must be struck in a specific way, the leg must follow through freely but always under control.”

He proceeded to break the skill down methodically: strike with the instep or outer instep rather than the inside of the foot, decide before striking whether to keep it low or lift it, and crucially, read the goalkeeper’s position rather than shooting blind. “Only through repetition in training do you make progress,” he added.

On Calhanoglu’s broader value to Inter, Veron was equally admiring.

“He has this quality in his locker, but not only this one. He is an excellent deep-lying playmaker, he dictates the tempo, knows when to slow things down or speed them up, and has a superb long pass that opens defences and finds teammates in space. For Inter he is an enormous asset.”

Asked to recall his own finest long-range effort, Veron needed no time to think.

“January 1997, I was at Sampdoria. A corner from Mihajlovic and I volleyed it just inside the area, straight under the crossbar.”

He also remembered a stunning volley at San Siro against Inter for Parma in the Coppa Italia, set up by Asprilla and finished across goal with power and precision.

“Inter protested that there had been a foul and three of their players were sent off,” he recalled with a smile. “I had never seen that before, I score and three opponents get dismissed. And that season we won the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup.”

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The biggest political party in Italy has presented a motion to annul the sale of San Siro to Inter and Milan following an investigation into the stadium situation.

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After a decade of discussions, projects that were presented, scrapped, represented and revised, the two clubs finally sealed the purchase of the land around the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in the San Siro area of Milan.

San Siro future still up in the air

In November 2025, the clubs completed the €200m agreement to build a new arena in what is essentially now the car park, and after that they can tear down the existing stadium or remodel it.

However, it is all being thrown back into doubt after Milan city council offices were raided by the Italian financial police as part of an investigation on suspicion of bid-rigging and collusion.

Now Fratelli d’Italia, the political party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the opposition party in the city of Milan, has presented a motion to annul the sale of San Siro and demand the resignation of Mayor Giuseppe Sala.

They had always been against the sale of the stadium, wanting to instead refurbish the existing arena, even though that will be extremely difficult with the teams playing every three days.

Milan have reportedly intensified talks with the agent of Barcelona centre-forward Robert Lewandowski, who could be a free agent this summer.

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It is no secret that the Rossoneri are keeping a close eye on the situation, as they are hoping to replicate the successful swoop for veteran Luka Modric when his Real Madrid contract was allowed to run down last year.

Lewandowski can still deliver for Milan

Despite the fact he will celebrate his 38^th birthday in August, Lewandowski is still banging in the goals for Barcelona, finding the net 17 times with three assists in 39 competitive games this season.

His contract only runs to June 30, although it could be renewed if certain conditions are met.

According to Calciomercato, Milan have stepped up communication with agent Pini Zahavi in order to convince Lewandowski to accept a significantly lower salary.

Their ceiling is set at €7m per season, whereas the Poland international currently pockets as much as €20m at Camp Nou.

That is also a figure that MLS club Chicago Fire would be willing to pay, but Milan hope that the lure of Serie A and their likely Champions League qualification can convince him to remain.

He’d also get to be teammates with former Real Madrid rival Modric, who is finding a new lease of life in Italian football.

Italy will have some more representation at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA, because referee Maurizio Mariani and VAR Marco Di Bello are among those officiating.

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The Azzurri failed to qualify for the third edition of the World Cup in a row, although there will still be some Italian interest in the tournament.

That includes Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, Turkiye boss Vincenzo Montella, and Uzbekistan manager Fabio Cannavaro.

Italian referee Mariani at 2026 World Cup

Meanwhile, referee Mariani has been chosen from the Italian selection of officials to be part of the selection.

Di Bello has also been included, but he will be in the role of VMO, meaning he’ll be in the VAR booth and not on the field.

Assistant referees Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni are going to the World Cup too.

There are 52 referees in total who will be involved in the tournament, which is bigger than ever with over 100 games being played in three countries.

This includes 15 officials from Europe chosen by another Italian, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina.

“This year’s FIFA World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a 48-team line-up and 104 matches to be contested across the most extensive geographical footprint in the tournament’s history,” said Collina.

“It’ll be the largest FIFA Team One ever, with 41 more match officials than at Qatar 2022. Each of them must be ready to be appointed for a match and to contribute actively to ensuring that the refereeing at the World Cup is a success.

“The fact that six women match officials have been selected continues a trend that was started four years ago in Qatar as we aim to further develop women’s refereeing.”

The group of officials will meet in Miami for a 10-day preparation seminar starting May 31, then the VAR team will relocate to Dallas.

Italy will face France, Denmark and Montenegro in the European Under-17 Championship, which runs from May 25 to June 7 in Estonia.

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While the senior team might be struggling, youth level football is still flourishing, and they qualified for the final phase of the Under-17 tournament.

Who Italy will play in Under-17 Euros

The draw has placed the Azzurrini in Group B and will make their debut against France on May 26, then Montenegro on May 29 and Denmark on June 1.

All their games will be played at the Kalevi Central Stadium in Tallinn.

The top two teams in each group will go through to the semi-finals, while the Final is scheduled for June 7.

Italy qualified by finishing second in their group with six points, one behind leaders Montenegro, then dominated the A2 phase in March with a 100 per cent record, beating Portugal 3-2, Iceland 4-0 and Romania 2-1.

Coach Daniele Franceschini not only qualified them for the final phase of the European Under-21 Championship, but also the Under-17 World Cup, scheduled for November 2026 in Qatar.

Italy won the 2024 edition of the European Under-17 Championship and then came third in the 2025 edition of the Under-17 World Cup.

Former Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner admits that ‘the wound is still there’ with Allegri after a falling out in 2017, and has explained what made Antonio Conte a more enjoyable coach to work under during his time in Turin. 

Lichtsteiner, who was appointed head coach of Basel in January, spoke in an in-depth interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, published on Thursday. 

• Read more: Lichtsteiner reveals Pirlo told him: ‘You do the running, I’ll take care of the rest’

Lichtsteiner on positives with Conte and negatives with Allegri at Juventus

Lichtsteiner spoke in-depth about the lessons he learned during his time working under Conte, but revealed that he is still ‘disappointed’ after being left off Juventus’s Champions League squad list by Allegri in 2017-18. 

“So many memories come to mind,” Lichtsteiner said when recalling his relationship with Conte. 

“I think of all the training sessions spent working on the same plays. Antonio was sure from day one that we’d win it. He’s someone who teaches you that winning is the only thing that matters. And I will take that with me forever. He does everything he can to make you win.
“He taught me, more than anything else, to be mean on the pitch. I was a different person when I played. I knew that the referees couldn’t take to me much, or the coaches. I didn’t talk to anyone, I wasn’t an easy guy to manage.” 

However, Lichtsteiner doesn’t have the same fondness when looking back on his time with Allegri. 

He says that he is particularly disappointed by the fact  that the aforementioned Champions League snub was a result of ‘personal issues’ rather than playing quality.

“That was something that hurt and is a wound that is still there. Especially because it had to do with personal issues and nothing on the pitch. I remember that Allegri called me. There was disappointment. In hindsight, I’m happy that I was included in January.” 

Click here to read the full interview with Lichtsteiner.

Riccardio Calafiori has admitted that he feels more comfortable playing in a back four rather than in a back three, but believes that his preferences and Gennaro Gattuso’s tactical selections were not the reason behind Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. 

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Calafiori on Arsenal goals and Italy ‘disappointment’

Calafiori lined up alongside Gianluca Mancini and Alessandro Bastoni in a three-man defence for Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina last Tuesday, and briefly spoke about the national team in an interview with Sky Sport Italia following Arsenal’s recent Champions League victory over Sporting CP. 

The former Roma and Bologna defender admits that the disappointment of Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third tournament in a row will remain for ‘quite a while’ but says that he has to focus on his football at club level, with Arsenal still fighting for the Premier League and Champions League titles. 

“I think the disappointment will remain for quite a while, but that’s how it is in football, I prefer to play as a starter because there’s nothing else to think about when you’re on the pitch. You try to give your best, there are big goals to play for,” Calafiori told Sky.

“I think the disappointment remains inside, but I hope to achieve something big with Arsenal at the end of the season.” 

Alessandro Costacurta was on punditry duty in the Sky studios. He pointed out that all of the teams competing in the Champions League quarter-finals lined up in a back four, while in Italy and with the national team, a back three remains one of the more popular systems. 

Calafiori told Costacurta that he does prefer playing in a back four, but that this was not the reason behind Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat. 

“I’ve never thought about it, I don’t know what to say about it. I feel better in a four-man defence, both as a central defender and as a full-back. But if you think that’s the reason why the game (against Bosnia) went badly, I don’t think that’s the case.” 

Costacurta clarified that his question was meant generally, and not specifically in relation to the Italy national team: “I didn’t want to put you in a difficlt spot,” he insisted.

Gian Piero Gasperini has spoken in-depth about how he wants to see Roma operate during the summer transfer window and has explained what makes players like Donyell Malen or Wesley Franca ‘ideal’ targets for the Giallorossi. 

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Gasperini’s press conference ahead of Roma-Pisa: Inter reflections, Champions League goal and ‘ideal’ transfer plan

The Roma head coach gave his thoughts on Roma’s recruitment, this season’s injury battles and his side’s recent 5-2 defeat against Inter during his pre-match press conference ahead of Friday’s Serie A match against Pisa. 

Gasperini began his customary chat with the media with an injury update on some of his key first-team players. He is not expecting any surprise returnees for Pisa, but hopes that the situation might start to clear up in time for next weekend’s match against Atalanta. 

“I think Mancini will recover as early as next week, I hope Kone and Wesley will too,” Gasperini confirmed. 

“The injuries they have are less serious situations. Dybala is doing quite well, but he’s more unpredictable. It will take a week or two. 

“Injuries have definitely hindered us from the end of December onwards, they’ve all been very long. The issue isn’t the number of injuries (it’s the length). If you miss one or two weeks, you can still make it back. When you miss months, though, that’s not part of the ‘normality’ in football. From Ferguson to Bailey and Dovbyk, then Dybala, Soule and Angelino. 

“We brought in Malen, but then we lost Dovbyk, Ferguson, Soule and Dybala. Then we also had an emergency in defence. However, this is a team that has always reacted well to emergencies and we hope to continue to do so in these last seven games.” 

Gasperini insisted that he is only focused on the short-term future rather than the medium or long-term following his side’s 5-2 hammering away against the league-leading Inter last time out. 

“We’re not thinking about the future right now, we have to think about the present. We can’t allow the second half in Milan to happen again, there was definitely a collapse in mood and that is the only thing that must never happen.” 

Turning his attention to the task in hand against Pisa, Gasp added: “We will face a team that is almost relegated, but we know that Pisa is always a tough side that has put in some excellent performances. We have no margin for error, starting from tomorrow. We know that we can take a big step forwards tomorrow.” 

Gasperini was asked if Lorenzo Pellegrini, out of contract at the end of the season, is expected to pen a new deal before the end of the campaign. Gasp admitted that the situation is up in the air, but insists that this is not a concern on either the player or coach’s side. 

“This is a situation that has been the same since the beginning of the year, it’s not been addressed before and it has remained as it is. These are serious players, it’s impossible to predict now what could happen in a month. It depends on the will of the club and the players. 

“The situation between loans and expiring contracts, who could potentially be on the market to help with the accounts, at the moment, are situations that are not a concern to anyone. 

“After losing 5-2 in Milan, Pellegrini put it on his own shoulders by doing interviews. I don’t know what will happen, but I’m grateful to this group for how they’ve gone about this season.”

Gasperini was asked what players like Neil El Anyaoui, Daniele Ghilard and Robinio Vaz have to do to earn more consistent playing time. 

“We see the players and I make the choices. Ghilardi has played a lot, Vaz has played more than he did in Marseille, if that’s not enough for you …” Gasperini responded. 

“Everyone has played in this team, but some want you to play Vaz over Malen or Ghilardi over Ndicka. Of course there is a team that plays regularly, there are also players who come in and are growing. If that’s not enough, then I don’t know what to do.” 

Gasperini was asked what he makes of the suggestions that this is not a Roma side that is ‘worthy’ of a fourth-place finish in Serie A. 

“All the defections we’ve had from a certain point in the season have definitely weighed heavily. That doesn’t mean that we haven’t tried to do our best. 

“Everyone is free to have their own discussions, evaluations and comparisons on the quality of individual players who have had to play. We are the ones that set the goal (of qualifying for the Champions League), if we don’t achieve it, we will have done our best to achieve it.”

Gasperini was asked if there are any players he considers to be ‘untouchable’ heading into the summer transfer window. 

He said: “I think we always have to try and improve the team. Before you start thinking about depriving yourself of what you have, you first have to understand what to put in. That’s the focus. We’d all like to have Messi or Ronaldo.

“The goal is to improve the team from time to time. To me, it seems that if you look at Roma on Transfermarkt, we’ve brought in 30 players and only four or five play. I don’t blame anyone, but maybe there’s a need for different targets. 

“I’ve seen great players and teams at Roma, the fans recognise quality players. I’m more inclined to that sort of idea (quality over quantity) rather than bringing in 30 players. Not everyone might share the same opinion.” 

Following up, Gasperini was asked what sort of target he would like to see the club go after during the summer transfer window. 

“This is a choice that the club has to make,” he replied. “Maybe you go for players with big contracts, which happened in the past and the owners might not want to do anymore. Another solution could be to focus on very young players, but I don’t know if a team like Roma can accept lowering the team’s ambitions to focus on youngsters. 

“Another, the ideal solution, are targets like Malen, Wesley, at those costs and those salaries. It’s not easy, but maybe you need to work on those targets. If you find ten, brilliant. If you find two, work on those two.”

