Vincenzo Italiano arrived at his pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg at Villa Park with his trademark wit intact, joking that he had asked the club to fly in Tom Cruise to help with what he described as a near-impossible mission, while also outlining a clear and serious tactical plan to give Bologna a genuine chance of completing one of European football’s more remarkable comebacks.

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The Rossoblù head into the tie trailing 3-1 from the first leg, and Italiano was under no illusions about the scale of the task.

“I’ll drop the percentages this time,” he said, with quotes via TMW, referencing his pre-match 50-50 prediction ahead of the first leg. “This is a mission that is almost impossible. I had asked the club to bring in Tom Cruise, he could give us a hand.”

The laughter subsided quickly, however, as Italiano returned to the serious business of how Bologna might make life uncomfortable for an Aston Villa side that will be looking to manage the game on home soil.

“We ruined the first leg with some lapses of concentration within what was otherwise a very high-level performance,” he said.

“Tomorrow we must make life difficult for them, not let them have a quiet evening. It would be important not to concede. And then we have to try to hurt them: they do give something away, as we saw in both previous matches here.”

Aston Villa vs Bologna – Italiano: ‘Ravaglia will play’

On Unai Emery’s attacking philosophy, Italiano was playful. “Emery’s mantra is attack, attack, attack. Mine, by contrast, is defence, defence, defence,” he said with a smile.

He was more measured on what he genuinely expects from Villa. “I would be surprised if they came at us aggressively given their two-goal lead. But I don’t know how they will approach it, what I do know is that the atmosphere pushes them and raises their level. We must find a way to respond.”

Italiano confirmed that Federico Ravaglia returns in goal, “from the start.”

With Lucumí also absent, he has Casale, Heggem and Vitik available in central defence, though he was deliberately cagey about his selection. “One of the three will be on the bench,” was all he would say.

His message to the squad was straightforward. “I told them to remember the matches we have played here before. We need to dig deep for a truly top-level performance and make our opponents work extremely hard. These games always throw up surprises, and that is our only hope.”

Paolo Vanoli has called on his Fiorentina players to cast aside inhibition and play with complete freedom when Crystal Palace visit the Stadio Franchi on Thursday evening, with the Viola requiring a 3-0 victory to overturn their first-leg deficit and reach the Conference League semi-finals.

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It is a tall order by any measure, and Vanoli was not about to pretend otherwise. But the Fiorentina coach, who has overseen one of Serie A’s more remarkable survival stories this season, knows better than most that the impossible can sometimes be achieved when a group of players stops thinking and starts believing.

“We will play with a free head, knowing that we will need something special,” he said, with quotes via AldredoPedulla.com.

“Sometimes what matters is not so much technical quality but desire, doing something that goes beyond what is expected, with courage and freedom. We have to risk, try and dream.”

Vanoli was equally honest about the context of this European run. With four points from their opening 11 league matches this season, survival was the only objective that mattered.

“When we had four points we were talking primarily about the league, that was the priority,” he said. “Then the story says the Conference must be an objective for this club.”

He also pointed to the broader lesson his side can take from facing a Premier League opponent of Palace’s quality. “The strong teams make you grow. When you don’t win, you learn.”

Fiorentina coach Vanoli: ‘I don’t want my future decided by one game’

On his own future, Vanoli was characteristically direct. He expressed genuine ambition to continue but refused to let Thursday’s result define his tenure one way or the other.

“I don’t want my future to be conditioned by one Conference League match,” he said. “I’m not a genius if we go through and I’m not a mediocre coach if we go out. I keep believing, despite the difficulties.”

He also delivered a pointed observation about Italian football’s relationship with courage, fitting given the national conversation currently raging about the men’s team. “In Italy, people say they want courage but then criticise it when they see it.”

On team news, Dodô will miss the match through suspension, while Pongracic is being assessed after carrying a hamstring overload. Rugani, who impressed against Lazio, is available, and Vanoli confirmed Kean is being monitored day by day as the club works to have him fit.

Vincenzo Italiano’s future at Bologna is attracting significant attention from elsewhere in Italian football, with transfer insider Fabrizio Romano warning that several major clubs have the coach firmly on their radar despite his contract running until 2027.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel ahead of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Aston Villa at Villa Park, via TuttoMercatoWeb, Romano was careful to frame the situation in context. Italiano has publicly committed to Bologna and renewed his deal as recently as May 2025, earning just over €3 million per season.

On paper, there is no immediate reason to question his future in Emilia. However, Romano’s caveat was pointed. “Italiano at Bologna, yes, but with an asterisk,” he said. “He is very well regarded by several important Italian clubs.”

Big Serie A role beckons for Bologna coach Italiano

The key phrase Romano used was “domino effect on managerial positions,” a reference to the considerable upheaval currently rippling through Serie A benches, with multiple top clubs facing uncertainty over their coaching situations heading into the summer. Should that instability create unexpected vacancies, Italiano’s name is among the first that would be considered.

Since taking charge at Bologna in the summer of 2024, the coach has recorded 45 wins, 27 draws and 28 defeats, with his side scoring 144 goals and conceding 119 at an average of 1.62 points per game.

The Europa League quarter-final run alone represents a significant achievement for a club of Bologna’s resources, and it is precisely that kind of overperformance that makes Italiano so appealing to clubs with greater ambitions and deeper pockets.

Napoli have made their first move in the pursuit of Nicolò Zaniolo, with sporting director Giovanni Manna having opened exploratory talks with the Udinese midfielder’s entourage ahead of the summer transfer window.

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According to Kiss Kiss Napoli, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the approach represents a continuation of Manna’s long-standing admiration for the Italian, having previously targeted him during his time at Juventus.

Antonio Conte is also understood to be a fan of the player, though the extent of Napoli’s pursuit will depend heavily on whether the manager remains in charge next season, a question that has yet to be resolved following Aurelio De Laurentiis’ recent public comments from the United States.

Napoli keen on Zaniolo as Udinese man finds form

Zaniolo has rediscovered his best form this season, registering six goals and seven assists in 34 appearances for Udinese, a return that has underlined his quality when fit and in a settled environment.

The Italian international joined on loan from Galatasaray, and Udinese are understood to be ready to trigger their purchase option of approximately €9 million to make the deal permanent.

Manna is aware that other Italian clubs are also monitoring the situation, giving the contact an added urgency. Napoli are not prepared to be caught flat-footed in what promises to be a competitive summer window, and Zaniolo, available at a relatively modest cost given his current form, represents an attractive and attainable target.

Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori has not been included in Arsenal’s starting lineup or bench in Wednesday night’s UEFA Champions League quarter final match against Sporting.

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Arsenal won the first leg 1-0 in Portugal and are expected to come out on top at the Emirates Stadium.

Calafiori, however, will play no part in the match – indeed, after missing Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat against Bournemouth.

The Italian’s condition is not likely serious though, and the Italian may be available for the weekend’s huge match against Manchester City.

Arsenal vs Sporting – Official Lineups as Calafiori misses out

Arsenal: Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Rice, Zubimendi, Eze; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Sporting: Rui Silva; Quaresma, Diomande, Inacio, Araujo; Hjulman, Morita; Geny, Pedro Goncalves, Trincao; Suarez

Juventus are set to secure the long-term future of Manuel Locatelli, with an agreement in place to extend his contract until 2030.

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The Italy international’s current deal, which was due to expire in 2028, will be extended by a further two years, while also including a salary increase from €3m to €4m per season, according to CalcioMercato.

The official signing is expected to take place on April 17.

Locatelli renewal is huge boost for Juventus

Locatelli joined Juventus from Sassuolo in 2021 for €37.5m, having previously come through the ranks at AC Milan. Since arriving in Turin, he has made 224 appearances, contributing nine goals and 17 assists, and played a key role in the club’s Coppa Italia triumph in 2024.

At international level, he has earned 36 caps for the Italy national team, scoring three goals and being part of the squad that won Euro 2020.

Locatelli’s renewal is the latest in a series of key extensions for Juventus, following new deals for Kenan Yildiz, Weston McKennie and head coach Luciano Spalletti.

Attention will now turn to the future of Dusan Vlahovic, whose current contract is due to expire in 2026 and remains unresolved.

There’ll surely be huge demand for Manchester City vs Arsenal tickets as this weekend’s game at the Etihad Stadium looks like potentially deciding the Premier League title.

BUY MAN CITY VS. ARSENAL TICKETS

The Gunners have had a bit of a blip recently, while Man City have looked back to their best, and now they go head-to-head in this huge six-pointer.

If Arsenal win, then defeat in the last game against Bournemouth will quickly be forgotten, and they’ll be major favourites again, but a win for City will confirm what we appear to be seeing now, with Mikel Arteta‘s side perhaps bottling it again. A draw leaves us all guessing.

Years from now you’ll surely wish you’d been there, so read on for our Manchester City vs Arsenal tickets guide.

How to buy Manchester City tickets

Manchester City fans looking for tickets to this game will likely make the official site here their first port of call, but it’s not necessarily the best way to guarantee you’ll grab a seat.

We can also recommend following the link here for another dedicated ticket portal that is easy to navigate, reliable, and backed by a 150% money-back guarantee if, for whatever reason, you’re not satisfied.

How to buy Arsenal tickets

Arsenal’s official ticket page can be found here, but we would again recommend having a backup plan in place, as you’ll struggle to get ahead of season-ticket holders and club members for such an in-demand fixture.

You could also try following our link here for a better chance to make sure you get a seat in the Etihad Stadium away end, for what could end up being an unforgettable game that ends up taking a place alongside Anfield in 1989, Old Trafford in 2002, and White Hart Lane in 2004 in the club’s history books.

How Manchester City could line up vs Arsenal

City are in fine form at the moment, so will surely take the game to Arsenal with an attacking approach and as many of their stars on the pitch at once.

Pep Guardiola can’t fit everyone in, but he has plenty of good options that can cause the Gunners problems, as they did in the Carabao Cup final recently.

Expect something like the below…

Man City predicted line-up: Donnarumma; Nunes, O’Neill, Guehi, Khusanov; Rodri, Silva, Cherki, Semenyo, Doku; Haaland.

How Arsenal could line up vs Manchester City

Injuries continue to be a problem for Arsenal as they have been for so much of the season, with doubts over Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, and Riccardo Calafiori going into this game.

That makes it hard to predict Arsenal’s starting XI, but based on recent reports it’s probably more likely that Saka and Timber will be back than the other two.

We’ll go with this line-up for now…

Arsenal predicted line-up: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Rice, Zubimendi, Eze; Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres.

Fine line between success and failure

Two wins, or even two draws for Arsenal this week will have them in the Champions League semi-finals and probably as title favourites. Two defeats and it’s likely they’re heading for another trophyless season.

These are the fine margins for Arteta now, whose own future as Arsenal manager will surely come into question if this project once again yields a second-place finish and failure to lift any of the other three trophies despite for so long this season looking like they might genuinely be in the running for a quadruple.

Quite simply, this is an absolutely massive game for Arsenal in their modern history – can their players rise to the occasion or will the pressure get to them again? Give us your predictions in the comments!

Leonardo Bonucci remains part of the Italy national team setup despite the recent overhaul at the Italian Football Federation, as he continues to build towards a future in coaching.

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The former Juventus defender is currently working as part of the federation’s technical structure, focusing on scouting and analysing players while completing the required steps to obtain his UEFA Pro licence, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport.

His role is independent of the previous coaching staff and remains valid until June 2026, meaning he has stayed on despite the departures of Gennaro Gattuso, Gabriele Gravina and Gianluigi Buffon.

Bonucci stays on pathway to Serie A coaching

Bonucci began his post-playing path in 2024 as an assistant to Bernardo Corradi with the Italy Under-20 side, before later being integrated into the senior national team environment. His current duties involve monitoring both established and emerging Italian players, compiling detailed reports as part of his coaching education.

This work is essential for completing the hours required to sit the final exams at Coverciano, which would allow him to coach in Serie A. He has already earned his UEFA A licence and is regularly attending matches across Italy and Europe to continue his development.

Bonucci’s contract is set to expire in June, when he will decide together with the federation whether to continue. For now, his focus remains on gaining experience and preparing for a future on the touchline, with several coaches, including Antonio Conte, having already shown interest in bringing him into their staff.

Cesc Fabregas confirms Como are targeting more Real Madrid talents after Nico Paz and Jacobo Ramon and hopes to remain at the Stadio Sinigaglia long term: ‘I’m in love with everything I’m doing here.’

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Como visit Sassuolo in a crucial Serie A match on Friday, as the Azzurri are just two points below a Champions League spot despite last Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Inter.

Como have mostly used a 4-2-3-1 system this term, but Fabregas has also made some tactical twists along the way.

“I don’t like to talk about a structure. There’s always an evolution, and it’s always very hard. We analyse all the time,” he said at a press conference via TMW.

“If you look at PSG, Liverpool, and Barcelona, they are all very dynamic.”

Argentine talent Nico Paz scored a goal and provided one assist in Sunday’s loss to Inter after managing just one goal in the previous four league fixtures.

“I congratulated Nico Paz; we have revived him. He’s the player we used to see,” Fabregas said.

Como remain the least-beaten defence in Serie A despite their recent heavy defeat to Inter.

“Our defence was not in confusion. We recovered possession many times with high pressing,” insisted Fabregas.

“Our defence was incredible, with top-notch pressing. It’s true that we didn’t do well on set pieces, but that had to do with the pressure at that moment, too.

“It’s been a constant growth, thanks to the players, a great staff and the intensity we put in every day. We push hard, we know we are ranked higher than we would have thought, but it all depends on the players and what they learn day by day,” he added.

“We continue to push, hoping to finish as high as possible. When you see the players’ determination, the result goes in the background. There will be moments when only the result is missing, but now we are building an idea.”

Speaking about the defensive attitude he wants to see from his players, Fabregas mentioned Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday: “Yesterday, Eric García consistently anticipated the play and maintained the right positioning, even though he isn’t the most physical or the fastest. It’s exactly what we want.”

Fabregas was asked whether Lucas Da Cunha embodies his playing style, and the coach replied that the Frenchman has completed “96% of the training sessions” at Como over the last two seasons.

“Kolo Touré was somebody who didn’t miss any training sessions. It’s the typical player a scouting team must identify,” added Fabregas.

Fabregas confirmed that his assistant coach has travelled to Madrid twice in recent weeks to watch some Real Madrid Castilla players in action.

Nico Paz and Ramon have joined the Azzurri from the Merengues over the last two years, and Como fans should probably expect more reinforcements from the Spanish capital going forward.

“Yes, we are always on the move. It’s too important to watch players live,” Fabregas said.

“We are looking for players to improve. We know what Nico and Ramon have achieved here.”

Fabregas, a former Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder, reiterated that he’s not considering leaving Como at the end of the season, not even of the Italy national team job.

“It’s hard, right now, this is what I feel. I’m in love with everything I’m doing here,” he said.

“This won’t change. My life is about preparing for the Sassuolo game. I experienced it as a player. Today it all goes well, but lose two games and people would not want you anymore. People are accustomed to having a high bar, and I’m the first one who wants it.”

One final question was whether he’d like to replicate Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal career at Como, spending several years at the club and reshaping their identity: “I’d love it,” he concluded.

Gabriele Gravina has admitted regret over his time in charge of the FIGC, acknowledging he may have stayed on too long before stepping down after acknowledging “what had been done could not be improved further.”

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Speaking to Le Iene, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb, Gravina said he felt “bitter” about failing to deliver the results fans deserved, particularly in light of Italy’s ongoing struggles on the international stage.

“I’m disappointed for not giving our fans what they deserved,” he said. “Above all, I regret not stepping aside earlier, when I realised that what had been done could not be improved further.”

Gravina pushes back against Italy critics

Gravina also pushed back against criticism of his leadership, highlighting key achievements during his tenure.

“What I cannot accept is being called unworthy,” he added. “Important work was done, especially in terms of financial stability. We secured co-hosting rights for Euro 2032, one of the biggest sporting events in the world. People forget that after 53 years we won the European Championship, and the Under-17 side also lifted their first European title.”

However, Italy’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup remains a major shadow. Gravina pointed to structural issues within Italian football, particularly the limited opportunities for domestic players.

“We produce talent, but it is not used,” he explained. “Around 70% of players are foreign, leaving only 30% eligible for the national team. Clubs operate as businesses, so you cannot force them to make different choices. The only solution is to change the culture and introduce incentives.”

He also clarified previous controversial remarks about other sports, insisting they were misunderstood.

“My comments were about regulations, not a lack of respect,” Gravina said. “I admire athletes from all disciplines and their sacrifices. I never intended to offend anyone.”

Chelsea face Manchester United this weekend in what could be the Blues’ last real chance to keep their Champions League qualification hopes alive.

BUY CHELSEA VS. MAN UNITED TICKETS

Liam Rosenior’s side are on an awful run of form at the moment, winning just one of their last six games in all competitions, and losing three in a row without even scoring a goal in the Premier League.

Still, there are five Champions League places up for grabs now and the gap with Liverpool is not insurmountable just yet, so can Chelsea pick up a vital win against Man Utd this weekend?

The Red Devils have been much-improved under Michael Carrick and are looking reasonably sure of Champions League qualification, but could that mean they end up taking their eye off the ball a little bit?

Either way, it should be an unmissable game between two big clubs who always put on a show when they meet, whether it’s been in title races or in top-four battles like this.

How to buy Chelsea tickets

Chelsea fans can find the club’s official ticket page via the link here, but there can be issues with both affordability and availability if you go down that route.

It’s well worth trying our alternative here as it allows you an easy-to-use site with direct access to the games you care about, without the extra cost and hassle of becoming a season ticket holder or club member.

How to buy Manchester United tickets

Manchester United supporters looking for the club’s official ticket page can use the link here, but we’d again suggest keeping an alternative in mind as well.

To make sure you don’t miss out on this big game and others, our link lets you follow your club without extra costs or getting stuck behind season-ticket holders in the queue.

BUY CHELSEA VS. MAN UNITED TICKETS

How Chelsea could line up vs Manchester United

Chelsea fans will no doubt be keen to see if Enzo Fernandez returns to Rosenior’s line up for this game after the club suspended him for two games.

If the Argentina international does make it back, it should give CFC a much stronger-looking side to take on United, though there are clearly still issues in this team.

It remains to be seen if Rosenior will be tempted to rotate some of the players who performed so poorly against Man City, but one imagines his lack of options probably means there won’t be too much rotation.

Chelsea predicted line-up: Sanchez; Gusto, Cucurella, Fofana, Hato; Caicedo, Fernandez, Palmer; Garnacho, Neto, Pedro.

How Manchester United could line up vs Chelsea

Man United’s team more or less picks itself these days, but Matthijs de Ligt and Patrick Dorgu remain long-term absentees from the squad.

Still others, like Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, should be fit again for this game, while Harry Maguire will be back from suspension and will probably be back in the team.

Man Utd predicted line-up: Lammens; Dalot, Shaw, Maguire, Martinez; Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes; Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko.

BUY CHELSEA VS. MAN UNITED TICKETS

Chelsea vs Manchester United head-to-head record

This fixture has tended to be quite close down the years, though going further back through history, it’s United who have the upper hand overall.

MUFC have won this fixture 84 times in total, drawing 57, and losing 57.

In more recent history, there’s been very little between them, with Chelsea winning three of their last twelve meetings, United winning the other three, and six draws.

At Stamford Bridge, however, United have a pretty poor record, having failed to win there since February 2020.

Reports in Italy claim that Milan sporting director Igli Tare recently met with Robert Lewandowski’s agent, but the Rossoneri’s CEO, Giorgio Furlani, doesn’t seem inclined to pay a high salary to a player well over 30.

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Milan are looking for a new centre-forward for 2026-27, given their strikers’ struggles in the current campaign.

