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Today — 21 March 2026Main stream

Conte: Napoli ‘put pressure on the teams at the top’ with 1-0 Cagliari victory

21 March 2026 at 00:22

Antonio Conte says that Napoli have ‘put a bit of pressure on the teams at the top’ after their 1-0 victory away against Cagliari in Serie A on Friday evening, their fourth win in as many matches, which has temporarily sent them above Milan and into second place in the league table. 

A goal from Scott McTominay after just over a minute was enough for the Partenopei to hold onto at the Unipol Domus, as Conte’s side prevented their hosts from having any shots on target across the 90 minutes. 

This was also the first clean sheet that Napoli have managed to keep in 11 matches. 

You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Conte reviews Napoli’s 1-0 victory over Cagliari: ‘Nobody should stop us from looking ahead’

Despite their victory, Conte feels that there is still room for improvement in terms of Napoli’s performance. He feels that getting key players like McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka back to ‘100%’ will be key, though. 

“We made too many mistakes. We could have done better and commanded the game more given that Cagliari didn’t come to press,” Conte told DAZN after full-time. 

“We looked for the second goal in the second half, anything can happen in these sorts of games. Now we go into the (international) break with three points, waiting on the others.

“Three points further into the Champions League spots, we’ve been extraordinary over the last seven months to stay in the top positions. We’re looking at those in front of us, but we’re not making any empty promises. It doesn’t take much to get dragged back by those behind us.” 

CAGLIARI, ITALY - MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli scores his goal 0-1 during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant'Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli scores his goal 0-1 during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant’Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

Before Friday, Napoli had not kept a clean sheet in any competition since their 2-0 win away against Lazio on January 4, their first game of the calendar year. 

“It’s important to record a clean sheet after 11 games,” said Conte. “Cagliari didn’t have a shot on goal today. Being able to defend well requires everyone. There was great application and desire. The guys understood the importance of the match, even if we struggled to materialise that.” 

Napoli’s defence of their 2024-25 Scudetto was completely obliterated by injuries. At certain stages, Conte had a full starting XI unavailable through injury. But, today, De Bruyne and McTominay were able to start alongside each other for the first time in almost five months, dating back to a 3-1 win over Inter back in October .

“Obviously having some players back is important, but what counts is them being at 100%,” Conte explained. 

CAGLIARI, ITALY - MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli celebrates his goal 0-1 with the team-mates during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant'Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli celebrates his goal 0-1 with the team-mates during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant’Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

“Anguissa and McTominay aren’t ‘brilliant’ again yet, Kevin (De Bruyne) I thought was doing well. Lobotka struggled a little bit more, and we still have to get Rrahmani and Di Lorenzo back. Neres is difficult, I think. 

“We’ve held our own over the last seven months, now we have to qualify for the Champions League, but we know that other teams want that too. Nobody should stop us from looking ahead. Today we’ve put a bit of pressure on the teams at the top.” 

McTominay equals seven-year Premier League goal record in two years at Napoli

21 March 2026 at 00:02

Scott McTominay’s strike during Napoli’s 1-0 win over Cagliari on Friday evening means that he has now matched his seven-year Premier League goal tally in less than two full seasons in Serie A

McTominay magic continues in Serie A

McTominay, back in the Napoli starting line-up for the first time since the beginning of February, took just over a minute to find the back of the net in Napoli’s 1-0 win away against Cagliari at the Unipol Domus. 

That goal was his sixth in Serie A for the season, and his 19th overall in Serie A since joining Napoli from Manchester United in the summer of 2024. 

CAGLIARI, ITALY - MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli celebrates his goal 0-1 with the team-mates during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant'Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli celebrates his goal 0-1 with the team-mates during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant’Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

McTominay has scored 19 goals in 59 Serie A appearances in a period of less than two years. He also has 19 Premier League goals on his CV, which he scored in 178 outings across a seven-year period. 

McTominay is also the reigning Serie A MVP and is also the division’s all-time highest-scoring Scotland international, beating the likes of Lewis Ferguson, Che Adams and Denis Law. 

He and teammate Billy Gilmour are the only two Scotland internationals to hae ever won the Serie A title.