Thursday’s reports claim that Inter are now inclined to keep midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu on board and that they are prepared to fend off interest from Galatasaray during the upcoming transfer window, as was the case last summer as well. 

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Reports Inter want to keep hold of Calhanoglu until 2027 at least

Calhanoglu, 32, has just over a year remaining on his contract in San Siro, expiring in the summer of 2027. He has spent the last nine seasons playing in the city of Milan, the last five for the Nerazzurri. 

The 104-time Turkiye international has, on several occasions, been linked with a move to Galatasaray, who reportedly saw bids for Calhanoglu rejected in the most recent summer and winter transfer windows. 

With just over a year to go on his contract, and with Inter expected to overhaul their playing squad and potentially their tactical set-up as well this summer, there have been recent suggestions that Inter could finally allow Calahanoglu to leave for Galatasaray under the right financial circumstances this summer. 

However, according to the latest updates from La Gazzetta dello Sport, this may no longer be the case. Perhaps it was his goal of the season contender during Inter’s 5-2 win over Roma in Serie A over the weekend that reminded the Nerazzurri that Calhanoglu still has plenty to offer. 

Moreover, Inter also feel that Calhanoglu is a reliable midfield general, and one who can help maintain standards and some continuity if the team is to undergo a major overhaul this summer.

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Cristian Chivu is keen for Calhanoglu to stay on with Inter, knowing that few players offer the same skillset as the Turkiye international. And those who do – Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez has been used as an example – would almost certainly be out of Inter’s price range. 

Whether Calhanoglu signs a new contract with Inter, or decides to leave upon the expiry of his current deal in 2027 remains to be seen, but the current indications suggest that Inter do not want to lose him during the coming summer transfer window.

Thursday’s reports suggest that Crystal Palace will hand a starting opportunity to striker Jean-Phillipe Mateta in this evening’s Conference League quarter-final first leg against Fiorentina, just over three months after the Frenchman’s January transfer to Milan fell through.

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What happened with Milan and Mateta?

Multiple outlets, including Sky Sport Italia and La Gazzetta dello Sport, claim that Mateta will lead the line for Palace when they host Fiorentina in the Conference League quarter-final first leg at Selhurst Park on Thursday night. 

Mateta has not started for Palace in any competition since their 3-1 defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League on January 25. 

Mateta had been on the verge of joining Milan in the final days of the January transfer window. The clubs had shaken hands over a transfer fee in excess of €30m and Palace decided to bring in a replacement in the form of Jorgen Strand Larsen. 

The Mateta transfer stalled, however, over concerns surrounding an underlying knee issue. Reports in Italy claimed that three different experts warned Milan against the signing due to the knee issue, and Palace head coach Oliver Glasner later admitted that it ‘wasn’t a big surprise’ to see the transfer fall through. 

There had been concerns in the UK that Mateta would need surgery to fix the damage in his knee. Glasner later revealed that there was an option for Mateta to go through a rehabilitation process, which might be better for his chances of featuring for France at the 2026 World Cup. 

“There are two ways we can do it: Either manage it, like we did. We can manage the knee until after the World Cup, because this is especially what JP is considering, his dream, playing for France at the World Cup. Or, the other one is that he undergoes the surgery,” Glasner explained in February. 

In the end, Mateta decided against having surgery, which has facilitated a return to action three months on from his failed Milan transfer. Tonight’s Conference League clash against Fiorentina is expected to be his first start since then.

Germany international Leon Goretzka continues to be linked with moves to both Milan and Juventus ahead of the summer transfer window, but Thursday’s reports suggest that the Rossoneri have a plan in place to try and fend off their competition. 

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Where Milan and Juventus stand in Goretzka pursuit

Goretzka is expected to leave Bayern Munich on a free transfer once his contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, which has alerted some of Serie A’s biggest clubs. Aside from Milan and Juventus, there have also been suggestions that Napoli, Inter and some clubs in the Premier League might be interested as well. 

Thursday’s reports from both La Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttosport indicate that the 31-year-old Goretzka is seeking a three-year contract once his current deal with Bayern comes to an end. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that Milan have no problem with the length of contract, especially given that Adrien Rabiot also penned a three-year deal at the age of 30 last summer. 

The Pink Paper suggests that Milan are the only club currently prepared to put a three-year contract offer on the table for Goretzka, and that their competitors will be more inclined to offer a two-year deal. 

Despite being billed as a ‘free transfer’, Goretzka is still not expected to come particularly cheaply. 

Tuttosport reports that Goretzka will seek a salary of €7m per season with a signing-on bonus of €10m. That would end up costing Milan €31m over a three-year period. La Gazzetta dello Sport, meanwhile, claims that the Rossoneri will go in with an offer of €5m per season. 

Multiple outlets in Italy are reporting that Luciano Spalletti’s contract extension at Juventus is now a done deal and that the Old Lady will announce their head coach’s renewal before the end of the working week.

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When will Spalletti sign his Juventus contract?

According to the likes of La Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttosport, Spalletti will put pen to paper on a new two-year contract that will run until the summer of 2028. The former CT had initially joined the Bianconeri on a short-term deal until the end of the 2025-26 campaign back in October. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Juventus will announce Spalletti’s contract extension ‘within the next 24 hours’, while Tuttosport agree that the announcement will be delivered on Friday. 

Spalletti is set to receive a salary in the region of €5m-€6m per season. Some outlets suggest that it will be a base salary of €5m, while others cite a figure of €6m including bonuses. Reports suggest that Spalletti will be paid around €3m for the work he will have done from October until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Tuttosport claims that Juventus took the decision to offer Spalletti a new deal following the club’s 3-0 victory away against Sassuolo on January 6, and that John Elkann spoke to the head coach on the evening after that game in Emilia Romagna. The Sassuolo match was Juve’s fifth victory in a seven-game unbeaten run.

Up next on the agenda for Juventus are potential contract extensions for midfielders Weston McKennie and Manuel Locatelli. On the pitch, the goal remains to finish the season with a Champions League spot for 2026-27, and only after they discover their final league finish will Juventus be able to push forwards with plans on the transfer market.

Antonio Conte continues to be linked with a return to the Italy national team set-up, and reports on Thursday indicate that there will be a meeting between the Napoli head coach and the club’s President, Aurelio De Laurentiis, once the 2025-26 season comes to an end.

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Conte and De Laurentiis set for Napoli and Italy talks at end of 2025-26 sesaon

Conte’s name is at the top of the shortlist of candidates to replace Gennaro Gattuso as head coach of the Italy national team. Gattuso left his position by mutual consent last week following Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which cost the national team a spot at the final tournament for the third time in a row.

It would be a return to the national team for Conte, who already held the role of CT from 2014 to 2016.

Conte has just over a year remaining on his current contract, and De Laurentiis has recently admitted that he would not stand in the coach’s way should he decide to leave the club in order to take on the Italy job. “If Antonio asked me, I think I’d say yes,” said ADL.

According to Thursday’s reports from the Corriere dello Sport, Conte and De Laurentiis will sit down for decisive talks over the coach’s future as soon as the 2025-26 season comes to an end. 

The location for the meeting has been set: On the island of Ischia, and will take place within a few days of the final round of Serie A fixtures, which will take place on May 24.

Fiorentina will have to go without Italy international Moise Kean when they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final on Thursday evening. 

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Crystal Palace are the outright favourites to go on and win the Conference League, but must first get past two-time finalists, Fiorentina, who finished just one point behind the South London outfit at the end of the league phase. The Viola beat Rakow Czestochowa by a 4-2 aggregate scoreline in the round of 16 in order to qualify for tonight’s quarter-final. The hosts overcame AEK Larnaca over two legs after being held to a 0-0 draw at home in the opening game of that tie.

Fiorentina are without Kean, who has not travelled, nor has Manor Solomon or Fabiano Parisi. The Italy international is not expected to be out long-term, and should be in contention to play against Lazio in Serie A over the weekend. Roberto Piccoli is likely to start in his place in South London. 

Rolando Mandragora is available for selection after a brief spell on the sidelines through injury, but is likely to start amongst the substitutes on this occasion.

Pre-match reports suggest that Palace could finally re-introduce Jean-Phillipe Mateta to their starting line-up after a spell on the sidelines nursing a knee injury. That same injury saw his January transfer move to Milan fall through at the end of the window, and has kept him out of action ever since. 

There could also be an appearance in the Palace starting line-up from former Lazio midfielder Daichi Kamada. 

Kick-off this evening is due at 20.00 BST.

Crystal Palace vs. Fiorentina: Probable line-ups 

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Canvas; Johnson, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Mateta.

Fiorentina (4-1-4-1): De Gea; Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Fagioli; Harrison, Fabbian, Ndour, Gudmundsson; Piccoli.

Where to watch Crystal Palace vs. Fiorentina

Tonight’s game will be available to watch live in the UK on TNT Sports 3 and online through Discovery+. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via Paramount+. 

Join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game coverage and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Bologna will need to put their troubling home record behind them and dig into their encouraging Europa League form when they host Europa League favourites Aston Villa in the first leg of the tournament’s quarter-final on Thursday evening. 

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The Rossoblu, currently eighth place in Serie A, beat domestic rivals Roma 5-4 over two legs of the Europa League round of 16 in order to qualify for tonight’s quarter-final. Aston Villa, who finished the Europa League league phase in second place and are currently fourth in the Premier League, beat Lille twice over with a 3-0 aggregate scoreline during the previous round.

Should Bologna overcome their Premier League opponents over two legs, they will qualify for the Europa League semi-final for just the second time in the club’s history, and for the first time since 1998-99 (UEFA Cup). 

Vincenzo Italiano is expected to name his strongest available line-up, led by Santiago Castro at centre-forward with support from Federico Bernardeschi and either Jonathan Rowe or Nicolo Cambiaghi.

Lewis Ferguson, Remo Freuler and either Tommaso Pobega or Nikola Moro are the likely midfielders, with an expected back four of Joao Mario, Jhon Lucumi, Torbjorn Heggem and Juan Miranda.

Bologna are expected to be without Lukasz Skorupski, Benja Dominguez, Thijs Dallinga and Jens Odgaard. 

Boubacar Kamara is Aston Villa’s only injury absentee. Former Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz is expected to be among Unai Emery’s selections, along with the likes of John McGinn, Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins.

Kick-off is due at 20.00 BST.

Bologna vs. Aston Villa: Probable line-ups 

Bologna (4-3-3): Ravaglia; J.Mario, Lucumi, Heggem, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Pobega; Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, P.Torres, Digne; Onana, D.Luiz; McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers; Watkins

Where to watch Bologna vs. Aston Villa 

Tonight’s game will be available to watch live in the UK on TNT Sports 2 and through Discovery+. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via Paramount+. 

Join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game coverage and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog.

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

Alisson with Spalletti 

Three big things already happening on the transfer market 

The new Juve is born, the coach signs a two-year deal. And the Liverpool goalkeeper gives his first yes 

Goretzka to Milan: Offer of 5 million for three years 

But what sale? Now Chivu is convinced. Calha needs to stay

Cholo conquers Barcelona, Kvara show in Liverpool 

Champions League quarter-finals: 0-2 for Atletico, 2-0 to PSG 

Bologna and Fiorentina: No fear against the English 

Against Aston Villla in the Europa League and Palace in the Conference League at 20.00

Corriere dello Sport 

Juve handicap 

Champions League at all costs | Six games until the end and -1 off Como in fourth: Spalletti is missing a no.9

Final sprint without Vlahovic, David and Milik mysteries 

Dusan’s stop will be longer than two weeks: He will miss Atalanta, Bologna and Milan. Openda fails to impress: 4 benches in a row. Lucio thinks about the Boga solution 

‘Football is a plastered-over system’

Gravina’s testimony

Calha, the puzzle on the future 

Knots to be untied with Inter and Hakan 

ADL-Conte, meeting at the end of May 

Napolim meeting on Ischia 

Kvara ace, Cholo conquers Barcelona 

Champions League quarter-finals: PSG and Atletico flying 

Bologna and Viola, mission semi-finals 

Europa and Conference League at 20.00 

Tuttosport

Spalletti has signed 

Juve’s announcement expected tomorrow 

Renewal until 2028 for six million per year: Finally, the white and black smoke arrives, a sign that the strategies for the relaunch have been shared and agreed. Transfer market: The free agents Goretzka and Senesi, battling with Atletico Madrid for Ederson. 

The real capital gain will be selling Toro 

Big gains for Cairo 

By selling off lots of players bought for so little, the President has earned far more than he spent over 20 years, and with a change of ownership …

Barca see red. Cholo, what an impression 

The sending off (after VAR) of Cubarsi launches Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou: 2-0 with Alvarez and Sorloth. Doue and Kvara decide the other Champions League quarter-final

Gianluigi Donnarumma has broken his silence on one of the darkest weeks in Italian football history, addressing the bonus controversy that emerged in the aftermath of the World Cup playoff defeat to Bosnia while paying tribute to the three figures who have since stepped down from their roles.

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The Manchester City goalkeeper, who served as Italy captain during the playoff campaign, spoke to Sky Sport, via TMW, in a reflective and emotional interview that covered everything from the personal pain of a third consecutive World Cup absence to the damaging reports that surfaced about bonus demands from within the squad.

For Donnarumma, those reports cut particularly deep. “What hurt me most was what came out,” he said. “As captain I never went to ask the Italian national team for a single euro. What happens at the national team, as always in every competition, is that a gift is given to players if they reach a target. That was all it was, and nobody asked the federation for anything. Our gift was going to the World Cup. Unfortunately that did not happen.”

It was a firm and unambiguous denial from a player who clearly felt the integrity of the group was being called into question at an already painful moment.

“I was hurt more by the comments and the words that came out than anything else,” he added.