Milan in talks with Lewandowski

Barcelona star Lewandowski, whose contract at the Nou Camp expires in June, has long been a transfer target for the Rossoneri, and according to Calciomercato.com, Tare recently met the striker’s representative, Pini Zahavi, for dinner.

Technically, Milan are interested in Lewandowski, who is said to have also attracted interest from Juventus and received a big-money offer from an unnamed MLS club.

However, according to Calciomercato.com and Corriere della Sera, Milan CEO Furlani is currently reluctant to make a major investment, even in salary terms, for a player who will turn 38 in August.

Milan signed Niclas Fullkrug on loan with an option to buy from West Ham in the January window, but seem eager to send the German back to London at the end of the season.

Former Milan star Marcel Desailly feels Alessandro Bastoni could bring Barcelona to a ‘different level’, but the Inter defender ‘isn’t even half of Paolo Maldini.’

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Ex-Milan and France defender Desailly spoke to the Italian Football Podcast about two under-fire Serie A stars in recent weeks: Inter’s Bastoni and Milan’s Rafael Leao.

Bastoni has received criticism from fans and media alike in recent months. The Inter star was first involved in a huge controversy during a Serie A match against Juventus in February, when he caused and celebrated a red card for Pierre Kalulu.

A few weeks later, he received a straight red card in Italy’s World Cup play-off Final against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which proved to be a big turning point in the Azzurri’s loss on penalties.

“I think he has been consistent, I think he’s been at Inter for like seven seasons and doing well no matter who the coach is,” Desailly said.

“I don’t think he’s a top international leader, but as you said, he is a player who knows how to adapt to the system. This is his limit.

“He has helped Inter to probably win the league this season by his consistency and understanding of how to read the game. But I think the limit is there, international level, this is it. They don’t play the same system.

Desailly on Bastoni transfer: Barcelona ‘weak at the back’

“He managed to adapt himself again with Gattuso. He is on the left side, if you want to compare him to Maldini, but he isn’t even half of Maldini. But he is who he is.”

Several sources claim that Bastoni, who is under contract with Inter until 2028, is keen to join Barcelona in the summer, and Desailly believes that both the defender and Barça would benefit from such a move.

“Yes I mean it is a good experience to match your level. Same as Leao, I don’t know his winning mentality. He is a defender, he isn’t a creative player,” said Desailly, a 1998 France World Cup winner.

“But maybe he can lift the level to understand and adapt to Barcelona’s level where they are in need of a strong defensive attitude.

“You can see Barcelona, in each position they are just amazing, but they are weak at the back, and that is why they don’t win the Champions League.

“So he could be that player that brings that consistency and that strength on the defensive block to bring Barcelona to another level. Because they definitely need defensive leaders in the squad.”

Milan star Rafael Leao hasn’t scored a goal since March 1, and Gazzetta dello Sport recently argued that the Portuguese winger and the Rossoneri should part ways at the end of the season.

“You said it, you cannot criticise him, because the day you criticise him, he will produce magic on the pitch. And you are stuck, and you don’t know what to say anymore. In five seconds, he will crash out all the negativity you put on him,” argued Desailly.

“But we know 100% that he doesn’t have the consistency. And he isn’t on his own a leader for a full season like Messi was, and Neymar was.

“He doesn’t have that consistency. He is an important player for the team, but he can never be the main man throughout the season. He can be the main man once in a while because he will be on and off.

“And he looks like he has reached the maximum level he can produce. I can’t criticise him because he is earning a lot of money and plays for Milan and the Portuguese national team.

“But I think that he thinks he is everything. He isn’t mentally ready to study where he can improve physically, because he potentially cannot give more physically,” continued the ex-Milan defender.

“Then maybe he can potentially study how to change his diet, training or whatever to have that consistency. He is a bit of a problem in a system because he doesn’t track back. He’ll push forward but when the action is finished, he stops.

“It means he doesn’t have the legs to get back into position. So, there must be a physical and mental approach that could eventually bring him to the level of, because he could be Ballon d’Or.

“But does he really want it? Is his entourage smart enough to be able to tell him, ‘Look, what you’ve done is great, but to get to the next level, you will need to adjust certain things.’

“Because for now this is the maximum we can expect from Leao.”

Diego Simeone tells Italy legends Alessandro Del Piero and Alessandro Costacurta that Atletico Madrid have learned that they must ‘hurt’ Barcelona, ‘otherwise, they will.’

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Simeone’s Atletico Madrid knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Simeone, a former Catania coach and an ex-midfielder of Pisa, Lazio and Inter, spoke to Sky Sport Italia at full-time.

Simeone examines Atletico Madrid 1-2 Barcelona with Italy legends

Fabio Capello asked whether the Colchoneros should have kept a higher line in the final ten minutes, with Barcelona reduced to ten men.

• Read more – Ruggeri on Italy snub and marking Yamal: ‘Not just me’

“You know well that sometimes what one wants is not what the players can give,” Simeone replied.

“Sometimes the coaches shout, but the players are like: ‘Gaffer, I just can’t get there.’ Even with one man down, they couldn’t get there. We knew we had to keep a higher line. I kept telling Julian: ‘Mark Pedri, go on the right.’ But he said: ‘Mister, I’m dead.’ I was angrier after the first leg, because we played one man up for 45 minutes, so I was angry when I left. If you don’t score against them, you lose, because they are so strong. Even if you play behind the ball, you’ll concede in the end.”

Ex-Italy defender Costacurta praised Simeone for resting all his starters in the previous La Liga match.

“On Saturday, we had made many changes to the lineup; everyone rested, knowing the effort we’d need today,” said Simeone.

“But, Mamma Mia, they play so well, they attack so well, they come from everywhere. Against them, we have understood that we have to hurt them; otherwise, they will.”

Atletico Madrid have reached the Champions League semis four times under Simeone and twice made it to the Final, so Del Piero asked if the Argentine felt “something special” this season.

“Yes, I do. And there is,” Simeone concluded, smiling.

Former Italian striker Antonio Cassano argues he was more ‘creative’ than Francesco Totti and had more physicality than Roberto Baggio: ‘But I never reached my prime.’

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Former Serie A star Cassano released some bold statements in his latest appearance on the Viva El Football podcast, which he hosts alongside Daniele Adani and Nicola Ventola.

Cassano: I was ‘more creative’ than Totti

A follower asked Cassano whether, in his prime, he was better than legendary strikers Baggio, Del Piero and Totti, and he replied without hesitation: “In my prime, absolutely yes; even though I never actually reached it in my career or in my life. I like myself much more,” he said via FcInter1908.

“Baggio was brilliant; Totti was the greatest No.10 in the history of Italian football; Del Piero was a phenomenal player, but if I had reached 100%, I would have been stronger than all three.

“What did I have more than Totti? I was more creative, more physical than Baggio and more of everything than Del Piero. He scored more than I, but I’m talking about my prime,” he added.

“If I had done what I was meant to, I would have had no rivals. Goals don’t tell the whole story. I was something else.”

Cassano scored 112 goals and provided 100 assists in 400 Serie A appearances with Bari, Roma, Sampdoria, Milan, Inter and Parma.

He also played for Real Madrid but managed only four goals and three assists in 29 appearances.

The former striker scored 10 goals in 39 appearances for the Italy national team, helping the team reach the Euro 2012 Final.

Del Piero and Totti won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, while Baggio finished 3rd with the Azzurri at Italia ’90, 2nd at USA ’94, and was knocked out in the quarter-finals at France ’98.

Paolo Vanoli says Fiorentina are doing ‘everything we can’ to recover Moise Kean for a Conference League game against Crystal Palace, where the Tuscans will need ‘courage’ and ‘heads free’ to try to overturn a three-goal deficit.

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Fiorentina host Crytal Palace at the Stadio Franchi on Thursday night in the second leg of the Conference League quarter-finals.

The Tuscans suffered a 3-0 loss in the reverse fixture played in England last week, but hope to see Italy international Kean return to action tomorrow: “We are trying to recover him; we are doing everything we can, including double training sessions with the player,” Fiorentina coach Vanoli told Sky Sport.

“He is keen to try to help us in this final part of the season. It’s a problem that has somewhat interrupted what he did last year, but thanks to the group, we have been able to make up for the absence of an important player.”

Kean has missed the last two games for Fiorentina, including the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park last week.

Fiorentina spent most of the season in the Serie A drop zone, but bounced back in recent months and are now eight points above the bottom three.

On Monday, they secured a crucial 1-0 win over Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio.

“It was the most important league win of the season, for the group and for how we approached it, especially given all the absences we had,” Vanoli said.

“There were three important points, knowing they bring us closer to something extraordinary, numbers in hand. Now, however, we need to keep our feet on the ground and go to Lecce, thinking we still have to earn the points we need.”

Vanoli is under contract with Fiorentina until the end of the season and his future at the Stadio Franchi is far from certain.

“I’ve been in football for many years, I know how it works, and I move on,” he said.

“I have to look at what we are doing and what the numbers are saying.”

Surely, however, Vanoli would love to remain at the Franchi beyond the summer.

“Absolutely, when I do something, I want to keep going with it,” he insisted.

“The club has always given me trust, and I know the esteem they have for me. I have to look at the present and finish what we started, which may seem little, but is actually a lot.”

During his pre-match press conference, Vanoli shifted his focus on the upcoming European game against Palace, highlighting the approach he expects from his players: “With head free and knowing that we’ll need a feat. Sometimes, for these things, you don’t need technique, but the desire to do something that goes beyond, with courage and with our heads free,” he said via TMW.

“We’ll have to take risks to try to dream. I’m sorry I don’t have the full squad available. Substitutions are helpful, but against Lazio, we proved we are a proper team.

“We know Crystal Palace are one of the favourites to win the Conference League,” continued the Fiorentina coach.

“They got to this game after a comeback against Newcastle, who have a complete team.

“I showed the lads the opening 30 minutes before the penalty kick. It’s not true that we didn’t play well. I think we paid a high price for incidents in which we lacked attention. This must serve as a lesson on how to become a top side. We were unlucky in the draw, but it’s nice because strong opponents make you grow. When you don’t win, you learn.”

• Read more – Mandragora sends warning to Crystal Palace: ‘We believe in the miracle’

Jonathan David has had an opportunity to discuss the criticism he has received in his first season at Juventus, has put to bed any rumours that he hasn’t settled in the dressing room and says that the Old Lady are ‘under more scrutiny than any other club in Italy’. 

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David on Juventus struggles, false rumours and failed panenka penalty attempt

The Canada international, who joined Juventus on a free transfer after five successful seasons with Lille in Ligue 1, spoke to TSN in his homeland after what has been a fairly underwhelming first campaign in Serie A. 

David has made 30 appearances in Serie A this term, but has only started 17 times and is only on five league goals for the season, four of which came in a run of five games in January. For reference, David averaged 17.4 league goals per season during his time in France and never scored fewer than 13 in the league during his five seasons with Lille. 

“For me, I think it’s been up and down. I came to a new club with high hopes, high expectations and obviously I wasn’t scoring as regularly as I wanted to,” David told TSN when asked how he thinks his 2025-26 season has gone. 

He feels that playing for a club the size of Juventus also opens players up to wider criticism: “Juventus is the club that is under more scrutiny than any other club in Italy, there’s all these eyes on you and obviously people will talk.” 

There had been rumours earlier in the season that David had not settled into the dressing room at Continassa, and there were some reports that the players had stopped inviting him out to team dinners. 

Head coach Luciano Spalletti had to step in to put the story to bed, joking that the first time David was invited out for dinner with his teammates, he committed the Italian sin of grating parmesan cheese over seafood pasta, which is why his Italian colleagues, supposedly, didn’t take him out again. 

David insists that these rumours were not true in the slightest. 

“I don’t know how or why that rumour came out but obviously I know it wasn’t true because I’m in the dressing room with these guys, we get along very well,” he said. 

David also faced criticism after making a mess of an attempted panenka from the penalty spot in a 1-1 draw with Lecce, which ended up costing Juventus a precious two points. 

“I knew what I wanted to do, it didn’t come off right. After that game there was a lot of talk about the way I kicked the penalty, why it was me doing it.”

It was immediately after the Lecce game that David went on his run of scoring four times in five Serie A matches: “It was a very special moment for myself and I think for the team also,” he said. 

“Maybe sometimes people don’t understand you, people don’t really know you so they tend to judge you but that doesn’t really matter because you have people that are close to you, who care for you, who understand the way you are so I’m not really worried about that.” 

PSG star Marquinhos is grateful to Italy and Serie A, saying that his former Roma coach, Zdeněk Zeman, forced him to ‘get out of my comfort zone.’

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PSG’s Marquinhos qualified for the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday following a 2-0 away win at Liverpool.

The ex-Roma defender, who played for the Giallorossi in the 2012-13 campaign, spoke to Sky Sport Italia after the match, recalling his only season in Serie A.

Marquinhos: Roma ‘meant a lot’ to me

“I only spent one season in Italy, but it opened the door to Europe for me and meant a lot,” he said, in perfect Italian.

“I had a coach, Zeman. He likes fast defenders who understand the timing: when the ball is covered, when it’s uncovered, and how to execute offside. It taught me so much, and it forced me to get out of my comfort zone, where I was in Brazil, where I was much more comfortable. It taught me so much.

“Here [at PSG], I played with many players who had been in Italy, who helped me understand the tactics and the play. Thiago Silva, Maxwell, Thiago Motta, and many others who passed a lot on to me. So, I’m always grateful to Italy.”

Roma finished 6th in the 2012-13 campaign, and Zeman was sacked after round 23, replaced by Aurelio Andreazzoli until the end of the campaign.

Marquinhos commented on PSG’s win over Liverpool, answering a question from Fabio Capello, one of the Sky Sport Italia pundits, who asked the Brazilian whether Mohamed Salah’s introduction in the second half somehow concerned the Ligue 1 giants.

“I think they had nothing to lose in the second half. They had to use their strength, which is physicality, and played many long balls on the wings to win the second ball,” Marquinhos replied.

“But we are aware of our strengths and weaknesses, so we didn’t want to bring the game where they wanted, corner kicks, first ball, second ball, and we defended smartly. Even if it’s not our main strength, we must be able to defend and take on the pain in these tough moments. Don’t concede and be able to suffer to make the most of our best moments.”

PSG are the defending Champions League title holders, having beaten Serie A giants Inter 5-0 in the 2024-25 Final.

Under ex-Roma coach Luis Henrique, PSG have once again reached the semis, where they’ll face Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.

Rolando Mandragora is aware that Fiorentina need a ‘perfect game’ to overturn their 3-0 deficit against Crystal Palace in the second leg of their Conference League quarter-final tie, but warns the South Londoners that ‘we believe in the miracle’. 

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The Viola will host Palace at the Stadio Franchi at 20.00 BST on Thursday evening, requiring a statement performance to overturn the 3-0 defeat they suffered at Selhurst Park last week. 

Palace are the bookies’ outright favourites to go on and win this season’s Conference League title, but Fiorentina are two-time finalists themselves and are hoping to make amends for what has been a largely disappointing season across the board. 

Mandragora previews Fiorentina vs. Crystal Palace second leg: ‘Difficult, but we believe in it’

“We’ve managed to keep ourselves alive and are still in the running. It will take a big feat but we believe in the miracle,” Mandragora warned during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday (via TMW). 

“We’ve often suffered comebacks in the second leg in the past few years. Now could be the right time to do it ourselves. Of course, we’ll need the perfect game and that Palace will concede against us. It will be difficult, but we believe in it.” 

Mandragora hopes that the support from the home fans at the Stadio Franchi will spur the players on on the night. 

“We can do something special with the support of our fans. We didn’t want to disappoint them with a result like that in the first leg. But for most of the game, the performance was there, there were chances. We’ll try to play our game at home, even if they are strong and complete.” 

Fiorentina are five games unbeaten over in Serie A and are finally starting to look safe from relegation after moving eight points clear of the drop zone after their 1-0 win over Lazio on Monday night. 

“It’s been a one-off year and the celebration the other night was a sort of liberation, even if it’s not over yet,” said Mandragora. 

“We didn’t expect to have a season like this. We started with completely different goals and we needed a lot of humility to change them. It wasn’t obvious we’d be in this situation.” 

Despite the 3-0 defeat at Selhurst Park last week, Mandragora insists that he didn’t feel too much of a difference in quality between the Premier League and the Serie A outfit. 

“I honestly don’t (notice a difference in quality). Of course, the Premier League is elite, as is Serie A with its pros and cons. Every game has its own story and the first leg told us that they were better than us. We’ll see if we’re better than them in the second.” 

Cristian Chivu is on course to win the Scudetto in his first full season as a head coach, and reports on Wednesday indicate that a contract extension is now close and that the Romanian will be given more of a say on Inter’s transfer decisions moving forwards. 

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Chivu was given his first senior head coach role with Parma last February, but did enough in his short time in charge to convince Inter into appointing him as the replacement for 2023-24 Scudetto winner and two-time Champions League finalist Simone Inzaghi ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. 

Fast forward 10 months later, Chivu and Inter have a nine-point lead at the top of the Serie A table heading into the final six games of the season and it is now widely expected that the Nerazzurri will go on to claim their 21st league title. 

Multiple outlets in Italy indicate that Chivu will be rewarded with a new and improved contract extension at the end of the season, potentially doubling his €2.5m-per-season salary until 2029 or potentially even 2030. 

Chivu and Inter align on transfer strategy

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Chivu will also have more of a say over Inter’s potential recruits on the transfer market moving forwards. 

Last summer, Chivu had no say at all in two of the five new signings that the club brought in: Deals for Luis Henrique and Petar Sucic were negotiated by the club long before Chivu was appointed head coach. 

Additionally, there were two high-profile players that Chivu attempted to sign last summer, namely former Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, now with Atletico Madrid, and Roma midfielder Manu Kone, but was unsuccessful on both fronts. 

This time around, however, the club and coach plan to be in complete harmony in their decision making and are aiming to provide Chivu with players with profiles that suit his style of play. They are said to be targeting more physically imposing players, particularly in defence and midfield.

Names that have been linked with Inter ahead of the summer transfer window include Kone again, Atalanta’s Marco Palestra and Sassuolo centre-back Tarik Muharemovic.

Wednesday’s reports claim that Juventus are interested in potential deals for two Italian left-backs in Lorenzo Bernasconi and Leonardo Spinazzola in the event that Andrea Cambiaso, who has been linked with a potential Premier League move, leaves the club this summer. 

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Juventus could reshuffle left side of defence in summer transfer window

According to reports from Tuttosport, Premier League interest in Cambiaso is hotting up again. The Italy international has on several previous occasions been linked with a move to Manchester City, and now, according to Wednesday’s update, there is interest from Spain and from Milan in Italy as well. 

Juventus had previously cited an asking price of €60m for Manchester City, but this figure could potentially be as low as €40m during the next summer transfer window. 

In the event that Cambaiso does leave in the summer, Tuttosport claims that Juventus could replace him with two relatively affordable options. 

The first is Atalanta’s Bernasconi, who has established himself as a regular Serie A starter for La Dea in the second half of the 2025-26 season, and has also started in 10 Champions League matches this campaign. 

The 22-year-old has been described as an ‘experienced project player’, i.e. one with room to improve but still with a decent level of exposure at the highest level of the game. Wednesday’s report claims that Juventus could strike a deal for a fee in the region of €20m for Bernasconi, who cost Atalanta around €1m to sign from Cremonese in 2024. 

Additionally, Juventus could also make a potential move for the 33-year-old Spinazzola, whose contract with Napoli is due to expire at the end of the season. The Italy international was also linked with a potential move to Milan earlier this week.