Yesterday — 20 March 2026Main stream

Cagliari 0-1 Napoli – Player Ratings as McTominay proves decisive

20 March 2026 at 23:33

Cagliari fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Napoli this evening, with Scott McTominay scoring the only goal in Sardinia as Antonio Conte’s side picked up a valuable three points.

Football Italia’s Man of the Match was McTominay, for his early winner and hard-working performance throughout.

CAGLIARI, ITALY - MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli celebrates his goal 0-1 with the team-mates during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant'Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay celebrates his goal 0-1 with the team-mates during the Serie A match at Stadio Sant’Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

Cagliari 0-1 Napoli – Player Ratings

CagliariCaprile 6; Ze Pedro 5.5 (Mendy 6), Mina 6, Dossena 6; Palestra 6, Adopo 5.5 (Deiola 6), Gaetano 6, Sulemana 6, Rodriguez 5 (Raterink N/A); Esposito 6 (Trepy N/A), Folorunsho 6 (Kilicsoy 5.5)

Best Cagliari player: Yerry Mina – Still an average night at the office for the menacing centre-back, but did a good enough to job to keep Napoli at bay for lengths of the match.

Lowest Cagliari rating: Juan Rodriguez – Really struggled to have any impact whatsoever on the left flank and was as worrying in defence as he was going forwards.

Coach: Fabio Pisacane 6 – Gave it a good go and set up his team fairly well to nullify Napoli’s threat. Was unlucky to get caught out early as the team looked solid for most of the match.

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic 6; Beukema 6.5, Buongiorno 6, Olivera 5.5 (Juan Jesus N/A); Politano 6.5, (Spinazzola N/A), Gilmour 5.5 (Zambo Anguissa N/A), Lobotka 6 (Alisson Santos 6), Gutierrez 6.5; McTominay 7, De Bruyne 6; Hojlund 6

Best Napoli player: Scott McTominay – Scored the decisive goal and worked hard throughout the ninety minutes. Hardly a show-stopping performance but was the best amongst a very modestly performing Napoli side.

Lowest Napoli rating: Mathias Olivera – Played at centre-back, outside of his natural positioning, and struggled as a result. Made a couple of sloppy fouls, picked up a yellow card and overall contributed nothing of particular value to his team’s victory.

Coach: Antonio Conte 6.5 – Marginally better than his counterpart, and picked up the three points accordingly. His side did not inspire with their victory but the coach will be delighted to come away with the three points.

Serie A | Cagliari 0-1 Napoli: McTominay sends Partenopei above Milan

20 March 2026 at 23:26

An early strike from Scott McTominay was enough for Napoli to hold onto as Antonio Conte and his team picked up a 1-0 victory away against Cagliari in Serie A on Friday evening; their fourth win on the spin and a result that has sent them into second place in the league table.

McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne were able to start alongside each other for the first time in almost five months, dating back to a 3-1 victory over league leaders Inter in October. The 15th-placed Cagliari boasted two recently called-up Italy internationals in Elia Caprile and Marco Palestra. Napoli had four in their camp: Alex Meret, Alessandro Buongiorno, Leonardo Spinazzola and Matteo Politano. 

Antonio Conte’s side had won all three of their previous Serie A matches heading into tonight’s game, all by 2-1 margins, while the hosts were without a win across their last six. 

Click here to see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog. 

It took just over 60 seconds for McTominay to find the net on his return to the starting line-up. The Scotland international got his side ahead from the first corner of the game, which went short to Politano and pinballed around the area before the Scotland international managed to tap in on the goalline. 

CAGLIARI, ITALY - MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli scores his goal 0-1 during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant'Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli scores his goal 0-1 during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant’Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

From there, the first half became a fairly evenly contested, albeit slightly scrappy affair. Conte was twice visibly annoyed by misplaced passes from Buongiorno and Gilmour out of the back, giving possession away far too cheaply.

Napoli’s only other shot on target of the first half came from a fairly tame Politano free-kick, while Cagliari came closest through Sebastiano Esposito, who flashed an effort across the face of Vanja Milinkovic-Savic’s goal from a tight angle. 

De Bruyne almost got the better of Caprile with a low, driven effort from the edge of the area, but the recently called-up Italy international was able to parry and his defenders were able to clear in the end. 

