Former Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner admits that ‘the wound is still there’ with Allegri after a falling out in 2017, and has explained what made Antonio Conte a more enjoyable coach to work under during his time in Turin.
Lichtsteiner, who was appointed head coach of Basel in January, spoke in an in-depth interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, published on Thursday.
Lichtsteiner on positives with Conte and negatives with Allegri at Juventus
Lichtsteiner spoke in-depth about the lessons he learned during his time working under Conte, but revealed that he is still ‘disappointed’ after being left off Juventus’s Champions League squad list by Allegri in 2017-18.
“So many memories come to mind,” Lichtsteiner said when recalling his relationship with Conte.
TURIN, ITALY – OCTOBER 02: Juventus FC manager Antonio Conte (C) celebrates the victory with Stephan Lichtsteiner (R) at the end of the Serie A match between Juventus FC and AC Milan on October 2, 2011 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
“I think of all the training sessions spent working on the same plays. Antonio was sure from day one that we’d win it. He’s someone who teaches you that winning is the only thing that matters. And I will take that with me forever. He does everything he can to make you win. “He taught me, more than anything else, to be mean on the pitch. I was a different person when I played. I knew that the referees couldn’t take to me much, or the coaches. I didn’t talk to anyone, I wasn’t an easy guy to manage.”
However, Lichtsteiner doesn’t have the same fondness when looking back on his time with Allegri.
He says that he is particularly disappointed by the fact that the aforementioned Champions League snub was a result of ‘personal issues’ rather than playing quality.
MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 21: Massimiliano Allegri, Head Coach of AC Milan, looks on prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Torino FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 21, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
“That was something that hurt and is a wound that is still there. Especially because it had to do with personal issues and nothing on the pitch. I remember that Allegri called me. There was disappointment. In hindsight, I’m happy that I was included in January.”
Riccardio Calafiori has admitted that he feels more comfortable playing in a back four rather than in a back three, but believes that his preferences and Gennaro Gattuso’s tactical selections were not the reason behind Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Calafiori on Arsenal goals and Italy ‘disappointment’
Calafiori lined up alongside Gianluca Mancini and Alessandro Bastoni in a three-man defence for Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina last Tuesday, and briefly spoke about the national team in an interview with Sky Sport Italia following Arsenal’s recent Champions League victory over Sporting CP.
The former Roma and Bologna defender admits that the disappointment of Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third tournament in a row will remain for ‘quite a while’ but says that he has to focus on his football at club level, with Arsenal still fighting for the Premier League and Champions League titles.
“I think the disappointment will remain for quite a while, but that’s how it is in football, I prefer to play as a starter because there’s nothing else to think about when you’re on the pitch. You try to give your best, there are big goals to play for,” Calafiori told Sky.
“I think the disappointment remains inside, but I hope to achieve something big with Arsenal at the end of the season.”
FLORENCE, ITALY – OCTOBER 08: Riccardo Calafiori of Italy in action during a Italy training session at Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano on October 08, 2024 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Alessandro Costacurta was on punditry duty in the Sky studios. He pointed out that all of the teams competing in the Champions League quarter-finals lined up in a back four, while in Italy and with the national team, a back three remains one of the more popular systems.
Calafiori told Costacurta that he does prefer playing in a back four, but that this was not the reason behind Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat.
“I’ve never thought about it, I don’t know what to say about it. I feel better in a four-man defence, both as a central defender and as a full-back. But if you think that’s the reason why the game (against Bosnia) went badly, I don’t think that’s the case.”
Costacurta clarified that his question was meant generally, and not specifically in relation to the Italy national team: “I didn’t want to put you in a difficlt spot,” he insisted.
Gian Piero Gasperini has spoken in-depth about how he wants to see Roma operate during the summer transfer window and has explained what makes players like Donyell Malen or Wesley Franca ‘ideal’ targets for the Giallorossi.
Gasperini’s press conference ahead of Roma-Pisa: Inter reflections, Champions League goal and ‘ideal’ transfer plan
The Roma head coach gave his thoughts on Roma’s recruitment, this season’s injury battles and his side’s recent 5-2 defeat against Inter during his pre-match press conference ahead of Friday’s Serie A match against Pisa.
Gasperini began his customary chat with the media with an injury update on some of his key first-team players. He is not expecting any surprise returnees for Pisa, but hopes that the situation might start to clear up in time for next weekend’s match against Atalanta.
“I think Mancini will recover as early as next week, I hope Kone and Wesley will too,” Gasperini confirmed.
“The injuries they have are less serious situations. Dybala is doing quite well, but he’s more unpredictable. It will take a week or two.
“Injuries have definitely hindered us from the end of December onwards, they’ve all been very long. The issue isn’t the number of injuries (it’s the length). If you miss one or two weeks, you can still make it back. When you miss months, though, that’s not part of the ‘normality’ in football. From Ferguson to Bailey and Dovbyk, then Dybala, Soule and Angelino.
“We brought in Malen, but then we lost Dovbyk, Ferguson, Soule and Dybala. Then we also had an emergency in defence. However, this is a team that has always reacted well to emergencies and we hope to continue to do so in these last seven games.”
Gasperini insisted that he is only focused on the short-term future rather than the medium or long-term following his side’s 5-2 hammering away against the league-leading Inter last time out.
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 05: Gianluca Mancini of AS Roma scores his team’s first goal against Yann Sommer of FC Internazionale Milano during the Serie A match between Inter and AS Roma at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
“We’re not thinking about the future right now, we have to think about the present. We can’t allow the second half in Milan to happen again, there was definitely a collapse in mood and that is the only thing that must never happen.”
Turning his attention to the task in hand against Pisa, Gasp added: “We will face a team that is almost relegated, but we know that Pisa is always a tough side that has put in some excellent performances. We have no margin for error, starting from tomorrow. We know that we can take a big step forwards tomorrow.”
Gasperini was asked if Lorenzo Pellegrini, out of contract at the end of the season, is expected to pen a new deal before the end of the campaign. Gasp admitted that the situation is up in the air, but insists that this is not a concern on either the player or coach’s side.
“This is a situation that has been the same since the beginning of the year, it’s not been addressed before and it has remained as it is. These are serious players, it’s impossible to predict now what could happen in a month. It depends on the will of the club and the players.
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 05: Hakan Calhanoglu of Inter scores his team’s second goal while under pressure from Lorenzo Pellegrini of AS Roma during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AS Roma at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
“The situation between loans and expiring contracts, who could potentially be on the market to help with the accounts, at the moment, are situations that are not a concern to anyone.
“After losing 5-2 in Milan, Pellegrini put it on his own shoulders by doing interviews. I don’t know what will happen, but I’m grateful to this group for how they’ve gone about this season.”
Gasperini was asked what players like Neil El Anyaoui, Daniele Ghilard and Robinio Vaz have to do to earn more consistent playing time.
“We see the players and I make the choices. Ghilardi has played a lot, Vaz has played more than he did in Marseille, if that’s not enough for you …” Gasperini responded.
“Everyone has played in this team, but some want you to play Vaz over Malen or Ghilardi over Ndicka. Of course there is a team that plays regularly, there are also players who come in and are growing. If that’s not enough, then I don’t know what to do.”