Inter and Italy legend Sandro Mazzola believes Alessandro Bastoni should not even consider a move to Barcelona and hopes Lautaro Martinez remains at San Siro forever.

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Former Inter and Italy star Mazzola advises Bastoni against joining Barcelona.

The Italian centre-back is said to be eager to join the Catalans in the summer, even though formal talks between the two clubs haven’t even started.

According to Italian sources, one reason for Bastoni’s potential exit over the summer is the hostile reception he receives at Italian stadiums following an incident that led to a red card for Pierre Kalulu during Inter-Juventus in February.

Mazzola: Bastoni should not join Barcelona from Inter

“What has he done that’s so serious? Mistakes can happen; every player on every team makes them, but only Inter players get this kind of treatment,” Mazzola told Gazzetta.

“The only thing I can say to him is: keep your head up and get back to work straight away.”

Asked on whether Bastoni should consider leaving Inter, the Nerazzurri legend replied: “Where should he go? Milan is even more beautiful than Barcelona. If Luisito [Suarez] were still around, he would have confirmed that too.”

Mazzola went on to say that Italian players in the Inter team “excite” him, “even though we failed to qualify for the World Cup, and that’s a huge pain,” he noted.

“Not so much for me, since I’ve played and seen many of them, but for my grandchildren, who can’t dream like kids used to. This time we were a bit unlucky, especially our Inter defender [Bastoni].”

Just as he hopes Bastoni, who is contracted with Inter until 2028, won’t leave the club in the summer, Mazzola wishes that Lautaro Martinez would stick around until the end of his career.

“We can only hope he stays with us for life,” the 70-year-old concluded.

Argentines sometimes want to return home, but Lautaro shouldn’t get any strange ideas. In time, he’ll surpass Altobelli in the number of goals, and just getting close to Meazza would already be an incredible achievement.”

Wednesday’s reports claim that Roma star Paulo Dybala is keen to play for Milan under his former Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri, and that La Joya could potentially be one of several new arrivals to reshuffle the Rossoneri attack. 

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Reports Milan could reshuffle attack with Dybala and either Lewandowski or Vlahovic

Wednesday’s reports from Corriere della Sera (via Calciomercato.com) claim that Milan could reshape their attacking department during the summer transfer window and that Dybala could potentially be a part of it, but this still depends on several varying factors. 

Firstly, Milan need to make a decision on Rafael Leao, who has struggled to reach the same heights in 2025-26 as he has done in previous seasons, despite being the club’s top scorer in Serie A this season (with 9) and their joint-top scorer across all competitions (with 10, along with Christian Pulisic). 

This is partly due to a pubalgia issue that has impacted Leao’s fitness, as well as the fact that he has most regularly been playing as a striker in a 3-5-2 as opposed to a left winger in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. 

Certain Rossoneri supporters have grown impatient with the Portugal international, who was loudly booed during the team’s recent 3-0 loss at home against Udinese. Wednesday’s reports claim that Milan could consider a sale this summer, and while an exact transfer fee has not been specified, it is certain that Leao’s €175m release clause will not be met. 

If Leao is to leave, Milan would be left needing to reinvest in their attacking unit. 

Firstly, a more traditional centre-forward is being sought ahead of the summer transfer window, regardless of Leao’s future. Robert Lewandowski, available on a free transfer at the end of his Barcelona contract, has been linked with a move to San Siro, while Milan are reportedly still monitoring the situation between Juventus and Dusan Vlahovic. 

Also out of contract at the end of the 2025-26 season is Dybala, whose future with Roma remains uncertain at this stage. 

Calciomercato reports that Dybala has not received confirmation either way as to whether his Roma contract will be extended or allowed to expire, but that he is already beginning to receive offers within Europe and South America. 

Wednesday’s report claims that Dybala is not opposed to the idea of staying on with Roma, even with a reduction in salary, but that he also has options in Argentina, Brazil and potentially in Italy as well. 

If his time with Roma were to come to an end this summer, Dybala would reportedly prefer to stay in Europe and ideally in Italy. 

This is where Milan comes back in, as Dybala is said to be keen on the idea of reuniting with his former Juventus head coach, Allegri, at Milan. La Joya had also been linked with a potential move to San Siro before joining Roma at the end of his stay with the Old Lady. 

As the 32-year-old has been hampered by injuries, especially over the last two seasons, it has also been reported that he would be ‘willing’ to accept a performance-based contract, i.e. one that depends on appearances and goal contributions. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport calls Matteo Ruggeri ‘heroic’ after Atlético Madrid’s aggregate win over Barcelona, which sent the Colchoneros to the Champions League semi-finals.

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Ruggeri’s Atlético Madrid suffered a 2-1 home defeat to domestic rivals Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, but still managed to progress to the semis with a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Italy international Ruggeri played the full game, emerging as one of the best players on the field at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Praise for Ruggeri as Atletico Madrid knock Barcelona out of Champions League

La Gazzetta dello Sport rated Ruggeri 7/10, the same as Antoine Griezmann and ex-Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, only behind his teammates Marcos Llorente and Kone and Barça’s star Yamal (7.5).

“The man from Bergamo had to deal with that demon on Lamine Yamal once again. And he did,” wrote Gazzetta.

“Bloodied and, in the end, heroic.”

Ruggeri was elbowed by Barcelona midfielder Gavi in the final minutes, leaving him with a bleeding head wound and forcing the Italian to finish the match wearing a bandage.

Ruggeri, 23, is in his first season at Atlético Madrid, where he has collected seven assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.

Ruggeri was called up to the Italy national team only once, during the March break in 2025, and has yet to make his senior Azzurri debut, despite playing 16 games with Italy U21.

Fabio Capello believes that Antonio Conte is primed and ready to re-claim the Italy national team job, but feels that the need to adapt to international management would not put off Massimiliano Allegri either. 

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Conte and Allegri are the two leading candidates to take over as Italy national team head coach following the recent resignation of Gennaro Gattuso. Italy are still without an FIGC President as well, with elections scheduled for June 22, and so a decision on the next CT is not expected to arrive before a new head of the football association is in place. 

Despite the uncertainties regarding the leadership of the Italian FA, there are two main candidates for the Italy head coach role, and Fabio Capello, speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, has given his thoughts on both. 

Capello on the next Italy CT: ‘Conte knows what awaits him, Allegri is intelligent’

One of the benefits in appointing Conte is the fact that he has already held the Italy head coach role between 2014 and 2016. 

“That would be a plus point for him,” says Capello. “If he returns to the Azzurri dugout, he would already know what awaits him, even though the scenario has changed compared to 10 years ago.

“It’s practically impossible to get worse than this, we’ve hit rock bottom.” 

For Allegri, however, it would be a first step into international football. 

“You don’t have the daily relationship with the players,” Capello warned. “And that’s not trivial, you have less control over what happens during the season. From injuries to the form of various players, you experience everything from the outside until the players are in training camp at Coverciano.”

But does Capello feel that this would be an issue should Allegri take over the Italy job? 

“I don’t think so, it would just be different. As I said, Max is intelligent and would quickly understand how to go about it. It would still clearly be a novelty for him at the beginning, while for Antonio it would not. 

“Allegri, on the other hand, has something more in terms of communication. Conte has been less diplomatic on some occasions in the past.” 

Capello believes that Conte did a decent job with the Italy national team during his time in charge between 2014 and 2016, but feels that the players he had available back then were of a slightly higher standard than the current crop of Azzurri representatives. 

“He definitely had a European championship that was up to par, but there were also some different players available,” Capello said, referring to the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli. 

“And there is no longer a real block of a (club) team in the national side. We have some from Inter, but it’s not as large as we’ve had in the past.” 

This is not the first time that Capello has mentioned the need for a ‘block’ of players who play for the same club to be deployed in the Italy team. 

“Look, the first piece of advice I would give to any coach: You need to create a base of players immediately, possibly focusing on ‘blocking’ a team from the national league.” 

Capello feels that this is easier said than done, though, given the lack of opportunities handed to Italian players in Serie A at the moment. 

“I know it well, our current difficulties stem from here. The level of Italian players has dropped and even the clubs are struggling. So for a recruiter, this is a very complicated task.” 

Capello himself was once offered the Italy national team job but turned down the opportunity: “I received the Azzurri offer, but at the moment I didn’t feel like it and so I refuse. 

“The national team is a matter of feeling and responsibility, and if at that precise moment I didn’t feel I could make myself available and it would have been wrong to do it and accept.

“The Italy job is not to be taken or rejected for the logic of convenience. It’s something you have to feel inside, because when the anthem starts, you are representing your country and you’re not ‘just’ at the service of a club like with other jobs. So I can’t suggest anything either way, it’s all strictly personal.” 

Antonio Conte continues to be linked with a potential move to re-claim the Italy national team head coach job following the recent resignation of Gennaro Gattuso, and Wednesday’s reports claim that Napoli have four potential candidates lined up to replace last season’s Scudetto winner. 

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Who could become Napoli head coach if Conte leaves to take over Italy job?

Conte along with Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri are the two names at the top of the list of potential replacements for Gattuso as head coach of the Italy national team. There have also been mentions of a potential return for Roberto Mancini and suggestions that ex-Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi could be an option as well. 

The Conte option is picking up traction again, especially after an interview given to The Athletic by Napoli President Auurelio De Laurentiis on Tuesday. 

De Laurentiis claimed that Conte ‘will never abandon me at the last minute’, but urged him to decide sooner rather than later regarding his future in order to allow Napoli enough time to line up an adequate replacement. 

According to reports from the Corriere dello Sport, Napoli’s ideal replacement for Conte in the event that he leaves to take over the Italy job is Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. 

Gasperini had also been a candidate to take over at the Stadio Maradona before Conte was given the job in the summer of 2024. His future at Roma has been put in doubt recently as well, following reports of tension between him and Giallorossi advisor Claudio Ranieri. 

There are three other potential options for Napoli as well according to Wednesday’s reports, including Bologna’s Vincenzo Italiano, Sassuolo’s Fabio Grosso, and a potential return for former head coach Maurizio Sarri, who had the Napoli job between 2015 and 2018 and is currently in his second stint with Lazio.

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

Chivu power 

More weight on the transfer market after the Scudetto 

The Inter coach will sign a renewal to open a new cycle. Salary doubled 

Mazzola, the interview: ‘Deserved title, Lautaro will stay for life and surpass Meazza 

Leao 

Playing them all 

Milan continue ahead with Rafa (despite the whistles) 

The CT race 

Nazionale question 

The Diavolo want to tie Allegri down. De Laurentiis: ‘Conte decide now’ 

Spalletti, here’s Kim again 

Only big names for Juve, the Korean colossal if Bremer goes 

Locatelli signs: 2030

Atletico knock Barca and Yamal out, Super PSG, two goals again in Liverpool

Corriere dello Sport 

Conte changes everything 

De Laurentiis: ‘If he wants to go, say it now’

Antonio is the key | ADL’s interview with The Athletic reopens the discourse on Napoli’s future

A meeting is expected between the President and the ‘coach of miracles’, who will decide whether or not to continue. Gasperini, Italiano, Sarri and Grosso on the list of possible replacements 

Cholo, party with Lookman 

Champions League: Atletico in the semi-finals, Barca out 

Simeone loses 2-1 at home, but the goal from the ex-Atalanta man is enough to get through. Brace from Dembele: PSG win 2-0 again in Liverpool and also make it through. This evening, Real Madrid looking for the turnaround at Bayern Munich’s home (20.00)

From Alisson to Hojbjerg: Spalletti’s list 

Juve’s objectives 

Lucio wants an ‘instant team’ to aim for the Scudetto. Bremer alarms: The €54m clause reachable 

Serie A has lost goals and goalscorers 

782 goals scored 

Only eight in double figures up until now. For the first time in 35 years, the top goalscorer could be won by someone with fewer than 20 (The last was Vialli) 

Tuttosport 

Juve reshape the left 

Bernasconi and Spinazzola if Cambiaso leaves 

Premier League clubs (as well as Milan) interested in the Bianconeri left-back, valued at €40m. They like the 23-year-old from Atalanta and the possibility of signing the Napoli wing-back for free is intriguing. Need €30m to come in in June: From Gatti to Kelly, the players who could save the balance sheet 

Cholo masterpiece, bye-bye Barca

Champions League quarter-final second legs: Dembele freezes Liverpool (0-2), PSG through. 

Atletico in the semi-finals despite defeat: Lookman’s goal decisive after going 2-0 down, Ruggeri heroic. Now it’s Arsenal or Sporting (who kick-off at 1-0). This evening, Real looking for a come-back against Bayern after the 1-2 in Madrid 

Vlasic’s promise: ‘Yes, I’m staying at Toro’ 

Meeting between the fans and the Croatian 

Meanwhile, the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Scudetto also involve D’Aversa: ‘Radice was a hero of mine, he coached me at Monza: A great man’ 

‘Lock yourselves in a room and only come out with reforms’ 

FIGC elections and the new CT, interview with Calentini 

Hakan Calhanoglu’s agent has moved to categorically dismiss speculation linking the Inter midfielder with a return to Turkey, insisting there has never been any concrete contact with Galatasaray and that his client remains fully focused on winning the Scudetto with the Nerazzurri.

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Gordon Stipic spoke to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano to set the record straight after reports of Galatasaray interest resurfaced in recent days, a story that has circulated periodically without ever materialising into anything concrete.

“He has a contract with Inter until 2027 and is very happy both in Italy and at Inter,” Stipic said, via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“Speculation about a possible transfer to Galatasaray has emerged several times in the past and is now being recycled.”

Calhanoglu agent plays down Galatasaray links

The agent was emphatic in his denial of any formal approach. “The facts are clear, there have been no negotiations with Galatasaray, neither last summer nor in January,” he said. “At no point was there any request or concrete enquiry. Calhanoglu remains completely focused on what truly matters at this stage, Inter, the title race and achieving success together with the team.”

Stipic also took the opportunity to highlight his client’s broader ambitions, pointing to the World Cup as a source of additional motivation for the Turkish international.

“Week after week, through his performances, his passion and his sense of responsibility on the pitch, he continues to demonstrate his quality and his importance to the team,” he said.

“He looks ahead to the World Cup with great pride and determination, where he will lead his national team as captain, a responsibility that is a special honour and means everything to him.”

While Italian football’s men’s team grapples with the fallout of a third consecutive World Cup absence, their female counterparts are doing everything in their power to ensure Italy has a presence at the 2027 tournament, and a commanding 6-0 demolition of Serbia has kept that dream very much alive.

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Andrea Soncin’s Azzurre were utterly dominant from start to finish, leading 3-0 at half-time through goals from Cristiana Girelli, Oliviero and Lenzini before a blistering second-half display completed the rout.

Caruso added a fourth before Cantore and Greggi wrapped up a thoroughly convincing victory that has breathed new life into Italy’s qualification hopes.

Italy face Denmark decider for World Cup qualification hopes

The context makes Saturday’s fixture against Denmark all the more significant.

With only the group winner qualifying automatically, the remaining sides dropping into the playoffs, the standings are finely poised. Denmark lead the group on seven points, with Italy and Sweden level on four in second and third respectively, and Serbia rooted to the bottom without a win.

A victory for Italy against the Danes on Saturday afternoon would leapfrog them into first place, while a draw could still be enough depending on the outcome of other results.

Then, in June, Italy face Serbia and Sweden, to determine the final standings, with head-to-head record and then goal difference in direct matches serving as the tiebreaker.

The prize at the end of this journey is a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, the first South American nation to host the tournament. For a group of players performing with growing confidence and conviction, Saturday represents the biggest match of their qualification campaign.

Red Bull Salzburg sporting director Marcus Mann has revealed that Lazio’s January approach for Petar Ratkov caught him completely off guard, arriving just two days into his tenure at the Austrian club and forcing him to make one of his first major decisions under significant time pressure.

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Ratkov had been Salzburg’s top scorer when Lazio came calling in January, offering a replacement for Taty Castellanos who had just departed for West Ham. The timing of the approach, and the speed at which Mann was required to respond, made the decision particularly challenging.

“The offer from Lazio for Ratkov took me a little by surprise, the call came when I had only been here two days,” Mann told Austrian television, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“I had to weigh up both the financial and the sporting aspects. From a sporting perspective, I was already aware that losing your top scorer is always a difficult choice, but in the end we prioritised the financial side. Obviously, though, every now and then you find yourself wondering: ‘How would things have gone if he had stayed?'”

Mann: ‘Salzburg miss Ratkov’ as Lazio struggles continue

Mann was careful not to use Ratkov’s departure as an excuse for Salzburg’s subsequent struggles in front of goal, pointing to the return of Konaté from injury as a factor that kept the attacking numbers broadly balanced on paper.

“Using this sale as an alibi for the few goals we are scoring would be too simple,” he said.

“But the fact remains that Ratkov, with his physicality in the air, would have been very useful to us in certain situations.”

For Lazio, meanwhile, the Serbian striker has found his own adaptation to Serie A a slow process, making his former club’s occasional regrets all the more poignant.

The Serbian forward has made just seven appearances for the Biancocelesti since his arrival in January, scoring zero goals and mainly being used off the bench.

Head coach Maurizio Sarri has claimed language issues are currently the biggest hurdle, as the forward continues to learn Italian.

Jack Harrison has dropped a strong hint about his desire to stay at Fiorentina beyond his current loan spell, telling reporters after the win over Lazio that any player would be happy to represent the club, while stopping short of confirming a permanent deal is imminent.

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The Leeds winger has grown into an increasingly important figure under Paolo Vanoli, delivering his third Serie A assist of the season against Lazio, a left-footed cross that set up Robin Gosens in the first half.

His deployment on the right flank, not his natural side, has raised eyebrows at times, but Vanoli’s faith in the Englishman has been repaid with reliable, intelligent performances that have made him a key cog in the Viola system. The absence of other wide options through injury has contributed to his prominence, but Harrison has earned his minutes rather than simply inherited them.

“I am very happy in Florence, the city is incredible and so is the club,” Harrison told reporters, via FirenzeViola.

“As for the future, any player would obviously be happy to play here. We will see what happens.”

Fiorentina keen on Harrison stay but finances could complicate deal

The financial picture, however, is complex. Harrison is on loan from Leeds with a purchase option set at €7 million, a fee that is manageable in isolation but must be viewed alongside a series of other potential obligations Fiorentina are already navigating this summer.

Compulsory buyouts for Fabbian (€13 million) and Brescianini (€10 million) are already in the pipeline, with Rugani and Manor Solomon adding further potential expenditure.

Of all these deals, Harrison’s future is arguably the least certain, though one factor could change the calculation significantly. If Vanoli, who is a significant admirer of the player, continues as head coach, the chances of Harrison remaining in Florence increase considerably. The manager’s stance may ultimately prove the decisive variable in what is shaping up to be a fascinating summer for the club.

The numbers make for uncomfortable reading at Milan headquarters as a damning statistical breakdown published by TMW has laid bare the extent to which the club’s two most significant recent attacking investments have failed to justify their price tags, and the figures are stark.

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Santiago Gimenez arrived from Feyenoord for €28.5 million plus €6.5 million in bonuses, while Christopher Nkunku cost €37 million plus €5 million in bonuses and a ten percent sell-on clause from Chelsea.

Combined, Milan have committed a potential €77 million on the two forwards, and the return has been deeply underwhelming, as noted by TMW, via MilanNews.

Nkunku & Gimenez costly per goal for Milan

Gimenez has scored seven goals in 32 appearances, though lengthy injury absences have hampered his campaign. Nkunku has managed six in 29 matches.

Together, 13 goals from 61 appearances represents a return that falls well short of what Milan needed from their marquee attacking signings.

The cost-per-goal breakdown is even more sobering, at over €5 million per goal between them, and approaching €1 million per appearance for Gimenez alone.