Italy goalkeeper Donnarumma: ‘We feel sorry for Gigi, Gattuso & Gravina’

The departures of Gabriele Gravina, Gennaro Gattuso and Gianluigi Buffon have added another layer of emotion to an already bruising period. Donnarumma was generous in his words for all three, and visibly affected by the chain of resignations that followed the Zenica defeat.

“I had a wonderful relationship with Gigi, with Gattuso, with Gravina,” he said. “We feel sorry above all for them, it is natural that you feel somewhat responsible for everything that is happening now, and it hurts. But I want to thank the manager, the president and Gigi, because they gave an important contribution.”

Despite the pain, the goalkeeper was determined to frame the situation within a broader context.

Italy’s record-breaking winning streak and the European Championship triumph of 2021 remain genuine achievements, and Donnarumma was insistent that the country’s footballing identity is not beyond repair. “In these years, beyond the disappointments, we have achieved important things,” he said. “Not everything should be thrown away.”

His message for the future was simple but heartfelt. “It is hard, but we must move forward with strength and with the awareness that Italy will return strong, will return great.”

With the Nations League and European Championship still to come before any future World Cup campaign, the rebuilding process begins sooner than many might think.

“The first two days were very hard and tiring,” Donnarumma admitted. “It hurts, it really hurts. The first days I struggled to process it. But the truth is that you have to restart, move forward, react.”

Jonathan Rowe has opened up on a difficult start to life at Bologna and the hard work that has gone into transforming his fortunes, ahead of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final first leg against Aston Villa at the Renato Dall’Ara.

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The English winger was candid with UEFA about the challenges of adapting to a new country and a different style of football after joining from Marseille, admitting he may have initially underestimated how significant that transition would be.

“I found myself in a situation where I had to adapt to a different kind of football,” Rowe said, via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“I analysed my statistics and, together with my staff, compared them to what I was doing before and what the best players in my position do. I took that information and applied it to my game. I also became more aware of my positioning on the pitch, and I think that has allowed me to reach this level of performance.”

Rowe: ‘Bologna fans are starting to see the real me; Italiano helps us feel free in the final third’

The forward believes that growth is now becoming visible to Bologna’s supporters.

“I think the Rossoblù fans are starting to really see what I am capable of,” he said, a confident but measured assessment from a player who has worked methodically to earn his place in Vincenzo Italiano’s plans.

On the manager himself, Rowe was enthusiastic. The language barrier presented an early challenge, but as communication improved so did his understanding of what Italiano demands.

“The most important thing is that with him, we forwards feel free in the final third,” he said. “We must maintain quality, create goals, assists and chances, and be a constant threat.”

Rowe also identified what he believes Italiano values most in him specifically.

“I think what the manager appreciates most about me is my hunger, both offensively and defensively, my desire to always give everything on the pitch. These are characteristics that have always been part of my game, so it is easier for me to build on them.”

Rafael Leao’s name has resurfaced at Barcelona once again, with Spanish newspaper Sport reporting fresh interest from the Catalan club, though any potential move remains far from a concrete negotiation at this stage.

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According to the report, via MilanNews, the pursuit of Leão is being driven from the very top of the club, with president Joan Laporta personally behind the recurring interest in the Portuguese winger.

It explains why Leão’s name has been linked with Barcelona virtually every summer for the past several years, it is a presidential fixation rather than a sporting director’s initiative.

However, the key factor determining whether Barcelona pursue the Milan star in any meaningful way this summer is entirely separate from the Portuguese winger himself.

Barcelona interest in Milan man Leao depends on Rashford pursuit

The club’s priority is to establish whether they can make Marcus Rashford’s loan from Manchester United permanent. Barcelona are understood to have a personal agreement with the England forward, but United are holding firm at a fee of €30 million, and until that situation is resolved, no other wide forward targets can be properly explored.

Barcelona’s financial constraints add another layer of complexity. The club cannot overspend and must carefully manage how they distribute their transfer budget, making any move for a player of Leão’s calibre contingent on significant sales elsewhere first.

Crucially, Milan are not looking to sell. There is no negotiation between the clubs, no formal approach from Barcelona’s sporting director Deco, and no indication from Leão’s camp that he is pushing for a move. For now, the interest remains exactly what it has always been, a name on a presidential wishlist rather than a transfer in motion.

Benjamin Pavard’s loan spell at Marseille is set to end without a permanent transfer, with RMC Sport reporting that the French club have decided against triggering their purchase option for the World Cup winner.

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The Frenchman returned to his home country last summer on loan from Inter with considerable fanfare, expected to bring experience, leadership and defensive reliability to a Marseille side with genuine ambitions.

Instead, his campaign has fallen well short of expectations on multiple fronts.

According to reports from France, via FCInter1908, Pavard has failed to meet the standards demanded of him in terms of both performance and attitude, becoming, in the eyes of many supporters, a symbol of the club’s broader frustrations this season.

Marseille rule out permanent move for Inter owned Pavard

The situation has deteriorated to the point where Marseille have apparently ruled out a permanent move even at a reduced fee, despite having the option to negotiate a lower buyout figure with Inter.

The final decision may ultimately rest with incoming leadership at the club, but the current direction of travel leaves little room for doubt.

Pavard will therefore return to Inter at the end of the season, where his future will need to be resolved.

With the Nerazzurri already planning a significant summer overhaul, including changes in defence following the expected departures of several out-of-contract players, where Pavard fits into Cristian Chivu’s plans, if at all, remains an open question.

Another loan move looks the most likely outcome, though finding a club willing to take on a player whose stock has fallen considerably during his time in Ligue 1 may prove more difficult than anticipated.

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery and defender Matty Cash faced the media on Wednesday evening ahead of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final first leg at the Renato Dall’Ara, with both manager and player showing considerable respect for a Bologna side they have faced before, and know better than to underestimate.

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Emery arrived in Bologna with his squad boosted by the returns of John McGinn and Youri Tielemans from injury, providing additional options for a tie the Spaniard described as one of the most difficult Villa could face at this stage of the competition.

The extended break following the international window has been used productively, though Emery acknowledged the challenge of resetting players mentally after time away with their national teams.

Jadon Sancho remains sidelined and will not feature, with the manager hopeful of his return within a fortnight.

Bologna vs Aston Villa – Emery: ‘Bologna aggressive, great respect for them’

On Bologna themselves, the Aston Villa coach’s admiration was genuine and detailed.

“They beat Roma and Vincenzo Italiano has played three finals in the last three years,” he said, via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“He is very good in knockout matches, he reached two European finals with Fiorentina and won the Coppa Italia. I have great respect for Bologna and I know very well what the difficulties will be.”

He also credited the continuity of the club’s footballing identity, noting that quality football has been a constant at the Dall’Ara from the Thiago Motta era through to the present day.

On the tactical challenge of facing Bologna’s aggressive man-marking system, Emery was pragmatic.

“In Italy many teams play this way, Atalanta were among the first,” he said. “It will be very important for us to adapt to their aggression while maintaining our own style. The qualification chances are 50-50. We must be resilient when they press us and patient when we don’t have the ball.”

Cash, speaking separately, offered a more concise but equally respectful assessment. The Polish international noted his personal connection to the opposition, having spoken with his compatriot Skorupski despite the goalkeeper’s injury absence.

“They are an excellent team, after we beat them they did not lose again,” Cash said, via TMW. “So it will not be easy.”

His message for the tie itself was straightforward. “There are 180 minutes and anything can happen. Our objective is to win and put ourselves in an advantageous position for the second leg.”

Paolo Vanoli held his pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday’s Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg at Selhurst Park, and the Fiorentina head coach was candid on multiple fronts, confirming Moise Kean’s fitness setback, acknowledging Crystal Palace’s status as favourites, and expressing his pride at the scale of the occasion despite a lengthy injury list.

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Kean has been nursing a long-standing shin problem, and Vanoli confirmed the striker was unable to train on Wednesday after reporting pain in the affected area.

“Moise has been carrying this shin issue for a very long time,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“After yesterday’s training he felt pain and today he was not able to make it.”

The news is a blow for a Fiorentina side already managing several absences ahead of what Vanoli himself described as one of the most demanding spells of the season.

On the injury situation more broadly, Vanoli pushed back against any narrative of crisis.

“I would have liked to arrive here with a full squad because against opponents like this I need everyone,” he said. “But the word ’emergency’ is not in my DNA. It must be an opportunity for those who have played less and for the younger players. If we play as a team we will achieve great results.”

Vanoli has done his homework on Crystal Palace and their manager Oliver Glasner, whom he has followed closely for some time. “Glasner has already proven himself in Europe, his team is organised and you can see his footballing ideas trace back to his days at Salzburg,” he said.

“Now he is managing in the Premier League, the strongest league in the world. I experienced it personally with Chelsea. This must be a source of pride for us after the whole season we have had.”

Crystal Palace vs Fiorentina – Vanoli: ‘They are favourites, we must play with character’

He was equally respectful of the venue itself, describing Selhurst Park as an intimate, atmospheric ground where Palace have built their successes, with 25,000 supporters packed tightly around the pitch.

Asked directly whether he considers Palace favourites, Vanoli did not hesitate.

“Yes, I think so, they are coming off an FA Cup victory.” But he was equally clear that Fiorentina belong on the same stage. “We must play with personality and lucidity. It is a beautiful test and we will measure our growth as a team.”

He also offered an encouraging update on Albert Gudmundsson, noting the Icelandic forward’s growing defensive discipline and competitive reaction to his own mistakes at Verona.

“These reactions are small but important details,” Vanoli said. “We are all growing.”

With the second leg to follow in Florence, Vanoli’s message was clear, the tie is far from over before it has even begun, and Fiorentina intend to make their mark on the European stage.

Weston McKennie has reflected on a remarkable personal journey that has taken him from being cast aside at Juventus to becoming one of Luciano Spalletti’s most trusted and indispensable midfielders, and with a home World Cup on the horizon with the United States, life could hardly look more different from the darkest moments of his career.

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The American, who recently signed a contract renewal at Juventus after establishing himself as a key figure under Spalletti, spoke candidly to Goal about self-doubt, humility and the importance of staying grounded despite achieving things he once considered impossible.

His honesty about the fragility of his early career is striking for a player now operating at the very highest level.

“When I was in the USA youth teams I never would have thought something like this could happen to me,” McKennie said, with quotes via CalcioMercato.

“As a child you get discouraged easily, and every time I was left out of the squad I thought there was no way I could ever make it. I would go back to Dallas, to my family and to FC Dallas, and there they relaunched me, believing in me day after day. That pushed me to improve more and more, to push beyond what I thought was possible. I am grateful for the journey I have taken to get here, I never would have imagined reaching this level.”

McKennie: ‘I’m a human being like everyone else’

That journey has not only shaped him as a footballer but as a public figure, one acutely conscious of the responsibility that comes with being a role model for young American players trying to follow a similar path.

“It is an extraordinary feeling but also a responsibility,” he said. “Back then social media was not so common and my role models were people I saw on TV or in magazines. Today there is much more responsibility.”

What McKennie is most eager for people to take from his story, however, is something more personal than the goals and assists. “I am a good footballer, but above all I am a human being like everyone else,” he said.

“I try to always be faithful to my values and my roots. I wish people saw me as humble, you need to remain humble and follow your dream, finding your own path.”

Away from football, McKennie painted a picture of a man who values simplicity above all else. Barbecues with family, a drink with friends, time with his dogs, the kind of ordinary pleasures that keep him anchored to who he was before the fame.

“I like to enjoy life to the fullest,” he said. “The last six to eight months have been pretty positive, in family life, with friends, and with my dogs.”

Danilo has opened up on one of the most emotional moments of his career, the day his closest friend and long-time teammate Alex Sandro left Juventus, in a heartfelt documentary produced by Flamengo TV ahead of the new Copa Libertadores campaign.

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The Brazilian defender spent several years alongside Alex Sandro at the Turin club, having previously shared dressing rooms at Santos and Porto.

Their bond, forged across three different countries and multiple trophy wins, runs far deeper than football, and Danilo’s words made that abundantly clear.

Danilo reflects on Alex Sandro bond & Juventus exit

“When Alex left Juventus it made me cry on the pitch, because we had fought so many battles together,” Danilo said, with quotes via the Corriere dello Sport.

“When he left I didn’t think it would be that difficult. It was then that I truly felt his absence. Understanding how much we have supported each other during our careers and in difficult moments is something that makes me very satisfied, because it has extended to our personal lives and our families.”

Alex Sandro, speaking in the same documentary, was equally emotional in his tribute to a friendship he describes as lifelong. “We talk every day and share feelings that few people can imagine,” he said.

“For me he has always been a mirror, someone I have always admired enormously. Our story as brothers, friends and teammates will last a lifetime, it won’t end here at Flamengo.”

The two are now reunited once more at the Rio club, with Danilo having returned to Flamengo, the club where he grew up, after his time in Europe. He admitted that winning the Libertadores last season and scoring in the final against Palmeiras would have been the perfect moment to retire at 34, adding that only the unfulfilled dream of a World Cup with Brazil kept him going.

On that front, Danilo had warm words for Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, whose path has crossed his own in unexpected ways. “When I was at Porto and moved to Real Madrid, it was practically Ancelotti who bought me, and then when I arrived, he had already been sacked,” he said with a smile. “The game is like that. But we found each other again more than ten years later in the national team. It is an enormous privilege to work with him.”

Antonio Conte’s candid declaration of interest in the Italy job following Sunday’s Napoli-Milan match has set in motion a fascinating chain of events that could reshape the managerial landscape across Serie A this summer.

Conte was clear on Sunday evening that he would need to speak with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis before any decision could be made, given that he still has a year remaining on his contract at the club.