CAGLIARI, ITALY - MARCH 20: Alberto Dossena of Cagliari and Rasmus Højlund of Napoli fight for the ball during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant'Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 20: Alberto Dossena of Cagliari and Rasmus Højlund of Napoli fight for the ball during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant’Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

Napoli saw a glimpse of what their star players are capable of when McTominay, De Bruyne and Politano linked up with some beautiful one-touch play in the Cagliari area, but Caprile did well to smother his compatriot when he found himself on the edge of the six-yard box.

Cagliari have not won any of their games this season when they have been trailing half-way, and that proved to be the case again despite their best efforts on Friday evening. 

Fabio Piscane’s winless run has now been extended to seven matches, with just two points earned over that period, while Conte and his team have now won four in a row and currently find themselves in second place in the league table with Milan due to play on Saturday.

Cagliari 0-1 Napoli 

McTominay 2’

CAGLIARI, ITALY - MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli celebrates his goal 0-1 with the team-mates during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant'Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
CAGLIARI, ITALY – MARCH 20: Scott Francis Mctominay of Napoli celebrates his goal 0-1 with the team-mates during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Sant’Elia on March 20, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)

20-03-2026 17:30
MatchDay 30

Player statistic

1st half
    2' Goal Scott McTominay
    17' Stanislav Lobotka
Zé Pedro 35'    
2nd half
    69' Mathías Olivera
Alberto Dossena Yellow card 90+4'    

Match statistic

33
Possession %
67
7
Total shots
17
Shots on target
5
7
Shots off target
4
Blocked shots
8
2
Corners
7
Offsides
2
12
Fouls
16

Cagliari
Napoli

Starting lineups

1
Goalkeeper
22
Defender
15
Defender
84'
2
Defender
26
Defender
32
Defender
73'
10
Midfielder
90
Midfielder
65'
8
Midfielder
73'
25
Midfielder
94
84'
32
17
Defender
84'
3
31
Defender
6
Midfielder
77'
11
Midfielder
8
Midfielder
68
Midfielder
55'
21
Attacker
76'
19
Attacker

Substitutes

30
28
Defender
4
Midfielder
24
Goalkeeper
12
Goalkeeper
27
Midfielder
36
Midfielder
20
9
65'
14
Midfielder
73'
31
Attacker
73'
37
Attacker
84'
18
Midfielder
84'
1
Goalkeeper
20
Midfielder
14
Goalkeeper
30
9
Attacker
23
Attacker
23
27
Attacker
55'
37
76'
99
Midfielder
77'
5
Defender
84'

Serie A: Cagliari vs. Napoli – Confirmed line-ups and updates

20 March 2026 at 20:35

Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne finally start alongside each other in the Napoli midfield again as Antonio Conte’s side prepare to take on Cagliari away from home in Serie A on Friday evening. 

Napoli have won their last three matches in succession heading into Friday night’s tie, all by 2-1 margins against Hellas Verona, Torino and Lecce.

Their run of form has brought them within one point of the second-placed Milan, and Antonio Conte’s side will overtake the Rossoneri with a victory this evening. 

NAPLES, ITALY - MARCH 14: Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach before the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and US Lecce at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 14, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
NAPLES, ITALY – MARCH 14: Antonio Conte before the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and US Lecce at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 14, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Cagliari, meanwhile, are without a win since the end of January, when they beat Verona 4-0, and have only picked up two points from their last six matches since then. They are currently in 15th place, six points above the relegation zone. 

Napoli are without Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Antonio Vergara and David Neres through injury, but Conte’s ‘fab 4’ of Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne, Stanislav Lobotka and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa are finally all back and available for selection. 

McTominay, De Bruyne, Lobotka and Billy Gilmour are the chosen starters in midfield, supporting Rasmus Hojlund in the lone centre-forward role. Anguissa starts among the substitutes. 

Tonight’s game involves six players who have been called up to Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy national team squad for the World Cup play-offs coming up at the end of the month. Cagliari’s Elia Caprile and Marco Palestra are among the national team inclusions, as well as Alessandro Buongiorno, Leonardo Spinazzola, Matteo Politano and Alex Meret from the Napoli camp. 

Kick-off this evening is due at 17.30 GMT. 

