Sergio Conceicao admits that it is ‘not easy’ to be the head coach of Milan, especially in a difficult period for the Rossoneri, and says that he and his players could have benefitted from more protection from the club during the second half of the 2024-25 campaign. 

Conceicao replaced compatriot Paulo Fonseca as head coach of the Rossoneri on December 30, 2024, signing a contract until the end of the 2025-26 season that included a break clause, which Milan decided to activate at the end of the 2024-25 season after missing out on European qualification altogether. 

Conceicao has since returned to management with Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, but has recently sat down with La Repubblica to discuss his time in charge of the Rossoneri. 

Conceicao reflects on Milan tenure: ‘We needed a lot of protection from the club’

Conceicao managed to win the Supercoppa Italiana within his first two matches in charge of Milan, and also led the team to the Coppa Italia final a few months later, but oversaw a disappointing eighth-place finish in the league. 

“We played every three days, we trained during matches. There was lots of video, not a lot of work on the pitch, but I’m not complaining. I knew the schedule when I signed,” Conceicao said in reflection of his time in San Siro. 

“But they were six positive months,” he continued. “We made it to two finals. We lost one, it’s true, but it could have gone differently.” 

There is no denying that there is a weight of expectation at a club like Milan, though. 

“It’s not easy to be the Milan coach,” said Conceicao. “It’s a team that is historically used to playing at the highest levels and winning in Champions League finals. It’s a difficult moment, though. 

“In Milan, after the victory in the Supercoppa Italiana, a draw against Cagliari was enough for rumours to begin circulating about who would take my place. And nobody denied it.” 

Conceicao feels that he and his players could have done with more protection from the club. 

“I’ve been in dressing rooms for 25 years and I know that instability from the club reaches there too. It wasn’t easy to play without the fans, who deserted the Curva. And with social media, whatever was said about us got through to the players. We needed a lot of protection from the club.” 

Conceicao also revealed which two players he considered his biggest ‘leaders’ during his time with Milan. 

“A leader is someone who sets an example, even in the way they behave away from the pitch. Pulisic and Gabbia were leaders because of the examples they set, but they weren’t the only ones.” 

Fiorentina have confirmed that they have reached a mutual agreement to terminate the contract of Ghana international Tariq Lampety, who has featured for just 25 minutes of the 2025-26 campaign: ‘I’m grateful for the experience’. 

Official: Lamptey has left Fiorentina by mutual consent

Lamptey joined Fiorentina in a €6m deal from Brighton & Hove Albion during the summer transfer window, but the former England youth international’s season was almost immediately derailed by a serious knee injury, which has limited him to just two short league outings. 

The right-back came on as a late substitute in Fiorentina’s first game of the 2025-26 season, a 3-1 defeat at home against Napoli. He then suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament (ACL) just 22 minutes into his first Fiorentina start the following week in an eventual 2-1 defeat against Como.

34 Serie A matches have gone by since then, and Lamptey has still not been able to return to full fitness. 

Instead of continuing his rehabilitation programme in Florence, he has decided to terminate his contract and is now no longer a Viola player. 

“ACF Fiorentina announces that Tariq Lamptey’s contract with the club has been terminated by mutual consent,” read a brief statement on the club website. Lamptey’s deal in Tuscany had been due to run until the summer of 2029.

Lamptey has also released his own statement on social media, which reads: “I was truly excited to play at Il Franchi, to wear this shirt, and to help the team on the pitch and give the fans something to cheer for.

“That was my aim but of course I trust Gods plan always,

“I didn’t get to do that but still I’m grateful for the experience and for everyone who supported me throughout my time in Florence.

“I want to say thank you to Fiorentina AFC, Mr President, all the directors, coaches, coaching staff and everyone behind the scenes.

“I would also like to thank the fans for their support even in difficult moments. I really appreciate it.

“I will always remember Fiorentina with great respect and I wish the club nothing but the best. Forza Viola.”

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by T.L (@tariq_lamptey)

Goalkeeper Arijanet Muric has confirmed that he will be leaving Sassuolo for ‘personal reasons’ at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, which means that he is set to return to parent club Ipswich Town for pre-season. 

Muric will leave Sassuolo and return to Ipswich

Muric has spent the 2025-26 season on loan in Serie A with the Neroverdi, who are hoping to secure a top-half finish in their first season back in the top flight after promotion from Serie B last term. 

The 27-year-old has played for 32 of Sassuolo’s 36 Serie A matches this campaign, conceding 43 goals and keeping six clean sheets in the process. 

Sassuolo have an option to turn Muric’s loan deal from Ipswich into a permanent transfer for a fee in the region of €10m, but the Kosovo international has confirmed that he plans to leave the Neroverdi this season, which means that he is expected to return to Portman Road, where he remains under contract until the summer of 2028. 

“I’m grateful for this season, but I don’t intend to play for Sassuolo next season,” Muric told Gianlucadimarzio.com. “At the end of the loan, my time here will also end. It was a positive year and I enjoyed it, but I’ve informed the club that I don’t want to stay here after this season for personal reasons.” 

Giovanni Malagò and Giancarlo Abete have now formally filed the necessary paperwork required to run for the FIGC Presidency ahead of the election to appoint a successor to Gabriele Gravina on June 22. 

FIGC Presidential candidates now official

The Italian football federation (FIGC) will hold an election to appoint a new President following the resignation of Gravina in the aftermath of Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. 

It has widely been expected that Malagò, former President of the Italian Olympic committee (CONI) and Abete, current President of the amateur divisions (LND), would run for the FIGC Presidency, but their candidacies have only been formalised on Wednesday, the deadline for candidates to submit their proposals. 

The FIGC will now have until May 22 to publish its formal acceptance of the two candidacies, but as per La Gazzetta dello Sport, this is just expected to be a formality. The election itself will take place on June 22. 

As things stand, it is expected that Malagò will have a majority of votes in his favour. The former CONI chief already has the backing from the Lega Serie A, the players’ association and the coaches’ association, and on Tuesday evening, it was confirmed that he has the endorsement of the Lega Serie B as well.

Abete is the serving President of the LND and will have their backing. The LND will have a 34% share of the votes at the upcoming election.

Below is the share of votes that each body will have at the upcoming FIGC Presidential election:  

Lega Serie A: 20 delegates, 18% of votes

Lega Serie B: 20 delegates, 6% of votes

Lega Pro (Serie C): 57 delegates, 12% of votes

LND (Amateur Leagues): 99 delegates, 34% of votes

Players’ association: 52 delegates, 20% of votes

Coaches’ association : 26 delegates, 10% of votes

Fabio Capello is baffled as to why Milan can’t play like they did in the final 20 minutes of their recent 3-2 loss against Atalanta for the full 90 minutes, but says that the ongoing crisis of Rossoneri results doesn’t surprise him: ‘The blame has to be shared, it’s not just one person who decides’. 

Capello addresses Milan’s crisis of results: ‘Play like you did for the final 20 against Atalanta, but for the full 90 minutes’

Milan have been on a troubling run of form since beating rivals and recently-crowned Serie A champions Inter back in March. They have only won two of their eight matches since then, and have only picked up four points from their last six league outings. 

Though they had been second in the league table in March, and despite the suggestions that they could mount a last-minute challenge for the Scudetto, Milan are now fourth, level on points with Roma in fifth, and are at risk of missing out on Champions League qualification heading into the final two matches of the season. 

“The reality of the facts says that over the last four games, they have no longer fought, they’ve no longer shown the desire or determination needed to win. And we’ve all seen the results. All this does not surprise me,” said Capello in a damning interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I’ve seen some players arguing and others losing the ball and not caring. Some who don’t care about helping out and aren’t interested in the defensive phase.” 

So, how would Capello address the situation if he were in Massimiliano Allegri’s shoes?

“In terms of play, I would go back to having a team that plays vertically, which hasn’t happened. Most importantly, we need to see the Milan from the last half hour against Atalanta: A team that is eager, angry and determined. I hear some people saying that Atalanta helped the situation by trying to shut up shop, but that was also because of Milan. 

“If the Rossoneri start from there, the results will come, but they have to put in 90 minutes like that, not just as a reaction to protests or boos. 

“I don’t think that the coach hasn’t worked on this, but on the pitch, the players look like a disjointed team. Allegri clearly needs to say something in the dressing room.” 

And what exactly should Allegri tell the Milan squad? 

“Whatever the reason that led you to play that way for the final 20 minutes against Atalanta, now you have to do it for the full 90,” Capello said. “Was it anger? Show it throughout the game.” 

Capello does not agree with the suggestions that Milan are struggling physically, or in terms of fitness: “It’s not a physical problem. If they start running like crazy in the 80th minute, the explanation doesn’t hold up.” 

So, does that mean that it’s a mentality issue? 

“Certainly,” says Capello. “If the team is convinced that it can play like that in the last part of the Atalanta game, the two victories that they need will come.” 

It was pointed out to Capello that Milan are also underperforming from a defensive point of view, even though there have been no major injury issues or personnel changes at the back. 

“They’re playing badly because they are careless and because there is no protection from midfield. I no longer see Milan attack their opponents when they’re on the ball. Before, they used to press, even in the defensive phase. 

“It’s a matter of team movements, and there’s a lack of desire and determination collectively too.” 

Capello does not deny the fact that the buck ultimately stops with the head coach, Allegri: “Looking at the numbers, of course he is also to blame. He’s been unable to keep that high level of mentality. 

“However, he has been talking for some time about reaching a certain target, giving precise indications and a precise message. Clearly, he’s seen something wrong with the team for quite a while.” 

Capello believes that the responsibility lies with the players more than anybody else, though: “The coach isn’t the one who goes out onto the pitch, he only gives the instructions. If a player loses the ball and then doesn’t spring to get it back … That’s the gist of it.” 

What is the biggest issue that faces Milan at the moment? 