The acknowledgement that he has put himself forward for the national team role makes it difficult to envision him continuing at Napoli beyond this season, though in football, stranger things have happened.

What has emerged in the wake of Conte’s comments is that Napoli had already been quietly exploring their options.

De Zerbi & Italiano among Napoli targets as Conte open to Italy

According to Alfredo Pedulla, the club held conversations with Roberto De Zerbi about a potential move to the Maradona, only for Tottenham to move faster and secure the Brighton manager for themselves.

It is a significant revelation that suggests De Laurentiis had already begun contingency planning well before Conte made his position public.

Vincenzo Italiano remains a name high on Napoli’s list, a long-standing target of De Laurentiis, while Gian Piero Gasperini, despite recent signs of tension at Roma, is tied to the capital club for another two years, making any move complicated.

At Roma, the suggestion that Gasperini could be vulnerable raises wider questions about the club’s direction.

As Pedulla’s report pointedly notes, Roma cannot continue to treat the manager as the primary problem when the issues clearly run deeper, particularly around transfer market strategy and internal alignment, concerns that have been present since at least December.

Massimiliano Allegri, meanwhile, continues to be mentioned as a potential Italy candidate despite recent denials, a situation that could become clearer once Milan’s season reaches its conclusion.

Fiorentina are putting in their final preparations ahead of a trip to London to face Crystal Palace in the Conference League on Thursday night, but Paolo Vanoli will have to travel to Selhurst Park without the services of Italy international Moise Kean. 

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Kean ruled out of Crystal Palace vs. Fiorentina

According to the latest updates, Fiorentina will be without three first-team stars due to ongoing injury or fitness concerns. Kean is the headline absentee, song with Fabiano Parisi and Manor Solomon, who will also miss the Crystal Palace clash according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

Kean did not train with the rest of the Fiorentina group on Wednesday, and instead carried out an individual session. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that he is struggling with pain in his tibia, and that he is pushing to be available to face Lazio in Serie A this weekend instead. 

Kean is Fiorentina’s leading goalscorer in both Serie A and across all competitions this season, with eight goals from 26 league outings and 9 goals from 33 appearances including cup competitions. 

Kean recently matched an Italy national team record with his goal in last Thursday’s World Cup play-off defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina by scoring in six consecutive matches for the Nazionale. He also has eight goals from his last six outings with the Italy national team. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach Sergej Barbarez says that Italy didn’t ‘underestimate us’ ahead of their World Cup play-off final defeat last week, and has expressed his ‘respect’ for former CT Gennaro Gattuso: ‘I thank him’. 

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Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach Barbarez on Gattuso, Italy and Alajbegovic

Barbarez and his Bosnia and Herzegovina squad eliminated Italy on penalties in their World Cup play-off final in Zenica on Thursday evening, which cost the Azzurri a place at the World Cup for the third tournament in a row. 

This is only the second time that Bosnia have managed to qualify for the World Cup following the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Their last appearance at the World Cup came in 2014, the same as Italy. 

“I’m very proud of my team and what they achieved against Italy. Matches like this will always be special,” said Barbarez in an interview with Tuttomercatoweb.

Barbarez insists that Italy did not ‘underestimate’ Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of the play-off final: “I wouldn’t say they underestimated us. It rarely happens at this level. Italy is an experienced and serious team. We knew we had to be disciplined, focused and courageous, and I think our players showed that on the pitch.”

Barbarez also spoke about Gattuso, who left his position as head coach of the Italy national team a few days after the play-off final defeat in Zenica. 

Gattuso had praised Barbarez’s ability as both a player and coach during his final pre-match press conference in charge of the Nazionale. 

“I appreciate the respect from colleagues of Gattuso’s calibre and I thank him,” said Barbarez, “even though I must admit that our attention was completely focused on preparing the team before the match, so that we could arrive in the best possible way for this meeting.” 

Barbarez also gave his blessing to Bosnia talent Kerim Alajbegovic, who has been linked with several Serie A sides including Milan and Roma ahead of the summer transfer window. 

“Alajbegovic is a young talent with great potential. However, I think the most important thing for him at this stage of his career is to continue to grow in the right environment, to play regularly and grow step by step.”

Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup continued a worrying trend for the four-time winners of the tournament.

The warnings of early exits in 2010 and 2014 were not heeded as Italy missed out on qualification in 2018 and 2022.

A third consecutive absence is a major embarrassment for a nation which still considers itself to be one of the big-hitters in international football.

While the national team will spend the summer with their feet up, Italian football fans will still have plenty of reasons to watch the World Cup.

Numerous Serie A players will be representing their respective countries at the tournament, and several of them have a genuine chance of lifting the trophy.

Read on as we look at the Serie A stars to watch out for at the 2026 World Cup, before identifying some of the noteworthy players who have missed out.

Argentina bidding to go back-to-back this summer

Reigning champions Argentina will head into the tournament as one of the bookmakers’ favourites to retain the prestigious trophy.

Punters already tracking outright odds, futures markets and tournament betting lines can review the latest insights and markets at https://www.luckyrebel.la/sportsbook/soccer/fifa-world-cup before the competition begins.

Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez will be in the squad, while Como’s Nico Paz and Máximo Perrone are also likely to feature.

Martinez has been on the sidelines since suffering a calf injury in a Champions League tie in February, but is scheduled to return to action soon.

The 28-year-old has bagged 36 goals and 11 assists in 75 appearances for Argentina and will be a key figure in their bid to win back-to-back World Cups.

Leao hoping to play a key role for Portugal

It would be fair to say that Rafael Leao has never truly lived up to expectations at international level, but that could change this summer.

The 26-year-old has tallied just five goals and seven assists in 43 appearances for Portugal, which is a poor return for a player of his quality.

Leao has struggled with his fitness in recent months, and recently spent time in his homeland to seek independent medical advice on his issues.

If he can demonstrate that he is back to his best over the final few weeks of the season, the AC Milan winger could be a useful asset for Portugal this summer.

Pulisic aiming to sparkle on home soil

Christian Pulisic has not scored for the United States in eight games, a career-high international drought that stretches back to late 2024.

Despite his struggles, the Milan star will be a guaranteed starter for the co-hosts this summer under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Recent defeats against Belgium and Portugal have cranked up the pressure on Pochettino, and he desperately needs Pulisic to rediscover his best form.

The US are scheduled to face Paraguay, Australia and Turkey in the group stage, and securing progression to the knockout phase is not a foregone conclusion.

McTominay ready to lead Scotland into battle

Scott McTominay has flourished since joining Napoli from Manchester United in 2024. He will be a key part of the Scotland squad this summer.

His stunning goal in the 4-2 win against Denmark that clinched a spot at the 2026 World Cup will be remembered as one of the greatest moments in Scotland’s history.

McTominay will need to be at his best if Scotland are to have any chance of progressing out a group containing Brazil, Morocco and Haiti.

His blend of defensive tenacity and forward thrust provides the Tartan Arm’s midfield with much needed balance. If he plays well, Scotland tend to play well.

Italy’s latest flop dents Serie A representation at the World Cup

Italy’s devastating penalty shootout defeat by Bosnia & Herzegovina resulted in them becoming the first previous winners to miss three consecutive World Cups.

The Serie A stars who feature in the Italian squad join a sizeable list of top-flight players who have missed out on this summer’s tournament. The most notable names are as follows:

• Nicola Zalewski (Poland, Atalanta)
• Piotr Zielinski (Poland, Inter)
• Gianluca Mancini (Italy, Roma)
• Alessandro Bastoni (Italy, Inter)
• Nicolo Barella (Italy, Inter)
• Federico Dimarco (Italy, Inter)
• Rasmus Hojlund (Denmark, Napoli)
• Adam Marusic (Montenegro, Lazio)
• Nikola Krstovic (Montenegro, Atalanta)
• Gustav Isaksen (Denmark, Lazio)
• Stanislav Lobotka (Slovakia, Napoli)
• Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon, Napoli)
• Maduka Okoye (Nigeria, Udinese)
• Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Nigeria, Lazio)
• Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (Serbia, Napoli)
• Dusan Vlahovic (Serbia, Juventus)
• Lazar Samardzic (Serbia, Atalanta)
• Strahinja Pavlovic (Serbia, Milan)
• Edon Zhegrova (Kosovo, Juventus)

Italy’s failure on this occasion can primarily be linked to financial issues in Serie A. The Italian top flight struggles to match the financial strength of rival European leagues.

This has impacted their ability to invest in their youth systems, which has resulted in Italy struggling to compete on the world stage.

Vincenzo Italiano believes that Bologna have a ‘50/50’ chance of beating Aston Villa over two legs of their Europa League quarter-final despite the fact that the Premier League side are ‘superior on paper’. 

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The Rossoblu will host the Villains at the Dall’Ara on Thursday evening for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie. The reverse fixture will be played at Villa Park on April 16. 

Bologna claimed a surprise 5-4 aggregate victory over Serie A opponents Roma in the round of 16 in order to qualify for this stage of the competition. Aston Villa, meanwhile, claimed two round of 16 victories over Lille and qualified with a 3-0 aggregate scoreline.

Villa are the odds-on favourites to go on and win the Europa League title this season, but Bologna head coach Italiano believes that ‘anything can happen’ over two legs, and that his side have a ‘50/50’ chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. 

Italiano previews Bologna vs. Aston Villa: ‘It’s 50/50’

“It’s 50/50. You all know how complicated this match is, but we have to prove our value, our strength and our qualities,” Italiano said during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “We know the opponents because we’ve already faced them twice, but each match tells a different story. 

“We will have to manage the game over 180 minutes. Tomorrow is important because the first game gives you the opportunity to set up for the second leg in a certain way. We have every chance to do it. We have to take our chances because it is a big pride to be in the final eight.”

Bologna have the home ‘advantage’ for Thursday’s quarter-final first leg, but oddly that is something that may worry Bologna, who have lost six of the seven Serie A matches that they have played at the Dall’Ara in 2026. 

“Tomorrow there will be the obstacle of the stadium and I hope that (the supporters) will give us a big hand to conquer it,” Italiano admitted. “We’re coming in with a lot of enthusiasm having won in Cremona, which has allowed us to prepare well for this match,” he continued. 

“We had both the result and the performance in Cremona. I hope to confirm it in a tough and difficult game tomorrow. 

“I hope that the supporters will always continue to be with us, as I asked at the beginning of the season. I’ll give the example of Orsolini, who missed a penalty but was applauded. All that has to be protected. On paper, Aston Villa are superior to us, but with everyone’s help, we can overturn the predictions.” 

Bologna and Aston Villa have already met twice over the last two seasons, once in the league phase of the Europa League earlier this season and once in the Champions League in 2024-25. Villa won those matches 1-0 and 2-0 respectively, both played at Villa Park. 

“The two previous matches were in the ‘qualifying’ rounds, one-off games and at their home. This time we will play for 180 minutes and anything can happen,” said Italiano. “We know their strengths and weaknesses. We’ve always faced them at the beginning of the season, unlike now when we’re nearly at the end. 

“They have individual quality and a lot of value. We need an extraordinary performance, but there will definitely be a difference compared to the last two games.” 

Milan are expected to sign a new centre-forward in the summer, and according to Corriere della Sera, the Rossoneri’s top ‘dream’ target is Robert Lewandowski.

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Milan are determined to sign a new centre-forward for next season as Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, Christopher Nkunku and January signing Niclas Fullkrug have failed to impress in the second part of the campaign.

According to Corriere della Sera (via Milannews), the Rossoneri’s top target is Barcelona star Lewandowski, whose contract with the La Liga giants expires at the end of the season.

Technically, Lewandowski is available on a free transfer, and even if his high salary at Nou Camp represents a substantial obstacle, the Rossoneri will continue to monitor the Polish striker’s situation at Barcelona over the coming weeks.

The Catalans are expected to offer Lewandowski a one-year contract extension, but the experienced striker hasn’t yet made up his mind about his future at the club.

Corriere della Sera further reports that Milan will be listening to offers of at least €50m for their star, Rafael Leao, in the summer.

Inter have the small matter of the Serie A title to wrap up before the end of the 2025-26 season, but reports in Italy indicate that plans have already been made ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, beginning with the contract extension of head coach Cristian Chivu. Here’s what could happen next for the Nerazzurri. 

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What do Inter have planned for the summer transfer window?

Inter are seven points clear at the top of the Serie A table heading into the final seven matches of the season left to go. 

Assuming that the Nerazzurri go on to lift the trophy at the end of the season, Chivu will have won the league title in his first full season as a head coach of a senior side. 

The Romanian, who replaced Simone Inzaghi on a two-year contract last summer, is likely to be rewarded with a new contract extension, potentially until the summer of 2028 according to the latest reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

Talks have not yet begun and are unlikely to take place before the end of the campaign, but the Pink Paper suggests that there will be no issues when it comes to negotiating a renewal.

Once Chivu’s contract is wrapped up, Inter will move forwards with what is expected to eb a summer transfer ‘revolution’. 

Chivu had already tried to bring in star-quality signings in Manu Kone and Ademola Lookman last summer in an attempt to reshuffle the Nerazzurri playing staff, but it is understood that he will be given more backing this time around after a convincing start to life in the Inter hot seat. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that Inter could look to move away from the 3-5-2 system that they have deployed so regularly over the last three seasons, and that they could be inclined to move to more of a 4-3-2-1. 

Kone remains a target heading into this summer window and could be a useful figure in that set-up. There have also been suggestions that Inter could make another attempt for Moussa Diaby, a natural winger, who would benefit in a 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-3 formation. 

Inter are also expected to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, with Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario the current frontrunner.