Gasperini was asked what he makes of the suggestions that this is not a Roma side that is ‘worthy’ of a fourth-place finish in Serie A.
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 05: Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of AS Roma, looks on prior to the Serie A match between Inter and AS Roma at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
“All the defections we’ve had from a certain point in the season have definitely weighed heavily. That doesn’t mean that we haven’t tried to do our best.
“Everyone is free to have their own discussions, evaluations and comparisons on the quality of individual players who have had to play. We are the ones that set the goal (of qualifying for the Champions League), if we don’t achieve it, we will have done our best to achieve it.”
Gasperini was asked if there are any players he considers to be ‘untouchable’ heading into the summer transfer window.
He said: “I think we always have to try and improve the team. Before you start thinking about depriving yourself of what you have, you first have to understand what to put in. That’s the focus. We’d all like to have Messi or Ronaldo.
“The goal is to improve the team from time to time. To me, it seems that if you look at Roma on Transfermarkt, we’ve brought in 30 players and only four or five play. I don’t blame anyone, but maybe there’s a need for different targets.
“I’ve seen great players and teams at Roma, the fans recognise quality players. I’m more inclined to that sort of idea (quality over quantity) rather than bringing in 30 players. Not everyone might share the same opinion.”
Following up, Gasperini was asked what sort of target he would like to see the club go after during the summer transfer window.
Donyell Malen holds up his Roma shirt after joining the Giallorossi on loan with a potential obligation to buy from Aston Villa (picture via www.asroma.com)
“This is a choice that the club has to make,” he replied. “Maybe you go for players with big contracts, which happened in the past and the owners might not want to do anymore. Another solution could be to focus on very young players, but I don’t know if a team like Roma can accept lowering the team’s ambitions to focus on youngsters.
“Another, the ideal solution, are targets like Malen, Wesley, at those costs and those salaries. It’s not easy, but maybe you need to work on those targets. If you find ten, brilliant. If you find two, work on those two.”
Thursday’s reports claim that Inter are now inclined to keep midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu on board and that they are prepared to fend off interest from Galatasaray during the upcoming transfer window, as was the case last summer as well.
Reports Inter want to keep hold of Calhanoglu until 2027 at least
Calhanoglu, 32, has just over a year remaining on his contract in San Siro, expiring in the summer of 2027. He has spent the last nine seasons playing in the city of Milan, the last five for the Nerazzurri.
The 104-time Turkiye international has, on several occasions, been linked with a move to Galatasaray, who reportedly saw bids for Calhanoglu rejected in the most recent summer and winter transfer windows.
With just over a year to go on his contract, and with Inter expected to overhaul their playing squad and potentially their tactical set-up as well this summer, there have been recent suggestions that Inter could finally allow Calahanoglu to leave for Galatasaray under the right financial circumstances this summer.
Moreover, Inter also feel that Calhanoglu is a reliable midfield general, and one who can help maintain standards and some continuity if the team is to undergo a major overhaul this summer.
La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Cristian Chivu is keen for Calhanoglu to stay on with Inter, knowing that few players offer the same skillset as the Turkiye international. And those who do – Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez has been used as an example – would almost certainly be out of Inter’s price range.
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 05: Hakan Calhanoglu of Inter scores his team’s second goal while under pressure from Lorenzo Pellegrini of AS Roma during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AS Roma at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Whether Calhanoglu signs a new contract with Inter, or decides to leave upon the expiry of his current deal in 2027 remains to be seen, but the current indications suggest that Inter do not want to lose him during the coming summer transfer window.
Thursday’s reports suggest that Crystal Palace will hand a starting opportunity to striker Jean-Phillipe Mateta in this evening’s Conference League quarter-final first leg against Fiorentina, just over three months after the Frenchman’s January transfer to Milan fell through.
Multiple outlets, including Sky Sport Italia and La Gazzetta dello Sport, claim that Mateta will lead the line for Palace when they host Fiorentina in the Conference League quarter-final first leg at Selhurst Park on Thursday night.
Mateta has not started for Palace in any competition since their 3-1 defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League on January 25.
Mateta had been on the verge of joining Milan in the final days of the January transfer window. The clubs had shaken hands over a transfer fee in excess of €30m and Palace decided to bring in a replacement in the form of Jorgen Strand Larsen.
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace runs for the ball during the UEFA Conference League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Crystal Palace FC and AZ Alkmaar at Selhurst Park on November 06, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
There had been concerns in the UK that Mateta would need surgery to fix the damage in his knee. Glasner later revealed that there was an option for Mateta to go through a rehabilitation process, which might be better for his chances of featuring for France at the 2026 World Cup.
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – NOVEMBER 16: 19 Jean-Philippe Mateta of France during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Azerbaijan and France at Tofig Bahramov Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Aziz Karimov/Getty Images)
“There are two ways we can do it: Either manage it, like we did. We can manage the knee until after the World Cup, because this is especially what JP is considering, his dream, playing for France at the World Cup. Or, the other one is that he undergoes the surgery,” Glasner explained in February.
In the end, Mateta decided against having surgery, which has facilitated a return to action three months on from his failed Milan transfer. Tonight’s Conference League clash against Fiorentina is expected to be his first start since then.
Germany international Leon Goretzka continues to be linked with moves to both Milan and Juventus ahead of the summer transfer window, but Thursday’s reports suggest that the Rossoneri have a plan in place to try and fend off their competition.
Where Milan and Juventus stand in Goretzka pursuit
Goretzka is expected to leave Bayern Munich on a free transfer once his contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, which has alerted some of Serie A’s biggest clubs. Aside from Milan and Juventus, there have also been suggestions that Napoli, Inter and some clubs in the Premier League might be interested as well.
Thursday’s reports from both La Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttosport indicate that the 31-year-old Goretzka is seeking a three-year contract once his current deal with Bayern comes to an end.
La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that Milan have no problem with the length of contract, especially given that Adrien Rabiot also penned a three-year deal at the age of 30 last summer.
The Pink Paper suggests that Milan are the only club currently prepared to put a three-year contract offer on the table for Goretzka, and that their competitors will be more inclined to offer a two-year deal.
MUNICH, GERMANY – MARCH 18: Leon Goretzka of FC Bayern Munich acknowledges the fans following the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Bayern München and Atalanta BC at Football Arena Munich on March 18, 2026 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Despite being billed as a ‘free transfer’, Goretzka is still not expected to come particularly cheaply.
Tuttosport reports that Goretzka will seek a salary of €7m per season with a signing-on bonus of €10m. That would end up costing Milan €31m over a three-year period. La Gazzetta dello Sport, meanwhile, claims that the Rossoneri will go in with an offer of €5m per season.
Multiple outlets in Italy are reporting that Luciano Spalletti’s contract extension at Juventus is now a done deal and that the Old Lady will announce their head coach’s renewal before the end of the working week.
According to the likes of La Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttosport, Spalletti will put pen to paper on a new two-year contract that will run until the summer of 2028. The former CT had initially joined the Bianconeri on a short-term deal until the end of the 2025-26 campaign back in October.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Juventus will announce Spalletti’s contract extension ‘within the next 24 hours’, while Tuttosport agree that the announcement will be delivered on Friday.