The summer will force difficult decisions. Selling either player without incurring a significant loss on the books will be challenging, and Milan have made clear they are not prepared to accept a financial hit.

Yet retaining two forwards who have collectively failed to fire raises its own uncomfortable questions about the direction of the club’s transfer strategy heading into what promises to be a pivotal window.

Issa Doumbia has emerged as one of Serie B’s most coveted players this season, with Inter, Milan, Napoli and Roma all understood to be monitoring the Venezia midfielder, though Italian clubs face competition from abroad in the race to sign the 22-year-old.

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The Italy Under-21 international has caught the eye with a series of impressive performances for Venezia, building on the form he showed during his time at AlbinoLeffe.

Across his career he has accumulated 82 appearances and four goals with the Bergamo club and 59 outings and eight goals with Venezia, numbers that, while modest, understate the quality and dynamism he has shown in midfield this season.

Sporting keen on Doumbia as Inter, Napoli & Milan wait in wings

His profile is attractive to clubs for multiple reasons beyond pure football, as noted by TuttoMercatoWeb.

Born in 2003, Doumbia qualifies as a homegrown player under Italian regulations, making him a cost-effective and practically valuable signing for Serie A clubs navigating squad list requirements.

His contract runs until June 2029, giving Venezia a strong negotiating position, one they would look to strengthen further if the club secures promotion to the top flight, which would inevitably push his valuation higher.

Adding urgency to any potential deal is the interest from Sporting CP, who according to Portuguese newspaper Record are considering Doumbia as a potential replacement for Hidemasa Morita should the Japanese international depart this summer. With Champions League football on offer in Lisbon, the Portuguese giants represent a serious rival for the Italian clubs.

The message for Inter, Milan and Napoli is clear, move quickly or risk missing out.

Milan are plotting a creative approach to sign Moise Kean from Fiorentina this summer, with the club exploring the possibility of using Santiago Gimenez as part of a package deal to bring down the cost of a transfer that would otherwise prove prohibitively expensive.

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Kean has long been admired by Massimiliano Allegri, who worked with the Italy international during his time at Juventus and considers him the ideal profile to strengthen Milan’s attack for 2026/27.

The feeling is mutual, Kean has previously been linked with a move to San Siro, and with Fiorentina’s European ambitions in serious doubt following their expected Conference League exit at the hands of Crystal Palace, his departure from Florence now looks increasingly likely.

Milan dream of Kean but financial hurdle must be cleared

The obstacle, as ever, is financial.

Kean’s release clause is set at €52 million, a figure Milan have no intention of paying in cash, particularly after a difficult season in which the striker’s value has not appreciably risen.

According to Calciomercato.it, via MilanNews, the solution being considered involves offering Gimenez, whose own debut season at Milan has been underwhelming, plus a cash adjustment of between €10 and €15 million to make up the difference.

For Fiorentina, Gimenez could represent an attractive option as they look to rebuild their squad, while the Mexican striker himself would relish the opportunity for a fresh start after failing to establish himself under Allegri.

The deal is far from straightforward, however, with Gimenez’s high wages and interest from Premier League clubs adding further complexity to negotiations that are still at an early stage.

Simone Inzaghi has moved to quash speculation about a potential return to Italian football, insisting he remains fully committed to Al-Hilal despite the Saudi club’s elimination from the Asian Champions League on penalties at the hands of Roberto Mancini’s Al-Sadd.

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The former Inter head coach, whose name has been linked with the Italy national team vacancy and various Serie A positions following the turbulence of recent weeks, was unequivocal when asked about his future.

“I am staying at Al-Hilal because I am doing my job to the best of my abilities and I am giving everything of myself,” he said, with quotes via FCInter1908.

The defeat to Al-Sadd on penalties will have stung, particularly given the circumstances.

Al-Hilal coach Inzaghi: ‘Luck was not on our side’

Inzaghi felt his side were the superior team on the night, taking the lead on three separate occasions only to be pegged back each time before ultimately losing the shootout.

“I was aiming to reach the quarter-finals but fortune was not on our side,” he said. “We tried with all our strength and created several chances. Al-Sadd held firm and scored three goals, but Al-Hilal were the stronger team and took the lead three times.”

It is a result that will do little to ease the pressure on Inzaghi at a club where expectations remain extraordinarily high. However, his public declaration of commitment to the project suggests he has no intention of using the setback as a reason to seek an exit, at least for now.

Edon Zhegrova’s time at Juventus looks increasingly likely to end after just one season, with Turkish club Besiktas having already made contact with the Kosovo winger’s agent about a potential summer move.

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According to Turkish newspaper Fanatik, via IlBianconero, the Kosovar international has been a significant disappointment since joining from Lille for a potential outlay of up to €18.5 million, comprising a base fee of €14.3 million, €1.2 million in additional costs and €3 million in bonuses, on a contract running until June 2030.

The numbers from his debut season make for grim reading: zero goals, zero assists and just 447 minutes of football across 21 appearances.

Injuries have played a part, but so too has a fundamental failure to convince Luciano Spalletti, who has given him just three outings in the past 11 matches totalling a mere 65 minutes on the pitch.

Besiktas keen to capitalise on Zhegrova unrest at Juventus

His most damaging moment came in the Champions League second leg against Galatasaray, where his errors drew considerable criticism at a time when the tie was still alive. It encapsulated a debut season that has simply never found its footing.

Besiktas are looking to make a statement signing this summer following the expected departure of winger Milot Rashica, and view Zhegrova as an attainable and high-profile addition. Initial contact has been made with his representatives to gauge his interest and availability.

Juventus, who have already secured Spalletti’s renewal until 2028 as they look to build a title-challenging squad, would listen to offers for Zhegrova rather than persist with a player who has clearly not adapted to the demands of the club. Recouping anything close to their original investment, however, will prove challenging given the season he has endured.

Leonardo Spinazzola’s future at Napoli is looking increasingly uncertain, with the experienced left-back yet to receive any indication from the club that they wish to extend his contract beyond its June expiry – and his representatives have begun exploring alternatives, with Milan making contact in recent weeks.

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Spinazzola was a key figure in Napoli’s Scudetto triumph last season, offering versatility and energy under Antonio Conte across multiple positions.

This season he has continued to contribute, registering three goals and three assists in 28 appearances. Despite that, the silence from Naples has grown deafening as the weeks pass, with De Laurentiis understood to be keen on rejuvenating the squad, and at 33, Spinazzola does not fit that profile.

His agent has moved proactively in response, approaching Milan about the possibility of signing the Italy international on a free transfer this summer, as per CalcioMercato reports.

Milan eye Spinazzola after Estupinan disappointment

The timing is logical from Milan’s perspective, with Pervis Estupiñán’s brief time at the club expected to end, they will need a left-back option.

However, while Milan have noted the terms being offered, they have not moved further and Spinazzola is not currently considered a priority target.

A more intriguing possibility is a return to Juventus, where Spinazzola came through the youth system before moving on without ever truly establishing himself. Giorgio Chiellini, a close personal friend, has been in contact with the player’s camp in recent days, though at this stage it amounts to nothing more than an exploratory conversation rather than a concrete approach.

Spinazzola himself would prefer to stay at Napoli, particularly if Conte remains in charge. That decision, however, appears increasingly unlikely to be his to make.

Francesco Totti’s long-awaited return to Roma in an official capacity has been put on hold, with the friction between Claudio Ranieri and Gian Piero Gasperini emerging as an unexpected obstacle in what had appeared to be an imminent homecoming for the club’s greatest icon.

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As recently as mid-February, a deal seemed close. Totti had publicly acknowledged that talks were underway, “It’s all true, we are talking and evaluating a few situations, we’ll see what can be done,” and Ranieri had given his blessing to the idea of the former captain taking on an ambassadorial role, particularly fitting given Roma are approaching their centenary celebrations.

The mood was cautiously optimistic and a formal announcement felt like a matter of weeks away.

Then things went quiet, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Quiet between Roma & Totti amid talks of reunion

Approximately 40 days have passed since Totti had dinner with Gasperini and former Roma defender Vincent Candela at a well-known restaurant in central Rome, a meeting that Roma’s hierarchy were not informed about in advance.

Since that evening, no further calls have come from Trigoria and the process has effectively ground to a halt. Totti, who has been on holiday in the Bahamas in recent days, has been left waiting for a signal from the Friedkin family that has not yet arrived.

The broader instability at the club, with Gasperini and Ranieri’s relationship now under public scrutiny following last week’s press conference exchanges, has created an atmosphere in which major decisions are being deferred rather than made.

Any resumption of contact with Totti is now expected to wait until the end of the season, when Roma’s sporting and organisational structure becomes clearer. Whether the club’s centenary will ultimately be celebrated with their greatest son back inside the building remains, for now, an open question.

Serginho has urged Milan not to panic in the wake of Saturday’s humbling defeat to Udinese, insisting the club have more than enough quality to secure a top-four finish, and that the next two fixtures against Verona and Juventus will be the defining moments of their season.

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The former Brazilian left-back, who spent seven years at San Siro and remains one of the club’s most popular figures, was measured but optimistic in his assessment of a side that has seen their Champions League cushion shrink at an uncomfortable moment.

The loss to Udinese reduced Milan’s lead over fifth-placed Como to just five points, with six games remaining. “Not much that is strange or abnormal happened on Saturday,” Serginho said, via Gazzetta.

“This season the team has performed well against the big clubs but struggled against mid-table and smaller opposition. When Milan have to take the initiative and build play, they find it more difficult, it happened against Parma too.”

Serginho: ‘Milan must play in the Champions League’

His confidence in the broader picture, however, remains unshaken.

“Milan have their destiny in their own hands and depend only on themselves,” he said. “I don’t look at the calendar, I believe this squad has the potential to finish second or third if they return to the balance and solidity that kept them unbeaten for 24 league games. From Sunday I hope to see that team again.”

On the Leão situation, the Portuguese winger was loudly booed by the San Siro crowd, Serginho acknowledged the friction while offering a characteristically optimistic take. “San Siro is a demanding stadium that has applauded him many times when he has scored and delivered important performances,” he said. “Perhaps the whistles on Saturday will be an extra stimulus for him to show his worth in this final stretch. Sometimes one goal is enough to rekindle the love. If he scored the decisive goal against Juventus, for example…”

He was equally clear about the stakes involved. “Milan must play in the Champions League, for its history, for the club it is and for the fans it has. I am optimistic and I don’t even want to think about not being in the top four after the final day. I believe in Allegri and his players. Against Verona and Juventus we will see the real Milan. I am convinced of it.”

Massimo Taibi’s journey to professional football began not with ambition but with necessity, a missing goalkeeper at a youth game in Palermo that prompted someone to ask the forward if he fancied going between the posts. He never came back out.

That accidental beginning launched a career that took him to AC Milan, Man Utd and across the length and breadth of Serie A, and now the 56-year-old is channelling those experiences as sporting director at Pistoiese.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Taibi was warm and candid about the giants he encountered along the way. At Milan, he arrived to find Ruud Gullit alone in the dining room having a coffee on his first day. Marco van Basten left an even more lasting impression. “Marco was a gazelle,” Taibi recalled. “I often stayed behind with him after training. He had a unique elegance in everything he did.”

Taibi: ‘I was wrong to leave Man Utd’

It was at Manchester United, however, where perhaps the most memorable chapter of his career unfolded, however briefly. Sir Alex Ferguson personally collected him from the airport when he arrived from Venezia in 1999, a gesture that immediately set the tone.

“They had initially wanted to sign Toldo, then they bought me instead,” Taibi said. “Sir Alex came to the airport himself and introduced me to the entire board at eight in the evening. It was not something you could take for granted.”

David Beckham proved equally impressive up close. “I often stayed behind with him after training, he surprised me with the way he struck the ball, but above all with his attitude,” Taibi said. “From the outside he seems like a tabloid character, but in reality he was the first to arrive and the last to leave.”

His departure from Old Trafford remains his greatest regret. Despite Ferguson urging him to stay, learn the language and fight for his place, a family situation in Italy prompted a hasty exit.

“I had four years on my contract,” he said. “Ferguson told me to stay and play my cards. I was wrong to be impulsive.” At least, as he reflects with a smile, many people remember him for a headed goal he scored for Reggina rather than the mistakes, and that, he suggests, will do just fine.

Kenan Yildiz is continuing to struggle with an inflammation of his knee, which caused him to train separately from the rest of the Juventus squad on Tuesday according to the latest updates. 

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Why was Yildiz not involved in Juventus training on Tuesday?

Luciano Spalletti and his Bianconeri squad are putting in preparations ahead of their upcoming Serie A clash against Bologna on Sunday evening, but concerns surrounding star attacker Yildiz continue to circulate. 

For several weeks, the Turkiye international has been suffering from pain in his knee due to a recurring inflammation issue, which is why he has been seen wearing a piece of tape just under his left knee at various stages of the 2025-26 season. 

Yildiz was seen wearing a more substantial knee support during Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Atalanta, a game that he only lasted 58 minutes. 

There had been concerns that he might not have been available to face La Dea, but the player himself reportedly felt good to go and gave his full availability to head coach Luciano Spalletti. 

Reports over the last few days indicate that Yildiz is unlikely to have a surgical procedure on his knee, but that the situation will require careful management to limit the pain and maximise his availability on matchdays.  

Juventus are still hoping to rely on Yildiz for the final run-in of the 2025-26 season, particularly with Dusan Vlahovic currently unavailable through injury and with other centre-forwards Jonathsan David and Lois Openda being massively out of favour.

Reports on Tuesday indicate that Milan will not activate their option to buy clause for centre-forward Niclas Fullkrug, which means that the Germany international is set to return to West Ham at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. 

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Milan will not activate Fullkrug’s option to buy

Fullkrug joined Milan at the beginning of the January transfer window on loan with an option to buy, believed to be in the region of €5m. Milan had been without a natural or ‘traditional’ centre-forward at the time, with Santiago Gimenez out injured and Massimiliano Allegri often going with some combination of Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic or Christopher Nkunku up top. 

Since joining Milan on January 2, the German has made 16 appearances for the Rossoneri but has only appeared in the starting line-up on three occasions. His only goal for either Milan or West Ham this season came in a 1-0 Serie A victory at home against Lecce on January 18. 

According to the latest updates, this return has not been enough convince Milan to spend €5m to make Fullkrug’s move permanent this summer. 

Fabrizio Romano reports that Fullkrug will be sent back to West Ham at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, and that the Premier League side will in turn look to move him on again. 

Reports on Tuesday claim that Roma and Lazio have ‘said no’ to the idea of moving the upcoming Derby della Capitale between the two sides to a Monday night in order to accommodate the final of the Italian Open, which could feature home favourite Jannik Sinner.  

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Scheduling clash causing issues for Roma and Lazio

The derby between Roma and Lazio is currently scheduled to take place at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, May 17. The Italian Open, which is held at Foro Italico, the same complex that houses the Stadio Olimpico, is scheduled to take place on the same day. 

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, local authorities have asked that the Roma vs. Lazio match be moved from Sunday, May 17 to Monday, May 18 at 17.00 BST (18.00 CET).

This is, of course, due to concerns over crowd control, public safety and the allocation of resources. 

There were already logistical issues when Lazio hosted Juventus on the same day as the Italian Open final this year, and this situation will only be intensified due to the fact that Lazio will be playing against their archrivals, Roma, this time around. 

However, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, both Roma and Lazio have opposed the suggestion of moving the Derby della Capitale to the Monday evening. The suggestion of moving the game to 18.00 local time on a working Monday is not particularly practical for match-going supporters. 

Given the nature of the Derby della Capitale and a history of violent clashes between rival supporters, the game is highly unlikely to be played late in the evening on the Sunday, several hours after the Italian Open is likely to finish, either.

For now, it remains to be seen when the game will actually be played.

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis is aware that Antonio Conte is a potential candidate to replace Gennaro Gattuso as head coach of the Italy national team, but insists that last season’s Scudetto winner will not ‘abandon’ the team at the last minute: ‘It’s his creation, so he will kill his baby’. 

De Laurentiis gave an in-depth interview to The Athletic on Easter Sunday, published on Tuesday, discussing the changes he would like to see brought into football, the current issues surrounding Serie A and the national team and the future of Napoli head coach Conte. 

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De Laurentiis on Conte and Italy links: ‘He’s a serious professional’

Conte is one of the two leading candidates, along with Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri, to step in as the head coach of the Italy national team following the recent resignation of Gennaro Gattuso. 

Given that FIGC President Gabriele Gravina also stepped down following Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and the fact that his successor will not be elected until June 22, a decision on the next Italy CT will not arrive before the end of the 2025-26 season. 

Conte has previously hinted that he might be keen to return to the role of Italy national team head coach, a position he already held between 2014 and 2016, and De Laurentiis has confirmed that he will not stand in the coach’s way if he decides to leave. 

In his interview with The Athletic, De Laurentiis explained that it would be easier for Napoli in terms of contingency if Conte makes a decision on his immediate future sooner rather than later, but says that he does not expect the coach to leave the club high and dry at the last minute. 

“Number one, we don’t have, as of now, a head of the federation, so nobody can decide to ask him. So first, we must solve the problem of the federation,” De Laurentiis explained to The Athletic. 

“Antonio Conte is a very serious man. He has a contract with me. He will never abandon me at the last minute. Because it will create for Napoli a big problem. If he sacrifices himself after two years of creating a very strong Napoli, it is also his creation. So he will kill his baby, abandoning him just at the last minute.

“Or, he decides immediately and says ‘I would like to go’. Then I have the time during April and May to find somebody else to make the substitution. Otherwise, I don’t think Mr Conte will ever abandon Napoli. 

“He’s a serious, professional man. If I was a coach, before to accept, I will think 100 times.”

Recent reports claim that Massimiliano Allegri is the most likely candidate to take over as head coach of the Italy national team if Giovanni Malagò is elected FIGC President, and updates on Tuesday suggest that Claudio Ranieri could also potentially join the Azzurri set-up. 

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How could Ranieri fit in with Italy national team set-up?

Reports from various outlets over the last few days claim that Malagò will seek to appoint Allegri as head coach of the Italy national team should he be appointed the next President of the FIGC. 

Both the Italy head coach role and the FIGC Presidency need to be filled following the recent resignations of Gennaro Gattuso and Gabriele Gravina, which were announced just after the recent failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Gianluigi Buffon has also left his position as Italy’s head of the delegation. 

As things stand, it looks as though there are two head-to-head battles for the CT and FIG President roles. Allegri and former Italy head coach Antonio Conte are the frontrunners to replace Gattuso and Malagò and Giancarlo Abete are in the running to replace Gravina. 

On Monday, Malagò received the backing from 18 of 20 Serie A clubs ahead of the FIGC elections that will take place on June 22, and reports from various outlets in Italy indicate that Allegri will become the favourite to become the next Italy national team head coach if the former CONI President is elected. 

According to updates from Tuttosport, Ranieri could also potentially join this set-up as a technical director of the Italy national team. The Turin-based outlet claims that Ranieri could be the bridge between the national team and its various youth sides. 

Ranieri had also been among the candidates to replace Luciano Spalletti as head coach of the Italy national team prior to the appointment of Gattuso last summer. 

Ranieri is currently serving as a senior advisor to his beloved Roma, but reports over the last few days indicate that there are increasing divisions within the Giallorossi camp, especially between Ranieri and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, which leaves the club’s owners with a potentially major decision to make heading into the final few games of the season. 

Click here to read more about Ranieri’s situation at Roma.

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis feels that football is ‘losing’ the younger generation and has called for some eyecatching changes to be made to the game, including reducing the length of matches, getting rid of yellow and red cards and sending players off for feigning injuries. 