As for the defence, La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Atalanta’s Marco Palestra is a strong favourite at right-back and that Oumar Solet and Mario Gila are strong options at centre-back.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Oaktree will not provide much more than €40m for Inter to spend this summer, but this does not factor in the fact that Yann Sommer, Francesco Acerbi, Stefan  De Vrij, Matteo Darmian and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are likely to leave at the end of their contracts, which clears considerable room off the club’s wage bill. 

There have also been suggestions that Inter could look to sell one of their current first-team stars, such as Alessandro Bastoni, which would also improve the budget situation this summer. 

Denzel Dumfries, who has a release clause in his contract, as well as the likes of Davide Frattesi or Luis Henrique could also potentially be moved on this summer according to Wednesday’s report.

President Gabriele Gravina has published a report on the state of Italian football, along with a number of proposals to address the crisis, despite his recent resignation as FIGC President.

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Gravina resigned as the FIGC President last week in the wake of Italy’s World Cup play-off exit.

Italy did win the 2020 Euros with Gravina at the helm of the football federation, but also failed to qualify for the World Cup on two occasions.

Gravina has already announced his resignation, but will remain in charge for ordinary administration until his successor is elected on June 22.

On Wednesday, Gravina posted a report he was supposed to present at the Italian parliament last week, but his hearing was cancelled following his resignation.

Gravina shared the document “with the hope that it may stimulate reflection and deeper analysis, including among those who, in recent days, have added their opinions to the already crowded group of those who believe they have the solution in their pocket.

“The critical issues of Italian football have been known for years and highlighted in numerous official documents, differing only in the statistical data that continue to worsen, confirming that these are largely structural deficiencies,” continued the outgoing FIGC President.

“If we truly want what is best for Italian football as a whole sporting movement, it is necessary to clarify the actual responsibilities of the Federation, the Leagues and public institutions. Too many inaccuracies, and at times outright falsehoods, fuel the search for the culprit, but above all, spread misconceptions.

“In my view, it is no coincidence that in areas of direct and exclusive federal responsibility (social and environmental sustainability, youth and school projects, development and training programs for national youth teams, to name a few), significant results have been achieved.

“Unlike in areas where the interests of the various stakeholders, and their respective autonomies, overlap to such an extent that they effectively paralyse the system.”

The actual report began with a list of well-known issues affecting Serie A and Italian football, including the number of players eligible for selection to the national team, the average age of Serie A players and the high percentage of foreign players in Italy’s top flight.

Gravina highlighted the lack of investment in youth sectors and that “Italy ranks 49th out of 50 leagues monitored for the percentage of minutes played by U21 players eligible for the national team, at just 1.9%.”

The document reinforced that “Serie A is not among the top 10 leagues for meters covered in a sprint” and that “the average ball speed (7.6 m/s) is much lower than the Champions League average (10.4) and that of other major European leagues (9.2).”

Gravina insisted that it is “impossible” to impose a minimum number of Italian players in Serie A as it would “violate principles of free movement of workers, which applies to football as a professional sport.”

Gravina’s proposals to fix Italian football

He also highlighted that a tight fixture list has made it impossible to find a training window for the Italy national team outside the usual international breaks and complained about the lack of financial help from the Government.

Gravina said Italian football did not receive financial allocations, not even for the 2032 Euros, while other events organised in the country, such as the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the America’s Cup in Naples, and the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, “received multi-billion funding.”

Lastly, he reiterated his proposals, which he had previously tried to implement, regarding a percentage of betting revenues to be allocated to football, in order to develop youth players and infrastructures, a tax credit, and the reintroduction of a “preferential tax regime” for professionals coming from abroad, practically the famous Growth Decree.

Gravina also insisted that the ban on advertising and sponsorships by betting operators be lifted, and that supportive measures be taken to build new stadiums or renovate existing ones.

The FIGC President stressed that a technical redevelopment of Italian football at the youth level has already started under Maurizio Viscidi, focusing more on technique than on tactics.

Lastly, he insisted that it is necessary to reshape Serie A, B, C, and D and to launch a reform project for the refereeing sector.

“Without this strong and unanimous willingness to prioritise the common good over the defence of individual positions, and with politics creating the conditions and enabling the necessary tools for action, no single individual can achieve a true and complete revival of Italian football,” Gravina concluded.

Reports in Italy suggest that Juventus could be just a few days away from announcing the contract extension of head coach Luciano Spalletti, which could potentially be announced before Saturday’s Serie A match against Atalanta. 

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Juventus set to announce Spalletti extension

La Gazzetta dello Sport writes that ‘the countdown is on’ for Juventus to announce Spalletti’s new contract. The Pink Paper reports that an agreement has been reached and that putting the signatures on the necessary documents is all that remains to be done before an announcement can go ahead. 

Spalletti is expected to put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension, running until the summer of 2028 with wages in the region of €5m-€6m per season including bonuses.

Wednesday’s report indicates that the announcement regarding Spalletti’s contract extension could arrive within the next few days, likely before the Serie A match away against Atalanta at 19.45 BST on Saturday evening. 

Spalletti originally joined Juventus at the end of October, penning an initial short-term deal until the end of the 2025-26 season with an option to extend for a further 12 months in the event of qualification for the Champions League. Juve, however, wish to settle any doubts and tie their head coach down before the off-season. 

Hakan Calhanoglu’s hug with Mircea Lucescu following Turkey’s win over Romania in March has gone viral in the wake of the Romanian coach’s passing at 80: ‘You did so much for me,’ wrote the Inter star.

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The world of football is mourning legendary coach Lucescu, who died on Tuesday at age 80.

The former Inter and Brescia boss had taken charge of his last game just a few days earlier, seeing his Romania side lose 1-0 against Turkey in the World Cup play-off semifinal.

After the match, Inter star Calhanoglu warmly hugged his former national team coach.

Lucescu, in fact, had coached Turkey between 2017 and 2018, during which Calhanoglu scored one goal and provided one assist in 12 appearances.

Calhanoglu’s final hug with Lucescu has gone viral on social media, and even the Inter star shared it in his Instagram stories.

Calhanoglu’s hug with Lucescu

“We have lost not only a great coach, but also a person of great character,” wrote Calhanoglu.

“You did so much for me, and I will always remember you with respect and gratitude. Rest in peace, coach.”

Inter and their ex-midfielder Andrea Pirlo also paid tribute to Lucescu on social media following his death.

Lucescu’nun son maçında Hakan Çalhanoğlu ile sarıldığı anlar: pic.twitter.com/UrkXRynN9I

— MEGA MAG (@MEGA_MAG__) April 7, 2026

Corriere della Sera reports that Milan have changed their transfer stance on Rafael Leao and are willing to consider offers of at least €50m in the summer.

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Milan are reportedly ready to listen to offers worth at least €50m for their star striker, Rafael Leao.

The Portuguese has a €175m clause included in his contract, which was the asking price set by the Rossoneri in previous years.

However, according to Corriere della Sera (via Milannews), Leao’s unconvincing performances and physical problems this season have led the Rossoneri to change their strategy and set lower demands for the 26-year-old, who has scored 10 goals in 25 appearances across all competitions.

Leao made headlines for the wrong reasons in recent weeks, reacting angrily to a substitution during an away game at Lazio.

The Portuguese missed the following match against Torino due to an injury and made a substitute appearance against Napoli on Monday.

Leao’s contract with Milan expires in June 2028. He has scored 80 goals and provided 64 assists in 285 appearances with the Rossoneri, winning the Serie A title in 2021-22.

Italy legend Andrea Pirlo bids farewell to his former Brescia and Inter coach Mircea Lucescu: ‘You raised me like a son, I’ll never stop thanking you.’

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Lucescu, a former coach of Pisa, Inter, Reggiana, and Brescia, died on Tuesday, aged 80.

Italian legend Pirlo made his Serie A debut at Brescia in 1995, aged 16. Lucescu had been sacked by the Rondinelle a few months earlier but remained at the club as the technical director.

Pirlo made his Serie A debut under Lucescu’s assistant Adelio Moro with Brescia already relegated to Serie B.

“Thank you for everything, mister. I will never stop thanking you,” Pirlo wrote on Instagram, posting a picture of him hugging Lucescu.

“You raised me like a son, giving me the opportunity to challenge myself with others when I was very young. You taught me what it means to love this sport in all its details. I will never stop thanking you. Have a good trip, mister. Thank you, Mircea.”

A few years later, Pirlo played under Lucescu at Inter, making 16 appearances in the 1998-99 campaign.

The Nerazzurri have also paid tribute to their former coach with a message on social media.

Lucescu’s last game was just a few days ago, as he took charge of the Romanian national team in the World Cup play-off semi-final against Turkey, one of his former teams.

Pirlo’s social media message for Lucescu

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Un post condiviso da Andrea Pirlo Official (@andreapirlo21)

Dusan Vlahovic’s latest injury might mean the Serbia international finishes the season with the poorest record of his career, but according to Gazzetta, it may also give Juventus an advantage in contract negotiations.

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What Vlahovic’s injury means for his Juventus future

Juventus star Vlahovic suffered a calf injury while warming up in the second half of Monday’s home Serie A match against Genoa and will be sidelined for at least three weeks.

The Serbian had undergone adductor surgery in December and had just returned to action after a four-month layoff.

In recent weeks, Juventus have continued negotiations to extend his contract beyond the summer as the striker’s current deal expires in June.

Just a few months ago, his stay in Turin seemed quite unlikely as the Serbian sought a salary close to €12m, the sum he’s earned in his final year at Juventus.

However, the Bianconeri’s confidence in a possible extension has increased recently.

No other club, in fact, seem willing to match Vlahovic’s current wages, and initial talks with other clubs such as Barcelona or Milan have led nowhere.

According to Gazzetta, the Bianconeri are only open to offering a one or two-year contract extension and a salary of €6-7m.

Juventus director Marco Ottolini said on Monday that he saw “mutual desire” to continue negotiations, and Gazzetta notes that Vlahovic’s injury will inevitably put the club in a stronger position.

Aside from the lack of offers from other clubs, Vlahovic will have few chances to show his worth in the final part of the season, for either club or country, given he won’t return to action for Juventus before May and that Serbia have not qualified for the World Cup.

Vlahovic has only scored three goals in Serie A this season, six across all competitions, marking the fewest ever recorded at a senior level.

Former Inter star Hernan Crespo is impressed by his compatriot and Nerazzurri captain Lautaro Martinez: ‘He’s improved enormously, there were plenty of big clubs trying to lure him away…’

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Lautaro Martinez returned to action after nearly two months on Sunday, contributing to Inter’s 5-2 win over Roma at San Siro with two goals.

In the previous seven games without the Argentine on the field, the Nerazzurri had collected two wins, three draws and two defeats.

Crespo: ‘Plenty of big clubs’ wanted to sign Lautaro Martinez

“I’ve followed him since he was a kid. His first steps in Europe at Inter, an environment I know very well,” Crespo told Gazzetta.

“There were plenty of big clubs trying to lure him away, but he never wanted to detach himself from his love. That loyalty has made him an icon. Technically, tactically, physically, he’s improved enormously.”

Crespo, a former Argentina international, went on to say that Lautaro alone is worth half of Inter.

“The results say it. With him on the pitch, you win. Without him, you are at risk,” he insisted.

“Whenever the team has dipped, Lautaro hasn’t been in form or has been injured. He’s not just a finisher, he’s an example for his teammates.”

The Nerazzurri are the Serie A table leaders, and Lautaro is the top scorer in the league, but they were eliminated from the Champions League knockout play-off by Bodo/Glimt.

“Let me ask you something: was he playing in the return leg against Bodo? No,” noted Crespo.

“Lautaro is an asset for the team and a problem for the opponents. They never know how to mark him. He moves across the entire front line; he has precise shots from distance and inside the box; he’s lethal. Where do you find a more complete striker in Serie A? Who’s the top scorer right now? It’s him. Who’s the striker defenders fear the most? It’s him. So, what are we even talking about?”

Inter have a seven-point lead over second-placed Napoli with seven games remaining. The Nerazzurri visit Cesc Fabregas’ Como next week.

“I thought Inter were the strongest team in Italy, and they are proving it,” Crespo concluded.

“Mind you, it wasn’t that obvious. In the summer, they changed coaches, methods, and tweaked things tactically as well. There were a few stumbles, but in the long run, they’ve shown they’re the best.”

Crespo, 50, scored 153 goals in 340 Serie A matches. He played for Inter, Milan, Lazio, Parma and Genoa in Italy’s top-flight.

Former Italy and Juventus winger Emanuele Giaccherini is confident that Antonio Conte will ‘bring the Azzurri back to the World Cup’ if he’s appointed as the new coach.

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Conte has emerged as the leading candidate to become the new Italy national team coach and has already refused to rule out a possible return to the Azzurri’s bench.

‘Conte is what Italy need’

Giaccherini played under Conte at Juventus and the Italy national team and feels the Napoli boss is the ideal replacement for Gennaro Gattuso after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row.

“He’s the leader to rely on in difficulties. He prepares his players like soldiers for a battle, exactly what is needed now,” the ex-Italy winger told Gazzetta.

“Conte has a way of working that gets under your skin. If you follow him, you grow. And for him, players give everything they’ve got. He knows ot to create a unique bond with the group.”

Giaccherini said Conte showed the same mindset for either club or country.

“His attitude was exactly the same. He manages to get his ideas across very quickly. On the pitch, you always know what to do; you’ve practised it a thousand times in training, to the point of exhaustion,” the ex-winger said.

“And the workload…I remember sessions at Coverciano where we were throwing up. We needed oxygen masks to get through the end. We’d leave completely drained.

“The sessions were brutal, but on the pitch, we were flying. He told us that performing well was our mission and that we had to be soldiers ready for a battle. We didn’t have superstars, but our hunger made the difference.