Spalletti is set to receive a salary in the region of €5m-€6m per season. Some outlets suggest that it will be a base salary of €5m, while others cite a figure of €6m including bonuses. Reports suggest that Spalletti will be paid around €3m for the work he will have done from October until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Tuttosport claims that Juventus took the decision to offer Spalletti a new deal following the club’s 3-0 victory away against Sassuolo on January 6, and that John Elkann spoke to the head coach on the evening after that game in Emilia Romagna. The Sassuolo match was Juve’s fifth victory in a seven-game unbeaten run.
Up next on the agenda for Juventus are potential contract extensions for midfielders Weston McKennie and Manuel Locatelli. On the pitch, the goal remains to finish the season with a Champions League spot for 2026-27, and only after they discover their final league finish will Juventus be able to push forwards with plans on the transfer market.
Antonio Conte continues to be linked with a return to the Italy national team set-up, and reports on Thursday indicate that there will be a meeting between the Napoli head coach and the club’s President, Aurelio De Laurentiis, once the 2025-26 season comes to an end.
Conte and De Laurentiis set for Napoli and Italy talks at end of 2025-26 sesaon
Antonio Conte Aurelio De Laurentiis Napoli
Conte’s name is at the top of the shortlist of candidates to replace Gennaro Gattuso as head coach of the Italy national team. Gattuso left his position by mutual consent last week following Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which cost the national team a spot at the final tournament for the third time in a row.
It would be a return to the national team for Conte, who already held the role of CT from 2014 to 2016.
Conte has just over a year remaining on his current contract, and De Laurentiis has recently admitted that he would not stand in the coach’s way should he decide to leave the club in order to take on the Italy job. “If Antonio asked me, I think I’d say yes,” said ADL.
According to Thursday’s reports from the Corriere dello Sport, Conte and De Laurentiis will sit down for decisive talks over the coach’s future as soon as the 2025-26 season comes to an end.
The location for the meeting has been set: On the island of Ischia, and will take place within a few days of the final round of Serie A fixtures, which will take place on May 24.
Fiorentina will have to go without Italy international Moise Kean when they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final on Thursday evening.
Crystal Palace are the outright favourites to go on and win the Conference League, but must first get past two-time finalists, Fiorentina, who finished just one point behind the South London outfit at the end of the league phase. The Viola beat Rakow Czestochowa by a 4-2 aggregate scoreline in the round of 16 in order to qualify for tonight’s quarter-final. The hosts overcame AEK Larnaca over two legs after being held to a 0-0 draw at home in the opening game of that tie.
Fiorentina are without Kean, who has not travelled, nor has Manor Solomon or Fabiano Parisi. The Italy international is not expected to be out long-term, and should be in contention to play against Lazio in Serie A over the weekend. Roberto Piccoli is likely to start in his place in South London.
Rolando Mandragora is available for selection after a brief spell on the sidelines through injury, but is likely to start amongst the substitutes on this occasion.
Pre-match reports suggest that Palace could finally re-introduce Jean-Phillipe Mateta to their starting line-up after a spell on the sidelines nursing a knee injury. That same injury saw his January transfer move to Milan fall through at the end of the window, and has kept him out of action ever since.
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 07: Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace reacts during the Premier League match between Fulham and Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage on December 07, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
There could also be an appearance in the Palace starting line-up from former Lazio midfielder Daichi Kamada.
Kick-off this evening is due at 20.00 BST.
Crystal Palace vs. Fiorentina: Probable line-ups
FLORENCE, ITALY – MARCH 12: Cher Ndour of ACF Fiorentina celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Conference League 2025/26 round of 16 first leg match between ACF Fiorentina and Rakow Czestochowa at Stadio Artemio Franchi on March 12, 2026 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Tonight’s game will be available to watch live in the UK on TNT Sports 3 and online through Discovery+. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via Paramount+.
Join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game coverage and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog.
Bologna will need to put their troubling home record behind them and dig into their encouraging Europa League form when they host Europa League favourites Aston Villa in the first leg of the tournament’s quarter-final on Thursday evening.
The Rossoblu, currently eighth place in Serie A, beat domestic rivals Roma 5-4 over two legs of the Europa League round of 16 in order to qualify for tonight’s quarter-final. Aston Villa, who finished the Europa League league phase in second place and are currently fourth in the Premier League, beat Lille twice over with a 3-0 aggregate scoreline during the previous round.
Should Bologna overcome their Premier League opponents over two legs, they will qualify for the Europa League semi-final for just the second time in the club’s history, and for the first time since 1998-99 (UEFA Cup).
Vincenzo Italiano is expected to name his strongest available line-up, led by Santiago Castro at centre-forward with support from Federico Bernardeschi and either Jonathan Rowe or Nicolo Cambiaghi.
ROME, ITALY – MARCH 19: Santiago Castro of Bologna celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between AS Roma and Bologna FC 1909 at Stadio Olimpico on March 19, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Lewis Ferguson, Remo Freuler and either Tommaso Pobega or Nikola Moro are the likely midfielders, with an expected back four of Joao Mario, Jhon Lucumi, Torbjorn Heggem and Juan Miranda.
Bologna are expected to be without Lukasz Skorupski, Benja Dominguez, Thijs Dallinga and Jens Odgaard.
Boubacar Kamara is Aston Villa’s only injury absentee. Former Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz is expected to be among Unai Emery’s selections, along with the likes of John McGinn, Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins.
Kick-off is due at 20.00 BST.
Bologna vs. Aston Villa: Probable line-ups
CREMONA, ITALY – APRIL 05: Vincenzo Italiano, Head Coach of Bologna, looks on prior to the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Bologna FC 1909 at Stadio Giovanni Zini on April 05, 2026 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images)
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, P.Torres, Digne; Onana, D.Luiz; McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers; Watkins
Where to watch Bologna vs. Aston Villa
Tonight’s game will be available to watch live in the UK on TNT Sports 2 and through Discovery+. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via Paramount+.
Join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game coverage and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog.
Three big things already happening on the transfer market
The new Juve is born, the coach signs a two-year deal. And the Liverpool goalkeeper gives his first yes
Goretzka to Milan: Offer of 5 million for three years
But what sale? Now Chivu is convinced. Calha needs to stay
Cholo conquers Barcelona, Kvara show in Liverpool
Champions League quarter-finals: 0-2 for Atletico, 2-0 to PSG
Bologna and Fiorentina: No fear against the English
Against Aston Villla in the Europa League and Palace in the Conference League at 20.00
Corriere dello Sport
Juve handicap
Champions League at all costs | Six games until the end and -1 off Como in fourth: Spalletti is missing a no.9
Final sprint without Vlahovic, David and Milik mysteries
Dusan’s stop will be longer than two weeks: He will miss Atalanta, Bologna and Milan. Openda fails to impress: 4 benches in a row. Lucio thinks about the Boga solution
‘Football is a plastered-over system’
Gravina’s testimony
Calha, the puzzle on the future
Knots to be untied with Inter and Hakan
ADL-Conte, meeting at the end of May
Napolim meeting on Ischia
Kvara ace, Cholo conquers Barcelona
Champions League quarter-finals: PSG and Atletico flying
Bologna and Viola, mission semi-finals
Europa and Conference League at 20.00
Tuttosport
Spalletti has signed
Juve’s announcement expected tomorrow
Renewal until 2028 for six million per year: Finally, the white and black smoke arrives, a sign that the strategies for the relaunch have been shared and agreed. Transfer market: The free agents Goretzka and Senesi, battling with Atletico Madrid for Ederson.