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The Partenopei chief sat down for an in-depth interview with Adam Crafton of The Athletic, discussing the major rule changes he feels should be implemented to help capture a younger audience. 

De Laurentiis: Football ‘will lose the younger generation, imagine the stupidity!’

“Soccer will lose the younger generation. The matches are too long,” De Laurentiis told The Athletic. 

“Imagine the stupidity! You think my grandchild of six years old, who knows everything (about football) because he plays with the PlayStation –  he will escape – and you think you will recoup him after 15 minutes? Never! Because he goes in his room. He starts to play FIFA.”

De Laurentiis, who has previously called for Serie A to be reduced from 20 teams, believes that the length of matches also needs to be reduced as well as shortening the half-time interval. 

“Number one: I will reduce from 45 minutes each (half) to 25 minutes,” he said. 

De Laurentiis does not look too kindly on those who feign injuries either: “But also you cannot stay down on the field and play around like an actor! AGHHHH. NO — you will go OUT! 

“What I will do also: I will never use a red card and a yellow card. I would say ‘YOU — get out for five minutes (for a yellow card)!’ And ‘YOU — get out for 20 minutes for a red card!’”

During his talk with The Athletic, De Laurentiis often referred to basketball, and feels that football has a few lessons to learn from American sports generally. 

“Another thing, too few goals! So it is not spectacular. You must make more goals. And to make more goals, you must change the rules. You cannot (cancel) a goal just for a few millimetres. The offside must be changed, a lot.”

Italian Minister for Sport Andrea Abodi has hit back at the outgoing FIGC President Gabriele Gravina, who previously hinted that the football association did not receive sufficient backing from the government, and says that: ‘When things go wrong, it’s always because of politics’. 

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Abodi responds to Gravina: ‘It’s always because of politics’

Gravina confirmed that he will be leaving his role as President of the FIGC following Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of March, which cost the Azzurri a spot at the World Cup for the third tournament in a row. Head coach Gennaro Gattuso and Italy’s delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon have also left their roles. 

Gravina will remain in charge of the FIGC to conduct basic administrative duties until a new President is elected on June 22. 

Since confirming his resignation from the FIGC, Gravina has published a report detailing the ongoing issues within Italian football and the national team set-up. 

Gravina highlighted various well-known issues in his report, including the low percentage of Italian players who play regularly in Serie A, the lack of investment in footballing infrastructure and a lack of balance in the tactics vs. technical ability debate. He gave various reasons for Italy’s lack of success on the international stage, including a lack of financial support from the government. 

Separately, in a recent interview with Corriere della Sera, Gravina claimed that he had explored the possibility of bringing in incentives for Italian youth academies, which he felt could help improve the number of Italian talents playing in Serie A, but claims that the government was restrictive in that regard. 

Minister for Sport Abodi has since had his opportunity to issue a response to Gravina’s recent claims while speaking at the Luiss Sport Forum in Rome. 

“I’ve learned that politics is always referred to in certain cases. When something doesn’t work, it’s always because of politics,” Abodi said somewhat sarcastically (via TMW). 

“I’ve never taken it out on anyone else. When you want to find a solution for the common good, you have to sit around the table with all relevant parties and make those decisions that have not been made in recent years, despite the broad consensus. 

“To me, it doesn’t seem like we need to ‘invent’ anything. We have the possible solutions on the table, we just need to evaluate their compatibility together.” 

Abodi also said: “I’m fascinated by the things that have to be done. Unfortunately, due to the nature of football, which isn’t always harmonious, many of those things haven’t been done.

“The 98.7% of votes that Gravina received in the last election demonstrates that it is not the quantity of the consensus that determines how things go, but the quality of the collaboration between all the parties.” 

Divisions are beginning to emerge in the Roma camp, especially between head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and senior advisor to the club Claudio Ranieri, who did not speak to each other during lunch before training on Monday according to the latest reports in Italy. 

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Roma ‘can’t continue’ with Gasperini, Ranieri and Massara

According to reports from Corriere dello Sport, the coach and former-coach-turned-advisor were both at Roma’s Trigoria training ground on Monday, but they were sat a few tables apart from each other and Gasperini decided to ‘ignore’ Ranieri in reaction to a provocative interview that came out last week. 

Ahead of Roma’s 3-0 win over Pisa on Friday, Ranieri told DAZN: “My job is very different to the coach’s. I have my say when I’m asked by the ownership, not by the coach. I rarely intervene on matters on the pitch.” 

Ranieri also hinted that Gasperini was not his first-choice head coach to take over at Roma over the summer: “I mentioned the names of five or six coaches. Three didn’t come and the club chose Gasperini. I spoke to him because I knew him. We chose him because of what he achieved at Atalanta. 

“What is happening now is what we expected. We signed young players, all chosen together. There is not one that came in without his approval. (Jan) Ziolkowski, (Daniele) Ghilardi, (Lorenzo) Venturino and (Bryan) Zaragoza all came in at his request, to give the coach a team that had been within a point of the Champions League.” 

The Corriere dello Sport describes the relationship between Gasperini and Ranieri as one of ‘great coldness’, and adds that the ‘silence’ of owner Dan Friedkin has not helped put the matter to bed. 

Tuesday’s report claims that Friedkin is taken aback by the breakdown in relationship between Gasperini and Ranieri. He is said to hold Ranieri in high regard given his previous achievements and his connection with Roma as a club. But, on the other hand, the Friedkins are convinced that Gasperini has done a decent job with the team available in 2025-26. 

The Corriere dello Sport writes that a decision will have to be made at some stage in the relatively near future, and that the current set-up of Gasperini, Ranieri and Ricky Massara as sporting director ‘can not continue’ in its current form.

Two major decisions affecting the Italy national team will have to be made in the coming weeks, as Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte emerge as the frontrunners to replace Gennaro Gattuso as CT, and Giovanni Malago and Giancarlo Abete look set to to do battle for Gabriele Gravina’s old position as President of the FIGC.

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Italy decisions to be made: Conte or Allegri and Malago or Abete

Tuesday’s newspapers in Italy, including La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosports, are in agreement that Allegri and Conte are the two clear favourites to take over as head coach of the Italy national team following Gattuso’s departure after the World Cup play-off defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of March. 

Roberto Mancini, who already held the position of Italy CT between 2018 and 2023, remains the third-choice candidate as things stand according to Tuesday’s updates. 

Recent reports claim that Allegri will become the first-choice candidate should Malago be appointed the new President of the FIGC. 18 Serie A teams voted in favour of appointing Malago on Monday. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport indicates that the relationship between Allegri and his current employers in Milan is not particularly settled and that the coach will ask for more decision-making power should the team achieve a top-four finish this season. Should Allegri not receive the assurances he is seeking from Milan, he could potentially seek to terminate his contract. 

However, la Gazzetta dello Sport adds that Conte is more likely to leave Napoli at the end of the season than Allegri is to leave Milan. The Napoli tactician, who has also already had a stint in charge of Italy, has shown an interest in returning, and Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has made it clear that he wouldn’t stand in Conte’s way either. 

The appointment of a new Italy national team head coach is not expected to take place until a new FIGC President is appointed, though, and the elections to appoint a new head of the Italian FA will not happen until June 22. 

By the time that June 22 rolls around, the Serie A season will have been over for a month already and the situations for both Conte and Allegri under their current employers will become a lot clearer. 

Malago and Abete are the current frontrunners to replace Gravina as President of the FIGC. former CONI chief Malago has received the backing from the Serie A clubs, who will have an 18% voting share at the FIGC elections in June. 

Abete, who has formally served as FIGC President and more recently as head of the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (Amateur Leagues), has also confirmed that he will challenge Malago for the role.

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

Duels of Italy 

Malago-Abete for the FIGC 

Azzurri CT: Allegri battles Conte

Serie A in agreement (19 of 20) in favor of the former CONI President. The number one of the amateur leagues is also a candidate. The Max temptation appears for the Nazionale

Thurambo 

Marcus’s strength in the middle of Inter 

For the club, he’s no longer up for discussion. Bastoni struggling and Barca accelerating

Juve of stars 

The CEO Comolli speaks 

‘Silva and Alisson? The big names intrigue us, signings to win’

Ranieri and Gasperini won’t say goodbye. Friedkin calls: In June, I will decide 

Divisions at Roma 

Corriere dello Sport 

They won it like this 

Inter, 75 points without beating Conte or Allegri

21st Scudetto | A draw and three defeats against Napoli and Milan 

They’ve always struggled in direct clashes, but in other matches, they have done +15 better than McT and +20 than Leao. Chivu elite: League title in his first full season, like Capello 

Viola party, Lazio fury 

Fiorentina win 1-0 and are looking at safety. The Biancocelesti furious with the referee Fabbri

Fine to Conte: Donation blocked 

Must pay €6,000 

Funds designated for a charity: No okay from the FIGC or the AIA 

Juve, 55 goals and don’t have a real 9 

Spalletti’s turnaround 

Second-best attack in Serie A and 18 different scorers. Openda, obligation to buy triggered 

Milan, one trophy after 503 million 

Cardinale’s management 

In four years of maxi-investments, only one Supercoppa has arrived 

Tuttosport 

‘Grande Juve, even without the Champions League’ 

Comolli blesses Spalletti and relaunches the club’s ambitions regardless of fourth place 

The CEO speaks about Lucio’s renewal: ‘If the league had started when he came in, we’d be in second. It’s crucial to get back to winning ways: Elkann and the players are very close with him. And Juve attracts Champions. Vlahovic? Don’t expect anything before the end of the season’. Lobotka is a candidate. Di Gregorio says no to Tottenham

Abete against Malago, Allegri against Conte 

FIGC Presidency and the CT: The two battles 

Serie a chooses the former CONI no.1. The amateur leagues’ President responds by putting forward his own candidacy. A double wildcard emerges for the national team: Max on the bench and Ranieri as technical director

D’Aversa: Points and the derby to get Cairo’s yes 

The Toro bench 

The coaches chances: Improve on last year’s final standing, finally beat Juve 

Yamal takes on Cholo: ‘Let me go one-on-one’ 

Champions League: Quarter-final second legs 

Barca are in Madrid and need to overturn two goals against Atletico: Lamine provokes Simeone. Liverpool needing the Anfield effect to overturn the 2-0 against PSG 

‘Insults from Como towards Interisti unacceptable’ 

Suwarso to his own fans 

Chaos in the stands after Barella’s gesture, the President isn’t having it: ‘Whoever doesn’t respect the opponent isn’t welcome’

Roberto Mancini had double reason to celebrate tonight, as his Al Sadd both won the Qatar Stars League and knocked Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal out of the Asian Champions League.

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The former Italy coach is back in club football, having quit the Nazionale to take the Saudi Arabia job in August 2023, then appointed Al Sadd boss in November 2025.

Mancini double celebration for Al Sadd

It was a very special day indeed for Mancini, because this afternoon he learned that due to Al Shamal’s 2-0 defeat to Qatar SC, the Qatar Stars League title had been mathematically guaranteed without even needing to set foot on the pitch.

Just a few hours later, his team was in action for the AFC Asian Champions League Round of 16, facing Inzaghi’s Al Hilal in Jeddah.

It was a 3-3 thriller and ultimately had to be decided in a penalty shoot-out after extra time, with Mancini’s Al Sadd emerging victorious 4-2.

His side came back three times from a goal down to set up a quarter-final clash with Japan’s Vissel Kobe, which will be on Thursday.

Mancini has been suggested for a potential return to the Italy job.

Maurizio Sarri feels the Lazio defeat to Fiorentina was ‘frankly harsh when we kept the initiative throughout,’ but raised doubts on his future. ‘We’ll see what the club has in mind.’

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The Aquile were unbeaten in four going into the Stadio Artemio Franchi, albeit dealing with an injury crisis that saw Mattia Zaccagni, Toma Basic and Patric thrown straight back into the starting XI.

Robin Gosens got his head to the Jack Harrison cross to give Fiorentina victory, but David De Gea denied Zaccagni and Petar Ratkov with big saves.

Sarri frustrated with Lazio loss

“The goal was fortuitous, as until that moment and frankly for a while afterwards too, we were largely in control,” Sarri told DAZN Italia.

“What we must take responsibility for is allowing them a few too many counter-attacks, but we kept the initiative throughout and the defeat feels frankly harsh considering the performances of the two teams.

“A centre-forward figure inside the penalty area is something we’ve been lacking all season, we don’t get those runs into the box to meet the crosses. Ratkov had a chance late on with a header, but we do lack those characteristics.”

Meanwhile, their primary focus is on the Coppa Italia semi-final, having drawn the first leg 2-2 with Atalanta.

“I hope to get players back, but it depends what condition they are in, because just being clinically healed is not enough. We want to finish the season with good performances, and for long periods we did that tonight too.”

Lazio are now in ninth place and four points adrift of Bologna, but also only one clear of Udinese in 10^th.

A top eight finish means missing the first round of the Coppa Italia in August next season, but Sarri reacted with irritation when the panel started a question about ‘yet another defeat’ away from home.

“Hold it there, only six teams have lost more than we have this season. If it was the first defeat, we’d be top of the table,” replied the coach.

How worried is Sarri about his own future and that of Lazio?

“I am not worried about my future, for Lazio we’ll see what the plans are. I honestly don’t know what the plans are for the future, I can only say this season has been devastating for me. Just preparing tonight’s game we were missing 10 players, so we had to use some who were nowhere near fully fit.

“There have been many problems this season. We’ll see what the club has in mind for the future, and then we’ll see what I think as a consequence of that.”

Sarri famously grew up in the shadow of the Stadio Franchi and has been mentioned as a potential new Fiorentina coach for next season.

With this in mind, he received a warm welcome from the Viola supporters before kick-off.

Paolo Vanoli warns ‘the job is not yet done’ for Fiorentina after beating Lazio to break eight points clear of the bottom three. ‘Now we will try to dream against Crystal Palace.’

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The mood in the Viola camp was poor after Thursday’s 3-0 Conference League quarter-final defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, but it was no secret that their focus this season had to be on securing Serie A safety.

With Cremonese and Lecce losing this weekend, they knew a victory with Lazio would put them eight points clear of the drop zone with six rounds left to play.

It was a slender win, decided by the Robin Gosens header at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, as well as some big David De Gea saves on Mattia Zaccagni and Petar Ratkov.

Vanoli keeps Fiorentina focused

“It is nice to look at the table now, but the job is not done yet,” Vanoli told DAZN Italia.

“I want to thank the lads, who prepared well with character, sacrifice and a team spirit to the end through seven minutes of added time. We could’ve scored a second goal with a bit more quality in the final third, but I couldn’t really have asked for more.”

Fiorentina now try to overturn a massive 3-0 deficit when hosting Crystal Palace in the second leg of the Conference League quarter-final on Thursday evening.

“Now we must recharge the batteries and try to dream all over again in the Conference League. We are in front of our fans, so we have to believe,” added Vanoli.

“A team like this was not accustomed to being in the relegation zone. Now hopefully we can have a bit more freedom and be less frenetic, because many errors are caused by that too. We owe it to ourselves and our fans to give it our all in the Conference League too.”

The surge has been undeniable, as in the last nine Serie A rounds, Fiorentina picked up 18 points, fewer only than Inter and Napoli’s 20 in that same period.

Considering those results, does Vanoli believe he could put his name forward to stay on next season?

“I always had faith in the club and when I arrived here, I knew we needed something remarkable. I never thought about the future, I just focused on the good of Fiorentina, and the words of the President when I signed the contract, and sadly he has since died.

“My job is not yet done.”

Another big change in February was the arrival of director Fabio Paratici, who has helped bring some stability to the Viola.

“His curriculum speaks for him, he has won a great deal in many international clubs. He is a great professional and we are all very happy to have him here.”

A Robin Gosens header proved enough to give Fiorentina victory and surge eight points clear of the relegation zone, but Lazio were furious after a controversial refereeing decision.

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The Viola had a huge opportunity to open up a significant lead from the relegation zone, but had the strain of Thursday’s Conference League quarter-final 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, with the second leg coming up. Albert Gudmundsson and Nicolò Fagioli sat out bans, with Moise Kean, Fabiano Parisi, Marco Brescianini, Niccolò Fortini, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey still injured.

The Biancocelesti won three of their last four games, despite an injury crisis including Adam Marusic, Daniel Maldini, Ivan Provedel, Mario Gila, Samuel Gigot and Nicolò Rovella, but Mattia Zaccagni and Patric were thrown straight back into the starting XI.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Zaccagni very nearly scored in the third minute, as Boulaye Dia’s slide-rule pass sent him unmarked down the left, the angled drive fingertipped inches wide by David De Gea.

Matteo Cancellieri also tested De Gea at the near post, but Roberto Piccoli fired just over from the edge of the area after a well-worked counter-attack.

Fiorentina took the lead when Jack Harrison stood up a cross from the right for Robin Gosens, who outjumped Manuel Lazzari at the back post for a header into the ground from seven yards.

Cancellieri sprinted back in time to stop Cher Ndour on the counter with a decisive block, while Zaccagni’s snapshot was straight at De Gea.

Tijjani Noslin fired over after the restart and Harrison had a double attempt charged down at the near post, the second parried by Edoardo Motta.

There was a controversial incident on 64 minutes when Tijjani Noslin went down acrobatically in the box after a coming together with Rolando Mandragora. Referee Michael Fabbri booked the Lazio player for simulation and stuck with his original decision even after the VAR review showed there had been contact, as he considered it insufficient for a penalty.

Fiorentina were also angry that a free kick was given for the Gosens challenge on Gustav Isaksen, but Nuno Tavares ballooned it over the bar.

Noslin couldn’t keep his header on target from six yards on an Isaksen cross, while De Gea needed a big save to deny the Petar Ratkov header within moments of his introduction.

Giovanni Fabbian nodded the Dodo cross over too and Ndour drilled just wide from the edge of the area in stoppages, but the last kick of the game was an acrobatic Pedro volley into De Gea’s arms.

Fiorentina 1-0 Lazio

Gosens 28 (F)

13-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 32

Artemio Franchi Stadium

Fiorentina

Lazio

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Robin Gosens (Assist: Jack Harrison)		28'
Daniele Rugani		31'

2nd half

		63'		Tijjani Noslin
Dodô		80'
Roberto Piccoli		90+1'
		90+4'		Pedro

Match statistic

34

Possession %

66

8

Total shots

13

2

Shots on target

6

4

Shots off target

3

2

Blocked shots

4

5

Corners

6

10

Fouls

10

Fiorentina

Lazio

Starting lineups

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

3

Daniele Rugani

Defender

71'

2

Dodô

Defender

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

84'

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

80'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

40

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

13

Alessio Romagnoli

Defender

29

Manuel Lazzari

Defender

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

4

Patric

Defender

24

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

79'

26

Toma Basic

Midfielder

46'

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

67'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

67'

10

Mattia Zaccagni

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

23

Eman Kospo

Defender

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

64

Lapo Deli

Midfielder

69

Giorgio Puzzoli

Midfielder

71

Salvatore Cianciulli

Midfielder

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

71'

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

80'

19

Manor Solomon

Attacker

84'

32

Danilo Cataldi

Midfielder

23

Elseid Hysaj

Defender

55

Alessio Furlanetto

Goalkeeper

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

28

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

99

Giacomo Giacomone

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

46'

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

46'

9

Pedro

Attacker

67'

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

67'

20

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

79'

Napoli defender Juan Jesus has issued a formal apology to fans and his teammates after his performance against Parma was ‘not up to my standards.’

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The Partenopei effectively said goodbye to their Scudetto ambitions after a disappointing 1-1 draw away to Parma on Sunday afternoon.

That result and Inter’s 4-3 victory in Como opened up a nine-point gap at the top of the Serie A table.