“He’s the best. He’ll take us back to the World Cup,” concluded Giaccherini.

“He’s already shown he can do well with the national team. His track record says it all: he rebuilt Juventus, Inter and Napoli. And he would do the same with Italy, now more than ever.”

Como star Nico Paz is among the top five most valuable Serie A players, and it’s no coincidence that the 21-year-old is expected to return to Real Madrid soon.

Argentine talent Nico Paz is not only among the most exciting players to watch this season, but has already climbed the rankings for the most valuable players in Serie A.

According to Transfermarkt, only Lautaro Martinez (Inter), Kenan Yildiz (Juventus), and Alessandro Bastoni (Inter) are more valuable than Nico Paz currently.

This is just his second season in Serie A, but Paz proved to be a real difference maker at the Stadio Sinigaglia with 10 goals and six assists in 29 Serie A appearances this term.

His performances have helped Como climb to fourth in Serie A, placing them among the contenders for a Champions League spot.

Due to the history and tradition of Juventus and Roma, who are Como’s main rivals, the odds are still fairly attractive for those who believe Como will go all the way through to qualify for Europe’s elite competition for the first time in their history.

Many fans have backed the Azzurri with the same hope and passion with which they play on Rocketplay online casino.

Under Cesc Fabregas – ironically, a Barcelona legend – product of Real Madrid academy, Nico Paz seems to have become a top-class player. His reported €65m value is the same as Milan star Rafael Leao’s and just €5m short of Bastoni’s worth.

Fabregas had clear ideas on the development of the exciting attacking midfielder, especially at the beginning of Nico Paz’s stint in Como.

“He’s a special player, and he must be free to express himself,” the Como coach said in October 2024.

“We must not make him robotic.”

Fabregas has been using the carrot-and-stick approach with the 21-year-old. Back in February, the Spanish tactician benched Paz for a game against Lecce as the player had turned up late to a meal before the match.

Nico Paz is technically a Como player as the Azzurri confirmed his permanent purchase from Real Madrid in 2024.

Yet the Merengues can activate an option to re-sign the talented Argentine in the summers of 2026 and 2027.

“The decision is entirely up to Real Madrid. There’s nothing we can do but wait and act accordingly,” Como President Mirwan Suwarso said earlier this month.

“In any case, we’ll be happy for him and will start working to find a replacement. For now, he’s very happy here, in this big family.”

As things stand, Nico Paz seems destined to return to the Bernabeu in 2026-27, but Como will want to enjoy him for a few more months, which could lead to a historic qualification for the Champions League or Europa League.

Antonio Conte has emerged as the top choice to become the new Italy national team coach, with backing from FIGC presidential candidates Giovanni Malagò and Giancarlo Abete, reports Gazzetta.

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Napoli coach Conte is the leading candidate to replace Gennaro Gattuso as Italy’s national team coach.

Why Conte is favourite to become new Italy coach

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Partenopei boss has the backing from Malagò and Abete, who are expected to be among the candidates for the FIGC Presidency.

The new president of the Italian FA will only be voted on June 22, so the next two Azzurri games, played earlier that month, will be managed by a caretaker coach.

Gazzetta wrote on its front page on Wednesday that both Abete and Malagò see Conte as the ideal option to lead the Azzurri towards qualification for Euro 2028 and beyond.

Currently, not all the candidates for the FIGC Presidency have been disclosed, and neither Malagò, 67, nor Abete, 75, have officially confirmed that they’ll run for the role.

However, according to multiple reports, both are among the leading contenders, despite rumours that Azzurri legends Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Del Piero and Demetrio Albertini might be involved in the race for the presidency.

Currently, Roberto Mancini and Massimiliano Allegri are the main alternatives to Conte, reports Gazzetta.

Conte’s contract at the Stadio Maradona runs out in June 2027, but Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has already claimed that he’d let the Italian tactician become the Azzurri national team coach.

• Read more – Napoli identify replacement in case Conte leaves to take over Italy national team

There were familiar Serie A faces at the Bernabeu on Tuesday as Como coach Cesc Fabregas and Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero crossed paths during Real Madrid-Bayern Munich.

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Como coach Fabregas and Juventus legend Del Piero met at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid last night.

Fabregas was in the stands to watch the Champions League quarter-final first leg between Real Madrid and Bayern, while Del Piero was on the sidelines to comment on the game as a pundit for Sky Sport Italia.

The Italian broadcasters showed the picture of the meeting between Fabregas and Del Piero, who witnessed the Bavarians’ 2-1 victory.

Picture: Fabregas and Del Piero meet during Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich

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La Gazzetta dello Sport

The Scudetto and the future of the coaches

Chivu: renewal and change

Everything says Conte

Italy coach: Antonio is here. Green light from Napoli.

De Laurentiis: ‘If he asks me to go…’ He’s the right man also for Malagò and Conte

Milan: Gimenez and two wingers (one is Leao). Allegri is looking for goals.

Farewell, Lucescu: a visionary coach who brought his footballers to the museum.

Corriere dello Sport

Without Carlo, it’s not Real

Champions, quarter-final first leg: Bayern win in Madrid (1-2).

A nightmare season for Perez after parting ways from Ancelotti: He’s -7 from Barcelona in La Liga and now risks being eliminated from Europe. Arbeloa at the finishing line: Diaz and Kane decide. Useless Mbappé goal. Arsenal’s coup: Sporting beaten (0-1).

Here’s the scandal

Poor national team

First round after the 3rd World Cup shock: the numbers of the crisis

Only 64 Italian starters out of 220.

Serie A restarted with 70.9% of foreign players. A worrying mismatch, even including substitutions: 28 domestic footballers and 66 foreigners. The ex-CT Spalletti: ‘One U19 always on the pitch.’

‘Napoli worthy of the Scudetto’

The title race with Inter in seven rounds

DeLa: ‘There’s a little hope, we would have won without injuries.’ Fixture lists compared: Como is the first danger for Chivu.

Juve: Vlahovic returns in May

Calf lesion and at least three weeks out: he’ll miss Atalanta, Bologna and Milan. Back with Verona.

Farewell, Mircea, the Italian of Bucarest.

Tuttosport

Now Spalletti’s moves are needed

McKennie out, Vlahovic’s loss, Champions League priority: inscrutable Juve

Shocked by the highs and lows of his players, who still moved one point behind the fourth spot. Lucio must invent something for the final part of the season. The Texan is suspended against Atalanta. The Serbian is injured for three more weeks, raising further doubts about the renewal. Nunez emerges again, and the dream is to have reinforcements with personality. Di Gregorio returns as a starter and gets emotional.

Conte CT? Go ahead!

The Napoli owner is open, but with an exception: ‘Antonio is intelligent, I don’t think he’d accept offers without a serious interlocutor.’ Hypothesis of a double appointment.

Bayern gift a Real show, Arsenal coup

A stroke took Lucescu away from us

The visionary globetrotter

He has coached everywhere and invented the match analysis. Culture, friendliness, 36 trophies and UEFA Cup with Shakhtar.

Toro, Belghali arrives for the right flank

Antonio Conte remains one of the frontrunners for the Italy national team head coach job following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso last week, and reports in Italy suggest that Napoli could potentially turn to Thiago Motta in the event that they have to find a replacement at the end of the season. 

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Conte is among the standout favourites to take over in the role of Italy national team head coach, a position he already held for two years between 2014 and 2016. Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri has been mentioned as a potential option, as has Roberto Mancini and even Pep Guardiola by some outlets. 

Conte himself admitted that “If I were the FIGC President, I would take myself into consideration along with the others. After all, I have already worked with the Nazionale and I know the environment. I am flattered, because representing your country is something wonderful.”

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has also hinted that he would not stand in Conte’s way if he decided to leave to take over the Italy squad at the end of the 2025-26 season.

“If Antonio asked me, I think I’d say yes,” ADL recently confessed. 

Conte will have one year remaining on his Napoli contract at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. 

Who could replace Conte at Napoli if he leaves to return to Italy role?

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Thiago Motta would be at the top of Napoli’s shortlist of replacement head coaches in the event that Conte leaves at the end of the current campaign. 

Motta, who has been out of work since leaving Juventus last season, was also among the rumoured candidates to replace Luciano Spalletti when he left Napoli to take on the role of Italy CT in 2023. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport also suggests that Sassuolo’s Fabio Grosso and Bologna’s Vincenzo Italiano are likely to be on Napoli’s shortlist in the event that Conte leaves. 

Inter and Pisa have paid their respects following the news that their former head coach Mircea Lucescu has died at the age of 80. 

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Lucescu, whose managerial career spanned six different decades, has died at the age of 80 after being hospitalised with a heart arrhythmia on March 29. He suffered a cardiac arrest on April 3 and his death was announced in a press release by the Bucharest University Hospital on Tuesday. 

Lucescu was still the head coach of Romania less than a week before his passing, handing in his resignation on April 2 a few days after he was hospitalised. 

Lucescu began his managerial career as a player-coach of Cornivul Hunedoara in 1979, before going on to serve as Romania head coach between 1981 and 1986. He then spent five years in charge of Dinamo Bucuresti before moving to Italy. 

Lucescu had a year in charge of Pisa between 1990 and 1991 and then spent five years with Brescia in two separate spells between 1991 and 1996. He would later go on to coach Reggiana and Inter, the latter in 1998-99. 

He then went on to have spells with Rapid Bucuresti, Galatasaray, Besiktas, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit Saint Petersburg, the Turkiye national team, Dynamo Kyiv and the Romania national team once more. 

Lucescu is one of only nine head coaches to have taken part in 100 or more Champions League matches (115). He is among a prestigious list of managers that also includes Jurgen Klopp (100), Massimiliano Allegri (100), Diego Simeone (124), Jose Mourinho (154), Arsene Wenger (178), Pep Guardiola (189), Sir Alex Ferguson (190) and Carlo Ancelotti (218).

Inter and Pisa pay tribute to Lucescu

“FC Internazionale Milano and the entire Inter family mourn the passing of Mircea Lucescu and extend heartfelt condolences to his loved ones,” Inter wrote in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Pisa also released a statement that read: “Pisa SC expresses its deepest condolences following the death of Mircea Lucescu. 

“The Romanian coach, in his long and glorious career, led Pisa in the 1990-91 Serie A championship. A short, but intense journey, remembered above all for an incredible start to the season that had the Nerazzurri at the top of the standings. 

“President Giuseppe Corrado, on behalf of the whole club, sends his condolences to the Lucescu family in this moment of great sorrow. Goodbye Mircea.” 

FC Internazionale Milano e tutto il mondo Inter si uniscono al cordoglio per la scomparsa di Mircea Lucescu e, nel ricordarlo, abbracciano i suoi familiari.

https://t.co/0haqC64TLB

— Inter (@Inter) April 7, 2026

Reports in Italy continue to link Juventus with a summer transfer for Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, and the latest updates indicate how much it will cost if the Bianconeri are to pull the deal off. 

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Juventus learn Liverpool and Alisson Becker demands

Juventus could be set for another summer transfer revolution, with all four departments of the pitch in need of re-assessment. In goal, Michele Di Gregorio is expected to be allowed to leave if an offer comes in, and 33-year-old Mattia Perin will be entering the final year of his deal this summer. 

There have been reports that Juve could look to secure a deal with Liverpool for Alisson, who knows Bianconeri head coach Luciano Spalletti well from their time together at Roma. Inter, also on the lookout for a new goalkeeper this summer, have also been said to be interested.

Alisson remains under contract with Liverpool until the summer of 2027, which means that he will be into the final year of his deal during the upcoming summer transfer window. 

According to reports from Calciomercato.com, Liverpool will seek a fee in the region of €15m-€20m if they are to part ways with the 33-year-old this summer. 

Alisson is expected to command a significant wage packet as well. Tuesday’s update indicates that Juventus will need to offer him a salary in the region of €7m-€8m pe

Riccardo Calafiori starts for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s side take on Sporting CP in Lisbon in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday evening. 

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Calafiori starts for Arsenal in Champions League quarter-final

Calafiori starts at left-back as usual in what is Arsenal’s strongest available back four, along with Benjamin White, William Slaiba and Gabriel Magalhaes. 

Calafiori is the only Italian player involved in tonight’s two Champions League quarter-final matches. This will be the Italy international’s fifth Champions League appearance this term. 

Tonight’s is the first leg of Arsenal’s quarter-final tie against Sporting. The Gunners beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate over two legs of their round of 16 match-up in order to qualify for tonight’s quarter-final, although Calafiori was an unused substitute in both of those matches. 

The winner of the Sporting CP-Arsenal quarter-final will go on to face either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.

Arsenal boast the best defensive record in the Champions League this season with just five goals conceded across the 10 matches they have taken part in this term. The North Londoners, among the favourites for the trophy, also finished the league phase in first place with a perfect record of eight wins from eight matches. 