The real capital gain will be selling Toro
Big gains for Cairo
By selling off lots of players bought for so little, the President has earned far more than he spent over 20 years, and with a change of ownership …
Barca see red. Cholo, what an impression
The sending off (after VAR) of Cubarsi launches Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou: 2-0 with Alvarez and Sorloth. Doue and Kvara decide the other Champions League quarter-final
Fiorentina are putting in their final preparations ahead of a trip to London to face Crystal Palace in the Conference League on Thursday night, but Paolo Vanoli will have to travel to Selhurst Park without the services of Italy international Moise Kean.
According to the latest updates, Fiorentina will be without three first-team stars due to ongoing injury or fitness concerns. Kean is the headline absentee, song with Fabiano Parisi and Manor Solomon, who will also miss the Crystal Palace clash according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Kean did not train with the rest of the Fiorentina group on Wednesday, and instead carried out an individual session. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that he is struggling with pain in his tibia, and that he is pushing to be available to face Lazio in Serie A this weekend instead.
ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: Moise Kean of Italy celebrates after scoring his team’s opening goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)
Kean is Fiorentina’s leading goalscorer in both Serie A and across all competitions this season, with eight goals from 26 league outings and 9 goals from 33 appearances including cup competitions.
Kean recently matched an Italy national team record with his goal in last Thursday’s World Cup play-off defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina by scoring in six consecutive matches for the Nazionale. He also has eight goals from his last six outings with the Italy national team.
Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach Sergej Barbarez says that Italy didn’t ‘underestimate us’ ahead of their World Cup play-off final defeat last week, and has expressed his ‘respect’ for former CT Gennaro Gattuso: ‘I thank him’.
Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach Barbarez on Gattuso, Italy and Alajbegovic
Barbarez and his Bosnia and Herzegovina squad eliminated Italy on penalties in their World Cup play-off final in Zenica on Thursday evening, which cost the Azzurri a place at the World Cup for the third tournament in a row.
This is only the second time that Bosnia have managed to qualify for the World Cup following the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Their last appearance at the World Cup came in 2014, the same as Italy.
“I’m very proud of my team and what they achieved against Italy. Matches like this will always be special,” said Barbarez in an interview with Tuttomercatoweb.
ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: Haris Tabakovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrates with his teammates after scoring his team’s equalizing goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)
Barbarez insists that Italy did not ‘underestimate’ Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of the play-off final: “I wouldn’t say they underestimated us. It rarely happens at this level. Italy is an experienced and serious team. We knew we had to be disciplined, focused and courageous, and I think our players showed that on the pitch.”
Barbarez also spoke about Gattuso, who left his position as head coach of the Italy national team a few days after the play-off final defeat in Zenica.
Gattuso had praised Barbarez’s ability as both a player and coach during his final pre-match press conference in charge of the Nazionale.
“I appreciate the respect from colleagues of Gattuso’s calibre and I thank him,” said Barbarez, “even though I must admit that our attention was completely focused on preparing the team before the match, so that we could arrive in the best possible way for this meeting.”
MILAN – NOVEMBER 16: Gennaro Gattuso looks on prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Norway at San Siro Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Milan. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Barbarez also gave his blessing to Bosnia talent Kerim Alajbegovic, who has been linked with several Serie A sides including Milan and Roma ahead of the summer transfer window.
“Alajbegovic is a young talent with great potential. However, I think the most important thing for him at this stage of his career is to continue to grow in the right environment, to play regularly and grow step by step.”
Vincenzo Italiano believes that Bologna have a ‘50/50’ chance of beating Aston Villa over two legs of their Europa League quarter-final despite the fact that the Premier League side are ‘superior on paper’.
The Rossoblu will host the Villains at the Dall’Ara on Thursday evening for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie. The reverse fixture will be played at Villa Park on April 16.
Bologna claimed a surprise 5-4 aggregate victory over Serie A opponents Roma in the round of 16 in order to qualify for this stage of the competition. Aston Villa, meanwhile, claimed two round of 16 victories over Lille and qualified with a 3-0 aggregate scoreline.
Villa are the odds-on favourites to go on and win the Europa League title this season, but Bologna head coach Italiano believes that ‘anything can happen’ over two legs, and that his side have a ‘50/50’ chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.
Italiano previews Bologna vs. Aston Villa: ‘It’s 50/50’
“It’s 50/50. You all know how complicated this match is, but we have to prove our value, our strength and our qualities,” Italiano said during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “We know the opponents because we’ve already faced them twice, but each match tells a different story.
“We will have to manage the game over 180 minutes. Tomorrow is important because the first game gives you the opportunity to set up for the second leg in a certain way. We have every chance to do it. We have to take our chances because it is a big pride to be in the final eight.”
Bologna have the home ‘advantage’ for Thursday’s quarter-final first leg, but oddly that is something that may worry Bologna, who have lost six of the seven Serie A matches that they have played at the Dall’Ara in 2026.
“Tomorrow there will be the obstacle of the stadium and I hope that (the supporters) will give us a big hand to conquer it,” Italiano admitted. “We’re coming in with a lot of enthusiasm having won in Cremona, which has allowed us to prepare well for this match,” he continued.
CREMONA, ITALY – APRIL 05: Joao Mario of Bologna celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Bologna FC 1909 at Stadio Giovanni Zini on April 05, 2026 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images)
“We had both the result and the performance in Cremona. I hope to confirm it in a tough and difficult game tomorrow.
“I hope that the supporters will always continue to be with us, as I asked at the beginning of the season. I’ll give the example of Orsolini, who missed a penalty but was applauded. All that has to be protected. On paper, Aston Villa are superior to us, but with everyone’s help, we can overturn the predictions.”
Bologna and Aston Villa have already met twice over the last two seasons, once in the league phase of the Europa League earlier this season and once in the Champions League in 2024-25. Villa won those matches 1-0 and 2-0 respectively, both played at Villa Park.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 25: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa takes a penalty which was saved by Lukasz Skorupski of Bologna FC 1909 (not pictured) during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Aston Villa FC and Bologna FC 1909 at Villa Park on September 25, 2025 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
“The two previous matches were in the ‘qualifying’ rounds, one-off games and at their home. This time we will play for 180 minutes and anything can happen,” said Italiano. “We know their strengths and weaknesses. We’ve always faced them at the beginning of the season, unlike now when we’re nearly at the end.
“They have individual quality and a lot of value. We need an extraordinary performance, but there will definitely be a difference compared to the last two games.”
Inter have the small matter of the Serie A title to wrap up before the end of the 2025-26 season, but reports in Italy indicate that plans have already been made ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, beginning with the contract extension of head coach Cristian Chivu. Here’s what could happen next for the Nerazzurri.
What do Inter have planned for the summer transfer window?