Cagliari vs. Napoli: Confirmed line-ups 

FLORENCE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 13: Kevin De Bruyne of SSC Napoli and Rasmus Hojlund celebrate after scoring a goal during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and SSC Napoli at Artemio Franchi on September 13, 2025 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
FLORENCE, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 13: Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund celebrate after scoring a goal during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and SSC Napoli at Artemio Franchi on September 13, 2025 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

Cagliari (4-3-3): Caprile; Zé Pedro, Mina, Dossena, Rodriguez; Adopo, Gaetano, Sulemana; Palestra, Folorunsho, Esposito. 

Napoli (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Buongiorno, Olivera; Politano, Gilmour, Lobotka, Gutierrez; De Bruyne, McTominay; Højlund.

20-03-2026 17:30
MatchDay 30

Player statistic

1st half
    2' Goal Scott McTominay
    17' Stanislav Lobotka
Zé Pedro 35'    
2nd half
    69' Mathías Olivera
Alberto Dossena Yellow card 90+4'    

Match statistic

33
Possession %
67
7
Total shots
17
Shots on target
5
7
Shots off target
4
Blocked shots
8
2
Corners
7
Offsides
2
12
Fouls
16
Cagliari
Napoli

Starting lineups

1
Goalkeeper
22
Defender
15
Defender
84'
2
Defender
26
Defender
32
Defender
73'
10
Midfielder
90
Midfielder
65'
8
Midfielder
73'
25
Midfielder
94
84'
32
17
Defender
84'
3
31
Defender
6
Midfielder
77'
11
Midfielder
8
Midfielder
68
Midfielder
55'
21
Attacker
76'
19
Attacker

Substitutes

30
28
Defender
4
Midfielder
24
Goalkeeper
12
Goalkeeper
27
Midfielder
36
Midfielder
20
9
65'
14
Midfielder
73'
31
Attacker
73'
37
Attacker
84'
18
Midfielder
84'
1
Goalkeeper
20
Midfielder
14
Goalkeeper
30
9
Attacker
23
Attacker
23
27
Attacker
55'
37
76'
99
Midfielder
77'
5
Defender
84'

Conte picks trio made in Manchester for Napoli game at Cagliari

20 March 2026 at 14:59

Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund are expected to start for Napoli in an away game at Cagliari today, and Corriere dello Sport describes the new Partenopei attacking trio as ‘made in Manchester.’

Conte picks new Napoli attacking trident

Napoli coach Antonio Conte will field an unprecedented attacking trio for a Serie A match against Cagliari today, as the Italian tactician is expected to start De Bruyne, McTominay and Hojlund up front at the Unipol Domus Arena.

The trio started several matches in the first part of the season before De Bruyne’s muscle injury in October, but back then, the Belgian ace was deployed as a central midfielder and McTominay as a left winger.

Napoli’s system in the first months of 2025-26 was 4-2-3-1, but Conte has long changed the team’s set-up using a 3-4-2-1 for the last few months.

NAPLES, ITALY - OCTOBER 25: Kevin De Bruyne of SSC Napoli battles for possession with Hakan Calhanoglu of FC Internazionale during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and FC Internazionale at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 25, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
NAPLES, ITALY – OCTOBER 25: Kevin De Bruyne of SSC Napoli battles for possession with Hakan Calhanoglu of FC Internazionale during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and FC Internazionale at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 25, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

With De Bruyne back in action since the beginning of March, Conte has integrated the ex-Manchester City star into his new system, and later today, De Bruyne will start as an attacking midfielder alongside McTominay, behind the sole striker Hojlund.

De Bruyne has not started a Serie A match for Napoli since October 25, 2025, when he suffered a high-degree injury after less than 40 minutes in a home match against Inter.

SASSUOLO, ITALY - AUGUST 23: Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli and teammate Scott McTominay pose for a photo at full-time following their victory in the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and SSC Napoli at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on August 23, 2025 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
SASSUOLO, ITALY – AUGUST 23: Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli and teammate Scott McTominay pose for a photo at full-time following their victory in the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and SSC Napoli at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on August 23, 2025 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

De Bruyne joined Napoli on a free transfer from Manchester City last summer, while both McTominay and Hojlund moved to the Stadio Maradona from Manchester United.

McTominay is in his second season at Napoli, while Hojlund joined the Serie A giants last summer, on loan with an obligation to buy.