“They don’t score goals, it’s easy to say. Leao has scored nine in the league, but he can’t play up front like that. However, it’s reductive to always and only blame him, it’s everyone’s fault.” 

Amidst the ongoing crisis, there have been calls for a major shake-up of the Milan senior management, which currently includes the likes of Giorgio Furlani, Igli Tare, Goeffrey Moncada and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“These are things that I read, but I don’t know,” said Capello. “Only those who experience this situation from the inside know. I can only say that the blame has to be shared. The faults lie with the leaders, who by definition are the ones who direct the operation. And then we go down the organisational chart. It’s not just one person who decides at Milan.” 

Lazio and Inter will do battle for the 2025-26 Coppa Italia title on Wednesday evening, but tonight’s cup final could also have implications on Serie A and qualification for next season’s UEFA competitions. 

Lazio vs. Inter Coppa Italia final could have impact on European qualification

Lazio currently find themselves in ninth place in Serie A ahead of tonight’s cup final, against the recently-crowned Scudetto winners, Inter. 

Whoever wins the Coppa Italia also earns a spot in next season’s Europa League as a result. 

• Read more: Coppa Italia final: Lazio vs. Inter – Probable line-ups and where to watch on TV

Inter, however, have already booked their spot in next season’s Champions League. If they were to win tonight’s Coppa Italia final, the Serie A top four would all qualify for next season’s Champions League, fifth and sixth place would qualify for the Europa League and seventh place for the Conference League. 

However, if Lazio were to pull off an upset, they would claim one of the Europa League spots instead, which means that the Serie A top four would qualify for the Champions League, fifth place (plus Lazio) would qualify for the Europa League, and sixth place for the Conference League. 

As things stand, the situation appears to impact Atalanta, currently seventh in Serie A, more than anybody. 

La Dea are almost guaranteed to finish the 2025-26 Serie A season in seventh place: They are unable to catch the sixth-placed Como, who are seven points above them with two games to go, and Bologna are now six points behind them heading into the final two league matches of the campaign. 

If Inter were to win in the Coppa Italia final, Atalanta would almost certainly earn themselves a spot in next season’s Conference League, however, if Lazio win this evening, then Atalanta will definitely be denied a spot in Europe next season. 

Given that there are only three points separating four sides from third down to sixth place in the Serie A table, Como, Roma, Milan and even Juventus will be keeping an eye on tonight’s final.

Ex-Inter and Italy defender Marco Materazzi has no doubts that his former side are the favourites heading into Wednesday evening’s Coppa Italia final against Lazio, and claims that ‘nobody would have bet €1’ on the Biancocelesti reaching the final at the beginning of the campaign.  

Lazio and Inter will meet at the Stadio Olimpico at 20.00 BST on Wednesday evening to do battle for the 2025-26 Coppa Italia title. Maurizio Sarri’s side have beaten Milan, Bologna and Atalanta in order to qualify for tonight’s final, while Inter have overcome Venezia, Torino and Como in the earlier rounds of the competition. 

By coincidence, the two finalists also met at the Stadio Olimpico in Serie A over the weekend, ending 3-0 in favour of Cristian Chivu’s recently-crowned Scudetto winners. 

Inter and Lazio are the joint-second and fourth-most successful sides in the competition’s history: The Nerazzurri will be hoping to make it 10 cup titles on Wednesday, the Biancocelesti will be hoping to make it eight. 

Materazzi previews Lazio vs. Inter Coppa Italia final

Speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Materazzi says that Saturday’s ‘preview’ in Serie A only solidifies the fact that Inter are the strong favourites heading into the Coppa Italia final. 

“It’s given us several indications. I saw an Inter side that didn’t pull the plug. They had a goal, reached it and didn’t take their foot off the gas. It’s a team that is determined to conquer everything it can. It’s a club where few poor decisions are made. 

“I bet many Inter fans that they wouldn’t have believed Cristian could achieve all this at the beginning of the season. I’ve always said one thing: ‘Don’t worry, he knows what he’s doing’. 

Materazzi also named his standout player of the season so far: “I’m so happy and proud of Thuram’s journey. He’s been criticised a bit and his qualities have been doubted. I sent Marcus a lot of messages during that time, telling him not to give up and to remember how strong he is. 

“When the balance was restored, in the sense that he and Lautaro started playing together again, and I don’t want to blame Pio, who we can only thank for his contributions at the age of 20, we saw who the really important players are.” 

There is no denying the fact that Inter look their strongest when they have both Thuram and Lautaro Martinez available. 

“They missed Lautaro a lot and partly Marcus as well when he wasn’t playing in his best condition. But the moment he properly returned, towards the end of March, he scored important goals for the Scudetto. Maybe it was good for him to not read the criticism during his worst period. Inter would do well to keep hold of him.” 

And on Lautaro himself, Materazzi added: “To someone who has scored 17 goals just in Serie A, I have to say thank you. It’s a shame that he got hurt during a difficult moment, which forced him to miss the second leg against Bodo/Glimt. If he had played that game, we’d be talking about a different story for Inter in the Champions League. As an Inter fan, I can only hope he leaves his mark on this final as well.” 

The strikers are not the only threat that Inter possess, though: “Let’s not forget Nicolo Barella. At a time when many thought he had gone past his peak, he remembered exactly who he is. 

“He has always played a lot and has had to deal with Italy’s elimination from the World Cup on a psychological level. He has brought out his best attributes, scored important goals and put in big performances, sometimes with the captain’s armband. The real version of him is back, so I say watch out for Barella.” 

And on Lazio, Materazzi said: “They have to be proud of the path they’ve taken in this year’s Coppa Italia. At the beginning of the season, nobody would have bet €1 on them reaching the final, but they’ve got an experienced coach. Now he will have to make the players understand that they can do it. Anything can happen in a one-off game.” 

What would winning the Coppa Italia mean for Materazzi’s former teammate, Chivu?

“A nice double. Those who evaluated Cristian last summer didn’t just do it based on the 13 games he had in Serie A with Parma, but for everything he represents for the Nerazzurri. 

“He’s always held himself accountable and has always shown his players that he believes in them. Nobody teaches you that. There’s something inside him, and that’s been there since his time at Ajax, when he was already captain of the club at the age of 20.” 

Materazzi still has one Coppa Italia final regret: The 2007 final, which was played over two legs and saw Roma win 7-4 on aggregate against Inter. 

“The one we lost 6-2 in 2007 (was my biggest regret). We were probably drunk because we’d just won the Scudetto. I was suspended in the second leg. We could have overturned it, but that’s how it went.” 

And Materazzi’s favourite Coppa Italia memory? 

“Most of all, I care about the one in 2010. Not because it was part of the treble, but because it was a Coppa Italia campaign I always played in. 

“At the beginning of the year, Mourinho called me and said: ‘I would like you to stay with us, but take your time to decide’. Two minutes later I called him back and said ‘I want to stay with you’. He told me that other players would come in and that I wouldn’t be a starter, and I was fine with that. 

“Two days before the cup final, I was on the bench and Jose approached me to say: ‘But do you want to play in the final?’. He always gave me confidence and we won that Coppa Italia. For me, that trust was worth as much as winning the Champions League.” 

And, providing his final assessment ahead of Wednesday’s final, Materazzi said: “Inter will go onto the pitch and prove their case because they have that potential. I see Lazio starting a little hesitantly. Maybe they’ll be a little afraid but they might have some opportunities with which they could trip the Nerazzurri. But I imagine Inter will be strong physically and mentally. And they will have one single goal: To parade two cups in Milan on Sunday.” 

The Serie B play-off semi-finals have now been set following the conclusion of Tuesday night’s first round fixtures, and now Monza, Juve Stabia, Catanzaro and Palermo will battle it out for the final spot in next season’s Serie A championship. 

Venezia and Frosinone have already confirmed their spots in the top flight for 2026-27, ending the season in first and second place respectively. The teams that finished from third down to eighth earned themselves a spot in the promotion play-offs. Those sides (in order) were Monza, Palermo, Catanzaro, Modena, Juve Stabia and Avellino. 

Monza and Palermo, finishing third and fourth, qualified directly for the play-off semi-finals, while Catanzaro, Modena, Juve Stabia and Avellino had to settle for places in the first round of the play-offs, which took place on Tuesday night. 

Eighth-placed Juve Stabia pulled off a mini-upset away against the sixth-placed Modena, winning 1-0 thanks to an 87th-minute strike from Milan loanee Kevin Zeroli. 

The fifth-placed Catanzaro capitalised on their home advantage to defeat the eighth-placed Avellino 3-0 thanks to goals from Simone Pontisso, Tommaso Cassandro and a 93rd-minute Pietro Iemmello penalty. 

Up next are the play-off semi-finals, which will be two-legged ties and will take place between May 16 and May 20. The final will also be played over two legs on May 24 and May 29. 

Serie B promotion play-off dates 

Monza vs. Juve Stabia semi-final first leg – Saturday, May 16

Palermo vs. Catanzaro semi-final first leg – Sunday, May 17 

Monza vs. Juve Stabia semi-final second leg – Tuesday, May 20

Palermo vs. Catanzaro semi-final second leg – Wednesday, May 21 

Play-off final first leg – Sunday, May 24 

Play-off final second leg – Friday, May 29

Changes are afoot for both sides as Lazio and Inter prepare to do battle in the 2025-26 Coppa Italia final at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday evening. 

Inter, the recently-crowned Serie A champions, will be hoping to make it a domestic double against an underdog Lazio side, currently sitting in ninth place in the Serie A table. By coincidence, the two teams met in the league on Saturday, ending 3-0 in favour of the Nerazzurri. 

Maurizio Sarri admitted during his pre-match press conference that he wasn’t best pleased with the performance that his players put in over the weekend, and pre-match reports indicate that he is likely to make several personnel changes on Wednesday evening. 

Sky Sport Italia suggests that Sarri could change all three of his starting midfielders, with Patric, Kenneth Taylor and Toma Basic hoping to return to the XI. 