Inter are seven points clear at the top of the Serie A table heading into the final seven matches of the season left to go.
Assuming that the Nerazzurri go on to lift the trophy at the end of the season, Chivu will have won the league title in his first full season as a head coach of a senior side.
The Romanian, who replaced Simone Inzaghi on a two-year contract last summer, is likely to be rewarded with a new contract extension, potentially until the summer of 2028 according to the latest reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Talks have not yet begun and are unlikely to take place before the end of the campaign, but the Pink Paper suggests that there will be no issues when it comes to negotiating a renewal.
Once Chivu’s contract is wrapped up, Inter will move forwards with what is expected to eb a summer transfer ‘revolution’.
Chivu had already tried to bring in star-quality signings in Manu Kone and Ademola Lookman last summer in an attempt to reshuffle the Nerazzurri playing staff, but it is understood that he will be given more backing this time around after a convincing start to life in the Inter hot seat.
La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that Inter could look to move away from the 3-5-2 system that they have deployed so regularly over the last three seasons, and that they could be inclined to move to more of a 4-3-2-1.
Kone remains a target heading into this summer window and could be a useful figure in that set-up. There have also been suggestions that Inter could make another attempt for Moussa Diaby, a natural winger, who would benefit in a 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-3 formation.
ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 29: Manu Kone of AS Roma celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Genoa CFC at Stadio Olimpico on December 29, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Inter are also expected to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, with Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario the current frontrunner.
As for the defence, La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Atalanta’s Marco Palestra is a strong favourite at right-back and that Oumar Solet and Mario Gila are strong options at centre-back.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Oaktree will not provide much more than €40m for Inter to spend this summer, but this does not factor in the fact that Yann Sommer, Francesco Acerbi, Stefan De Vrij, Matteo Darmian and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are likely to leave at the end of their contracts, which clears considerable room off the club’s wage bill.
MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 08: Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Inter competes for the ball with Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan during the Serie A match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
There have also been suggestions that Inter could look to sell one of their current first-team stars, such as Alessandro Bastoni, which would also improve the budget situation this summer.
Denzel Dumfries, who has a release clause in his contract, as well as the likes of Davide Frattesi or Luis Henrique could also potentially be moved on this summer according to Wednesday’s report.
Reports in Italy suggest that Juventus could be just a few days away from announcing the contract extension of head coach Luciano Spalletti, which could potentially be announced before Saturday’s Serie A match against Atalanta.
La Gazzetta dello Sport writes that ‘the countdown is on’ for Juventus to announce Spalletti’s new contract. The Pink Paper reports that an agreement has been reached and that putting the signatures on the necessary documents is all that remains to be done before an announcement can go ahead.
Spalletti is expected to put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension, running until the summer of 2028 with wages in the region of €5m-€6m per season including bonuses.
TURIN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 08: Juventus FC head coach Luciano Spalletti looks on during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and SS Lazio at Allianz Stadium on February 8, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Wednesday’s report indicates that the announcement regarding Spalletti’s contract extension could arrive within the next few days, likely before the Serie A match away against Atalanta at 19.45 BST on Saturday evening.
Spalletti originally joined Juventus at the end of October, penning an initial short-term deal until the end of the 2025-26 season with an option to extend for a further 12 months in the event of qualification for the Champions League. Juve, however, wish to settle any doubts and tie their head coach down before the off-season.
Antonio Conte remains one of the frontrunners for the Italy national team head coach job following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso last week, and reports in Italy suggest that Napoli could potentially turn to Thiago Motta in the event that they have to find a replacement at the end of the season.
Conte is among the standout favourites to take over in the role of Italy national team head coach, a position he already held for two years between 2014 and 2016. Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri has been mentioned as a potential option, as has Roberto Mancini and even Pep Guardiola by some outlets.
Conte himself admitted that “If I were the FIGC President, I would take myself into consideration along with the others. After all, I have already worked with the Nazionale and I know the environment. I am flattered, because representing your country is something wonderful.”
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)
“If Antonio asked me, I think I’d say yes,” ADL recently confessed.
Conte will have one year remaining on his Napoli contract at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Who could replace Conte at Napoli if he leaves to return to Italy role?
According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Thiago Motta would be at the top of Napoli’s shortlist of replacement head coaches in the event that Conte leaves at the end of the current campaign.
epa11889266 Juventus coach Thiago Motta looks on during the UEFA Champions League play-offs first leg soccer match between Juventus FC and PSV Eindhoven, in Turin, Italy, 11 February 2025. EPA-EFE/ALESSANDRO DI MARCO
Motta, who has been out of work since leaving Juventus last season, was also among the rumoured candidates to replace Luciano Spalletti when he left Napoli to take on the role of Italy CT in 2023.
La Gazzetta dello Sport also suggests that Sassuolo’s Fabio Grosso and Bologna’s Vincenzo Italiano are likely to be on Napoli’s shortlist in the event that Conte leaves.
Lucescu, whose managerial career spanned six different decades, has died at the age of 80 after being hospitalised with a heart arrhythmia on March 29. He suffered a cardiac arrest on April 3 and his death was announced in a press release by the Bucharest University Hospital on Tuesday.
Lucescu was still the head coach of Romania less than a week before his passing, handing in his resignation on April 2 a few days after he was hospitalised.
Lucescu began his managerial career as a player-coach of Cornivul Hunedoara in 1979, before going on to serve as Romania head coach between 1981 and 1986. He then spent five years in charge of Dinamo Bucuresti before moving to Italy.
Lucescu had a year in charge of Pisa between 1990 and 1991 and then spent five years with Brescia in two separate spells between 1991 and 1996. He would later go on to coach Reggiana and Inter, the latter in 1998-99.
He then went on to have spells with Rapid Bucuresti, Galatasaray, Besiktas, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit Saint Petersburg, the Turkiye national team, Dynamo Kyiv and the Romania national team once more.
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 25: Mircea Lucescu manager of Shakhtar Donetsk looks on prior to the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg match between FC Schalke 04 and Shakhtar Donetsk at Veltins-Arena on February 25, 2016 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Lucescu is one of only nine head coaches to have taken part in 100 or more Champions League matches (115). He is among a prestigious list of managers that also includes Jurgen Klopp (100), Massimiliano Allegri (100), Diego Simeone (124), Jose Mourinho (154), Arsene Wenger (178), Pep Guardiola (189), Sir Alex Ferguson (190) and Carlo Ancelotti (218).
Inter and Pisa pay tribute to Lucescu
“FC Internazionale Milano and the entire Inter family mourn the passing of Mircea Lucescu and extend heartfelt condolences to his loved ones,” Inter wrote in a statement on Tuesday evening.
VILLARREAL, SPAIN – MARCH 18: Mircea Lucescu, Head Coach of Dynamo Kyiv looks on during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Second Leg match between Villarreal and Dynamo Kyiv at Estadio de la Ceramica on March 18, 2021 in Villarreal, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Europe remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Pisa also released a statement that read: “Pisa SC expresses its deepest condolences following the death of Mircea Lucescu.
“The Romanian coach, in his long and glorious career, led Pisa in the 1990-91 Serie A championship. A short, but intense journey, remembered above all for an incredible start to the season that had the Nerazzurri at the top of the standings.