07-04-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

José Alvalade Stadium

Sporting

Arsenal

0 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Hidemasa Morita

31'

2nd half

90+1'

Kai Havertz (Assist: Gabriel Martinelli)

Match statistic

44

Possession %

56

11

Total shots

7

5

Shots on target

4

4

Shots off target

2

2

Blocked shots

1

3

Corners

4

2

Offsides

2

11

Fouls

10

Sporting

Arsenal

Starting lineups

1

Rui Silva

Goalkeeper

25

Gonçalo Inácio

Defender

22

Iván Fresneda

Defender

26

Ousmane Diomandé

Defender

5

Hidemasa Morita

Midfielder

52

João Simões

Midfielder

62'

20

Maxi Araújo

Midfielder

8

Pedro Gonçalves

Midfielder

79'

10

Geny Catamo

Attacker

97

Luis Suárez

Attacker

17

Francisco Trincão

Attacker

1

David Raya

Goalkeeper

4

Ben White

Defender

6

Gabriel Magalhães

Defender

33

Riccardo Calafiori

Defender

2

William Saliba

Defender

41

Declan Rice

Midfielder

8

Martin Ødegaard

Midfielder

70'

36

Martín Zubimendi

Midfielder

19

Leandro Trossard

Attacker

76'

20

Noni Madueke

Attacker

76'

14

Viktor Gyökeres

Attacker

Substitutes

13

Georgios Vagiannidis

Defender

6

Zeno Debast

Defender

41

Diego Callai

Goalkeeper

14

Giorgi Kochorashvili

Midfielder

72

Eduardo Quaresma

Defender

91

Ricardo Mangas

Defender

15

Souleymane Faye

Attacker

12

João Virgínia

Goalkeeper

58

Flavio Goncalves

Attacker

23

Daniel Bragança

Midfielder

62'

90

Rafael Nel

Attacker

79'

9

Gabriel Jesus

Attacker

13

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Goalkeeper

16

Christian Nörgaard

Midfielder

49

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Midfielder

3

Cristhian Mosquera

Defender

71

Andre Harriman-Annous

Attacker

89

Marli Salmon

Defender

79

Khari Ranson

29

Kai Havertz

Attacker

70'

11

Gabriel Martinelli

Attacker

76'

56

Max Dowman

Midfielder

76'

Former Milan striker Alexandre Pato has revealed that Carlo Ancelotti decided to name his dog after him and has explained what makes the current Brazil head coach such a ‘gentleman’. 

Pato spoke in-depth about his time with Milan, working under Ancelotti and his life post-retirement in a feature interview with CBS Sports Golazo. 

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Pato on Milan memories and special Ancelotti relationship: ‘He’s the best coach ever’

Pato joined Milan as a teenager in 2007, went on to win the Golden Boy award in 2009 and won the Serie A title in 2010-11 while finishing as the club’s joint-top scorer that season. 

Joining such a prestigious club at such a young age wasn’t always an easy transition, though, as Pato explained: “When I came to Milan, I went inside the locker room just by myself. I saw the photos and the names around the locker room. I said ‘wow’.

“In front of me I have Kaka, Seedorf, Pirlo is there, Gattuso is here, Maldini. Ronaldo, too. I say ‘wow’. I need to play it cool. It was amazing.” 

Pato says that Ancelotti was the one who helped him settle the most in Milan, though. He says that they still enjoy a close relationship and that Ancelotti has even named his dog ‘Pato’. 

“He gave me confidence. The name of his dog is Pato, we were that close,” the former Rossoneri striker revealed.

“I feel like Ancelotti is more than just a coach, he’s a friend, he’s a father. When I was at Milan, I was 17 years old. So when I arrived there, he came to the gate of Milanello, he took my hand and said ‘okay, go inside, I want to introduce you to the other players’. 

• Read more: No Ancelotti for Italy as Brazil set to extend contract agreement

“So he called every single player and said ‘guys, this is Pato’, they said ‘hi Pato, good luck and we are here for you’. That’s why I think Ancelotti is more than a coach, he’s a gentleman.” 

Pato has no doubt as to where Ancelotti ranks among the game’s all-time great head coaches: “I think for me, he’s the best coach ever.” 

Reports in South America indicate that Carlo Ancelotti will soon extend his contract with the Brazil national team, which will rule out any possibility of him replacing Gennaro Gattuso as head coach of his native Italy. 

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Ancelotti set to extend Brazil contract until 2030

Ancelotti has been the head coach of Brazil for just shy of a year, having joined the Selecao in May 2025 after the end of his second stint with Real Madrid. He penned an initial contract that would see him through until the end of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

According to the latest updates from ESPN in Brazil, however, Ancelotti has a verbal agreement in place to extend his contract by a further four years until the summer of 2030. 

ESPN suggests that Ancelotti could put pen to paper on an official contract extension within the next few days. Tuesday’s report claims that the Brazilian federation finalised the details of a new contract earlier this week, and now, the coach’s signature and final legal checks are all that is missing. 

The details have been agreed, and the Brazilian FA believe that the final once-over from Ancelotti’s lawyers is more of a formality than anything. 

Ancelotti is set to maintain his current salary, which means that he will still be the highest-paid coach in the history of the Brazil national team. He reportedly earns around €10m per season, not including bonuses. 

This rules him out of the running to take over as head coach of the Italy national team following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso over the weekend. The latest reports indicate that Napoli’s Antonio Conte and Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri are the current frontrunners.

The decisions from the sports judge are in following the completion of the 31st round of 2025-26 Serie A fixtures, and Juventus’s Weston McKennie, Fiorentina’s Albert Gudmundsson and Cremonese’s Youssef Maleh are among the players who have picked up suspensions. 

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Serie A bans and fines confirmed after Week 31

Week 31 of the 2025-26 Serie A season kicked off on Saturday with Sassuolo’s 2-1 victory over Cagliari and came to a close with Napoli’s 1-0 victory over Milan on Easter Monday. 

Four red cards were shown during the weekend’s round of fixtures. Cremonese’s Maleh has earned the most severe punishment: A two-game ban and a €5,000 fine for striking an opponent with his arm in an off-ball incident towards the end of his side’s 2-1 loss against Bologna.

Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson was also sent off just a few moments after Maleh during second-half stoppage time and will have to serve a one-match suspension as a result. 

Fiorentina’s Gudmundsson was also sent off during his side’s 1-0 win away against Hellas Verona, as was Verona’s Tomas Suslov. Both players will have to serve one-match suspensions. 

Three other players have picked up one-match suspensions after earning their fifth yellow cards of the season. They include Juventus’s McKennie, who will now be ruled out of Saturday’s match away against Atalanta, Fiorentina’s Nicolo Fagioli, who will miss a visit from Lazio, and Parma’s Mateo Pellegrino, who will miss out on his side’s home match against Napoli. 

The Lega Serie A also confirmed that Milan will be fined €25,000 and Napoli €3,000 for unnecessarily delaying kick-off in both halves of their match. Udinese have also been fined €3,000 for the same reason. 

Lecce have been fined €10,000, Inter €5,000 and Cremonese €1,500 for various crowd-related incidents.

Rumours linking Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni with a potential summer transfer to Barcelona continue to circulate, but reports in Italy and Spain suggest that the two clubs have a major difference in their valuation of the Italy international.

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Where Inter and Barcelona stand in Bastoni negotiations

It has been a challenging few months on an individual level for Bastoni, who became a divisive figure in Italy after his antics in the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus in February, and was then sent off in Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday night. 

Meanwhile, there have been widespread reports linking the 26-year-old centre-back with a move away from San Siro this summer. 

Recent reports claim that Barcelona have offered an initial fee in the region of €45m for Bastoni, which SportMediaset claims was swiftly turned away. 

Updates from Calciomercato.com, however, claim that Inter will hold out for a fixed fee of €60m, potentially rising to €70m with bonuses and add-ons included. There have also been suggestions that Barcelona might find it difficult to satisfy Inter’s demands given their previous struggles to register players under Financial Fair Play rules.

In order to get around the €60m-€70m transfer fee that has been rumoured, there have also been suggestions that Barcelona could look to include one of their own players in an exchange deal with Inter. 

Calciomercato suggests that Gerard Martin, Ferran Torres or potentially even Dani Olmo could be on the table. 

Inter, meanwhile, are said to be interested in a move for Sassuolo’s Tarik Muharemovic in the event that Bastoni leaves this summer.

Reports in Italy claim that Juventus have made an enquiry regarding the services of former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez, who was linked with moves to several Serie A sides before joining Simone Inzaghi’s Al-Hilal last summer. 

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Reports Juventus interested in Darwin Nunez deal

According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus have requested information regarding Nunez’s situation from Al-Hilal, for whom he has scored six goals and provided four assists from 16 Saudi Pro League appearances this term.

Nunez joined Liverpool in a deal worth €75m plus up to €25m in add-ons in the summer of 2022, but was sent to Al-Hilal last summer in a transfer worth €53m, potentially rising to €65m. 

By the end of the 2025-26 campaign, Nunez will have two years remaining on his Al-Hilal contract, which runs until the summer of 2028.

Nunez had been linked with several Serie A sides before joining Al-Hilal last summer, particularly with Napoli and later Milan as well. 

Juventus’s striking department could be set for a major overhaul during the summer transfer window. It remains to be seen what will happen with Dusan Vlahovic, whose contract is up at the end of the season, but could still potentially sign a new deal. 

Jonathan David and Lois Openda, meanwhile, will likely be allowed to leave the club if appropriate offers come in, following disappointing starts to their careers in Serie A.

Newcastle have reportedly scouted Jan Ziółkowski several times this season, with Polish sources claiming that the Roma defender is considering ‘every step’ in the summer, ‘including leaving.’

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Premier League side Newcastle United have shown interest in Polish defender Ziółkowski, who is about to terminate his first season in Serie A at Roma.

Newcastle target Ziółkowski considers Roma exit

According to the Polish media outlet Sport.pl, several clubs have scouted the 20-year-old this season, including Newcastle and others from Italy, France, and the Netherlands.

Ziółkowski, however, has been struggling with playing time in recent weeks, making his last Serie A appearance as a starter in a 2-0 win over Lecce on January 6.

Since then, the U21 Poland international has only played five Serie A games as a substitute under Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

During the international break in March, Ziolkowski was not involved in Poland’s World Cup play-off games against Albania and Sweden, as his national team failed to qualify for the competition.

“The national team is very important to Janek, just like playing for Roma,” a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Sport.pl.

“He wanted to help the national team in the play-offs, but due to his lack of club play, that wasn’t possible. Playing for the club is crucial in this context.

“We’re considering every step that will lead to Janek playing. Including leaving.”

Ziółkowski’s Roma contract runs out in June 2030.

The Polish centre-back has scored one goal in 19 Roma appearances this season.

Swiss referee Sandro Schärer has been appointed for Bologna-Aston Villa in the Europa League, while the Lithuanian Donatas Rumšas will oversee Crystal Palace-Fiorentina in the Conference League.

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UEFA has appointed referees for the upcoming Europa League and Conference League quarter-final first-leg ties.

Serie A has just two representatives remaining in European competitions: Bologna will host Aston Villa at the Stadio Dall’Ara on Thursday, while Fiorentina will face another Premier League side, Crystal Palace, playing the first leg away in London.

The referee appointed for Bologna-Aston Villa is Sandro Schärer, 37, who was also in charge of Atalanta’s 4-0 defeat against PSG in the opening Champions League game of the season.

Stéphane De Almeida and Jonas Erni will be Schärer’s assistants at the Dall’Ara, with Fedayi San appointed as VAR.

Fiorentina’s away game at Crystal Palace will be refereed by Donatas Rumšas, who will cross paths with a Serie A club for the first time this season.

The assistants will be Aleksandr Radius, Dovydas Saziedelis, and Rob Dieperink, who will take charge of VAR.

After a fantastic start to the season, Milan and USMNT star Christian Pulisic has hit a prolonged goal drought, remaining scoreless so far in 2026.

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Milan star Christian Pulisic hasn’t yet scored a goal for club and country in 2026.

Pulisic still scoreless in 2026

The 27-year-old had a strong start to the campaign at a club level, netting eight times and providing two assists in 11 Serie A appearances.

However, in the following 13 Serie A games, all played in 2026, Pulisic has only provided one assist and hasn’t yet scored a goal.

The American star has not been fully fit since the start of the year, playing the full 90 minutes just three times and making five appearances as a substitute.

Back in February, he missed one Serie A match against Bologna due to bursitis and has been far from his usual standards since.

During the latest international break in March, he made two appearances with the USMNT but, yet again, failed to score in defeats to Belgium and Portugal.

Last night, he was involved as a substitute for Milan in the final 15 minutes during an away 1-0 loss at Napoli.

The defeat, the fourth in Serie A for Milan this season, left the Rossoneri third in the standings, nine points below leaders Inter.

Juventus’ third-choice goalkeeper Carlo Pinsoglio helped his teammate Michele Di Gregorio save a penalty in the second half of a 2-0 win over Genoa, passing him a note detailing the various penalty-taking styles of Genoa’s players.

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Juventus goalkeeper Pinsoglio contributed to a 2-0 win over Genoa on Monday despite not even being involved in the match.

As reported by DAZN, the third-choice Juventus keeper, in fact, ran all the way towards Di Gregorio between the sticks while Genoa’s Martin was preparing to take a penalty, passing his teammate a note with insight into how each Genoa player usually takes penalties.

The note said that number 3, Martin, a left-footer, would take the penalty to his left and Di Gregorio dived the right way to deny the Spaniard.

Di Gregorio had been introduced as a substitute in the second half to replace the injured Mattia Perin.

Di Gregorio had been subject to severe criticism in previous months and had lost his starting spot since mid-February.

Picture: Pinsoglio’s note for Di Gregorio

The note #Pinsoglio slipped to #DiGregorio to help him save the penalty!

Via @dazn pic.twitter.com/d7QDRkwbkA

— Around Turin (@AroundTurin) April 6, 2026

Juventus confirm that Dusan Vlahovic has suffered a ‘low-grade lesion of the soleus muscle’, while tests did not show ‘any lesion’ for Mattia Perin.

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Juventus provided injury updates on Vlahovic and Perin on Tuesday.

Official Juventus injury updates: Vlahovic and Perin

Both players had sustained injuries during a 2-0 win over Genoa on Monday.

Perin was replaced at halftime, while Vlahovic was not even involved as he sustained an injury during the warm-up in the second half, while preparing to come on as a substitute.