 

Serie A: Cagliari vs. Napoli – probable line-ups, where to watch on TV

20 March 2026 at 12:53

Stanislav Lobotka is expected to return to Napoli‘s starting XI for an away game at Cagliari today, while Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne will play behind Rasmus Hojlund.

It kicks off at 18:30 CET (17:30 GMT), and it’s the opening game of Serie A Round 30.

The Partenopei must cope without Amir Rrahmani, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Antonio Vergara and David Neres, but De Bruyne is fit to start.

According to several sources, including Gazzetta, Sky, and Corriere dello Sport, the Belgian star will get the nod as an attacking midfielder alongside McTominay, behind the sole striker Hojlund.

Lobotka is back from an injury and will join Billy Gilmour in central midfield, with Zambo Anguissa initially on the bench.

MILAN, ITALY - JANUARY 11: Scott McTominay of SSC Napoli celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 11: Scott McTominay of SSC Napoli celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammates during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Cagliari are without the suspended Adam Obert and the injured Andrea Belotti, Gennaro Borrelli, Mattia Felici and Riyad Idrissi.

Coach Fabio Pisacane will likely pick just one centre forward, Sebastiano Esposito, who returns from a one-game ban, leaving Semih Kılıçsoy on the bench.

Cagliari vs. Napoli – where to watch on TV

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

Cagliari vs. Napoli – probable line-ups

Cagliari (3-5-2): Caprile; Zé Pedro, Mina, Dossena; Zappa, Deiola, Gaetano, Mazzitelli, Palestra; Folorunsho, Seb. Esposito.

Napoli (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Buongiorno, Olivera; Politano, Gilmour, Lobotka, Gutierrez; De Bruyne, McTominay; Højlund. 

 

Before yesterdayMain stream

Juventus eye Napoli winger Spinazzola on free transfer

19 March 2026 at 21:38

Juventus are monitoring the situation of Leonardo Spinazzola as the experienced left winger approaches the end of his contract at Napoli.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, via IlNapolista, the Italian’s deal expires in June, and with negotiations over an extension yet to reach a conclusion, Juventus have made an approach to explore the possibility of signing him on a free transfer.

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It is a move that would represent a return to the club where Spinazzola began his career.

SASSUOLO, ITALY - JANUARY 06: Damien Comolli, General Manager of Juventus looks on prior to the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and Juventus FC at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on January 06, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
SASSUOLO, ITALY – JANUARY 06: Damien Comolli, General Manager of Juventus looks on prior to the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and Juventus FC at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on January 06, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Juventus offer Spinazzola two-year deal but Italian gives priority to Napoli

The sticking point appears to be contract length.

Napoli have offered a one-year extension with an option for a second, while Juventus are prepared to guarantee two years outright, matching what Spinazzola is understood to be seeking.

It is a meaningful difference, and one that gives the Bianconeri a clear advantage in any potential tug of war.

For now, however, Spinazzola is keen to handle the situation with respect towards Napoli, and is giving the club the opportunity to match his demands before making any decision.

Whether Antonio Conte’s side are willing to improve their offer to meet the player’s terms remains to be seen.

Should Spinazzola ultimately opt for the Juventus move, it would be a shrewd piece of free transfer business by CEO Damien Comolli, adding an experienced and versatile wide option without a transfer fee at a time when the club are managing their finances carefully.

Napoli-owned Noa Lang suffers freak injury in Liverpool vs. Galatasaray

19 March 2026 at 03:00

Napoli-owned striker Noa Lang was stretchered off and needed oxygen after suffering a freak injury during Galatasaray’s Champions League game against Liverpool.

The Turkish team lost 4-0 on the night at Anfield, overturning the 1-0 first leg victory from Istanbul in the Round of 16 tie.

How Lang got badly hurt

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MARCH 18: Noa Lang of Galatasaray A.S. reacts to a thumb injury as Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konate and Curtis Jones of Liverpool interact with him during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Galatasaray SK at Anfield on March 18, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MARCH 18: Noa Lang of Galatasaray A.S. reacts to a thumb injury as Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konate and Curtis Jones of Liverpool interact with him during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Galatasaray SK at Anfield on March 18, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Lang came off the bench to replace Sacha Boey, but with 10 minutes left to play, he went into the advertising board on the side of the pitch and got his hand caught in the mechanism.