Juan Jesus had a dismal showing at the Stadio Tardini, making a significant error to concede the opening goal after just 33 seconds, and he was substituted by Antonio Conte at half-time.

The Brazilian took to social media to send a message to the Napoli fans after this setback.

Juan Jesus sorry for Napoli error

“This too is football, making mistakes and having the courage to keep going,” wrote Juan Jesus.

“Yesterday I was not up to my standards, so I take responsibility for that. I also know that overall this has been one the best seasons of my career. This is precisely why I demand more from myself.

“Errors are painful, but they are part of the journey. We work, we grow, we come back stronger. Always with our minds on the objective. Forza Napoli always.”

The central defender turns 35 in June and is in the final weeks of his current contract with Napoli.

He joined as a free agent from Roma in 2021 and has been in Italian football since January 2012 for Inter, Roma and Napoli.

According to reports, Max Allegri would be first choice for new Italy coach if Giovanni Malagò became FIGC President, as his rapport with Milan is getting tense.

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The search is on for a new President of the Federation, who in turn would have the job of choosing the new Italy CT to replace Gennaro Gattuso in the summer.

The first steps were taken today for the former, as a meeting of the Lega Serie A reached a majority of 18 out of 20 clubs voting for ex-CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) chief Malagò as their candidate for the election on June 22.

Allegri first pick for Malagò’s Italy

Calciomercato claim that if Malagò is given the reins, his first choice for new Italy coach would be Allegri.

In turn, this is more likely than it would’ve been only a couple of weeks ago, as the tension is reportedly growing behind the scenes at Milan.

They are sliding down the standings after two consecutive Serie A defeats and Champions League qualification is no longer to be taken for granted.

Allegri only took the job last summer for his second spell at San Siro, and Sportitalia suggest that Milan directors might not be too upset at another change of management for next season.

In turn the coach is not too fond of the transfer strategy shown by the club, so an offer to lead Italy would be genuinely tempting for all concerned.

{rsn-live-v2}

Maurizio Sarri explains why Mattia Zaccagni starts for Lazio against Fiorentina despite ‘not being at 100 per cent’ with Patric again picked in a surprising midfield role.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Artemio Franchi at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

There are some surprises in the starting XI this evening, because Zaccagni and Patric were only expected to be fit enough for the bench, yet they are thrown straight into the line-up.

Sarri outlines Lazio decisions

“Zaccagni is not at 100 per cent yet,” confessed Sarri to DAZN Italia.

“In fact, introducing him during the second half might’ve created us some problems in measuring out the substitutions, so we decided to start him and see how long he can last.”

Patric is a defender, but has in recent weeks become the first choice midfielder in the absence of players like Adam Marusic, Daniel Maldini, Ivan Provedel, Mario Gila, Samuel Gigot and Nicolò Rovella.

“Danilo Cataldi is not in great shape, so we preferred to use Patric and allow Cataldi the time to make a full recovery. Hopefully he will be back next week,” added Sarri.

This is a very big game for Fiorentina, as with a win they would open up an eight-point lead over the relegation zone with six rounds left to play.

“That is of no interest to us, we’ve just got to focus on continuing along our path, giving everything to the last minute of the last game. I hope the team will show that attitude again this evening.”

Sarri is notoriously a fan of cycling, so did he watch the iconic Paris-Roubaix race yesterday?

“I had training in the morning, which was very tough with 10 players out of action, but I watched the end on the train.”

Fiorentina director Fabio Paratici gives a worrying injury update on Moise Kean ahead of tonight’s game with Lazio and confirms Under-23 teams are ‘fundamental’ for reforms.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Artemio Franchi at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

The Viola go into this match after Thursday’s 3-0 Conference League quarter-final defeat to Crystal Palace and they have an injury crisis on their hands.

Kean, Fabiano Parisi, Marco Brescianini, Niccolò Fortini, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey are injured, with Albert Gudmundsson and Nicolò Fagioli suspended.

Paratici gives Fiorentina updates

“Kean is giving his all to recover as quickly as possible, but we are not sure what the timing is for a full recovery, because his condition tends to go up and down,” Paratici told DAZN Italia.

“I would prefer to focus on those who are present, as Piccoli is doing very well and we have a lot of faith in him.”

Paratici arrived in February after leaving Tottenham Hotspur, so has he managed to identify what problems Fiorentina had to cause their struggles?

“When a club does not live up to expectations, there are many different problems, but we want to focus on the solutions. We rolled our sleeves up and are working hard, we know it will be a struggle to the end, and point by point, we’ll earn our place in Serie A,” said Paratici.

Italian football is trying to transform itself following the failed World Cup qualification campaign, so today 18 out of 20 clubs gave their backing to Giovanni Malagò as new FIGC President.

“Malagò is someone who has already had a very prestigious role with excellent results. He is a charismatic figure who can represent us at a certain level, with new ideas that we should all together help to propose and enact as Italian football as a whole,” continued Paratici.

“The Under-23 team is in my view a fundamental part of the reforms, as more clubs should set up the Under-23 team. When Fiorentina are organised enough to set it up, then we will, as we have a strong youth academy and believe this is a necessary step for the young players.”

This is a reunion this evening between Paratici and Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri, who had a brief experience together at Juventus.

“I have not yet run into Sarri, I wish to underline that he was with us for a year at Juve and everyone talked about it as if this was not positive, yet we won the Scudetto, lost he Coppa Italia Final on penalties and the Supercoppa Italiana, so I’d say that was a very strong campaign.”

Fiorentina have the opportunity to go eight points clear of the relegation zone, but the injury crisis intensifies as Lazio welcome back Mattia Zaccagni and Patric.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Artemio Franchi at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

With the other games already played and negative results for Cremonese and Lecce, it means a victory here would send Fiorentina flying into 15^th place, above all creating an eight-point gap from the drop zone.

However, the team is stretched thin by the strain of the Conference League, losing the quarter-final 3-0 to Crystal Palace on Thursday night at Selhurst Park.

The second leg is coming up this week, with Moise Kean, Fabiano Parisi, Marco Brescianini, Niccolò Fortini, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey still out injured.

Paolo Vanoli also cannot count on suspended Albert Gudmundsson and Nicolò Fagioli, while Manor Solomon and Rolando Mandragora are not at 100 per cent.

Roberto Piccoli therefore has to lead the attack once more, with Cher Ndour in midfield, Jacopo Fazzini and Jack Harrison in support.

Lazio had won three games in a row before their 1-1 draw with Parma, and are still aiming to close within a point of Bologna in eighth place.

Maurizio Sarri also has a lot of problems to deal with, because Daniel Maldini and Adam Marusic are the latest additions to the absentee list, joining Ivan Provedel, Mario Gila, Samuel Gigot and Nicolò Rovella.

The surprise is that Zaccagni, Toma Basic and Patric are thrown straight back into the starting XI after recovery, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is back on the bench.

Matteo Cancellieri is also preferred to Gustav Isaksen.

Fiorentina vs. Lazio line-ups

Fiorentina: De Gea; Dodò, Rugani, Ranieri, Gosens; Ndour, Mandragora, Fabbian; Fazzini, Harrison; Piccoli

Lazio: Motta; Lazzari, Romagnoli, Provstgaard, Nuno Tavares; Taylor, Patric, Basic; Cancellieri, Dia, Zaccagni

13-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 32

Artemio Franchi Stadium

Fiorentina

Lazio

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Robin Gosens (Assist: Jack Harrison)		28'
Daniele Rugani		31'

2nd half

		63'		Tijjani Noslin
Dodô		80'
Roberto Piccoli		90+1'
		90+4'		Pedro

Match statistic

34

Possession %

66

8

Total shots

13

2

Shots on target

6

4

Shots off target

3

2

Blocked shots

4

5

Corners

6

10

Fouls

10

Fiorentina

Lazio

Starting lineups

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

3

Daniele Rugani

Defender

71'

2

Dodô

Defender

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

84'

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

80'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

40

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

13

Alessio Romagnoli

Defender

29

Manuel Lazzari

Defender

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

4

Patric

Defender

24

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

79'

26

Toma Basic

Midfielder

46'

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

67'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

67'

10

Mattia Zaccagni

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

23

Eman Kospo

Defender

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

64

Lapo Deli

Midfielder

69

Giorgio Puzzoli

Midfielder

71

Salvatore Cianciulli

Midfielder

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

71'

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

80'

19

Manor Solomon

Attacker

84'

32

Danilo Cataldi

Midfielder

23

Elseid Hysaj

Defender

55

Alessio Furlanetto

Goalkeeper

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

28

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

99

Giacomo Giacomone

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

46'

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

46'

9

Pedro

Attacker

67'

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

67'

20

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

79'

Damien Comolli insists players are ‘eager to come to Juventus’ even without Champions League football, but warns ‘do not expect’ Dusan Vlahovic news before the season ends.

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The Bianconeri climbed into fourth place this weekend thanks to their 1-0 victory away to Atalanta, and Como’s 4-3 defeat to Inter.

Now there are six games remaining in the Serie A season to hang on to that precious spot, which is a ticket to the lucrative Champions League next term.

With finances tight, this could make a big difference on just how Juventus plan to proceed on the transfer market.

Comolli confident Juventus will be ambitious

“I think our transfer strategy will be ambitious regardless,” insisted general manager Comolli at the opening of the Juventus One project.

“I don’t know where we’ll end up, there is talk of fourth place, but it could even be better than that. The Serie A table is tight and we are very ambitious going into the final matches.”

The Old Lady is now only three points behind Milan in third and six adrift of Napoli in second place.

At the same time, looking over their shoulders, they are two clear of Como in fifth and three ahead of Roma in sixth position.

“What we do know is that Juventus are negotiating with many players, and the players we are talking to are not saying ‘I am only interested in Juventus if they qualify for the Champions League.’

“These are players eager to come to Juventus without knowing if we are in the Champions League or not. Obviously, on a financial level it is much better to be in the Champions League than the Europa League.

“However, in terms of ambition, it doesn’t matter which European competition we are in next season, we will still build an ambitious team to have success in the future.”

Among the negotiations, Juve are also discussing a potential new contract with Vlahovic, whose current deal only runs to June 30.

“I will stick to what I’ve said since the start for Dusan, which is that we’ll talk it over at the end of the season, so do not expect anything new before then,” insisted Comolli.

“There are six weeks to go, I know our director Marco Ottolini had contact with Dusan, but do not expect anything before the end of the season. We hope to have good news on the contract renewals at some point, even before the campaign is over, with regards to other players.”

Not all 20 Serie A clubs back Giovanni Malagò as candidate for new FIGC President, as Lazio owner Claudio Lotito insists ‘we need a total restructuring of the system.’

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The crisis in Italian football that culminated in the failure to qualify for a third consecutive edition of the World Cup prompted the resignation of Federation President Gabriele Gravina.

Now the search is on for a new chief who can in turn pick the next Italy coach to begin the EURO 2028 and Nations League campaigns in September.

Lotito resists Serie A majority on FIGC

Today’s Lega Serie A meeting in Milan saw 18 of the 20 clubs back former CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) President Malagò, but Lazio and Hellas Verona abstained.

“The problem with Malagò is not the name, that is irrelevant,” insisted Lazio President Lotito when speaking to reporters outside the meeting.

“If something isn’t working, it has to be restructured, right? This system was built on a law set in stone 45 years ago, so as long as that law and that system is in place…

“We need to redesign everything from top to bottom, which means we need to nominate a special commissioner.”

This would effectively place the FIGC under receivership, giving that person the power to make decisions on radical changes without requiring a majority support.

Curiously, this is a role that Malagò has held before, when in 2018 the FIGC and Lega Serie A were unable to agree on electing new leaders.

He remained as special commissioner from February to May 2018, by which point they had managed to elect replacements.

Beppe Marotta delights in Cristian Chivu’s joke because Inter must be ‘ambitious without being arrogant,’ but daren’t imagine the controversy if that Como penalty had been decisive.

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The Nerazzurri extended their lead at the top of the Serie A table to nine points with last night’s thrilling comeback from 2-0 down at the Stadio Sinigaglia to win 4-3.

Inter thriller put Scudetto marker down

“Como vs. Inter was first and foremost a wonderful advertisement for Italian football,” Marotta told reporters outside the Lega Serie A meeting in Milan.

“Inter deservedly won thanks to the qualify expressed by a team that proved itself worthy of the role of protagonist in this season.”

When asked if the title race was over, Chivu aimed a sideswipe at Napoli’s Antonio Conte and Max Allegri of Milan by noting that, like them, he would only ever say that Champions League qualification was the real objective.

“It was a joke to show that in Italy lately there is this fear of courageous targets,” noted Marotta.

“Instead, Inter must be courageous and always aim for the maximum result. This is part of the DNA of a winning club, we must be ambitious without being arrogant.”

Inter had been leading 4-2 when Lucas Da Cunha converted a late penalty to set up a tense finale, but there was controversy around that incident.

The referee had awarded a free kick for the Ange-Yoan Bonny sliding block on Nico Paz on the edge of the area, only to be informed by VAR that the contact was inside the box.

What many refereeing pundits pointed out was that VAR should also have sent the referee to view it again on the monitor, because it was Nico Paz who on the follow-through kicked Bonny rather than the other way round.

“I think everyone agreed that was not a penalty, and we didn’t get upset because we won anyway, but imagine what would’ve happened if that penalty had led to a different result,” said Marotta.

“We’d be here recriminating. There are mistakes over the course of a campaign, and this season there seem to be quite a lot more than usual. I hope it can push people to reflect on creating a symbiosis between the VAR and referee.”

Inter President Beppe Marotta explains why Giovanni Malagò would be the best choice as new FIGC President. ‘We need an interpreter’ to work with politicians.

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The search is on for a new Federation chief after Gabriele Gravina resigned in the wake of failure to qualify for a third consecutive edition of the World Cup.

A vote today saw 18 out of 20 Serie A clubs back former CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) President Malagò as their candidate.

Marotta glad to see Serie A united

“This is one of the best results we’ve seen in recent years, finding some genuine consensus to pave the way for the future of both the Nazionale and reforms,” Inter President Marotta told reporters outside the Lega Serie A meeting.

“We cannot avoid dealing with politicians, who are a very important reference point.”

Not everyone is happy with the idea of Malagò being in charge of Italian football, as the current Government would lean more towards Abete.

“I don’t know if I am disappointed with that, to be honest,” replied Marotta.

“Malagò was picked precisely because he has the profile of a sporting manager who has been in our world for many years, as we need an interpreter who can take lessons from Serie A to improve our football as a whole. Our sport is an ill patient that needs treatment.”

Abete has the backing of the LND (Lega Nazionale Dilettanti), the amateur league that has 34 per cent of the vote for an overall decision.

“We want to take back the role of protagonist for Serie A, which has been somewhat lost recently. We maintain that we are the locomotive driving the Italian system, even though naturally we also have to look at the situations in Serie B, C, the amateur league, and above all the youth system,” added Marotta.

“I don’t know what Abete wants to do exactly, but he gave a great deal to football over the years, so it is his right to submit his name as a candidate.

“Whoever gets the most votes will win. These are two very important directors, and clearly Serie A has made its choice.”

Cesc Fabregas admits he ‘was contacted’ by other clubs last summer, but finds it ‘very difficult’ to see himself at a Serie A side other than Como in future.

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The coach had already impressed in his debut top flight campaign with Como, and is going from strength to strength with his team challenging for a Champions League spot, as well as being in the Coppa Italia semi-final.

Fabregas approached by Serie A clubs

He was awarded the Trofeo Bearzot award today for management, and spoke to reporters at the event, when he was asked if he could see himself at a different Italian club.

“That would seem very unlikely, because I am very involved and attached to Como,” replied Fabregas.

“It is true that I was contacted last year, but I decided to stay because I love this club. I am very happy with what I can do and what we are achieving at Como.

“The project is very important to me. I don’t want to seem presumptuous here, but I do this work purely for the passion, so I need to feel that I can do something new.”

Fabregas had famously been linked with a potential role taking over at Inter and Roma, though when Como insisted he was under contract and not going anywhere, they instead turned to Cristian Chivu and Gian Piero Gasperini respectively.

The Bearzot award is named after Enzo Bearzot, the coach who took Italy to victory in the 1982 World Cup.

“When they told me I had won this award, I immediately started to study Bearzot’s history. This is an award for the city, for the owners and the whole club. We are a family, I mean that, and feel honoured to receive this award,” concluded Fabregas.

Reports in Italy claim that Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti is keen to reunite with former Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae during the summer transfer window. 

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Could Juventus bring Kim Min-jae back to Serie A?

Spalletti and Kim won the Serie A title together during the one season they had together at Napoli in 2022-23, which was the Partenopei’s first league title in well over 30 years and their first since the Diego Maradona era. 

Kim was sold to Bayern Munich, who activated his release clause at the end of the 2022-23 season, which was reported to be in excess of €50m. This makes Kim the most expensive Asian footballer of all time. 

The 77-time South Korea international has struggled to cement himself as a regular-first choice since joining Bayern just shy of three years ago, and has been playing second fiddle behind Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano under Vincent Kompany for most of the 2025-26 campaign. 

According to reports from Fabrizio Romano (via Calciomercato.com), Spalletti would ‘gladly’ bring Kim to Juventus during the summer transfer window, and given their previous successes together in Serie A, is in a prime position to convince the former Napoli star to move to Turin. 

Kim will have two years remaining on his current Bayern Munich contract when the summer transfer window opens, but the Bundesliga club still have high demands for interested sides. Monday’s reports claim that the Bavarians will seek a fee in the region of €40m. 

Kim would also likely need to take a pay cut if he were to join Juventus this summer. Calciomercato claims that he currently receives a gross salary of around €16m, which comes out to just over €8m net per season. 

Giancarlo Abete confirms he’ll run for the FIGC Presidency after Lega Serie A backed Giovanni Malagò but notes: ‘A different method would have been better.’

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It’s been an eventful day in Italian football, with the first two potential candidates for the FIGC Presidential election emerging today.

The majority of Serie A clubs chose Malagò, a former CONI President, as their candidate during a general Lega Serie A meeting in Milan on Monday.

Malagò was picked by Serie A clubs before even presenting his project, which is why Lazio and Hellas Verona have abstained from backing him.

Abete, a former FIGC President from 2007 to 2014 and the current President of Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (LND), later confirmed that he’d also run for the FIGC Presidency.

Abete ‘available’ to return as FIGC President

“I will ask the Board of Directors of the National Amateur League (LND) to grant me the same authority that was granted to President Malagò by the Serie A clubs,” he said during the Premio Bearzot in Rome.

“If this is the approach, we’ll follow it. I have already convened the governing bodies of the LND, and I will ask for approval to put forward my availability so that when we come to the table, there are situations in which a plurality of positions is expressed.

“I will go further, and the invitation is for the same to be done by the technical components and other leagues, because we need contributions from all components.”

Votes from the LND account for 34% of the total in the FIGC Presidential election, against Serie A’s 18%, but any candidate needs the 50% plus one vote to get elected.

While announcing his candidacy, Abete stated that the selection method used by Lega Serie A, which led to Malagò’s nomination, was flawed.

“A different method would have been better. Obviously, a prestigious candidate has been identified, such as Malagò,” he said.

“But we must first talk about the issues and then about the people. Because one person alone is not enough to solve the problems of Italian football, whoever that may be. Therefore, we will address the issues and send an initial signal: this candidacy will not remain isolated.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport confirms Milan will listen to offers for Rafael Leao in the summer, claiming that ‘it’s never been so easy’ to sign the Portuguese winger: ‘Manchester United might be an option.’

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Milan will listen to offers for their attacker, Rafael Leao, in the summer, Gazzetta confirms.