Mattia Zaccagni is also expected to be available again after his recent foot injury, and is likely to return to the front three along with Gustav Isaksen. 

Cristian Chivu is also expected to re-introduce some of his key first-team stars for tonight’s final. 

Manuel Akanji, Piotr Zielinski, Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco were all rested over the weekend and are expected to start in the capital this time around. 

There have been doubts surrounding Marcus Thuram in the build-up to the final after the Frenchman reported a muscular complaint on Monday, but he trained with the squad again on Tuesday and will be re-evaluated later today. 

Kick-off this evening is set for 20.00 BST.

Lazio vs. Inter: Probable line-ups for Coppa Italia final 

Lazio (4-3-3): Motta; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares; Basic, Patric, Taylor; Isaksen, Noslin, Zaccagni.

Inter (3-5-2): J.Martinez; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Zieilinski, Sucic, Dimarco; L.Martinez, Thuram.

Where to watch Lazio vs. Inter

Tonight’s Coppa Italia final will be available to watch live on Premier Sports 1 and online through premiersports.com in the UK. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via Paramount+. 

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

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

My Cup 

20.00: the Lazio-Inter final 

Nerazzurri on for the double (and their 10th Coppa Italia title) at the Olimpico, Thuram will be there. Sarri could turn his season around: ‘We need to believe in it until the point of madness’

Milan, united in crisis 

Qualification now, then the revolution. Sporting director: the D’Amico track opens up

Champions League on a Monday 

The prefect postpones the derby: It will be played at 19.45, it’s chaos, the  league will appeal

Corriere dello Sport 

The Cup weighs heavily 

Final at 20.00 | A battle at the Olimpico that could also have implications on the league 

Lazio, Europe up for grabs

Inter want the double

If Lotito gets his hands on his seventh trophy, whoever finishes sixth in Serie A will go to the Conference League. Sarri: ‘Believe to the point of madness’. Chivu: ‘We are champions of value’. Squads will be greeted by Mattarella

The derby on Monday, calendar chaos 

Champions League race, Roma-Lazio at 19.45 on Monday. Napoli, Juve, Milan and Como heading for postponements 

Catanzaro and Juve Stabia get through 

Serie B play-offs 

Aquilani beat Avellino (3-0): Will take on Palermo on Sunday. Abate wins 1-0 in Modena: It’s Monza on Saturday

Sergio Ramos buys Sevilla 

€450m operation 

The ex-defender, together with the Five Eleven Capital fund, will acquire 80% of the shares of the club that launched his great football career 

Tuttosport 

‘Tell me what it’s like at Juve’ 

Bernardo Silva calls Danilo and Cristiano Ronaldo 

Sensational: The City ace has phoned the Brazilian and his compatriot to get them to tell him about the Bianconeri and about Turin

Football farce 

Madness, as of today, the date and times for the next matchday are still unknown 

The prefect of Rome has ordered the Roma-Lazio match to be played onMonday at 19.45 to avoid clashing with the tennis, and this will delay the matches involving Juventus, Napoli, Milan and Como. Serie A has responded harshly and appealed to the TAR, which will decide by tomorrow. In and amongst this exchange of accusations and carelessness, the only ones who lose out (financially as well) are the fans

Lazio-Inter, Mattarella also plays 

The Coppa Italia final, Rome, 20.00

The head of state addresses coaches, directors and squads: ‘We need to return to winning major trophies outside of Italy’

The ‘76 Scudetto, a family story 

A night of celebration, the Scudetto of the true Toro 

Zaccarelli, Pecci, Salvadori, Claudio and Patrizio Sala are still going strong 50 years after the greatest Torino feat after Superga: Anecdotes, behind-the-scenes, stories, tears and laughter, the Tuttosport podcast starts today on YouTube

Former CONI Chief Giovanni Malagò has officially confirmed that he will run for the FIGC Presidency after receiving the endorsement of the Lega Serie B: ‘I will file my candidacy tomorrow’. 

Malagò confirms FIGC Presidential candidacy, expected to have a majority

Malagò is one of the two leading candidates, along with Giancarlo Abete, in the running for the currently-vacant role of FIGC President. Former FIGC chief Gabriele Gravina stepped down from the role immediately after Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup at the end of March. 

Despite the fact that he has met with representatives from the Lega Serie A, Serie B, Serie C, the LND (Amateur Leagues), the players’ association and the coaches’ association, Malagò has only formally confirmed that he will be running for the FIGC Presidency on Tuesday night. 

“I can confirm that tomorrow morning, I will file my candidacy for the presidency of the football federation,” Malagò told guests at a charity dinner organised by the Lega Serie A (via La Gazzetta dello Sport). 

Malagò’s announcement came following the confirmation that he will have the endorsement of the Lega Serie B. Malagò already had the backing of the Lega Serie A, the players’ association and the coaches’ association, which means that with the support of the Lega Serie B, he now expected to have a clear majority of the electoral votes. 

Below is the share of votes that each body will have at the upcoming FIGC Presidential election: 

Lega Serie A: 20 delegates, 18% of votes

Lega Serie B: 20 delegates, 6% of votes

Lega Pro (Serie C): 57 delegates, 12% of votes

LND (Amateur Leagues): 99 delegates, 34% of votes

Players’ association: 52 delegates, 20% of votes

Coaches’ association : 26 delegates, 10% of votes

Interim Italy head coach Silvio Baldini says that he only intends to call up players from the U21 squad for June’s friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece, and has explained that coaches in Serie A need to find a balancing act between achieving results and handing opportunities to youngsters. 

Baldini will lead Italy into friendly matches against Luxembourg on June 3 and Greece on June 7, both of which will be played away from home. These matches will be played in the slots that would have been reserved for World Cup warm-up matches had the Azzurri qualified. 

However, following the failure to overcome Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off final at the end of March and the subsequent resignation of head coach Gennaro Gattuso, Italy are expected to call-up a youthful squad for the June friendlies, and Baldini claims that these players will all come from the U21 squad. 

“Being the coach of the U21s, and after the resignation of Gattuso, I will only call up players from the U21s for the two friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece. It’s an act of logic, not one of courage,” said interim Italy coach Baldini during the presentation of the Maurizio Maestrelli Award on Tuesday.  

“You have to know how to choose the right people. At the time of the proposal, I said to President Gravina ‘I accept, but I’ll bring the U21s’. I want to enhance my work and also show who these guys are.” 

Recent reports indicate that national team captain Gianluigi Donnarumma has made himself available for the upcoming June friendlies, but it remains to be seen whether his services will be called upon. 

Baldini on why young Italy players struggle for opportunities

Baldini went on to discuss his own career to date. The 67-year-old has held 20 different head coach roles in a long and eventful career, but only once has he lasted any longer than two seasons. 

“Everyone has their own story. I’ve got my path, I wouldn’t say it’s a complicated one, but I’ve experienced certain situations since I was young and I’ve always been on guard, I’ve always defended myself. When these situations arise, I know that I give the worst version of myself, so it’s better to leave,” he explained. 

Then, the interim CT gave his thoughts on the recent issues surrounding the Italy national team and the calls for young players to be given more opportunities in Serie A. 

“All these guys need to understand is that to be complete players, you have to play for the collective, you have to be a group. To be a group, you have to respect the rules. They are not impositions, but they make people more disciplined. 

“We talk a lot about the need to let young players play, to have courage, but then say it’s the result that counts. If you don’t win, the journey doesn’t matter. It’s hard to teach people that you’re not just playing for the result.

“We all say that it’s the winning that matters, not the participation, that second place are the first losers. If we go on with this mindset, tell me how we’re supposed to help youngsters grow, to have courage, to not be afraid. It’s not easy to combine these two things. 

“I’ve been coaching for many years and I’ve ended up in a situation that I never expected to happen.” 

Cristian Chivu says that he wants his Inter players to go out and have fun during Wednesday night’s Coppa Italia final against Lazio, but insists that winning or losing will not affect what he thinks has been an excellent 2025-26 season for the Nerazzurri. 

Chivu on Lazio vs. Inter Coppa Italia final: ‘Don’t be too obsessed, have fun’

Chivu is one game away from claiming a domestic double during his first full season as a head coach. The former Nerazzurri defender took on his first head coach role in senior football with Parma last February and has since led Inter to their 21st Scudetto after replacing Simone Inzaghi at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. 

Encouragingly for the Nerazzurri, they have already had a ‘warm-up game’ against tomorrow’s cup final opponents, Lazio, and beat them 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in Serie A on Saturday. 

During his pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening, Chivu attempted to play down the fact that his side have already passed the first audition against Lazio. 

“They are two different games. There are dangers when you play close matches against the same team. You might think it’s easy to play again like we did on Saturday, but they might find some extra motivation. 

“We have to be humble and have the right attitude, be aware of the fact that we deserved the Scudetto and that we have gone all the way in the Coppa Italia, which we want to honour in the best possible way. We’ll definitely be ready.” 

Chivu went on to address the current status of Marcus Thuram, who is a doubt heading into the final: “(He’s doing) better, he trained with us today. We’ll have another day to evaluate him tomorrow.” 

Maurizio Sarri said in his pre-match press conference that his Lazio players will need to focus on their mental approach more than anything heading into tomorrow’s final, but Chivu has urged for calmness among his squad. 

“Don’t be too obsessed, we’ve deserved everything so far and we have to have the same calmness that we’ve kept until now. Calm, with a smile on our faces, going onto the pitch with the desire to have fun, without losing the enthusiasm or humility.” 

Sarri also said that winning the Coppa Italia trophy doesn’t mean too much to him on a personal level, and Chivu also feels that winning or losing tomorrow night will not change what has been an impressive season for the Nerazzurri. 

“It doesn’t change a thing for me. I’m at a club that matches my ambitions, that wants to be competitive. From Lautaro’s first interview in America (in pre-season), I understood what he’s about, although I already had an understanding from previous conversations. 

