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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Barcelona interest in Milan man Leao depends on Rashford pursuit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marseille rule out permanent move for Inter owned Pavard

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Danilo reflects on Alex Sandro bond & Juventus exit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Kean ruled out of Crystal Palace vs. Fiorentina

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Argentina bidding to go back-to-back this summer

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

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

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

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

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

Leao hoping to play a key role for Portugal

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

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

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

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

Pulisic aiming to sparkle on home soil

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

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

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

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

McTominay ready to lead Scotland into battle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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What do Inter have planned for the summer transfer window?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gravina’s proposals to fix Italian football

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Juventus set to announce Spalletti extension

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Calhanoglu’s hug with Lucescu

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

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

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

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

— MEGA MAG (@MEGA_MAG__) April 7, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pirlo’s social media message for Lucescu

Visualizza questo post su Instagram

 

Un post condiviso da Andrea Pirlo Official (@andreapirlo21)

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

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What Vlahovic’s injury means for his Juventus future

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Conte is what Italy need’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“We must not make him robotic.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why Conte is favourite to become new Italy coach

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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La Gazzetta dello Sport

The Scudetto and the future of the coaches

Chivu: renewal and change

Everything says Conte

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

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

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

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

Corriere dello Sport

Without Carlo, it’s not Real

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

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

Here’s the scandal

Poor national team

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

Only 64 Italian starters out of 220.

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

‘Napoli worthy of the Scudetto’

The title race with Inter in seven rounds

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

Juve: Vlahovic returns in May

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

Farewell, Mircea, the Italian of Bucarest.

Tuttosport

Now Spalletti’s moves are needed

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

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

Conte CT? Go ahead!

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

Bayern gift a Real show, Arsenal coup

A stroke took Lucescu away from us

The visionary globetrotter

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

Toro, Belghali arrives for the right flank

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inter and Pisa pay tribute to Lucescu

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

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

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

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

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

https://t.co/0haqC64TLB

— Inter (@Inter) April 7, 2026

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

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Juventus learn Liverpool and Alisson Becker demands

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Calafiori starts for Arsenal in Champions League quarter-final

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

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

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

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

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

07-04-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

José Alvalade Stadium

Sporting

Arsenal

0 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Hidemasa Morita

31'

2nd half

90+1'

Kai Havertz (Assist: Gabriel Martinelli)

Match statistic

44

Possession %

56

11

Total shots

7

5

Shots on target

4

4

Shots off target

2

2

Blocked shots

1

3

Corners

4

2

Offsides

2

11

Fouls

10

Sporting

Arsenal

Starting lineups

1

Rui Silva

Goalkeeper

25

Gonçalo Inácio

Defender

22

Iván Fresneda

Defender

26

Ousmane Diomandé

Defender

5

Hidemasa Morita

Midfielder

52

João Simões

Midfielder

62'

20

Maxi Araújo

Midfielder

8

Pedro Gonçalves

Midfielder

79'

10

Geny Catamo

Attacker

97

Luis Suárez

Attacker

17

Francisco Trincão

Attacker

1

David Raya

Goalkeeper

4

Ben White

Defender

6

Gabriel Magalhães

Defender

33

Riccardo Calafiori

Defender

2

William Saliba

Defender

41

Declan Rice

Midfielder

8

Martin Ødegaard

Midfielder

70'

36

Martín Zubimendi

Midfielder

19

Leandro Trossard

Attacker

76'

20

Noni Madueke

Attacker

76'

14

Viktor Gyökeres

Attacker

Substitutes

13

Georgios Vagiannidis

Defender

6

Zeno Debast

Defender

41

Diego Callai

Goalkeeper

14

Giorgi Kochorashvili

Midfielder

72

Eduardo Quaresma

Defender

91

Ricardo Mangas

Defender

15

Souleymane Faye

Attacker

12

João Virgínia

Goalkeeper

58

Flavio Goncalves

Attacker

23

Daniel Bragança

Midfielder

62'

90

Rafael Nel

Attacker

79'

9

Gabriel Jesus

Attacker

13

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Goalkeeper

16

Christian Nörgaard

Midfielder

49

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Midfielder

3

Cristhian Mosquera

Defender

71

Andre Harriman-Annous

Attacker

89

Marli Salmon

Defender

79

Khari Ranson

29

Kai Havertz

Attacker

70'

11

Gabriel Martinelli

Attacker

76'

56

Max Dowman

Midfielder

76'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ancelotti set to extend Brazil contract until 2030

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Serie A bans and fines confirmed after Week 31

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Where Inter and Barcelona stand in Bastoni negotiations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Reports Juventus interested in Darwin Nunez deal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Newcastle target Ziółkowski considers Roma exit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ziółkowski’s Roma contract runs out in June 2030.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Milan star Christian Pulisic hasn’t yet scored a goal for club and country in 2026.