“During the warm up carried out in the second half of the match against Genoa, Dusan Vlahovic suffered an issue with his left calf,” Juventus said in a statement.

“As a result, he underwent diagnostic tests this morning at the J Medical, which revealed a low-grade lesion of the soleus muscle.”

Vlahovic had just returned to action after being sidelined for four months. The Serbia international underwent surgery due to an adductor injury in December and only made one substitute appearance since his return, playing for barely ten minutes.

According to Sky Sport Italia, this latest injury setback will force Vlahovic out of action for 20 to 30 days.

“Mattia Perin, who was substituted at half-time in yesterday’s match due discomfort in his right calf, also underwent tests that did not show any lesion,” Juventus continued.

“His condition will be assesed on a day-to-day-basis.”

Juventus added that Vasilije Adzic, who had suffered a right ankle injury while on U21 Montenegro international duty, is continuing his recovery.

Mattia Perin and Dusan Vlahovic underwent medical tests this morning, after suffering injuries during Juventus’ 2-0 win over Genoa on Monday.

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Perin and Vlahovic underwent medical tests at the J Medical in Turin this morning. Both had sustained suspected muscle injuries during Juventus’ 2-0 win over Genoa yesterday.

Perin started the match but was subbed off at halftime due to a calf problem, while Vlahovic wasn’t even involved after suffering an injury during warm-up and returned to the dressing room during the match.

Perin and Vlahovic briefly met with Juventus fans before and after leaving the club-owned clinic on Tuesday, and the Serie A giants will release medical updates shortly.

#Vlahovic al JMedical per le visite strumentali dopo il problema al polpaccio pic.twitter.com/0L68qic3dX

— ilBiancoNero (@ilbianconerocom) April 7, 2026

Visite terminate per #Perin
“Tutto a posto? Sí, sí” pic.twitter.com/13zq31dmEL

— ilBiancoNero (@ilbianconerocom) April 7, 2026

Visite terminate per #Vlahovic pic.twitter.com/eqWOoBNG0l

— ilBiancoNero (@ilbianconerocom) April 7, 2026

Strahinja Pavlović admits Milan ‘played slowly’ against Napoli: ‘In the end, we didn’t have a good position on the goal, and they scored.’

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Milan suffered a 1-0 away defeat at Napoli on Monday night, seeing the Partenopei overtake them in second position in the Serie A table.

The Serie A title race is now reduced to Inter and Napoli, although the Nerazzurri have a seven-point lead over the Partenopei with seven games remaining.

“We wanted to take three points here and get closer to Inter, but things didn’t go well,” Pavlovic told DAZN Italia via TMW.

“From the beginning, we played slowly and without many chances, in the end, we didn’t have a good position on the goal, and they scored.”

Milan had not been out of the top two since Week 11 this season, so are they looking over their shoulders now to secure a Champions League spot?

“We lost second place, but we are still on the way to reaching our goals,” Pavlovic replied.

“We don’t need to look at what other teams are doing; we just need to be focused on ourselves, to win next week and take three points at home.”

Pavlovic is a central defender, but has increasingly been pushing forward to act as an adjunct striker.

“We should create even more chances; we didn’t create a lot in the last few games, even if we scored three goals against Torino. When we have opportunities to score, we need to move much faster and be more focused,” he concluded.

“I had one situation too today where I didn’t know whether to shoot or pass, and I missed that moment, so we need to be more focused in these situations.”

Milan return to the pitch on Saturday, April 11, hosting Udinese at San Siro at 18:00 CET.

The Rossoneri have collected three wins and two defeats in the last five league matches and have a six-point advantage over fifth-placed Juventus.

Napoli winger Matteo Politano insists players have ‘no problem’ with Romelu Lukaku, while Leonardo Spinazzola describes the Belgian striker as a ‘gentle giant’ who has faced a ‘really difficult time’ personally.

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Napoli secured a 1-0 win over Milan on Monday night, climbing to the second position in the table, seven points behind leaders Inter.

Napoli 1-0 Milan: Spinazzola and Poitano’s post-match interviews

Italy international Politano was introduced from the bench and scored the winner for the Partenopei, and was celebrated with a warm hug from his teammate and compatriot Spinazzola.

“There is friendship for over 15 years, we grew up together and met up again here,” Politano told DAZN Italia via TMW.

“Today is the birthday of both one of my best friends and my sister, so I dedicate the goal to them.”

Napoli were without a natural centre-forward against the Rossoneri, as Rasmus Hojlund was ruled out with the flu, while Romelu Lukaku has been frozen out after staying in Belgium during and after the international break to train individually.

“We have no problem with Romelu; he always behaved well with us, and we are in contact. It’s between him and the club, it’s up to them to sort it out,” Politano said.

Spinazzola added: “This has been a really difficult time for Rom, he lost his Dad, he seems like a big tough guy, but really he’s a gentle giant, a big softie. We talked a lot, I know how much he suffered, so I hope above all for him that this can pass.”

The experienced full-back also spoke about his rapport with Politano and mentioned Italy’s World Cup play-off elimination as both players were part of the Azzurri squad last week.

“We shared something horrible a few days ago, but this is football,” he added via TMW.

“Today was a big reaction from everyone. I told Matteo before getting out there that he would decide it, because Milan are his favourite prey.

“We believe that we can win every game, then we’ll see where we end up, but we have faith that we can get a run of victories. Today was important for the Champions League places, then we’ll see where we are on May 25.”

Napoli’s next game is away at Parma on Sunday, and on the same day, Inter will visit Como.

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich admits he’s ‘not happy’ with Italy’s World Cup play-off elimination: ‘But you won the European Championship, you can’t forget it.’

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Bayern Munich midfielder Kimmich replied to a question from Sky Sport Italia about the state of Italian football.

Kimmich tells Italy: ‘Don’t forget’ about the Euros

Bayern Munich eliminated Atalanta in the Champions League Round of 16 and will play away at Real Madrid in the quarter-finals tonight.

“Italy have missed out on three World Cups, but in between, you won a European Championship,” Kimmich said via TMW.

“You can’t forget it, we haven’t won it,” he continued.

“In the last decade, we [Germany] have only won one Confederations Cup. Perhaps I’m not the right person to answer this, but obviously, I always hope you play in the World Cup and the Euros. Italy is a great country, with excellent players who I’d love to see at a World Cup, so I’m not happy with how it went.”

Italy have last played in the World Cup in 2014 and have not played a knockout game in the competition since 2006, when they went on to win the title, beating France in the final on penalties.

Brazil, with five titles, is the only country to have won more World Cups than Italy and Germany, both of which have lifted the coveted trophy four times in their history.

Following Italy’s World Cup play-off Final defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina last week, both FIGC President Gabriele Gravina and Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso have resigned.

Nicolò Pisilli’s rise at Roma has earned him a senior call-up for the March World Cup play-off, and with growing excitement around the Azzurri, the 21-year-old is shaping up to be a future regular starter.

The Roma midfielder made his Azzurri debut in October 2024 under Luciano Spalletti, but to date, that remains his only senior international appearance.

The adrenaline of an international match further boosts the experience of playing Rocketplay online, bringing on an added sense of excitement that mirrors the intensity and passion seen on the pitch.

Italy U21 coach Silvio Baldini could do anything but smile when he learned that Pisilli had earned a call-up to the senior Azzurri team for the crucial World Cup play-off.

Both Pisilli and Cagliari’s Marco Palestra were promoted to Italy’s first team, a source of pride for the Azzurrini.

“It is a success for us that they have been promoted to the senior squad, because it means we contributed to their growth process,” Baldini said.

“I spoke to Gattuso and Gigi Buffon over the last few days; they are accustomed to this kind of stress, having played in the biggest tournaments. They know there is a big responsibility on their shoulders, but we are all behind them, and I don’t think there’s anyone better with which to achieve qualification.”

Pisilli impressed with the Azzurrini, scoring five times in 19 appearances.

His performances at a club level have been just as good this season as the Roma academy product has scored three goals and provided two assists in 26 appearances across all competitions.

The 21-year-old is also lucky enough to train with some of his role models while on international duty with Italy.

“I think of Barella, Tonali, when he exploded with Milan, I always watched them on TV. It’s a great opportunity for me to be able to learn from them now,” he said last week.

“We’re a very strong group. Everyone here is really strong; they wouldn’t be here.

“There has to be a balance. We need the calmness of a squad that knows that with 100% commitment, they can achieve the goal, but also with the awareness that something really important is at stake.”

A complete central midfielder, Pisilli can operate in many areas in the middle of the park, from holding midfielder to box-to-box or even No.10.

Given his role models, Tonali and Barella, Pisilli will be looking to emulate the Azzurri stars and become a midfielder who can make an impact at both ends, and in just a few years, he might be playing alongside them in the Italy midfield.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini is under scrutiny, while contract talks with five players, including Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante, have been put on hold.

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Roma suffered a heavy 5-2 loss away at Inter on Sunday night, dropping to sixth, four points behind fourth-placed Como.

Italian sources, including Gazzetta dello Sport and Il Messaggero, claim that Gasperini’s future at the Stadio Olimpico is uncertain and will depend on results in the final part of the campaign.

Roma’s main target is to qualify for the Champions League this season, but their recent poor form, with three defeats in the last five league matches, has enabled direct rivals Como and Juventus to gain an advantage in the standings.

According to Gazzetta, Gasperini isn’t the only one under scrutiny, as Roma owners are also assessing some of the team’s most experienced players, such as Mancini and Cristante.

Both footballers’ contracts expire in 2027, and according to the report, talks have been put on hold, with the club assessing their transfer strategy for next season.

Likewise, talks with Paulo Dybala, Zeki Celik and Stephan El Shaarawy are on hold, with the trio potentially heading for a summer exit, as their contracts run out at the end of the season.

According to Gazzetta, there have been initial talks between the Giallorossi and Lorenzo Pellegrini’s entourage, but negotiations are far from advanced.

In the meantime, fans seem to have lost patience, and Gazzetta reports they’ll stage a protest against the team and Gasperini during the next Serie A home match against Pisa.

• Read more – Pressure mounts on Gasperini with Roma trio expected to split

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis admits he’d allow Antonio Conte to become the Italy national team coach and backs Giovanni Malagò to become the new FIGC President: ‘The perfect person.’

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Napoli President De Laurentiis admits he’s open to letting Conte leave at the end of the season to become the Italy national team coach.

“If Antonio asked me, I think I’d say yes,” De Laurentiis told reporters (via Gazzetta) in Los Angeles, where the documentary on Napoli’s fourth Scudetto premiered on Monday.

“But given that he [Conte] is very intelligent, until there isn’t a serious interlocutor and, until now, there haven’t been many, he’d resist imagining himself as the chief of something that is entirely disorganised,” ADL added.

Conte has emerged as one of the leading candidates to become the new Italy national team coach.

However, the FIGC won’t hire a replacement for Gennaro Gattuso until the end of June, given that a new President will be elected on June 22.

FIGC President Gabriele Gravina resigned following Italy’s World Cup play-off elimination last week, and so did coach Gattuso.

The Azzurri will play two friendly games in June and will be led by a caretaker coach, likely Silvio Baldini, for those matches.

De Laurentiis also confirmed Giovanni Malagò is his favourite candidate to become the new FIGC President.

“He’s the perfect person to first serve as a commissioner and then as the President of a new Federation,” concluded the Napoli owner.

• Read more – Conte: ‘If I was FIGC President, I would consider me for Italy job’

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Como pull the brake, Atalanta score three and see Europe

Inter, Conte remains

Chivu goes +7 over Napoli (who eliminate Milan)

Lautaro wakes the Nerazzurri up. The Scudetto is closer. Decisive Politano at the Maradona. Allegri: ‘Title? Now it’s gone.’

Antonio calls the national team: ‘If I were the president, I would consider myself.’

Lady, here you are!

-1 from the Champions. Spalletti: ‘Juve, I don’t understand you.’ Vlahovic injured again.

Corriere dello Sport

Milan beaten too

Antonio wins 1-0 and surpasses Allegri: he’s the only rival of the dominant Inter.

Conte keeps it alive

Scudetto: Napoli are -7 from Lautaro

Fourth consecutive win and second spot. Politano is introduced and decides the game. Seven rounds remaining. On Sunday the Fab4 in Parma and Chivu in Como.

Cesc, Juve incoming

Spalletti knocks Genoa down (2-0): -1 from Como, held at Udine (0-0).

Game closed in 17 minutes: Bremer and McKennie score. Champions League race: Lucio gets closer to Fabregas (fourth) and flies +3 over Roma. Di Gregorio replaces Perin (injured) in the second half and saves a penalty from Martin.

Dan has decided: trust in Gasp, but the team must be rebuilt

Roma must be remade: Friedkin’s order

Benevento celebrate: back to Serie B

Tuttosport

Conte doesn’t let Inter go

Without real strikers, the coach of the Italian champions manages to unlock a dull game: 5th consecutive win and overtaking for the second spot; even if with Lautaro and Calhanoglu’s returns, Chivu seems to have put his hands on the Scudetto.

Juve, Champions jump

-1 from Como with Bremer, McKennie and DiGregorio

Fabregas’ team held in Udine. The Bianconeri crush Genoa with a good first half, but the second half infuriates him: ‘We were walking…’ Perin injured, the former starting goalkeeper flies on the penalty and Martin’s rebound, receiving everyone’s hug. Muscle problem for Vlahovic too.

Yes, D’Aversa is saving Toro and appeals…Juric

Easter in Benevento: Serie B after three years.

Antonio Conte left the door wide open to an Italy recall, admitting his future at Napoli is in doubt. ‘If I was the FIGC President, I’d take me into consideration.’

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The 56-year-old has emerged as one of the strongest candidates to take over the reins of the Azzurri after the failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.