“The strength of this group is its ability to understand and fight for what we stand for. We often forget that this team has made it to multiple European finals and when it hasn’t won the league, it usually comes second. The competitiveness has always been there and that’s what I want.” 

And what does Chivu think he has brought to the table during his time with Inter thus far? 

“Ambition. I know what it means to be at a team like Inter, the stories that surround it and the negative part that often comes out. I’ve tried to calm that down from a human point of view, and manage the frustration that comes at us from the outside. I’m dealing with a group of great people, real people who show pride and know how to stick together.” 

Maurizio Sarri says that his players need to focus on their mental approach to Wednesday evening’s Coppa Italia final against Serie A champions Inter, who beat the Biancocelesti 3-0 in the league on Saturday: “If the mental attitude is the same as it was on Saturday, then tactics count for nothing.”

Sarri previews Lazio vs. Inter Coppa Italia final

Underdogs Lazio, ninth in Serie A, are preparing to take on recently-crowned Serie A champions Inter in Wednesday evening’s Coppa Italia final. Sarri’s side have defeated Milan, Bologna and Atalanta, the latter two on penalties, in order to qualify for tomorrow’s final, while the Nerazzurri have overcome Venezia, Torino and Como over the course of the season. 

Given the respective league positions of the two Coppa Italia finalists, Inter were already the clear favourites, and that was only solidified when the Nerazzurri beat the Biancocelesti 3-0 in Serie A over the weekend. 

Sarri, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening, admitted his side put in a ‘sh**’ performance on Saturday, and says that he has several doubts about his starting line-up as a result. 

There are also doubts about the availability of Danilo Cataldi, who has only returned to training on the eve of the final. 

“Cataldi did his first training session with us this morning, he’s doing a little better in terms of the injury,” Sarri told the media during his pre-match press conference. “Medical conditions are one thing, but physical availability is another. He hasn’t trained for the last month, he can’t do a long shift.

“I have eight or nine doubts after Saturday’s game. We did so badly that there is no need to look at individual performances. We conceded the game, a sh** performance and the same result.

“There’s no particular work or training you can do in just a few days, we have to hope that what we saw on Saturday is just a mental thing. We hope to see a team with a different mental approach and therefore a completely different team.” 

Despite his frustration at Saturday’s performance, Sarri says that he is proud of the resilience his team have shown over the course of the season, especially in the cup and in the absence of their protesting supporters at various stages of the season. 

“I’m proud of the team’s attitude more than anything. They made a few mistakes but haven’t given up this season. The biggest motivation for tomorrow’s game is the team itself, they deserve to win this final after a great journey. The team crossed the desert with no water and that is a source of satisfaction. 

“We look different compared to the start of the season and I think we’re a different team for the better. We can be poor as coaches and players, but not as people.” 

Sarri has lost two cup finals previously, once in Italy with Juventus in 2019, and once in the EFL Cup final with Chelsea in 2019 in a game that became infamous for a misunderstanding with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who appeared to ‘refuse’ to come off towards the end of extra-time. Sarri says that the cup final defeat with Chelsea is the biggest sore-point of his career. 

“I’ve already lost two national cup competitions on penalties, in England, even after seven penalties, and that’s the one I regret the most. In the 120 minutes, we deserved more against a team like Manchester City.”

Sarri claims that he isn’t too fussed about winning the Coppa Italia on a personal level, but says that he wants his team to win for themselves and for the club’s supporters. 

“This is a trophy that belongs to the players and the supporters. It’s true that we’ve played in an empty stadium this season, but even for (the fans), it can’t have been easy not coming to the stadium. Personally, after a long career behind me, I think this trophy won’t change my life, but it would be nice for the players and for the fans.” 

Sarri also admitted that it is difficult to find the right words to motivate his players on the eve of a cup final. 

“After lunch today, I was preparing for tonight’s meeting and I was struggling to find the right words. It’s a very clear game to prepare for, any words are just rhetoric. That’s difficult for me and for the team. 

“We need humility, courage, and to forget about Saturday’s game. Any words I say in a meeting tonight are almost unnecessary, I consider it a useless meeting. The guys already know what it takes. They have to believe in it, believe in it to the point of madness.” 

Lazio will be hoping that Pedro is able to continue his impressive record of goals in cup finals, but his influence will have to come off the substitutes bench on this occasion. 

“Pedro was bruised until this morning. He did part of today’s training and will make himself available. He’s usually a specialist in these sorts of games, he’s scored in 80% of the finals he’s played in and he gives everything. We hope he does it tomorrow as well, but he’s had bruising and he’s  only ready for part of the game.” 

And a word for Inter head coach Cristian Chivu, who is aiming for a domestic double in his first full season as a head coach: “He’s had good personality in his approach. Obviously they have a very strong team but I think they’ve made the most of it in the right way. Leading a strong team when they should be winning is important. Inter were clearly the strongest team this year.” 

Sarri went on to make it clear that the mentality of his players is the most important thing to focus on ahead of tomorrow’s final. 

“If the mental attitude is the same as it was on Saturday, then tactics count for nothing. If you defend with your eyes without challenging for the ball, there are no tactics to take into consideration. We’ve prepared differently, we will see if it will work or not, but it depends on the mental side of things.” 

And lastly, on the absence of the fans in recent weeks, Sarri said: “Warming up recently has definitely been a bit depressing. From this point of view, it can definitely help the team. As I’ve always answered to this question, I don’t know how much it has cost us (financially) not having the fans, but it has definitely cost us points.” 

Davide Ancelotti, son and assistant to Carlo Ancelotti, has shared an incredible anecdote about five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and his work ethic, revealing that he requested extra training sessions after winning the award in 2014 in order to ‘make up for’ his rather sensible celebration. 

Davide Ancelotti on Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘unique’ work ethic

Davide Ancelotti is currently serving as assistant coach to his father, Carlo, with the Brazil national team. He has previously worked alongside his dad at Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton. 

The 36-year-old sat down for an in-depth discussion on La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Triplete podcast, discussing all things Brazil, Madrid and Serie A. 

During his chat with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Davide Ancelotti told a remarkable story about Ronaldo, whom he described as the most impressive and dedicated player he has ever worked with. 

He revealed that after winning the Ballon d’Or in 2014, Ronaldo allowed himself one singular drink to celebrate, and then returned to Madrid seeking extra sessions to make up for it. 

“He has a unique work ethic,” Davide Ancelotti recalled. “When he won the 2014 Ballon d’Or, Cristiano allowed himself one flute of champagne to celebrate. Then, at the first training session after the award, he asked for an extra session to make up for it.” 

Click here to read the full interview with Davide Ancelotti.

Reports in Italy indicate that the futures of Milan executives Giorgio Furlani, Igli Tare, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Geoffrey Moncada are all in doubt as the crisis of results continues in San Siro. 

Future of Milan directors in doubt as crisis of results continues

Milan currently find themselves in fourth place in the Serie A table, level on points with Roma and now at risk of missing out on next season’s Champions League heading into the final two matches of the 2025-26 season. 

That is despite the fact that the Rossoneri had spent a large chunk of the campaign in second place, and the nine-point buffer they had between themselves and fifth place at the beginning of March. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport has described the situation as a complete collapse in form, with the team having won just two of their eight Serie A matches since beating champions Inter in the Derby della Madonnina on March 8. Massimiliano Allegri’s side have now picked up just four points from their last six outings. 

Now, the situation leaves several Rossoneri directors with their futures in doubt. 

Supporters have openly turned on CEO Furlani: Fans from the Curva Sud have recently released a damning statement, calling Furlani out individually, telling him to “pack his bags and leave Milan, for he is the prime figure responsible for the team’s fourth consecutive year of sporting failure.” 

But, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, it is not just Furlani whose future in San Siro has been cast under doubt, as Tare, Moncada and Ibrahimovic are all part of the team that has overseen another year of Rossoneri disappointment. 

For now, the full focus is on getting the team over the line and securing a top-four finish, otherwise Milan will have to ‘scale back’ their short and medium-term ambitions. Keeping hold of head coach Allegri with no Champions League football may also be difficult to pull off.

The time for re-assessment will come immediately after the 2025-26 season comes to a close. Milan have relatively favourable fixtures against Genoa and Cagliari coming up over the next two weeks, but much could change if the squad does not secure Champions League qualification. 

Fiorentina have handed a full senior debut to talented 19-year-old striker Riccardo Braschi for Sunday’s Serie A match against Genoa. Here is everything you need to know about the young Italy hopeful. 

Who is 19-year-old Fiorentina striker Braschi?

Brashi is a 6’3 centre-forward, born and raised in the city of Florence, playing for the Fiorentina underage-group teams throughout his youth career. Born in August 2006, Braschi is part of the young generation of players that has not yet seen Italy win a knock-out match at the World Cup. 

Braschi has often trained with the Viola first-team group this season, but has still been a regular with the U19 squad with 17 goals and five assists to his name from 27 outings in the Primavera league this season. 

Stefano Pioli was the first coach to call the teenager up to the first team squad. He appeared in the Fiorentina matchday squad for the first time against Polissya in the Conference League play-offs back in August, and then for the opening game of the Serie A season away against Cagliari. 

Paolo Vanoli was the one who gave Braschi his senior debut, though. His first senior outing came off the bench for the final eight minutes of Fiorentina’s 2-1 win over Rakow Czestochowa back in March. 

Braschi’s Serie A debut came on Monday night in the absence of injured Italy international Moise Kean. He was introduced as a half-time substitute, replacing Albert Gudmundsson at centre-forward. 

With Kean still unavailable this weekend, Vanoli decided to hand the 19-year-old Braschi his first start against Genoa on Sunday. 

You can follow the action from all of Sunday’s Serie A matches on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Cesc Fabregas says he is ‘very happy and proud’ after guiding Como to their first ever European qualification, and says that his side hope to ‘fly even higher’ before the end of the 2025-26 season: ‘We’re not Milan, Inter, Juventus or Napoli’. 