Pulisic still scoreless in 2026

The 27-year-old had a strong start to the campaign at a club level, netting eight times and providing two assists in 11 Serie A appearances.

However, in the following 13 Serie A games, all played in 2026, Pulisic has only provided one assist and hasn’t yet scored a goal.

The American star has not been fully fit since the start of the year, playing the full 90 minutes just three times and making five appearances as a substitute.

Back in February, he missed one Serie A match against Bologna due to bursitis and has been far from his usual standards since.

During the latest international break in March, he made two appearances with the USMNT but, yet again, failed to score in defeats to Belgium and Portugal.

Last night, he was involved as a substitute for Milan in the final 15 minutes during an away 1-0 loss at Napoli.

The defeat, the fourth in Serie A for Milan this season, left the Rossoneri third in the standings, nine points below leaders Inter.

Juventus’ third-choice goalkeeper Carlo Pinsoglio helped his teammate Michele Di Gregorio save a penalty in the second half of a 2-0 win over Genoa, passing him a note detailing the various penalty-taking styles of Genoa’s players.

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Juventus goalkeeper Pinsoglio contributed to a 2-0 win over Genoa on Monday despite not even being involved in the match.

As reported by DAZN, the third-choice Juventus keeper, in fact, ran all the way towards Di Gregorio between the sticks while Genoa’s Martin was preparing to take a penalty, passing his teammate a note with insight into how each Genoa player usually takes penalties.

The note said that number 3, Martin, a left-footer, would take the penalty to his left and Di Gregorio dived the right way to deny the Spaniard.

Di Gregorio had been introduced as a substitute in the second half to replace the injured Mattia Perin.

Di Gregorio had been subject to severe criticism in previous months and had lost his starting spot since mid-February.

Picture: Pinsoglio’s note for Di Gregorio

The note #Pinsoglio slipped to #DiGregorio to help him save the penalty!

Via @dazn pic.twitter.com/d7QDRkwbkA

— Around Turin (@AroundTurin) April 6, 2026

Juventus confirm that Dusan Vlahovic has suffered a ‘low-grade lesion of the soleus muscle’, while tests did not show ‘any lesion’ for Mattia Perin.

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Juventus provided injury updates on Vlahovic and Perin on Tuesday.

Official Juventus injury updates: Vlahovic and Perin

Both players had sustained injuries during a 2-0 win over Genoa on Monday.

Perin was replaced at halftime, while Vlahovic was not even involved as he sustained an injury during the warm-up in the second half, while preparing to come on as a substitute.

“During the warm up carried out in the second half of the match against Genoa, Dusan Vlahovic suffered an issue with his left calf,” Juventus said in a statement.

“As a result, he underwent diagnostic tests this morning at the J Medical, which revealed a low-grade lesion of the soleus muscle.”

Vlahovic had just returned to action after being sidelined for four months. The Serbia international underwent surgery due to an adductor injury in December and only made one substitute appearance since his return, playing for barely ten minutes.

According to Sky Sport Italia, this latest injury setback will force Vlahovic out of action for 20 to 30 days.

“Mattia Perin, who was substituted at half-time in yesterday’s match due discomfort in his right calf, also underwent tests that did not show any lesion,” Juventus continued.

“His condition will be assesed on a day-to-day-basis.”

Juventus added that Vasilije Adzic, who had suffered a right ankle injury while on U21 Montenegro international duty, is continuing his recovery.

Mattia Perin and Dusan Vlahovic underwent medical tests this morning, after suffering injuries during Juventus’ 2-0 win over Genoa on Monday.

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Perin and Vlahovic underwent medical tests at the J Medical in Turin this morning. Both had sustained suspected muscle injuries during Juventus’ 2-0 win over Genoa yesterday.

Perin started the match but was subbed off at halftime due to a calf problem, while Vlahovic wasn’t even involved after suffering an injury during warm-up and returned to the dressing room during the match.

Perin and Vlahovic briefly met with Juventus fans before and after leaving the club-owned clinic on Tuesday, and the Serie A giants will release medical updates shortly.