Leao has a €175m release clause

The Portuguese was booed by his own fans when subbed off during a 3-0 home loss to Udinese on Saturday and hasn’t scored a goal since March 1.

Leao has a €175m clause that can be activated from July 1 to 15, but the Rossoneri are aware that no club would pay such a fee for the 26-year-old after another inconsistent season.

The only big variable could come from the 2026 World Cup, even if Leao last found the net with his national team in November 2024.

Previous reports claimed that Milan would listen to offers of at least €50m next summer, and Gazzetta argues that it’s ‘never been so easy’ to convince the Rossoneri to sell the winger.

Bayern Munich and Barcelona recently showed interest in the striker but have never entered advanced talks with either Milan or the player’s camp.

Chelsea offered €80m a few years back and might still be interested, but watch out for Manchester United too, as the Red Devils ‘can be an option more than other clubs,’ according to Gazzetta.

Leao’s contract at San Siro expires in June 2028. He has scored ten goals and provided two assists in 26 appearances across all competitions this season.

Lega Serie A President Ezio Simonelli confirms the support for Giovanni Malagò in the FIGC Presidential election and outlines the following steps, starting with a meeting on April 20.

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Former CONI President Malagò is the candidate chosen by the majority of Serie A clubs for the FIGC Presidential election taking place on June 22.

Serie A pick Malagò: the next steps

“What happened today is that 18 of our member clubs chose to support Giovanni Malagò, who has met the requirements of the FIGC electoral regulations regarding eligibility as a potential candidate,” Lega Serie A president Simonelli said at a press conference on Monday, via Sky Sport Italia.

“The two who did not do so are Lazio and Verona, not because of a lack of trust in Malagò, but for methodological reasons. At this point, the ball is in Malagò’s court, and once he has completed his assessment, he will formalise his candidacy.

“As Lega Serie A, I extend my best wishes to Malagò and express our hopes for the success of the electoral contest. We will invite him on April 20 to present the programme we have already outlined, which we will then integrate with his ideas.

“After that, Malagò will conduct his own assessments of the other components, make his final decision, and submit his candidacy.”

Votes from Serie A clubs account for 18% of the total in the FIGC Presidential election, so Malagò will necessarily need support from other components to replace Gabriele Gravina, who has stepped down after Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

• Read more – FIGC Presidential election: Key dates and voting process explained

Como President Mirwan Suwarso has issued a public apology for his club’s fans’ behaviour during their recent 4-3 defeat against Inter in Serie A: ‘Our club’s integrity depends on mutual respect. Those who fail to uphold this will not be welcome’. 

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Suwarso forced to apologise for fans’ behaviour in Como 3-4 Inter

Como lost their spot in the Serie A top four after their 4-3 defeat against the league-leading Inter at the Stadio Sinigaglia on Sunday evening. They now sit two points behind Juventus in the Champions League positions with six league matches of the season left to play. 

Aside from the disappointment of yesterday’s defeat, Como President Suwarso was also left frustrated by the behaviour that some sections of the home supporters showed against the Nerazzurri. 

Suwarso has issued a statement on his personal Instagram profile criticising those supporters who hurled insults and abuse towards the Inter directors and staff members.

Though not mentioned specifically by Suuwarso, Italy international Nicolo Barella, who had a brief spell on loan at Como in 2016, was treated to a loud round of boos from the home supporters on the night. 

“Despite the final result, I am incredibly proud of our team. They gave everything on the pitch and fought with true honor. This is the spirit that defines us,” wrote Suwarso on Instagram on Monday. 

“However, pride in our performance cannot outweigh my disappointment with the behavior shown by some in the tribuna onore toward the opposing delegation. I understand that football brings intense emotion, but we must never lose sight of who we are.

“We are a club built on dignity. That dignity must extend beyond the field, toward our opponents, their supporters, and especially their directors and executives. They are our guests, and they deserve respect.

“Mockery and insults in the tribuna d’onore do not represent the club we are building. They undermine the very values we stand for.

“We will work to uphold those values, firmly and consistently. We will take the necessary steps to ensure this standard is respected. Our club’s integrity, and the progress of the league as a whole, depend on mutual respect.

“Those who fail to uphold this will not be welcome.

“Let us grow together, with dignity, with integrity, on and off the field.”

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mirwan Suwarso (@msuwarso)

Italy international Moise Kean is not available for Fiorentina’s home game against Lazio, while Mattia Zaccagni is available for the Biancocelesti, but will start on the bench.

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Serie A Round 32 ends tonight with Fiorentina hosting Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio at the Stadio Franchi.

The home side, currently sitting five points above the drop zone, have several starters unavailable, including the suspended Nicolò Fagioli and Albert Gudmundsson.

Kean is also not available for selection due to an injury, as Fiorentina confirmed on Monday afternoon, and the same is true of Tariq Lamptey, Niccolò Fortini, Fabiano Parisi and Marco Brescianini.

Manor Solomon returns from an injury, but might start on the bench with Jacopo Fazzini picked as a left winger for the Tuscans.

Lazio’s list of absentees is also quite long, including the injured Samuel Gigot, Nicolò Rovella, Ivan Provedel, Mario Gila, Adam Marusic, and Daniel Maldini.

The good news is that Italian winger Zaccagni has travelled with the team and might be involved as a substitute in the second half.

Fiorentina vs. Lazio – where to watch on TV

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

Fiorentina vs. Lazio – probable line-ups

Fiorentina (4-3-3): De Gea; Dodò, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Fabbian, Mandragora, Ndour; Harrison, Piccoli, Fazzini.

Lazio (4-3-3): Motta; Lazzari, Romagnoli, Provstgaard, Nuno Tavares; Basic, Cataldi, Taylor; Isaksen, Dia, Noslin. 

Paolo Di Canio argues that Rafael Leao’s movements are not suited to a centre-forward and insists the Portuguese star’s priority ‘has almost become something else.’

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Leao has attracted criticism from Milan fans who loudly booed him when he was subbed off during a 3-0 home loss to Udinese on Saturday.

Leao has been mostly deployed as a centre-forward this season, including in the last match when Rossoneri coach Massimiliano Allegri switched to a 4-3-3 system from 3-5-2.

Sky Sport examined Leao’s issues this season, with ex-Rossoneri striker Di Canio still very critical of the Portuguese.

Di Canio argued that Leao plays as a centre-forward because if he played on the wings, Milan would be even more vulnerable in defence.

Di Canio: Leao’s ‘physical and mental energy gets drained’

“We are talking about a player who should make 50 movements to receive the ball, but doesn’t even make half unless he’s certain he’ll receive it,” Di Canio added.

“He didn’t even make a movement to open the space for his teammates, because he wasn’t sure he’d receive the pass.

“Any striker, in any league, must work so hard. It’s difficult even for natural centre-forwards; imagine for a player who seems lazy almost every time he doesn’t have the ball.”

Leao was named the best Serie A player in 2021-22 when the massively contributed to Milan’s Serie A title victory, but the 26-year-old hasn’t developed much since.

“He relaxed; he’s been cuddled, and he hasn’t had the determination or desire to keep improving,” continued Di Canio.

• Read more – Milan shifts Rafael Leao transfer strategy as price drops

“The priority has almost become something else. Over the years, I don’t remember seeing so many fashion show videos or eight-hour recording sessions with record labels. You always say we should look at the players’ private lives, but if someone spends four or five hours doing other things, their physical and mental energy gets drained.

“It’s not like playing PlayStation for half an hour. If you’re spending six or seven hours with a record label and going to fashion shows, how are you supposed to regenerate the mental energy to play at this level?”

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport has suggested that Leao and Milan should part ways at the end of the season, but Inter legend Beppe Bergomi is confident that the Portuguese can regain the fans’ trust.

“He can easily recover. I experienced even more difficult years; other players, too,” said the ex-defender.

• Read more – Capello: Milan’s issues go beyond new system, Leao the ‘symbol’

Kenan Yildiz was brought off shy of the hour mark during Juventus’s 1-0 victory over Atalanta in Serie A over the weekend, but reports on Monday indicate that the Bianconeri plan to have the Turkish talent available for the remaining six league games of the season despite recurring pain in his knee. 

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Where Juventus stand with Yildiz and his knee pain

Juventus moved back into fourth place in Serie A this weekend thanks to their 1-0 win away against Atalanta, while Como, who had been in fourth at the start of the weekend, fell to a 4-3 defeat at home against league leaders Inter. 

Yildiz lined up as a starter in Juve’s attacking trident along with Francisco Conceicao and Jeremie Boga against Atalanta, but was replaced by the out-of-favour Jonathan David after just 58 minutes. 

According to reports from Tuttosport, Yildiz has been struggling with a slight inflammation and a bit of pain in his knee for a little while leading up to the Atalanta game. His left knee was visibly strapped up for the match in Bergamo on Saturday.

There had been concerns that he might not have been available to face La Dea, but the player himself reportedly felt good to go and gave his full availability to head coach Luciano Spalletti. 

Tuttosport claims that the knee issue is not particularly serious, and that Yildiz is not expected to go under any type of surgical intervention. Instead, he will be closely monitored and managed with recovery and rehabilitation work with the hope that he will be available for Juve’s remaining six matches of the 2025-26 season. 

Given that Juventus are also without Dusan Vlahovic for the run-in and the fact that Yildiz has only missed two matches across all competitions all season, his availability is increasingly important for the Old Lady and their hopes of securing a top four finish.

Sky Sport Italia reports that the majority of Serie A clubs back Giovanni Malagò as the candidate for the FIGC presidency, with only Lazio and Hellas Verona abstaining.

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A Lega Serie A meeting is taking place in Milan this morning with clubs from Italy’s top flight called to name their candidate for the FIGC presidential election.

The new FIGC President will be elected on June 22, and votes from Lega Serie A account for 18% of the total.

Ex-CONI President Malagò is expected to be the candidate proposed by Lega Serie A, as the 67-year-old is backed by 18 clubs in Italy’s top flight.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Lazio and Verona did not express a view on the name during today’s meeting, as they want to review the regulatory framework first, but they are not opposed to Malagò.

Juventus and Milan have also backed Malagò, despite reportedly proposing Adriano Galliani in place of the ex-CONI President, who is strongly supported by Inter President Beppe Marotta and Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis.

• Read more – First meeting scheduled between Serie A and Malagò: ‘The ball is in his court’

Inter took a big step towards the Serie A title with their 4-3 win over Como on Sunday, but when could Cristian Chivu’s side be mathematically confirmed as the Scudetto winners for 2025-26?

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Inter currently have a nine-point lead at the top of the Serie A table with six matches of the season left to play. Chivu’s side have accumulated 75 points from 32 matches while their closest competitors, Napoli, find themselves on 66 points from 32 games in 2025-26. 

If both sides go on to win all of their remaining matches for the remainder of the season, Inter will be crowned the league champions at the end of their away match against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on May 10, which falls in Week 26 of the Serie A season. 

There is a scenario where the Nerazzurri end up winning the Serie A title within their next two league matches. 

If Inter win their next two games against Cagliari and Torino, and if Napoli either draw or lose in their next two, the gap between first and second place would open up to at least 13 points with four games remaining, making it impossible for Chivu’s side to be overtaken. In this scenario, Inter would be crowned champions at the end of their match away against Torino on April 26. 

Inter’s remaining Serie A fixtures in 2025-26

Cagliari (h) April 17

Torino (a) April 26 

Parma (h) May 3

Lazio (a) May 10

Verona (h) May 17 

Bologna (a) May 24 

Napoli’s remaining Serie A fixtures in 2025-26

Lazio (h) April 18

Cremonese (h) April 24

Como (a) May 3

Bologna (h) May 10 

Pisa (a) May 17 

Udinese (h) May 24 

Juventus are unbeaten in their last six Serie A games, and Federico Gatti’s late goal in a 3-3 draw against Roma in March proved to be the turning point for the Old Lady and the Giallorossi.

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Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus have climbed the table and are currently fourth in the standings with a two-point lead over Como and just three behind third-placed Milan.

Gatti’s goal inspired Juventus’ comeback

As Gazzetta highlights, the Bianconeri are unbeaten since February 25, when they secured a 3-2 win over Galatasaray, which was not enough to qualify for the Champions League Round of 16.

The Juventus comeback in Serie A, however, started with that useless win against the Turkish side, before which Spalletti’s men had collected four losses and one draw across all competitions.

Just a few days after the victory against Galatasaray, Juventus recovered from two goals down against Roma, securing a 3-3 draw at the Stadio Olimpico.

Italy international Gatti scored a late leveller for the Bianconeri, inspiring their fightback.

After that game, Juventus collected four wins and one draw, collecting 13 points.

In the last four rounds, Juventus have earned seven points more than Milan, three more than Como and four more than Roma. 

With six games left to play, Juventus have the fate in their hands despite some difficult matches coming up, including home meetings with Bologna and Fiorentina, an away game at Milan and the final game of the season against city rivals Torino.

Due to a better head-to-head record, Juventus will finish ahead of Roma if they end up level on points with the Giallorossi, but the Old Lady will need one more point than Como, as the Azzurri have won both their games against Juve this term.

Ahn Jung-hwan was the first South Korea international to play in Serie A, but Perugia refused to make his move permanent in 2002, after he had eliminated Italy from the World Cup with a famous ‘Golden Goal.’

To date, only three South Korean players have featured in Italy’s Serie A, but the first to do so, Ahn Jung-hwan, surely left his mark on the league.

Scorer of five goals in 30 appearances with Perugia, the Serie A side decided against making his move permanent in 2022, as Ahn had scored the goal that eliminated Italy from the World Cup that summer.

The result shocked the Azzurri and allowed South Korea to advance to the World Cup quarter-final, in a match also remembered for the many controversial decisions by referee Byron Moreno that affected the Nazionale, including a red card for Francesco Totti.

This summer, it will be much easier to watch World Cup games live, even abroad, thanks to 해외축구중계, but you won’t need an internet connection to remember the outrage that Ahn’s goal caused in Italy.

That Azzurri team was one of the strongest of its generation, with players such as Paolo Maldini, Christian Vieri, Alessandro Del Piero, Fabio Cannavaro, Filippo Inzaghi, Francesco Totti, and many more.

Vieri had given the Azzurri the lead at minute 18, but South Korea levelled the score at minute 88 with Seol Kihyeon, and Ahn killed it off with a Golden Goal in the 117th minute.

That was also the last game Maldini played at the international level, as he announced his retirement from the Azzurri in the wake of the elimination by South Korea.

Just a few hours after Ahn’s Golden Goal against the Azzurri, which marked South Korea’s 2-1 win, Perugia President Luciano Gaucci called live the Processo di Biscardi, one of the most popular TV football shows in Italy at the time, to reveal that he wouldn’t retain the Korean striker.

“I have absolutely no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian football,” Gaucci said.

Twenty years after his goal against Italy, Ahn told FIFA.com: “It was a really special match for me and my country. No one believed we could beat Italy. I think you just need to look at our preparation and the way we played. Hiddink made us a strong side, both physically and mentally, and we weren’t afraid of anyone.”

Only two other players from South Korea have played in Serie A: Lee Seung-woo at Hellas Verona and Kim Min-jae at Napoli. The latter made history at the Stadio Maradona, being one of the cornerstones of the Napoli side that won the Scudetto in 2022-23, the first one in the post-Maradona era.

Reports in Italy confirm that Juventus have triggered their obligation to buy for attacker Lois Openda, despite the fact that the Belgian has been left as an unused substitute for the last five rounds of Serie A fixtures. 

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How much will Juventus have to pay after triggering Openda obligation to buy?

Openda joined Juventus on loan with a conditional obligation to buy from RB Leipzig during the 2025 summer transfer window. At the time of Openda’s arrival back in early September, Juventus confirmed that they paid a loan fee of €3.3m with bonuses of up to €800,000 to bring Openda in for the 2025-26 season, and that  the obligation to buy is set at €40.6m with bonuses of up to €1.7m. 

Juventus are now obliged to pay the €40.6m fee to RB Leipzig, which is payable in four instalments, after mathematically confirming a 10th place finish in Serie A. 

Juve confirmed their top 10 finish with Saturday’s important 1-0 victory away against Atalanta. 

This means that the Bianconeri are now 18 points clear of the 11th-placed Sassuolo with six games to go. In the extremely unlikely event that Juventus lose all of their remaining fixtures and Sassuolo win all of theirs, they will finish level on 60 points, but Juventus would still claim a higher spot due to their head-to-head record against the Neroverdi.

With the obligation to buy now triggered, Openda will be entitled to a four-year contract at the Allianz Stadium, running until the summer of 2030.  

Despite the obligation to buy having been triggered, Openda is still massively out of favour in Turin, having been left on the bench for Juve’s last five Serie A fixtures. He only played for one minute off the substitutes’ bench in his most recent league appearance and has not started for the Old Lady in the league since late December.

It is expected that Juventus will still look to move Openda on if possible during the next summer transfer window.

Inter star Nicolò Barella smiled and sarcastically waved at Como fans whistling him while being substituted during a Serie A match at the Stadio Sinigaglia on Sunday.

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Italy international Barella sarcastically reacted to boos from Como fans on Sunday while being subbed off in the 77th minute of Inter’s away game at the Stadio Sinigaglia.

The Inter star smiled and ironically waved at the home crowd while leaving the field, with the Nerazzurri up 4-2.

Inter ultimately secured a 4-3 victory in Como, moving nine points clear of second-placed Napoli.

Video: Barella reacts to boos from Como fans

Barella risponde ai fischi dei tifosi del Como #ComoInter pic.twitter.com/h9NbTF6AWq

— zhang non muore mai (@Zhanglimmortale) April 12, 2026

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Inter’s big comeback in Como

Scudetto view

Nerazzurri from 2-0 to 3-4: Thuram and Dumfries score a brace each. Napoli pull the brake in Parma (1-1), and the advantage keeps increasing.

Corriere dello Sport

Inter, Scudetto in the pocket.

Thuram and Dumfries’ braces: a new runaway. McT avoids Conte’s defeat

Tuttosport

Inter tie the Scudetto down and leave Juve in fourth

Thuram and Dumfries’ braces punish Fabregas’ team, distracted after Valle and Paz’s goals, but into the game until the end with Da Cunha’s penalty. Spalletti enjoys the praise and closeness from Elkann. Yildiz’s anxiety. Licina, a bi goal.

‘Well done D’Aversa, but let’s see.’

The President takes time, and the possible sale of the club is among the reasons.

Cristian Chivu admits Inter ‘suffered’ to beat Como 4-3 and saw ‘maturity’ from his team at 2-0 down, but aimed a cheeky Scudetto sideswipe at Antonio Conte and Max Allegri.

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The Nerazzurri really proved their Scudetto credentials this evening, because they were trailing 2-0 at the Stadio Sinigaglia to goals from Alex Valle and Nico Paz.

However, braces by Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries turned it around to lead 4-2, then they held on under pressure after a late Lucas Da Cunha penalty for the final 4-3 result.

Chivu hails Inter comeback from 2-0 down

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, we were up against a team that is challenging for something important, and they proved it in the first half with mobility, pace, pressing and intensity,” Chivu told DAZN Italia.

“We were struggling and went 2-0 down, but we got a goal back and that gave us confidence. After the restart, we stepped up a gear, showed a bit of character, and we turned it around, though it was certainly not easy.”

Inter had already faced Como here last month in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final, and were held to a 0-0 draw.

Even without injured Lautaro Martinez, who asked to be on the bench this evening to be close to his teammates, Inter scored 102 goals in 46 competitive games this season.

“We trained only on set plays this morning, knowing they would be a good opportunity to score goals here,” revealed Chivu.

“It is down to the hard work of my staff and the players that we are so prolific in these situations. We have great free kick takers and players who are strong in the air, so it would be a shame not to make the most of that.”