Fabregas reacts after sealing Como’s first ever European qualification

Como picked up a 1-0 victory away against Hellas Verona in Serie A thanks to a lone goal from Tasos Douvikas on Sunday afternoon, which means that the team can no longer finish any lower than sixth place in the table this season. 

They are guaranteed a spot in the Conference League, but are still in the fight for the Europa League and Champions League heading into the final two league fixtures of the 2025-26 season. 

It is two years to the day since Como achieved promotion from Serie B. Fabregas guided the team to a top-half finish in their first season back in the top flight in 2024-25 and has now secured European qualification for the first time in the club’s history. 

“I’m very happy and proud today,” the Spaniard told DAZN after full-time in Verona. 

“Two years ago today we were promoted to Serie A and today we’re qualifying for Europe. The team, the club, the fans have all grown: It’s inexplicable. We will remember this day twenty years from now. 

“These days, with social media, everything goes so fast, there’s so much pressure. You have to enjoy it. I don’t remember how many trophies I won, but there is much more to come. Now we have two games left to go and we will see if we can fly even higher.” 

Como were among the top five highest spenders during the summer transfer window, and spent more than anybody in Italy in the winter of 2025, but Fabregas has still earned specific praise for the style of football that he has been able to implement. 

“There are lots of games during the season, we can’t always play in the same way,” the coach insisted. “Many fans today have sent me messages talking about when we were in Serie D. We’re not Milan, Inter, Juventus or Napoli, we’re a humble team and we want to enjoy this moment.” 

Fabregas had been due to fly over to Spain to catch El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid later this evening, but the celebrations in Como may end up changing his mind: “I have a plane at 17.30, I don’t know if I’ll go and watch the Classico, I’ll decide in half an hour.” 

Como have mathematically guaranteed a spot in Europe for 2026-27 after their 1-0 victory away against Hellas Verona in Serie A on Sunday afternoon thanks to a loan goal from centre-forward Tasos Douvikas.

Both coaches made one change each to their starting XIs ahead of Sunday’s early kick-off: Paolo Sammarco decided to reintroduce Nicolas Valentini after suspension in place of Domagoj Bradaric, while Cesc Fabregas brought Jesus Rodriguez in to replace Martin Baturina on Como’s left wing. 

Click here to read more about how today’s teams lined up.

It was the hosts who threatened first early doors. Kieron Bowie did excellently to hold the ball up and play a low ball into the six yard box off the left flank, but Jean Butez pulled out a top-class reaction save to deny Tomas Suslov’s shot from the edge of the six-yard box.

Verona managed to hit the crossbar in the second phase of the resulting corner, but it wouldn’t have counted anyway as the offside flag was raised shortly afterwards. 

Verona sent another warning shot when Rafik Belghali made it to the right byline 20 minutes in, but Bowie wasn’t quite able to get his shot away properly after receiving the cut-back. Martin Frese should have done better when running in on Butez’s goal unopposed less than a minute later.

Como got their first attempt on target midway through the first half: Rodriguez trying his luck from distance, but it was straight at Lorenzo Montipo in the Verona net.

Fabregas’s side would eventually break the deadlock midway through the second half. Marc-Oliver Kempf pumped a hopeful long ball down the left, Andrias Edmundsson made a mess of his attempted headed clearance and Douvikas was on hand to punish him with an excellently taken touch and finish that he slammed into the bottom corner of the net. 

Verona thought they had equalised through Bowie in the following attack. The Scot had the ball in the back of the net in a congested penalty area, but Nicolas Valentini, who got the penultimate touch, was in an offside position. Despite being fairly clear on the replays, it still required a VAR check that lasted several minutes to confirm the on-pitch decision. 

Today’s result lifts Como into fifth place, where they sit two points behind Milan and one point above Roma ahead of their matches later on Sunday. Como can no longer finish any lower than sixth place in Serie A in 2025-26, which means that they are guaranteed a spot in the Conference League at a minimum.

Verona 0-1 Como 

Douvikas 71 (C)

10-05-2026 11:30

MatchDay 36

Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi

Verona

Como

0 - 1

Player statistic

2nd half

		61'		Maxence Caqueret
		71'		Anastasios Douvikas (Assist: Marc-Oliver Kempf)
Martin Frese		89'

Match statistic

36

Possession %

64

11

Total shots

11

3

Shots on target

4

5

Shots off target

4

3

Blocked shots

3

7

Corners

7

3

Offsides

2

17

Fouls

14

Verona

Como

Starting lineups

1

Lorenzo Montipò

Goalkeeper

5

Andrias Edmundsson

Defender

3

Martin Frese

Defender

6

Nicolás Valentini

Defender

7

Rafik Belghali

Defender

82'

15

Victor Nelsson

Defender

24

Antoine Bernede

Midfielder

63'

11

Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro

Midfielder

81'

63

Roberto Gagliardini

Midfielder

18

Kieron Bowie

Attacker

10

Tomas Suslov

Attacker

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle

Defender

36'

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

2

Marc-Oliver Kempf

Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

46'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

46'

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

38

Assane Diao

Attacker

81'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

46'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

Substitutes

21

Abdou Harroui

Midfielder

34

Simone Perilli

Goalkeeper

12

Domagoj Bradaric

Defender

14

Pol Lirola

Defender

94

Giacomo Toniolo

Goalkeeper

72

Junior Ajayi

Attacker

9

Amin Sarr

Attacker

73

Moatasem Al-Musrati

Midfielder

19

Tobias Slotsager

Defender

70

Fallou Cham

Defender

71

Davide De Battisti

Defender

4

Sandi Lovric

Midfielder

63'

41

Isaac

Attacker

81'

90

Ioan Vermesan

Attacker

82'

5

Edoardo Goldaniga

Defender

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

15

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

36'

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

46'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

46'

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

46'

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

81'

Pre-match reports indicate that Christian Pulisic will not be involved in Milan’s upcoming Serie A clash with Atalanta on Sunday evening, which likely means a last chance for Rafael Leao to impress. 

Pulisic out, Leao in for Milan vs. Atalanta

Massimiliano Allegri is expected to make several personnel changes to his Milan side for Sunday’s game against Atalanta following a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Sassuolo last weekend. Sunday’s newspapers claimed that the coach would change both of his starting centre-forwards, replacing Leao and Christopher Nkunku with Pulisic and Santiago Gimenez. 

However, according to updates from Gianluca Di Marzio, Pulisic reported an issue with his gluteal muscles in the final session before the Atalanta game, and it is now expected that he will be left out of the matchday squad on Sunday. 

The extent of the damage remains to be seen. Further updates are expected in due course. 

It has been a disappointing calendar year for Pulisic, who had come up with eight league goals during the first half of the 2025-26 season, but has not hit the back of the net at all for club or country since the turn of the new year. 

It hasn’t been a brilliant period for Leao, either, who is on nine Serie A goals for the season, but has gone goalless across his last seven league outings. 

It was expected that he would be dropped from the Milan line-up for the Atalanta match, amid claims that he could be sold in the summer, but Gianluca Di Marzio reports that he will be given another opportunity to impress in place of Pulisic on Sunday.

Roberto Baggio has sat down for a rare in-depth interview, discussing his playing career, the 1994 World Cup final, his relationships with Diego Maradona, Alessandro Del Piero, his family and his religion, and has had his say on the issues facing the Italy national team: ‘Kids aren’t playing in the street anymore’. 

Baggio spoke in detail with Corriere della Sera as part of the promotion of his newly-written autobiography, Luce nell’oscurita.  

Baggio on 1994 World Cup, best teammates and current Italy national team problems

Among the topics of conversation was Baggio’s infamous penalty miss during the shootout at the end of the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil. 

“I felt the guilt for every Italian. I wanted to disappear. I felt infinite shame, one of those things that stays with you even as the years go by,” Baggio recalled. “Over time, you learn to live with it, but it’s a wound that never closes completely.” 

Baggio admits that the 1994 shoot-out still comes back to haunt him: “Continuously,” he said. “Sometimes, I think about it while I’m awake in bed, when I can’t fall asleep. I picture myself scoring, and then I fall asleep.” 

Baggio maintains that two things helped him through the pain of the 1994 World Cup: His faith and his family. 

“I believe in the strength that each of us carries inside, even when we don’t see it, even when we think we have no more. I don’t think so much of an external God, who decides everything for us, but of an inner strength that must be sought and respected.” 

Baggio also spoke briefly on his Buddhist beliefs: “It’s certainly been my refuge. It’s formed me as a person by leading me to work on certain aspects of my character, which I hadn’t paid attention to before. It gave me strength when I needed it the most and the courage to never give up.” 

Baggio also spoke about the importance of his relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Andreina: “One July evening, on the eve of my first training camp with Vicenza, we stopped to talk and I asked her for a ring as a pledge, which I would give back to her when I returned. 

“I came back from Recoaro, we met up, I gave her the ring back and we got engaged that same evening. Andreina followed me wherever I played and always helped me to feel at home. We are convinced that we already knew each other in a previous life.” 

In 1990, Baggio moved from Fiorentina to Juventus in what was a world-record deal at the time. The transfer left a bitter taste in the mouth of the Viola supporters, and there were riots on the streets of Florence in the days that followed. 

“Florence rebelled,” Baggio recalled. “I cried like a baby. You could hear the ambulances going past on the way to the Fiorentina headquarters, where the clashes lasted for three days. I never wanted the sale, I felt guilty.” 

Baggio also spoke about a number of his esteemed former colleagues, including Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero, with whom he shared a particularly special relationship: “We spoke in Venetian dialect in the dressing room, and that brought us closer together. It still happens today when we meet.” 

There were sympathies for Ronaldo, too: “I really suffered for him when his knee went. He was an immense talent, something truly rare. And maybe for this reason his pain struck me even more.” 