The Dutch international immediately fell clutching his hand and medics rushed over to treat him, with players from both Liverpool and Galatasaray visibly shaken from what they could see.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MARCH 18: Noa Lang of Galatasaray A.S. is stretchered off by medical staff after going down with an injury to his thumb during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Galatasaray SK at Anfield on March 18, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MARCH 18: Noa Lang of Galatasaray A.S. is stretchered off by medical staff after going down with an injury to his thumb during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Galatasaray SK at Anfield on March 18, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Lang was given oxygen to help him deal with the pain and then stretchered off to a nearby ambulance, so he could be taken to hospital.

Napoli paid €25m to buy Lang from PSV Eindhoven in July 2025, but he did not get along with coach Antonio Conte, so was loaned out to Galatasaray in January.

There is an option for the Turkish club to buy him outright for €30m at the end of the season.

🚑 Noa Lang maç sonrası hastaneye götürülüyor. pic.twitter.com/dSU9s1AiPq

— Fanatik (@fanatikcomtr) March 18, 2026

Capello and Costacurta react as Rosenior gives Garnacho Chelsea note: ‘Out of his mind’

18 March 2026 at 14:12

Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior made headlines on Tuesday, handing a note to Alejandro Garnacho in the dying minutes of a 3-0 loss against PSG: ‘He’s out of his mind,’ said Fabio Capello, while Alessandro Costacurta added: ‘As a footballer, I wouldn’t have seen it as a way to get the players on my side.’

Chelsea were eliminated from the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday, suffering a 3-0 home loss against title holders PSG.

The Blues were knocked out with a 2-8 aggregate defeat, but despite the obvious outcome in the dying minutes, their coach, Rosenior, continued to give tactical instructions to his players.

At minute 84, he handed a note to Garnacho, who had been introduced a few minutes earlier.

The Argentine winger didn’t seem overly eager to relay the coach’s tactical instructions to his teammates, especially since the match was practically over.

Italian journalist Paolo Condò, one of the most popular in the country and a member of the Ballon d’Or voting board, joked that Garnacho was thinking, ‘I should have joined Napoli.’

Pundit Paolo Di Canio, a former West Ham, Lazio and Juventus striker, added: “Look at the way he entered the field. I was also a bit of a prude, but these new coaches are almost philosophers now.

“It seems like a joke, but it’s not. They strongly believe that even the attitude in the final minutes is important. They believe in it. I see many who do the same thing despite losing 3-0. They want to show they study until the end; it’s the new generation. I understand it, but I’m like: ‘What are you doing?’

Capello: Chelsea players will ‘laugh’ at Rosenior

Fabio Capello

Capello and Costacura were surely tougher on the Chelsea boss: “He’s out of his mind,” said Capello.

“He did something that will make the players laugh. That’s what they think. You saw his [Garnacho’s] face when he entered the pitch with that note; he was like: ‘What are you saying to me?’

Former Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta, Commissioner of FIGC looks on before the International Friendly match between Italy U21 and Belgium U21 at Friuli Stadium on October 11, 2018 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Alessandro Costacurta Commissioner of FIGC looks on before the International Friendly match between Italy U21 and Belgium U21 at Friuli Stadium on October 11, 2018 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“When you do smart things, you are involved, but when you do something like that, how are you involving somebody?”

Ex-Milan defender Costacurta, a five-time Champions League winner, concluded: “I was a player, and if something like that had happened to me, I wouldn’t have seen it as a way to get the players on my side. It’s possible that there’s a new trend, but you can see the attitude from Garnacho’s face.”

Sources: Clubs “made aware” of Man United star’s transfer decision as exit looms

18 March 2026 at 13:48

Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee is keen to leave the club and return to Serie A this summer, as first reported here for the Daily Briefing.

The Red Devils are also prepared to sell Zirkzee after a difficult spell at Old Trafford, with clubs aware of the situation.

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As per my sources in the industry, Premier League clubs have now cooled their interest in Zirkzee as he’s not keen to stay in England, with Juventus, AC Milan, and Napoli on alert over potentially bringing him back to Italy.