“President Giuseppe Corrado, on behalf of the whole club, sends his condolences to the Lucescu family in this moment of great sorrow. Goodbye Mircea.”
FC Internazionale Milano e tutto il mondo Inter si uniscono al cordoglio per la scomparsa di Mircea Lucescu e, nel ricordarlo, abbracciano i suoi familiari.
Reports in Italy continue to link Juventus with a summer transfer for Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, and the latest updates indicate how much it will cost if the Bianconeri are to pull the deal off.
Juventus learn Liverpool and Alisson Becker demands
Juventus could be set for another summer transfer revolution, with all four departments of the pitch in need of re-assessment. In goal, Michele Di Gregorio is expected to be allowed to leave if an offer comes in, and 33-year-old Mattia Perin will be entering the final year of his deal this summer.
There have been reports that Juve could look to secure a deal with Liverpool for Alisson, who knows Bianconeri head coach Luciano Spalletti well from their time together at Roma. Inter, also on the lookout for a new goalkeeper this summer, have also been said to be interested.
LEEDS, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 06: Alisson Becker of Liverpool warms up prior to the Premier League match between Leeds United and Liverpool at Elland Road on December 06, 2025 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Alisson remains under contract with Liverpool until the summer of 2027, which means that he will be into the final year of his deal during the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to reports from Calciomercato.com, Liverpool will seek a fee in the region of €15m-€20m if they are to part ways with the 33-year-old this summer.
Alisson is expected to command a significant wage packet as well. Tuesday’s update indicates that Juventus will need to offer him a salary in the region of €7m-€8m pe
Riccardo Calafiori starts for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s side take on Sporting CP in Lisbon in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday evening.
Calafiori starts for Arsenal in Champions League quarter-final
Calafiori starts at left-back as usual in what is Arsenal’s strongest available back four, along with Benjamin White, William Slaiba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Calafiori is the only Italian player involved in tonight’s two Champions League quarter-final matches. This will be the Italy international’s fifth Champions League appearance this term.
Tonight’s is the first leg of Arsenal’s quarter-final tie against Sporting. The Gunners beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 on aggregate over two legs of their round of 16 match-up in order to qualify for tonight’s quarter-final, although Calafiori was an unused substitute in both of those matches.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium on September 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The winner of the Sporting CP-Arsenal quarter-final will go on to face either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.
Arsenal boast the best defensive record in the Champions League this season with just five goals conceded across the 10 matches they have taken part in this term. The North Londoners, among the favourites for the trophy, also finished the league phase in first place with a perfect record of eight wins from eight matches.
Former Milan striker Alexandre Pato has revealed that Carlo Ancelotti decided to name his dog after him and has explained what makes the current Brazil head coach such a ‘gentleman’.
Pato spoke in-depth about his time with Milan, working under Ancelotti and his life post-retirement in a feature interview with CBS Sports Golazo.
Pato on Milan memories and special Ancelotti relationship: ‘He’s the best coach ever’
Pato joined Milan as a teenager in 2007, went on to win the Golden Boy award in 2009 and won the Serie A title in 2010-11 while finishing as the club’s joint-top scorer that season.
Joining such a prestigious club at such a young age wasn’t always an easy transition, though, as Pato explained: “When I came to Milan, I went inside the locker room just by myself. I saw the photos and the names around the locker room. I said ‘wow’.
“In front of me I have Kaka, Seedorf, Pirlo is there, Gattuso is here, Maldini. Ronaldo, too. I say ‘wow’. I need to play it cool. It was amazing.”
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 06: (L to R) Kaka, Alexandre Pato, head coach Carlo Ancelotti, Andrea Pirlo, Marek Jankulowski and David Beckham of AC Milan watch the penalty shootout form the bench after the Dubai Football Challenge match between AC Milan and Hamburger SV at The Emirates Sevens Stadium on January 6, 2009 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Pato says that Ancelotti was the one who helped him settle the most in Milan, though. He says that they still enjoy a close relationship and that Ancelotti has even named his dog ‘Pato’.
“He gave me confidence. The name of his dog is Pato, we were that close,” the former Rossoneri striker revealed.
“I feel like Ancelotti is more than just a coach, he’s a friend, he’s a father. When I was at Milan, I was 17 years old. So when I arrived there, he came to the gate of Milanello, he took my hand and said ‘okay, go inside, I want to introduce you to the other players’.
“So he called every single player and said ‘guys, this is Pato’, they said ‘hi Pato, good luck and we are here for you’. That’s why I think Ancelotti is more than a coach, he’s a gentleman.”
Pato has no doubt as to where Ancelotti ranks among the game’s all-time great head coaches: “I think for me, he’s the best coach ever.”
Reports in South America indicate that Carlo Ancelotti will soon extend his contract with the Brazil national team, which will rule out any possibility of him replacing Gennaro Gattuso as head coach of his native Italy.
Ancelotti set to extend Brazil contract until 2030
Ancelotti has been the head coach of Brazil for just shy of a year, having joined the Selecao in May 2025 after the end of his second stint with Real Madrid. He penned an initial contract that would see him through until the end of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to the latest updates from ESPN in Brazil, however, Ancelotti has a verbal agreement in place to extend his contract by a further four years until the summer of 2030.
ESPN suggests that Ancelotti could put pen to paper on an official contract extension within the next few days. Tuesday’s report claims that the Brazilian federation finalised the details of a new contract earlier this week, and now, the coach’s signature and final legal checks are all that is missing.
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 26: Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti waves before the international friendly match between Brazil and France at Gillette Stadium on March 26, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The details have been agreed, and the Brazilian FA believe that the final once-over from Ancelotti’s lawyers is more of a formality than anything.
Ancelotti is set to maintain his current salary, which means that he will still be the highest-paid coach in the history of the Brazil national team. He reportedly earns around €10m per season, not including bonuses.
This rules him out of the running to take over as head coach of the Italy national team following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso over the weekend. The latest reports indicate that Napoli’s Antonio Conte and Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri are the current frontrunners.
The decisions from the sports judge are in following the completion of the 31st round of 2025-26 Serie A fixtures, and Juventus’s Weston McKennie, Fiorentina’s Albert Gudmundsson and Cremonese’s Youssef Maleh are among the players who have picked up suspensions.
Week 31 of the 2025-26 Serie A season kicked off on Saturday with Sassuolo’s 2-1 victory over Cagliari and came to a close with Napoli’s 1-0 victory over Milan on Easter Monday.
Four red cards were shown during the weekend’s round of fixtures. Cremonese’s Maleh has earned the most severe punishment: A two-game ban and a €5,000 fine for striking an opponent with his arm in an off-ball incident towards the end of his side’s 2-1 loss against Bologna.
Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson was also sent off just a few moments after Maleh during second-half stoppage time and will have to serve a one-match suspension as a result.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 26: Lewis Ferguson of Bologna looks on during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Bologna FC 1909 and SK Brann at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on February 26, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Fiorentina’s Gudmundsson was also sent off during his side’s 1-0 win away against Hellas Verona, as was Verona’s Tomas Suslov. Both players will have to serve one-match suspensions.