Diego Maradona was at the height of his powers when Baggio was breaking through: “He was special, humble. Once on a flight to Argentina, we kicked the ball around together. 10,000 metres above the ground, almost touching the sky.” 

Baggio also gave his thoughts on the current state of Italian football and the issues that face the national team in the wake of their failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row.

“There are so many things to fix. Kids aren’t playing in the street anymore. And in Serie A, there are not many Italians. If you have to go and get a player from somewhere else and naturalise them, it means that you haven’t been able to find an Italian ready at the same level. 

“We need to create a formula that really encourages the use of Italian youngsters. The talent is still there, but we have to seek it, protect it and recognise the value. And you need to have the courage to trust them.”

Como will have their opportunity to respond to Juventus in the Champions League race when they take on Hellas Verona at the Bentegodi in Serie A in Sunday’s early kick-off. 

Cesc Fabregas’s side find themselves in sixth place ahead of kick-off, requiring a victory to keep up the pace with Juventus, who moved into third as a result of their 1-0 win against Lecce on Saturday. Como are left needing favours heading into the final three matches of the season, sitting five points shy of the top four ahead of kick-off on Sunday. 

They are looking to get back to winning ways this weekend after a 0-0 draw at home against Napoli last Saturday. 

Hosts Verona have already been relegated from Serie A, but have gone unbeaten over their last two league fixtures, holding both Lecce and Juventus to draws over the last fortnight. 

After last weekend’s draw with Juventus, Paolo Sammarco has decided to keep an almost unchanged XI: Nicolas Valentini is back and available after serving a yellow-card suspension and goes straight back into the starting line-up in place of Domagoj Bradaric. 

Fabregas has also made just the one change to his Como XI, with Jesus Rodriguez coming in to replace Martin Baturina on the left flank. This is the Spaniard’s first start in Serie A since the 2-1 victory away against Cagliari back in March. 

Kick-off is due at 11.30 BST.

Verona vs. Como: Confirmed line-ups 

Verona (3-5-2): Montipo; Edmundsson, Nelsson, Valentini; Belghali, Akpa Akpro, Gagliardini, Bernede, Frese; Bowie, Suslov.

Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Vojvoda, D.Carlos, Kempf, Valle; Da Cunha, Perrone; Diao, Nico Paz, Rodriguez; Douvikas.

10-05-2026 11:30

MatchDay 36

Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi

Verona

Como

0 - 1

Player statistic

2nd half

		61'		Maxence Caqueret
		71'		Anastasios Douvikas (Assist: Marc-Oliver Kempf)
Martin Frese		89'

Match statistic

36

Possession %

64

11

Total shots

11

3

Shots on target

4

5

Shots off target

4

3

Blocked shots

3

7

Corners

7

3

Offsides

2

17

Fouls

14

Verona

Como

Starting lineups

1

Lorenzo Montipò

Goalkeeper

5

Andrias Edmundsson

Defender

3

Martin Frese

Defender

6

Nicolás Valentini

Defender

7

Rafik Belghali

Defender

82'

15

Victor Nelsson

Defender

24

Antoine Bernede

Midfielder

63'

11

Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro

Midfielder

81'

63

Roberto Gagliardini

Midfielder

18

Kieron Bowie

Attacker

10

Tomas Suslov

Attacker

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle

Defender

36'

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

2

Marc-Oliver Kempf

Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

46'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

46'

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

38

Assane Diao

Attacker

81'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

46'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

Substitutes

21

Abdou Harroui

Midfielder

34

Simone Perilli

Goalkeeper

12

Domagoj Bradaric

Defender

14

Pol Lirola

Defender

94

Giacomo Toniolo

Goalkeeper

72

Junior Ajayi

Attacker

9

Amin Sarr

Attacker

73

Moatasem Al-Musrati

Midfielder

19

Tobias Slotsager

Defender

70

Fallou Cham

Defender

71

Davide De Battisti

Defender

4

Sandi Lovric

Midfielder

63'

41

Isaac

Attacker

81'

90

Ioan Vermesan

Attacker

82'

5

Edoardo Goldaniga

Defender

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

15

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

36'

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

46'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

46'

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

46'

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

81'

Former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has given his verdict on Inter centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, who has been linked with a summer move to join the Catalan giants this coming transfer window: ‘Playing as a defender at Barcelona isn’t easy’. 

Puyol comments on Barcelona links to Bastoni

For several months of the 2025-26 season, Barcelona have been linked with a move to sign Bastoni from Inter during the next summer transfer window. 

Recent updates claim that Barca are beginning to cool off in their pursuit of the Italy international, and that the signing of a new centre-forward to replace Robert Lewandowski may be more of a priority than the purchase of a new luxury centre-back, but nothing has yet been ruled out either way. 

The potential transfer of Bastoni continues to be a hot topic of conversation regardless, and former Barcelona defender Puyol was recently asked about the prospect of signing the recently-crowned Scudetto winner. 

“You should ask Deco,” Puyol told DAZN when asked if he thinks Bastoni is the ‘right’ choice for Barcelona this summer. 

“I think he’s a very good defender. I also think that Barcelona have very good defenders, youngsters who know Barcelona’s style well. 

“Playing as a defender at Barcelona isn’t easy with such a high line. Sometimes it’s difficult to adapt, but if the club thinks they have to go and get Bastoni, then I think they’ll be buying a strong player and they will have analysed him perfectly to understand if he’s the right choice and whether his purchase is feasible, because in the end, you can want a player but there aren’t always the right conditions to buy him.”

Reports in Italy claim that Atalanta could turn to two former Juventus leaders in Cristiano Giuntoli and Raffaele Palladino to replace their current sporting director Tony D’Amico and head coach Raffaele Palladino. 

Could Atalanta appoint ex-Juventus pair Giuntoli and Motta?

It has been a disappointing end to the 2025-26 season for Atalanta, who are no longer able to qualify for the Champions League and could mathematically be out of the race for Europa League football by the end of the weekend as well. 

With two draws and two defeats across their last four Serie A fixtures and a Coppa Italia semi-final defeat against Lazio, the Corriere dello Sport claims that it has been an April that has ‘cancelled out’ the work done in the previous months of the 2025-26 season. 

Now, La Dea could be heading for a ‘mini revolution’ this summer. 

Reports on Saturday confirmed that Atalanta are on the verge of appointing former Napoli and Juventus executive Giuntoli as their new sporting director to replace the outgoing Tony D’Amico, who has been linked with moves to join Milan and Roma. 

Corriere dello Sport claims that Giuntoli could be tempted to make a change of head coaches at the beginning of his Atalanta tenure, and that Motta, whom he appointed at Juventus, is the leading candidate. 

Atalanta had also looked at the possibility of appointing Motta before settling on Palladino at the beginning of the 2025-26 season. The 43-year-old has been out of work since leaving the Old Lady towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Massimiliano Allegri is expected to make several changes to his Milan side as the Rossoneri take on Atalanta in a huge match in the race for Champions League football in Serie A on Sunday evening. 

Milan have not yet secured their position in the top four, and begin the day in fourth place as a result of Juventus’s 1-0 victory over Lecce on Saturday night. 

It has been a troubling run of form for the Rossoneri over the last few weeks, with three defeats and just four points on their record from their last five outings. They are looking to bounce back after a 2-0 defeat against Sassuolo last weekend. 

Fikayo Tomori was sent off last weekend, which means that Koni De Winter is in line to return to the back three to replace him. 

Ardon Jashari failed to impress standing in for the injured Luka Modric last weekend, and pre-match reports indicate that it will be over to Samuele Ricci to have a go this time. Davide Bartesaghi is also likely to return at left wing-back. 

Rafael Leao has also been struggling for form and is likely to be dropped this weekend. Sky Sport Italia predicts that there will be a changed front two of Santiago Gimenez and Christian Pulisic in San Siro on Sunday. 

Atalanta are no longer able to qualify for next season’s Champions League, and Europa League qualification could also be mathematically impossible by the end of the day. Raffaele Palladino’s seventh-placed Dea are now likely looking at a Conference League spot at best. 

They were held to a 0-0 draw by Genoa last weekend, but only a handful of personnel changes are expected this time. Sead Kolasinac could return to the back three, Raoul Bellanova could also be re-introduced, as could Giacomo Raspadori in attack. 

Kick-off is due at 19.45 BST.

Milan vs. Atalanta: Probable line-ups 

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; De Winter, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Ricci, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Gimenez, Pulisic. 

Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Raspadori; Krstovic.

Where to watch Milan vs. Atalanta 

Today’s game will be available to watch live in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and through DAZN. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via Paramount+. 

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

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Vlahovic flash

Champions League fight: Goal in 12 seconds, Juve third 

Scores immediately and the Bianconeri win in Lecce. The Serbian: ‘Farewell in two games? We’ll see’ 

Allegri turns Milan around 

Six changes, Gimenez-Pulisic up top. Roma and Como still believe

Lautaro lion 

Lazio warned 

Inter, from the Pope to scoring three, Wednesday the game that counts

Corriere dello Sport 

Dusan the difference 

Vlahovic flash, Milan overtaken

Juve are third | Spalletti wins 1-0 in Lecce: +1 above Allegri and +4 above Gasp, goal from the Serbian after 11 seconds 

Second goal in a row from the no.9: ‘The Champions League depends only on us, I thank the coach, he’s stuck close by me. Is my future still here? We’ll see’. 