One issue, however, is that these clubs are only looking to sign Zirkzee on loan, with his asking price of €35m looking too high.

Sources on Joshua Zirkzee’s transfer situation

“Zirkzee’s return to Serie A is gathering strength,” one source told me in a call this morning. “Premier League clubs have been made aware of his stance, so they’ve dropped their interest. Juventus, Milan, and Napoli are keeping an eye on his situation and could move.”

MUFC will no doubt hope to get a decent offer for the 24-year-old, but it may be that there’ll have to be some compromise somewhere.

It remains to be seen if that will be in the form of a loan with an obligation or option to buy, but the thing that’s clear is that Zirkzee will surely be leaving Old Trafford this summer.

Joshua Zirkzee’s poor spell at Man United

Zirkzee impressed at former club Bologna and could still revive his career back in Italian football, but it’s certainly been an underwhelming spell for him with United.

The Dutchman scored 11 Serie A goals in his final season with Bologna, but has only five in 50 Premier League appearances across two seasons with Man Utd…

Joshua Zirkzee all comps Games Goals
Bologna 2023/24 37 12
Man Utd 2024/25 49 7
Man Utd 2025/26 20 2

Zirkzee doesn’t exactly look the most tempting option for clubs right now, but there’s always a chance that we’ll see the best of him again once he returns to an Italian club.

Other recent United flops and misfits such as Rasmus Hojlund and Scott McTominay have done well at Napoli, while Antony has also revived his career since leaving United, albeit in La Liga with Real Betis.

The post Sources: Clubs “made aware” of Man United star’s transfer decision as exit looms appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Serie A shirt sponsors: Which clubs make the most money as Inter & Milan lead the way

18 March 2026 at 01:30

Inter Milan and AC Milan sit jointly at the top of Serie A’s shirt sponsorship earnings table, but the gap between the division’s biggest clubs and the rest remains stark, and for one club, the commercial silence is deafening.

Both Milan clubs currently earn €30 million per season from their respective shirt partners, according to reports gathered by CalcioMercato.

Inter receive their fee from Bettson, whose logo appears as Bettson.sport on the jersey, a workaround required under Italian laws prohibiting direct betting sponsorship.

Milan’s deal with Emirates is worth the same figure this season, though a recently signed renewal will see that rise to €35 million from 2026/27 onwards.

ROME, ITALY - MARCH 15: Daniel Maldini of SS Lazio kicks the ball during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AC Milan at Stadio Olimpico on March 15, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi - SS Lazio/Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY – MARCH 15: Daniel Maldini of SS Lazio kicks the ball during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AC Milan at Stadio Olimpico on March 15, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

Serie A shirt sponsors: Juventus, Napoli & Roma rise as Lazio go sponsorless

Juventus, meanwhile, have seen a dramatic fall in commercial income in this area.

Having gone a full season without a shirt sponsor, Save the Children carried no financial value, the club have returned Jeep to their jersey, but through an internal Exor arrangement worth just €19 million this season, rising to €23 million next year.

It is a far cry from the €45 million the previous Jeep deal delivered at its peak. Napoli’s MSC Crociere deal is worth €9 million this season and is also set to increase in the coming campaign.

Roma have just unveiled a new shirt partner of their own, Eurobet.live, another betting-adjacent workaround, worth €8 million this season and €13 million from next.

Across the city, however, Lazio remain the only club in Serie A without a shirt sponsor, with Claudio Lotito yet to secure any commercial partnership for the jersey.

Some of the most eye-catching figures come from family-owned clubs with internal sponsorship arrangements. Fiorentina receive €25 million from Mediacom, a company connected to the late Rocco Commisso’s family, while Sassuolo’s Mapei deal is worth €18 million.

At the other end of the scale, the numbers are considerably more modest. Bologna receive €3 million from owner Joey Saputo’s business, Atalanta earn €5 million from Lete, and Cagliari pick up €3.6 million from the Sardinian regional government.

Torino (Suzuki, €2.35m), Parma (Prometeon, €1.5m), Udinese (Friuli Venezia Giulia region, €1.5m) and Genoa (Pulsee, €1.2m) follow, with Verona, Lecce and Como all on €1 million.

Pisa bring up the rear with €700,000 from Cetilar, who also sponsor the stadium.

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