Three other players have picked up one-match suspensions after earning their fifth yellow cards of the season. They include Juventus’s McKennie, who will now be ruled out of Saturday’s match away against Atalanta, Fiorentina’s Nicolo Fagioli, who will miss a visit from Lazio, and Parma’s Mateo Pellegrino, who will miss out on his side’s home match against Napoli.
PARMA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 01: Weston McKennie of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and Juventus FC at Stadio Ennio Tardini on February 01, 2026 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
The Lega Serie A also confirmed that Milan will be fined €25,000 and Napoli €3,000 for unnecessarily delaying kick-off in both halves of their match. Udinese have also been fined €3,000 for the same reason.
Lecce have been fined €10,000, Inter €5,000 and Cremonese €1,500 for various crowd-related incidents.
Rumours linking Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni with a potential summer transfer to Barcelona continue to circulate, but reports in Italy and Spain suggest that the two clubs have a major difference in their valuation of the Italy international.
Where Inter and Barcelona stand in Bastoni negotiations
It has been a challenging few months on an individual level for Bastoni, who became a divisive figure in Italy after his antics in the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus in February, and was then sent off in Italy’s World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, there have been widespread reports linking the 26-year-old centre-back with a move away from San Siro this summer.
Recent reports claim that Barcelona have offered an initial fee in the region of €45m for Bastoni, which SportMediaset claims was swiftly turned away.
Updates from Calciomercato.com, however, claim that Inter will hold out for a fixed fee of €60m, potentially rising to €70m with bonuses and add-ons included. There have also been suggestions that Barcelona might find it difficult to satisfy Inter’s demands given their previous struggles to register players under Financial Fair Play rules.
LECCE, ITALY – FEBRUARY 21: Alessandro Bastoni of FC Internazionale during the Serie A match between US Lecce and FC Internazionale at Stadio Via del Mare on February 21, 2026 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)
In order to get around the €60m-€70m transfer fee that has been rumoured, there have also been suggestions that Barcelona could look to include one of their own players in an exchange deal with Inter.
Calciomercato suggests that Gerard Martin, Ferran Torres or potentially even Dani Olmo could be on the table.
Inter, meanwhile, are said to be interested in a move for Sassuolo’s Tarik Muharemovic in the event that Bastoni leaves this summer.
Reports in Italy claim that Juventus have made an enquiry regarding the services of former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez, who was linked with moves to several Serie A sides before joining Simone Inzaghi’s Al-Hilal last summer.
According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus have requested information regarding Nunez’s situation from Al-Hilal, for whom he has scored six goals and provided four assists from 16 Saudi Pro League appearances this term.
Nunez joined Liverpool in a deal worth €75m plus up to €25m in add-ons in the summer of 2022, but was sent to Al-Hilal last summer in a transfer worth €53m, potentially rising to €65m.
By the end of the 2025-26 campaign, Nunez will have two years remaining on his Al-Hilal contract, which runs until the summer of 2028.
Nunez had been linked with several Serie A sides before joining Al-Hilal last summer, particularly with Napoli and later Milan as well.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – JANUARY 22: Darwin Nunez of team Al-Hilal FC during the Saudi Pro League game between Al Hilal and Al Fayha at Kingdom Arena on January 22, 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)
Juventus’s striking department could be set for a major overhaul during the summer transfer window. It remains to be seen what will happen with Dusan Vlahovic, whose contract is up at the end of the season, but could still potentially sign a new deal.
Jonathan David and Lois Openda, meanwhile, will likely be allowed to leave the club if appropriate offers come in, following disappointing starts to their careers in Serie A.
Edoardo Bove has revealed that Jose Mourinho went out of his way to get in contact with his parents following his scary cardiac arrest back in 2024, and has again spoken of the reality of going from ‘feeling like a superhero’ to being told he wouldn’t play football again.
Bove has made a miraculous return to full health after suffering a scary cardiac arrest on the pitch during the first half of a Serie A match between Inter and Fiorentina on December 1, 2024.
The former Roma youngster, who was on loan with Fiorentina at the time, collapsed on the pitch, was rushed to hospital, admitted to intensive care and later had a removable internal defibrillator device fitted.
epa11752149 Players and staff block sight onto Fiorentina’s Edoardo Bove getting medical attention during the Italian Serie A soccer match between ACF Fiorentina and Inter Milan, in Florence, Italy, 01 December 2024. The match was abandoned after Fiorentina’s Edoardo Bove suffered a serious injury 16 minutes into the game. EPA-EFE/CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI
The defibrillator prevents Bove from playing professionally in Italy, but it has not stopped him from returning to professional action in the UK, where the rules surrounding heart conditions and defibrillator devices are more loose. For similar reasons, Christian Eriksen was forced to leave Inter after suffering a cardiac arrest at EURO 2020, but was allowed to sign for Brentford and later Manchester United in the Premier League.
Bove’s journey has taken him to Watford, where he has since gone on to make eight league appearances.
Bove on cardiac arrest, Watford return and special Mourinho relationship
Bove has spoken about his turbulent last 18 months in an interview with MailOnline.
“The last thing I remember is when I went down. I woke up in hospital without knowing what happened. I thought I’d been in a car accident,” Bove recalled.
“Before it happened, I felt like a superhero. They told me I wouldn’t play football again. Sometimes I was thinking, ‘what am I going to do?’. There were very difficult days where everything was going so bad.
“It was hard but it became part of the journey. I’m happy with how it went and I learned more in this year than from anything I’d experienced before.”
Edoardo Bove presented as new Watford player
During his interview with MailOnline, Bove lifted up his shirt to show what it looks like after having a defibrillator implanted.
“The first month, you struggle sleeping on the side. It changes your physique. When you see yourself changed in the mirror it can be painful – but for me it wasn’t. I’ve never been disappointed.
“I’m so lucky it happened at a perfect age. I was 22. I was mature enough to understand the real meaning, but I also had the energy and power of a young guy.”
Bove also revealed that his former Roma coach, Mourinho, went to special lengths to get in contact during his time in the hospital, at a time when he couldn’t respond to messages or calls from his own phone.
LISBON, PORTUGAL – NOVEMBER 05: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Benfica, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between SL Benfica and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at on November 05, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)
“He cares about every player he has trained, some of them more than others!
“He wrote to me first but I couldn’t answer anyone, so he got the number of my parents. I have an unbelievable relationship with him. Mourinho is a very important person for me and my family.
“Sometimes when I think about the past, it makes me emotional. But at the same time it makes me proud. It was a long period but I turned a tough moment into an opportunity.
“I have a different perspective. If you are not open-minded, you lose something about life. I’m happy.”
Juventus head coach and former Italy CT Luciano Spalletti has expressed his sympathies with Gennaro Gattuso, who left his role in charge of the national team after Thursday’s World Cup play-off final defeat away against Bosnia and Herzegovina: ‘I put myself in his shoes, my first thoughts went to him’.
Spalletti on Italy, Gattuso and why introducing a minimum quota for Italian players in Serie A wouldn’t work
Spalletti gave his honest assessment of the Italy national team set-up during his post-match interview following Juventus’s 2-0 Serie A win over Genoa on Easter Monday.