Inter don’t give discounts 

Lazio beaten 3-0: They also want the Coppa Italia on Wednesday 

Lautaro, Sucic and Mkhitaryan take centre stage and reserve the double against Sarri. Super numbers: 27 victories and 85 goals in 36 games. Romagnoli sent off: He will miss the derby

Leao and Fofana finish on the bench 

Atalanta at 19.45 

Milan need six points from three games to secure Champions League qualification. Gimenez in tandem with Pulisic. Ricci is there

La Dea have an idea: Thiago Motta 

The Percassis’ move 

Giuntoli progressing as the new sporting director, the Italian-Brazilian could replace Palladino

Gasp, a day in the name of Liedholm

Parma at 17.00 

635 games on the bench in Serie A today, like Nils: ‘Roma deserve fourth place’. Como in Verona

Tuttosport 

Vlahovic impact 

Flash-goal from DV9: Juve win in Lecce and rise up to third place

The Serbian scores the Bianconero goal after 12 seconds, his fastest ever in Serie A, then they disallow one for offside and (amidst doubts) judge his position to be irregular before Kalulu’s double: It ends nervously, but Milan are overtaken and Roma are back to -4. Dusan: ‘Staying at Juve? I don’t know, we’ll see’ 

Squad and fans back D’Aversa 

‘Toro, the coach deserves to stay’

Results and a newly-united dressing room. Ebosse: ‘We want a big finish for him, too’. But Cairo continues to not make a decision and meets with Gattuso and Juric

Chivu doesn’t stop, 3 warnings to Lazio 

3-0 in the Coppa Italia appetiser 

Lautaro-Sucic-Mkhitaryan. The Scudetto hasn’t satisfied Inter. The final on Wednesday

Max: Still Milan, Palladino: Goodbye Dea 

Tonight’s battle and the future

Allegri: ‘I’ll be here for a long time’. Revolution is in the air at Atalanta: Sporting director D’Amico is also leaving

‘Dossena, racist insults to Davis’ 

Udinese report, Cagliari deny

Roma will have their opportunity to respond to Juventus when they take on Parma away from home on Sunday evening, as Serie A’s Champions League race heads towards its conclusion.

Hosts Parma have won two of their last fixtures in Serie A, but fell to a 2-0 defeat against Inter last weekend in the game that won the Nerazzurri the Scudetto for 2025-26.

They find themselves in 13th place ahead of kick-off and have already confirmed their top-flight status for next season.

Roma have responded well since their 5-2 defeat against Inter back in April. They have gone four matches unbeaten since then, winning three, with their most recent ending in a 4-0 scoreline against Fiorentina.

They start the day in fifth place, three points behind Milan in fourth and four points behind Juventus in third heading into the final three games of the season.

Carlos Cuesta is expected to stick with the same front two of Lorenzo Pellegrino and Gabriel Strefezza, but could make some alterations to the midfield three in his 3-5-2. Sky Sport Italia claims that several combinations have been tested ahead of the visit from Roma.

Gian Piero Gasperini, meanwhile, is likely to stick with a similar line-up to the one that put four past Fiorentina last time out. It could be an unchanged Giallorossi XI, led by Donyell Malen, Matias Soule and Niccolo Pisilli in attack. 

Kick-off is due at 17.00 BST.

Parma vs. Roma: Probable line-ups

Parma (3-5-2): Suzuki; Troilo, Circati, Valenti; Delprato, Sorensen, Keita, Nicolussi Caviglia, Valeri; Strefezza, Pellegrino. 

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar, Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celine, Cristante, Kone, Wesley; Pisilli, Soule; Malen.

Where to watch Parma vs. Roma

Today’s game will be available to watch live in the UK exclusively on DAZN. 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.

The 2025-26 Serie B season has drawn to a close, and Frosinone now know that they will be joining Venezia in Serie A in 2026-27, confirming a second-place finish with an emphatic 5-0 win over Mantova on Friday night. 

Confirmed: Venezia and Frosinone promoted to Serie A after one year

Venezia were promoted last weekend, with one round of fixtures left to play, and they have now been confirmed as champions of Serie B for 2025-26. Giovanni Stroppa’s side closed the season with a 2-0 win at home against Palermo on Friday night. 

Venezia will be joined in Serie A by Frosinone, who finished the campaign on 81 points after 38 matches, one shy of the league champions. 

Both Venezia and Frosinone were relegated from Serie A at the end of the 2024-25 campaign and have earned promotion at the first time of asking. 

The Serie B play-offs have now been set as well. 

Monza and Palermo finished the season in third and fourth place respectively, which means that they are guaranteed a spot in the play-off semi-finals. 

Catanzaro finished in fifth, Modena in sixth, Juve Stabia in seventh and Avellino in eighth, and they will all contest in the preliminary round of the play-offs. 

Catanzaro (fifth) will take on Avellino (eighth), and Modena (sixth) will take on Juve Stabia (seventh) in a one-legged play-off match on Tuesday, May 12. 

The play-off semi-finals will be played over two legs, home and away, on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, with the return legs set for May 19 and May 20. The play-off final is also a two-legged affair and will take place on Sunday, May 24 and Friday, May 29.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the Serie B table, it has been confirmed that Pescara, Spezia and Reggiana have been relegated and Bari and Sudtirol will take part in the relegation play-out.

Sassuolo claimed a second-half lead away against Torino in Serie A on Friday evening, but the hosts struck back with two goals within the space of four minutes to extend the team’s unbeaten home run to five matches: Kristjan Thorstvedt, Giovanni Simeone and Marcus Holmgren Pedersen with the goals.

Torino were coming in off the back of a 2-0 defeat against Udinese and decided to make two changes to their starting line-up on Friday evening. Despite beating Milan 2-0 last weekend, Fabio Grosso changed half of his outfielders, with the likes of Andrea Pinamonti, Cristian Volpato and Luca Lipani returning to the starting XI. 

Click here to read more about how tonight’s teams lined up.

Pinamonti registered the first shot on target less than two minutes in after being slipped into the area by Cristian Volpato. Pinamonti tried to find the far corner of the net, but Alberto Paleari was well positioned to make the save. 

Gvidas Gineitis had to improvise for Torino’s first attempt on target 10 minutes in, but Arijanet Muric was able to get down to his left to prevent what turned out to be a relatively tame effort. 

Alieu Njie came within inches of opening the scoring when his header bounced off the crossbar twice from Gineitis’s corner. Part of the ball had crossed the goalline, but importantly, not all of it. 

Down at the other end, Lipani was allowed to dribble his way as far as the corner of the six-yard box, but he then found himself at a difficult angle, and Paleari had come out to narrow the angle. 

The deadlock was finally broken five minutes after the re-start. Nemanja Matic’s shot from the edge of the area was blocked, but fell kindly into the path of Lipani, who managed to squeeze in a cross from the right byline and Thorstvedt was on hand to finish it off in the middle of the six-yard box. 

It took a quarter of an hour for Torino to come up with a response. Ebosse whipped in a perfect deep cross from the left flank and Simeone pulled out a trademark centre-forward’s header, drilled into the floor and bouncing into the corner past Muric.

Simeone has now scored in each of his last five home matches in Serie A. 

It turned out to be a quickfire turnaround for the Granata. Duvan Zapata clipped in a cross from the left-hand side of the penalty area, and Pedersen raced to meet it at the far post. This was the Norwegian’s first goal in Serie A, coming in his 84th appearance. 

Tonight’s result means that Torino jump up one position in the Serie A table into 12th, while Sassuolo keep hold of 10th place.

Torino 2-1 Sassuolo

Thorstvedt (S) 51′, Simeone (T) 66′, Pedersen (T) 70′.

08-05-2026 19:45

MatchDay 36

Olympic Grande Torino Stadium

Torino

Sassuolo

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

38'

Luca Lipani

2nd half

Luca Marianucci		51'
		51'		Kristian Thorstvedt (Assist: Luca Lipani)
Matteo Prati		63'
Giovanni Simeone (Assist: Enzo Ebosse)		66'
Marcus Pedersen		70'
		86'		Kristian Thorstvedt
Niels Nkounkou		89'
Gvidas Gineitis		90+3'

Match statistic

48

Possession %

52

18

Total shots

14

4

Shots on target

7

10

Shots off target

4

4

Blocked shots

3

7

Corners

5

13

Fouls

9

Torino

Sassuolo

Starting lineups

1

Alberto Paleari

Goalkeeper

77

Enzo Ebosse

Defender

35

Luca Marianucci

Defender

33

Rafa Obrador

Defender

86'

23

Saúl Coco

Defender

20

Valentino Lazaro

Defender

59'

66

Gvidas Gineitis

Midfielder

4

Matteo Prati

Midfielder

67'

10

Nikola Vlasic

Midfielder

92

Alieu Njie

Attacker

59'

18

Giovanni Simeone

Attacker

86'

49

Arijanet Muric

Goalkeeper

3

Josh Doig

Defender

75'

6

Sebastian Walukiewicz

Defender

80

Tarik Muharemovic

Defender

25

Woyo Coulibaly

Defender

7

Cristian Volpato

Midfielder

63'

42

Kristian Thorstvedt

Midfielder

35

Luca Lipani

Midfielder

63'

18

Nemanja Matic

Midfielder

84'

99

Andrea Pinamonti

Attacker

76'

45

Armand Lauriente

Attacker

Substitutes

34

Cristiano Biraghi

Defender

81

Franco Israel

Goalkeeper

61

Adrien Tameze

Midfielder

8

Ivan Ilić

Midfielder

13

Guillermo Maripán

Defender

19

Ché Adams

Attacker

22

Cesare Casadei

Midfielder

79

Zanos Savva

Attacker

84

Tommaso Gabellini

Attacker

99

Lapo Siviero

Goalkeeper

91

Duván Zapata

Attacker

59'

16

Marcus Pedersen

Defender

59'

6

Emirhan Ilkhan

Midfielder

67'

17

Sandro Kulenovic

Attacker

86'

25

Niels Nkounkou

Defender

86'

19

Filippo Romagna

Defender

12

Giacomo Satalino

Goalkeeper

16

Gioele Zacchi

Goalkeeper

24

Luca Moro

Attacker

44

Edoardo Iannoni

Midfielder

40

Aster Vranckx

Midfielder

66

Pedro Felipe

Defender

33

Christian Frangella

Midfielder

10

Domenico Berardi

Attacker

63'

90

Ismaël Koné

Midfielder

63'

23

Ulisses Garcia

Defender

75'

8

M’Bala Nzola

Attacker

76'

50

Darryl Bakola

Midfielder

84'

Reports in Italy claim that Premier League side Chelsea could be poised to make a move for Milan defender Strahinja Pavlovic in the coming summer transfer window, but they are not the only club interested in a deal for the Serbia international. 