Considering how well the hosts had started, it was a remarkable turnaround, the second time they managed to a victory after going 2-0 down, although the other side was Pisa.

“This was a victory of maturity, where we understood the moments of the match,” continued Chivu.

“With seven rounds to go, we must raise our ambitions, understand how important it is to get onto that field and extend our advantage over second place.

“We were surprised by the intensity of Como in the first half, but we reacted like a mature team.”

With Napoli held 1-1 by Parma and Milan losing to Udinese this weekend, it means Inter go nine points clear at the top of the table with six rounds left to play.

However, when asked whether they had the Scudetto in hand, Chivu aimed a jibe at Napoli boss Conte and Milan’s Allegri.

“I’ll do like my colleagues who only talk about Champions League qualification and I’ll say that we are happy to get closer to that target. Mathematically, we’re not there yet.”

Dumfries scored twice this evening, and it is easy to forget just how much he was missed during his injury over the last couple of months.

“We did miss him, as obviously with him we have a different option to attack the space, including on set plays,” admitted Chivu.

“Luis Henrique is perhaps better at keeping the ball, but Denzel has more power, he is a presence in the box and knows how to time runs to the back post, as we saw today.”

Cesc Fabregas insists Como gave Inter a real scare in tonight’s 4-3 thriller and was ‘so proud’ of their ‘courage to compete against anyone we are up against,’ but he is not checking the table.

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It was the perfect start for Fabregas at the Stadio Sinigaglia, as his team was 2-0 up against Serie A leaders Inter with goals from Alex Valle and Nico Paz.

However, the Nerazzurri proved themselves absolutely clinical, converting practically all their chances to win 4-3 in the second half with a brace each from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries.

Lucas Da Cunha’s late penalty was not enough to turn it around, even if Alberto Moreno hit the crossbar in stoppages.

Fabregas proud of Como fight

“I don’t know what position we are in the table, because I haven’t checked since the start of the season and I’m not going to now,” Fabregas told DAZN Italia.

“My team once again proved it is courageous, eager, and even in defeat showed character. It’s true we made mistakes, but this is a young team and we were up against an opponent that will penalise you for every error.

“I think talking about tactics today is not appetising to me, because we did our talking on the pitch. I like to look at statistics, and not many sides manage 20 shots on goal against Inter.

“If you had told me two years ago that we’d be challenging Inter like this, I’d have assumed we had organised a friendly match, but we are fighting them on an even playing field.”

It was not tactics, but emotional momentum that changed the game when Thuram pulled one back in first half stoppages, giving Inter some hope.

“That’s what I mean, you can talk about tactics all you want, but ultimately the mentality makes the difference,” agreed Fabregas.

“It was a lack of communication between Valle and Perrone, they found a way through, it was practically half-time. My message at half-time was that regardless of the result, we needed to keep playing like this.

“The 2-2 was not a dangerous situation and we didn’t deal with it well, but after that Inter are so strong. We created some good counter-attacks, but they are so incredible on set plays, not just against us. As I said, being competitive against Inter today was an important step in our growth process.”

This was a surprisingly attack-minded line-up from Fabregas and Como, who in the first half had Sergi Roberto drawing Piotr Zielinski out of position to attack Alessandro Bastoni.

“We have another game to play against Inter in 10 days, we prepare matches in different ways, so I don’t want to explain our ideas too much right now,” noted Fabregas when pushed on how he had tried to hurt Inter.

“I am so proud of my players, I was here the first day when we started work two and a half years ago, and I see where we are now. I see the desire to improve and the courage to compete against anyone we are up against.”

Fabregas had held Inter to a 0-0 draw here in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final last month, with the decider scheduled at San Siro on April 21.

However, they lost 4-0 in Serie A back in December, so this was a significant improvement.

“Mistakes are part of the game, they can often help you grow faster, because they force you to take a good look and not just keep coasting along. That is true of life as well as of football,” explained Fabregas.

“The team gave everything, the result is a pity. I too want to learn from my mistakes, as against Milan I talked about the focus being on results rather than performance, so I won’t be saying that again.

“I just say that it was a good performance and we don’t stop now, there are six rounds to play plus the Coppa Italia, and we’ll see where we end up.”

This result knocks Como down to fifth place, two points behind Juventus, but it remains extraordinarily tight for those Champions League spots.

Only six points now separate Milan in third from Roma in sixth, with six rounds left to play and several head-to-head clashes.

Marcus Thuram admits scoring for France gave him ‘a confidence booster’ that revitalised his Inter form, but won’t say the Scudetto is won yet even after the 4-3 victory over Como.

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This was a dramatic evening at the Stadio Sinigaglia, as Como had taken a 2-0 lead with Alex Valle and Nico Paz just before half-time.

However, a pair of braces from Thuram and Denzel Dumfries turned it around to lead 4-2, eventually forced to suffer in the final minutes following a Lucas Da Cunha penalty.

Thuram reaches double figures

“It was important to score just before half-time, it gave us the right spirit going into the restart,” Thuram told DAZN Italia.

The striker had struggled to find the net, but seems to have found a new lease of life after scoring on international duty for France, which he hadn’t done since 2023.

“It was good to have a change of scenery, but above all to score for France, that gave me a confidence booster, and I’ve taken it with me to Inter. Did I really score 10 goals? I usually do it a bit earlier in the season, but I got there eventually!”

With Napoli held 1-1 by Parma this afternoon and Milan losing heavily to Udinese, it puts Inter nine points clear at the top of the Serie A table with six rounds left to play.

“Being able to suffer and react as a team is a great sign, and this is a very important victory for us. However, until it is mathematically official, we cannot say anything has been achieved yet,” noted Tikus.

Inter will have to face Como again on April 21 for the Coppa Italia semi-final, as the first leg ended 0-0 here last month.

Inter completed an extraordinary comeback from 2-0 down to win 4-3 in Como with Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries doubles, going nine points clear and knocking Cesc Fabregas down to fifth.

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These sides already drew here 0-0 in the Coppa Italia semi-final, with the second leg scheduled for April 21. Lautaro Martinez and Yann Bisseck were out injured, even though the captain insisted on accompanying his teammates, so Francesco Pio Esposito and Francesco Acerbi stepped in. Como got Jacobo Ramon and Jesus Rodriguez back, leaving only Jayden Addai unavailable, but chose an all-attack formation.

With Juventus winning last night, they needed a victory to keep hold of fourth place after last week’s draw with Udinese, but the Nerazzurri had the chance to go nine points clear after Napoli’s draw in Parma.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Assane Diao dribbled past two to burst into the box and his shot was charged down, but Alex Valle’s acrobatic attempt on the rebound accidentally kicked Manuel Akanji in the head, while Martin Baturina blasted over from distance.

There was a triple Como opportunity on 31 minutes, as first Denzel Dumfries made a spectacular sliding tackle to stop Douvikas tapping in the Diao roll across from six yards, then another two attempts from Maxi Perrone and Alex Valle were charged down by Francesco Acerbi and Dumfries.

It was only a warning, as the hosts took the lead soon after. Diao’s back-heel flick send Nico Paz on a mazy run into the box, where his low finish off the inside of the left foot was parried one-handed by Yann Sommer, with Alex Valle quickest to react on the rebound from 12 yards.

Dumfries tested Jean Butez with a header on a corner at the back post, and the Nico Paz free kick skimmed the bar.

On the stroke of half-time, Nico Paz ran onto the long Butez ball and bent a snooker shot into the far bottom corner with the inside of the left foot, despite Sommer getting his fingertips to it.

In stoppages, Inter got one back, Marcus Thuram holding off Ignace van der Brempt to get his studs to a Nicolò Barella cross from the right, prodding it in from seven yards.

The comeback was completed after the restart, as Marc-Oliver Kempf intercepted a Barella ball over the top, not realising how close Thuram was with Butez well off his line, so the Frenchman lobbed score into an empty net.

INTER ARE BACK IN IT! pic.twitter.com/BBLHv0e2tQ

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 12, 2026

Substitute Jacobo Ramon nodded straight at Sommer from close range after a free kick, but instead it was Inter who scored in a very similar situation, with Dumfries meeting the Hakan Calhanoglu set play at the back post.

Baturina bent his finish just wide moments later, then Sommer had his gloves stung by a screamer of a Nico Paz free kick, but instead Inter added a fourth.

Akanji nodded down a Calhanoglu free kick at the back post, finding Dumfries to sweep in relatively undisturbed first-time from 12 yards.

What a second half performance this is

Denzel Dumfries scores Inter’s fourth goal!

TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/kyGseJhpVv

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 12, 2026

Ange-Yoan Bonny was penalised for a lunge on Nico Paz right on the edge of the area, but VAR confirmed the contact was inside the box. Lucas Da Cunha fired into the near bottom corner, despite Sommer getting his fingertips to the penalty.

It wasn’t over, as Alberto Moreno had two huge chances to equalise, first a free header off target from the Nico Paz cross, then prodding the finish onto the crossbar from close range.

Como 3-4 Inter

Valle 36 (C), Nico Paz 44 (C), Thuram 45+1, 49 (I), Dumfries 58, 72 (I), Da Cunha pen 89 (C)

12-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 32

Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia

Como

Inter

3 - 4

Player statistic

1st half

Álex Valle		24'
Álex Valle		36'
Nico Paz (Assist: Jean Butez)		45'
		45+1'		Marcus Thuram (Assist: Nicolò Barella)

2nd half

		49'		Marcus Thuram
		53'		Piotr Zielinski
Assane Diao		55'
		58'		Denzel Dumfries (Assist: Hakan Calhanoglu)
		69'		Hakan Calhanoglu
		72'		Denzel Dumfries
		77'		Petar Sucic
		79'		Francesco Acerbi
		83'		Carlos Augusto
		87'		Ange-Yoan Bonny
Lucas Da Cunha		89'
Jacobo Ramón		90+1'
		90+1'		Manuel Akanji

Match statistic

60

Possession %

40

24

Total shots

7

8

Shots on target

5

9

Shots off target

1

7

Blocked shots

1

1

Corners

1

2

Offsides

4

12

Fouls

17

Como

Inter

Starting lineups

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle

Defender

80'

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

46'

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

67'

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

46'

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

38

Assane Diao

Attacker

79'

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

46'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

56'

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

20

Hakan Calhanoglu

Midfielder

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

78'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

56'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

56'

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

Substitutes

5

Edoardo Goldaniga

Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

56

Cristiano De Paoli

Defender

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

46'

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

46'

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

67'

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

79'

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

80'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

48

Mattia Mosconi

Attacker

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

46'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

56'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

56'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

56'

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

78'

Antonio Conte has clarified his position on a potential return to the Italy job, reiterating he has ‘another year on my contract with Napoli.’

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The coach was mentioned as one of the primary candidates to take over the Nazionale after Gennaro Gattuso resigned, having failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Last week, Conte had said he would put himself on the list to be the new Azzurri boss, if he was in the position of the Federation President.

However, he reacted angrily today when told he had given his availability to the FIGC.

Conte open to Italy, but also to Napoli

“I did not say I was available for anything,” insisted Conte on Rai Radio 1.

“I have another year on my contract with Napoli, then at the end of the season I will speak to the President. I would urge you to interpret my words correctly, because if they are going to be twisted, then I won’t speak at all anymore.”

The 56-year-old had already been on the Italy bench from 2014 to 2016, where he oversaw 14 victories, six draws and five defeats.

He walked away after they lost on penalties to Germany in the EURO 2016 quarter-finals, returning to club football for Chelsea.

Since then, he has worked at Inter, Tottenham and since 2024 at Napoli.

Lautaro Martinez was named on the Inter bench for tonight’s Serie A trip to Como, despite being ruled out for two weeks by a new injury problem.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Sinigaglia at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

Lautaro Martinez showing Inter leadership

The centre-forward had only just made his comeback from six weeks out with a calf strain that was sustained during the Champions League play-off defeat to Bodo/Glimt in mid-February.

He sustained a new setback and was diagnosed with a strain in the soleus muscle of his left leg, so is expected to be sidelined for another 15 days.

It was therefore surprising to see Lautaro Martinez on the bench at the Stadio Sinigaglia for this evening’s match against Como.

Although he is present, the Argentina international has no chance of playing for Inter tonight, but he wanted to be close to his teammates both on the touchline and in the locker room.

This is not the first time that Lautaro Martinez has insisted on making this gesture, as he was also on the bench when Inter lost to Milan, despite his injury.

Cesc Fabregas gives some clues as to his new tactical approach when Como host Inter tonight and reveals he hopes to ‘pass on’ ideas he picked up watching Real Madrid, Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Sinigaglia at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The pressure is on the Lariani now, as after their run of five straight wins was ended by a 0-0 draw with Udinese, Juventus have temporarily leapfrogged them into fourth with a victory away to Atalanta.

Fabregas wants an ambitious Como approach

“The lads proved to me that they had courage, character, focus, so I am very proud as a coach, because the most difficult thing is to convince the players, and they have given me their all,” Fabregas told DAZN Italia.

“In football, one team wins and the other loses, all you can do is give everything you’ve got, and they make me proud.”

Como already hosted Inter on March 3 for the Coppa Italia semi-final, and that 0-0 draw left it wide open going into the second leg on April 21.

While Fabregas usually opts for Nico Paz as a False 9 in the big games, he goes all-attack here with Tasos Douvikas, Martin Baturina, Nico Paz and Assane Diao together.

“Every game is different, I think that we are at a stage of the season where a young team with many players in their first season still have a lot to learn. We picked up a lot of confidence, know each other much better, have certain dynamics drilled in now,” said Fabregas.

“In the Coppa Italia over two legs, the first match is always a little different with an eye on the full 180 minutes, whereas tonight it’s a one-off Serie A game, one of 38 in total, and we cannot look beyond that.

“We always took it one game at a time this season in Serie A, our identity has always been to be attacking. Sergi Roberto brings experience and solidity to midfield, and we also have a different role for Diao that you will see when the game starts.

“We need to have devastating confidence on the ball to take on a team that dominates most games, we’ll see then by halftime whether we want to make a change or not.”

Fabregas was at the Bernabeu earlier this week to watch Real Madrid and Bayern Munich play in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. Did he pick up any tips?

“I am seeing a lot of matches lately, I went to Atalanta-Bayern Munich and Arsenal-Bayer Leverkusen too, because I like to see these high quality players live. Just the first touch, the control, how they play when pressed, these are the levels I’d love to see my teams play at one day. It helps me understand various dynamics, I love to see the ideas of these coaches, and hope to pass some of those on to my young players.”

Jacobo Ramon and Jesus Rodriguez are both back in the squad after injury problems, so Jayden Addai remains the only absentee.

Cristian Chivu tries to keep Inter fully focused despite the change of Como approach this evening and Napoli result. ‘This changes nothing as far as we are concerned’

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It kicks off at the Stadio Sinigaglia at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

This could become a crossroads in the Scudetto race, because Napoli were held to a 1-1 draw by Parma this afternoon, so a victory would send the leaders nine points clear at the top of the table.

Chivu won’t let Inter get distracted

“We are focused on our own competitiveness, knowing it will not be easy against an ambitious team that is aiming for the Champions League,” Chivu told DAZN Italia.

“We know full well that we are going to require a very strong performance to get the points here today.”

Inter were held to a 0-0 draw here back on March 3 in the Coppa Italia semi-final, and the second leg will be at San Siro on April 21.

Cesc Fabregas has somewhat surprisingly gone for a very attack-minded formation this evening, with Tasos Douvikas, Nico Paz, Martin Baturina and Assane Diao together.

“I told my team we mustn’t change our shape, we have to follow what we prepared in training and understand the various moments of the match,” said Chivu.

“This changes nothing as far as we are concerned, we need to build on what we have done recently, showing courage and confidence.”

The Nerazzurri had only recently welcomed Lautaro Martinez back from a calf strain, but the captain has been ruled out by a fresh muscular injury along with Yann Bisseck.

Nonetheless, the striker is going to be on the bench to be close to his teammates.

“Lautaro was on the field last week, but I won’t forget the performances of Thuram, Esposito, Calhanoglu, all those who showed leadership, determination and character, they can do the same today,” assured Chivu.

Como know only a victory tonight will keep them in fourth place, as Juventus already beat Atalanta 1-0 last night to leapfrog them in the Serie A table.

Remo Freuler’s tap-in and a stoppage-time Riccardo Orsolini goal ultimately proved enough for Bologna to beat Lecce, who remain in the relegation zone.

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The Rossoblu were shaken by Thursday’s heavy 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa in the Europa League quarter-final, so with the second leg coming up next week, had to turn their focus back to Serie A. Lewis Ferguson sat out a ban, with Thijs Dallinga, Charalampos Lykogiannis, Lukasz Skorupski, Benjamin Dominguez and Eivind Helland injured. Goalkeeper Massimo Pessina was given his first Serie A start. Lecce were in crisis after three consecutive losses and dropped into the relegation zone. Antonino Gallo returned to the squad, but Riccardo Sottil, Francesco Camarda, Kialonda Gaspar and Medon Berisha were still sidelined.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Tiago Gabriel at full stretch prevented Santiago Castro tapping in the Riccardo Orsolini cross from six yards, but Nikola Stulic went clear on the counter-attack only to be denied by a fantastic one-handed save from 18-year-old Pessina.

Ylber Ramadani blasted just over, but Bologna took the lead in somewhat chaotic fashion.

Jhon Lucumi’s ball over the top was ignored by Castro in an offside position, allowing Orsolini to run onto it and smash onto the underside of the bar with a lob, but Remo Freuler was ready to turn in the rebound.

Bologna started to put together a run of chances, as Nicolò Casale couldn’t keep his header down on a Nikola Moro free kick, then Orsolini tested Wladimiro Falcone at the near post after a series of stepovers.

Lecce were dangerous on the counter after the restart, Moro needing a desperate tackle to prevent Santiago Pierotti meeting the Stulic pull-back. On the resulting corner, Antonino Gallo was penalised because when trying to keep the ball from going out, he accidental clattered into the linesman.

Bologna kept pushing, as Castro’s shot was charged down by Jamil Siebert, then he just failed to get on the end of a cross from six yards, while Falcone stuck out a boot to deny Orsolini at the near post.

Orsolini took too long to get the Juan Miranda pull-back under control and it was eventually blocked off by a defender inside the penalty area.

Castro had the ball in the net on 82 minutes, but the referee had already stopped play for a soft Orsolini nudge when robbing Ramadani at the by-line.

Orsolini desperately wanted to end his goal drought and he got it in stoppages. Ramadani was clumsy when firing a free kick onto the back of Miranda, so Federico Bernardeschi pounced on the ricochet and immediately sent Orsolini down the right to score.

Bologna 2-0 Lecce

Freuler 26 (B), Orsolini 92 (B)

12-04-2026 17:00

MatchDay 32

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

Bologna

Lecce

2 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Remo Freuler		26'
		36'		Oumar Ngom
		38'		Jamil Siebert

2nd half

Riccardo Orsolini (Assist: Federico Bernardeschi)

90+2'

Match statistic

64

Possession %

36

12

Total shots

6

4

Shots on target

1

5

Shots off target

3

3

Blocked shots

2

8

Corners

6

4

Offsides

15

Fouls

19

Bologna

Lecce

Starting lineups

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

17

João Mário

Defender

66'

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

85'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

23

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

74'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

74'

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

85'

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

46'

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

46'

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

64'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

64'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

83'

Substitutes

29

Lorenzo De Silvestri

Defender

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

82

Matteo Franceschelli

Goalkeeper

73

Francesco Castaldo

Attacker

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

66'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

74'

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

74'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

85'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

85'

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

80

Niko Kovač

Midfielder

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

46'

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

46'

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

64'

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

64'

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

83'