Spalletti himself left the role of Italy national team head coach less than a year ago following a miserable EURO 2024 campaign and a costly defeat against Norway in World Cup qualifying, and now, the Azzurri will have to find their third head coach in a year following Gattuso’s recent departure.
“When the game against Bosnia ended, I swear, I put myself in Gattuso’s shoes, my first thoughts went to him. He’s a decent person, he has passion, he has all the qualities to become one of the best in the world,” Spalletti told the press on Easter Monday.
MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 16: Gennaro Gattuso, Head Coach of Italy, looks on prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Norway at San Siro Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
“I said to myself: ‘If I’d still been there and it happened to me in that environment, in that stadium … I really wouldn’t have got out of it.
“I suffered a lot, in a big way. It created a non-reaction. I couldn’t talk about football, I almost hid from it.
“That said, if Kean had scored, we’d be talking about how great Italy is. We need a bit more balance with these swings of opinions and realise that it’s easy before you get to the national team, when you’re there, you can suffer, it happens, it’s the weight of the situation. We had done well, we won all of our matches except against Norway, but it’s a very heavy situation.”
ZENICA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – MARCH 31: Moise Kean of Italy celebrates after scoring his team’s opening goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy at Stadion Bilino Polje on March 31, 2026 in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)
Spalletti agrees with large sections of the Italy supporters that there are not enough chances handed to young Italian talents in Serie A.
“Out of the 33 players on the pitch in Udinese-Como, only two were Italian,” Spalletti pointed out. “That’s a fundamental issue because we have to try and protect our talents. I don’t want to advise, but we can’t do it on our own.”
Some supporters have called for a minimum number of Italian players to be fielded in each Serie A match, but this is a suggestion that Spalletti admits might be difficult to implement.
CAGLIARI, ITALY – FEBRUARY 21: Marco Palestra of Cagliari in contrast with Luca Pellegrini of Lazio during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SS Lazio at Stadio Sant’Elia on February 21, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
“I’ll give you an example. What if you had an U19 player play in every Serie A team? We’d be forced to have four available just to play one, and then what? I go and watch those players a few years earlier because we need them, but then who actually makes it? You might get none from Juve, but you might get one come through at Cremonese. I need someone who doesn’t let the level drop.
“Our national team is strong, they showed it to you under Gattuso and as far as I’m concerned, he made the right choices. These incidents have decided it, it’s not that we are the worst in the world now. It’s the interpretation of the games that makes the difference. Football is a game of incidents.”
Luciano Spalletti criticised Juventus’s second-half performance despite picking up a 2-0 victory over Genoa in Serie A on Monday evening, and says that after six or seven months at the helm in Turin, ‘I’m still not sure what I’m dealing with’.
Juventus claimed a 2-0 victory over Genoa in Serie A on Easter Monday thanks to first-half goals from Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie, but goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, brought on at half-time, bailed his teammates out with a penalty save, and Spalletti believes that had the spot-kick gone in, it would have become a ‘very difficult’ evening for the Bianconeri.
Spalletti reacts to Juventus 2-0 Genoa: ‘I’m still not sure what I’m dealing with’
TURIN, ITALY – APRIL 06: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, reacts during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Genoa CFC at Allianz Stadium on April 06, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Despite moving back within a point of Como and the Serie A top four on Easter Monday, Spalletti was still frustrated by some of the things he saw from his players against Genoa, especially in the second half.
There were complaints that some of the Juventus squad looked tired, which Spalletti insisted can’t be the case as his players received extra time off in the build-up to Monday’s game.
“It wasn’t tiredness, we didn’t train yesterday or the day before,” Spalletti told Sky after full-time.
“I left them alone because they needed to recover. They had two days off, a training session and a half and then they took a break, so that’s not the case.”
Spalletti admitted that despite being in charge of Juventus since the end of October, he still doesn’t always know what he’s going to see from his players on the pitch.
“Sometimes we have to accept that we aren’t the best versions of ourselves. After six or seven months here, I’m still not sure what I’m dealing with. It’s not possible to have a first half like that and then a second half like this. And if they go ahead and score the penalty, it becomes a very difficult evening.”
TURIN, ITALY – APRIL 06: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, reacts during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Genoa CFC at Allianz Stadium on April 06, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
There are also concerns for Dusan Vlahovic, who was meant to come on but felt something go in his calf while warming up, and for goalkeeper Perin, who was forced off at half-time, also with a calf issue.
“There is concern because they both got hurt, they both felt a muscle go,” Spaleltti confirmed. “We need them to have tests to understand how long it will take to get them back on the pitch.”
Juventus moved back within a point of Como and the Serie A top four with their 2-0 victory against Genoa on Easter Monday, but there were some questions as to why Dusan Vlahovic did not feature off the bench.
Goals from Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie sent Juventus back within a point of fourth place in Serie A after Como were held to a 0-0 draw by Udinese earlier on Monday afternoon. They and Roma in sixth and Atalanta in seventh have seven matches of the 2025-26 season left to fight it out for the final Champions League spot in the Serie A top four.
TURIN, ITALY – MARCH 21: Dusan Vlahovic and Pierre Kalulu of Juventus interact after the Serie A match between Juventus FC and US Sassuolo Calcio at Allianz Stadium on March 21, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Vlahovic has recently returned from a five-month injury lay-off following a serious injury to his adductor. He made his long-awaited return with an 11-minute cameo appearance in the 1-1 draw against Sassuolo prior to the international break and was named in the matchday squad to face Genoa on Easter Monday.
However, Vlahovic felt something in his calf while warming up and the coaching staff decided against risking him on precautionary grounds.
A calf injury was also the reason why Juventus were forced into a change of goalkeepers at half-time, with the previously out-of-favour Michele Di Gregorio coming on to replace Mattia Perin at the interval. Di Gregorio went on to help his team with an important double-save from the penalty spot along with a series of big second-half stops.
Juventus teammates were full of praise for goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, who came on at half-time and made a second-half penalty save to help the Old Lady towards a 2-0 victory over Genoa in Serie A on Sunday afternoon.
Juventus were forced into a rare in-game change of goalkeepers at half-time of their 2-0 victory over Genoa on Easter Monday after an injury to Mattia Perin, which gave a first run-out in five games for the out-of-favour Di Gregorio.
Juventus moved back within one point of the Serie A top four thanks to goals from Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie in an eventual 2-0 win over Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus stars review 2-0 Genoa win: ‘We knew Di Gregorio’s time would come’
Di Gregorio had been dropped for Perin for the last four Serie A matches, but was brought on at half-time after the latter felt a problem with his calf. Di Gregorio then went on to make a huge double save from the penalty spot to keep Juve’s two-goal lead in tact.
TURIN, ITALY – APRIL 06: Michele Di Gregorio of Juventus saves the penalty from Aaron Martin of Genoa during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Genoa CFC at Allianz Stadium on April 06, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
“He’s gone through good and bad times with us, but we know his qualities,” said goalscorer Bremer after full-time. “We knew his time would come, and it has come.”
Andrea Cambiaso added: “Michele is an extraordinary guy. He’s always switched on in training and I’m very happy for him because today he won us a very important game.
“He was great because of the attitude he had, he’s always been alert and today he showed it.”
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