Chelsea and Manchester United interested in Milan’s Pavlovic

Pavlovic has spent the last two seasons in San Siro, joining in a deal worth €18m plus add-ons from RB Salzburg in the summer of 2024. 

He had to wait until the end of the 2024-25 season to become a regular starter for the Rossoneri, but has since gone on to make a strong impression in 2025-26 with four goals and an assist to his name from 31 appearances in the Italian top flight.  

His performances from the left side of Milan’s back three have begun to attract the attention of several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United and most recently Chelsea according to reports from Calciomercato.com. Several Saudi Pro League clubs are also said to be interested. 

Calciomercato claims that it is Chelsea who have shown the most interest in signing Pavlovic this summer, though. 

Milan are reportedly keen to keep hold of Pavlovic for the 2026-27 campaign, but it is unlikely that the Rossoneri would block a move away from San Siro if an enticing offer were to come in, as has been the case with Malick Thiaw, Tijjani Reijnders and Sandro Tonali in recent seasons. 

Milan reportedly value Pavlovic in the region of €50m, which would not be out of the question for a club with Chelsea’s resources. 

Chelsea, meanwhile, are likely to move on centre-back Benoit Badiashile this summer, who has previously been linked with a move to Milan, however, the Rossoneri are not interested in including part-exchange players in a potential deal for Pavlovic, reports Calciomercato. 

Instead, Milan are said to be interested in a deal for Lazio’s Mario Gila, and a sale of Pavlovic may provide the funds to pull that move off. 

Torino and Sassuolo have made a handful of alterations each as the 36th round of 2025-26 Serie A fixtures gets underway on Friday night. 

Torino began April in encouraging form with wins against Pisa and Hellas Verona, before recording back-to-back draws against Cremonese and newly-crowned champions Inter, but slipped to a 2-0 defeat away against Udinese last weekend.

Roberto D’Aversa’s side find themselves in 13th place ahead of kick-off. 

Sassuolo have been in decent form over their last six matches. They have only lost once in that period, are currently three games unbeaten and have picked up encouraging results against Juventus, Como and most recently, a 2-0 win over Milan.

Fabio Grosso’s side are 10th in the league in their first season back in the top flight after promotion. 

Torino have opted to make a handful of personnel changes: Cesare Casadei and Emirhan Ilkhan dropping out of the line-up to make way for Matteo Prati and Alieu Njie. 

Despite their victory over Milan last weekend, Sassuolo have also made changes with Jay Idzes, Ulisses Garcia, Ismael Kone, Domenico Berardi and Mbala Nzola dropping out of the side. Woyo Coulibaly, Josh Doig, Luca Lipani, Christian Volpato and Andrea Pinamonti are all brought back into tonight’s starting XI. 

Kick-off is due at 19.45 BST.

Torino vs. Sassuolo: Confirmed line-ups 

Torino (3-5-2): Paleari; Coco, Marianucci, Ebosse; Lazaro, Prati, Gineitis, Vlasic, Obrador; Njie, Simeone. 

Sassuolo (4-3-3): Muric; Coulibaly, Muharemovic, Walukiewicz, Doig; Lipani, Matic, Thorstvedt; Volpato, Pinamonti, Lauriente. 

08-05-2026 19:45

MatchDay 36

Olympic Grande Torino Stadium

Torino

Sassuolo

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

38'

Luca Lipani

2nd half

Luca Marianucci		51'
		51'		Kristian Thorstvedt (Assist: Luca Lipani)
Matteo Prati		63'
Giovanni Simeone (Assist: Enzo Ebosse)		66'
Marcus Pedersen		70'
		86'		Kristian Thorstvedt
Niels Nkounkou		89'
Gvidas Gineitis		90+3'

Match statistic

48

Possession %

52

18

Total shots

14

4

Shots on target

7

10

Shots off target

4

4

Blocked shots

3

7

Corners

5

13

Fouls

9

Torino

Sassuolo

Starting lineups

1

Alberto Paleari

Goalkeeper

77

Enzo Ebosse

Defender

35

Luca Marianucci

Defender

33

Rafa Obrador

Defender

86'

23

Saúl Coco

Defender

20

Valentino Lazaro

Defender

59'

66

Gvidas Gineitis

Midfielder

4

Matteo Prati

Midfielder

67'

10

Nikola Vlasic

Midfielder

92

Alieu Njie

Attacker

59'

18

Giovanni Simeone

Attacker

86'

49

Arijanet Muric

Goalkeeper

3

Josh Doig

Defender

75'

6

Sebastian Walukiewicz

Defender

80

Tarik Muharemovic

Defender

25

Woyo Coulibaly

Defender

7

Cristian Volpato

Midfielder

63'

42

Kristian Thorstvedt

Midfielder

35

Luca Lipani

Midfielder

63'

18

Nemanja Matic

Midfielder

84'

99

Andrea Pinamonti

Attacker

76'

45

Armand Lauriente

Attacker

Substitutes

34

Cristiano Biraghi

Defender

81

Franco Israel

Goalkeeper

61

Adrien Tameze

Midfielder

8

Ivan Ilić

Midfielder

13

Guillermo Maripán

Defender

19

Ché Adams

Attacker

22

Cesare Casadei

Midfielder

79

Zanos Savva

Attacker

84

Tommaso Gabellini

Attacker

99

Lapo Siviero

Goalkeeper

91

Duván Zapata

Attacker

59'

16

Marcus Pedersen

Defender

59'

6

Emirhan Ilkhan

Midfielder

67'

17

Sandro Kulenovic

Attacker

86'

25

Niels Nkounkou

Defender

86'

19

Filippo Romagna

Defender

12

Giacomo Satalino

Goalkeeper

16

Gioele Zacchi

Goalkeeper

24

Luca Moro

Attacker

44

Edoardo Iannoni

Midfielder

40

Aster Vranckx

Midfielder

66

Pedro Felipe

Defender

33

Christian Frangella

Midfielder

10

Domenico Berardi

Attacker

63'

90

Ismaël Koné

Midfielder

63'

23

Ulisses Garcia

Defender

75'

8

M’Bala Nzola

Attacker

76'

50

Darryl Bakola

Midfielder

84'

Former Roma and Juventus defender Medhi Benatia is reportedly among the options to replace Ricky Massara as Giallorossi sporting director according to the latest updates, but a clear first choice is already beginning to emerge. 

Benatia joins list of potential Massara replacements at Roma

Roma are widely expected to part company with sporting director Massara at the end of the season. The Giallorossi have recently decided to ‘side’ with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini after a public falling out with former senior advisor Claudio Ranieri, and it is likely that Massara will also depart in the near future. 

Several names have already been linked with the vacant position at the Stadio Olimpico. Reports on Thursday indicated that Roma had approached Inter’s Piero Ausilio, but he is highly unlikely to leave San Siro immediately after winning the Serie A title. 

Daniele Prade, formerly of Fiorentina, is also among the names linked with a move to Roma, as is former Napoli and Juventus man Cristiano Giuntoli and Atalanta’s Tony D’Amico. 

However, according to the latest updates, Napoli’s Giovanni Manna is the preferred option to replace Massara this summer. 

There is one another situation to keep an eye on, though. Benatia, who spent the 2013-14 season with Roma before joining Bayern Munich and later Juventus, could also be an option to replace Massara. 

The former Morocco international will leave his position as sporting director of Olympique de Marseille this summer after one season in the role. The 39-year-old has been part of the Marseille management since 2023. 

In fact, according to TMW, there is a potential scenario where Roma and Marseille end up ‘swapping’ directors, as Massara could potentially be an option to replace Benatia at the Stade Velodrome.

Inter and Italy striker Pio Esposito says that Cristian Chivu has given him ‘unconditional confidence’ and has spoken about the relationship that he has enjoyed with the coach dating back to his time with the U14s, and says that captain Lautaro Martinez’s numbers speak for themselves. 

Esposito has won the Serie A title in his first full season with the Inter first team, chipping in with six goals and four assists from his 33 appearances in the league this term. Across all competitions, the 20-year-old has provided 15 goal involvements from 46 outings. 

The youngster, now a nailed on member of the Italy national team squad, spoke about his impressive breakthrough season in an interview with Cronache di spogliatoio. 

Esposito on Chivu relationship, first impressions with Inter and Lautaro Martinez insipration

For Esposito, the appointment of Chivu as head coach following the departure of Simone Inzaghi at the end of last season was fate. Chivu began his coaching career in the Nerazzurri youth ranks, where he crossed paths with Esposito on numerous occasions. 

“I’ve known him since I was with the U14s, it was his first ever year as a coach,” Esposito said (via Calciomercato). 

“He already had me playing, I immediately took a liking to him and a beautiful bond was born. I met him again in the Primavera and he started giving me the captain’s armband even if I was ‘underage’. The first time against Cagliari, I scored a hat-trick. 

“We continued to talk over the years and it was lucky that we got to meet again this year. His presence has been decisive. He’s given me unconditional confidence since day one.” 

It is easy to forget that Esposito’s senior debut with Inter came less than a year ago, during the FIFA Club World Cup in June, 2025. 

“I felt like I was in a movie when we flew to America,” Esposito recalled. “I was there with them, in the hotel, with the group, I worked alongside the champions I was used to watching on TV every Sunday.” 

Esposito also had nothing but positive things to say about his captain and fellow centre-forward Lautaro Martinez. 

“The numbers speak for themselves, and for us, seeing him never settle for anything in training is an inspiration. He returned after quite a long break against Roma and immediately made the difference.” 

• Read more: Agent warning : ‘Pio Esposito wants to stay at Inter for next 10 years’