#Vlahovic al JMedical per le visite strumentali dopo il problema al polpaccio pic.twitter.com/0L68qic3dX

— ilBiancoNero (@ilbianconerocom) April 7, 2026

Visite terminate per #Perin
“Tutto a posto? Sí, sí” pic.twitter.com/13zq31dmEL

— ilBiancoNero (@ilbianconerocom) April 7, 2026

Visite terminate per #Vlahovic pic.twitter.com/eqWOoBNG0l

— ilBiancoNero (@ilbianconerocom) April 7, 2026

Strahinja Pavlović admits Milan ‘played slowly’ against Napoli: ‘In the end, we didn’t have a good position on the goal, and they scored.’

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Milan suffered a 1-0 away defeat at Napoli on Monday night, seeing the Partenopei overtake them in second position in the Serie A table.

The Serie A title race is now reduced to Inter and Napoli, although the Nerazzurri have a seven-point lead over the Partenopei with seven games remaining.

“We wanted to take three points here and get closer to Inter, but things didn’t go well,” Pavlovic told DAZN Italia via TMW.

“From the beginning, we played slowly and without many chances, in the end, we didn’t have a good position on the goal, and they scored.”

Milan had not been out of the top two since Week 11 this season, so are they looking over their shoulders now to secure a Champions League spot?

“We lost second place, but we are still on the way to reaching our goals,” Pavlovic replied.

“We don’t need to look at what other teams are doing; we just need to be focused on ourselves, to win next week and take three points at home.”

Pavlovic is a central defender, but has increasingly been pushing forward to act as an adjunct striker.

“We should create even more chances; we didn’t create a lot in the last few games, even if we scored three goals against Torino. When we have opportunities to score, we need to move much faster and be more focused,” he concluded.

“I had one situation too today where I didn’t know whether to shoot or pass, and I missed that moment, so we need to be more focused in these situations.”

Milan return to the pitch on Saturday, April 11, hosting Udinese at San Siro at 18:00 CET.

The Rossoneri have collected three wins and two defeats in the last five league matches and have a six-point advantage over fifth-placed Juventus.

Napoli winger Matteo Politano insists players have ‘no problem’ with Romelu Lukaku, while Leonardo Spinazzola describes the Belgian striker as a ‘gentle giant’ who has faced a ‘really difficult time’ personally.

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Napoli secured a 1-0 win over Milan on Monday night, climbing to the second position in the table, seven points behind leaders Inter.

Napoli 1-0 Milan: Spinazzola and Poitano’s post-match interviews

Italy international Politano was introduced from the bench and scored the winner for the Partenopei, and was celebrated with a warm hug from his teammate and compatriot Spinazzola.

“There is friendship for over 15 years, we grew up together and met up again here,” Politano told DAZN Italia via TMW.

“Today is the birthday of both one of my best friends and my sister, so I dedicate the goal to them.”

Napoli were without a natural centre-forward against the Rossoneri, as Rasmus Hojlund was ruled out with the flu, while Romelu Lukaku has been frozen out after staying in Belgium during and after the international break to train individually.

“We have no problem with Romelu; he always behaved well with us, and we are in contact. It’s between him and the club, it’s up to them to sort it out,” Politano said.

Spinazzola added: “This has been a really difficult time for Rom, he lost his Dad, he seems like a big tough guy, but really he’s a gentle giant, a big softie. We talked a lot, I know how much he suffered, so I hope above all for him that this can pass.”

The experienced full-back also spoke about his rapport with Politano and mentioned Italy’s World Cup play-off elimination as both players were part of the Azzurri squad last week.

“We shared something horrible a few days ago, but this is football,” he added via TMW.

“Today was a big reaction from everyone. I told Matteo before getting out there that he would decide it, because Milan are his favourite prey.

“We believe that we can win every game, then we’ll see where we end up, but we have faith that we can get a run of victories. Today was important for the Champions League places, then we’ll see where we are on May 25.”

Napoli’s next game is away at Parma on Sunday, and on the same day, Inter will visit Como.

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich admits he’s ‘not happy’ with Italy’s World Cup play-off elimination: ‘But you won the European Championship, you can’t forget it.’

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Bayern Munich midfielder Kimmich replied to a question from Sky Sport Italia about the state of Italian football.

Kimmich tells Italy: ‘Don’t forget’ about the Euros

Bayern Munich eliminated Atalanta in the Champions League Round of 16 and will play away at Real Madrid in the quarter-finals tonight.

“Italy have missed out on three World Cups, but in between, you won a European Championship,” Kimmich said via TMW.

“You can’t forget it, we haven’t won it,” he continued.

“In the last decade, we [Germany] have only won one Confederations Cup. Perhaps I’m not the right person to answer this, but obviously, I always hope you play in the World Cup and the Euros. Italy is a great country, with excellent players who I’d love to see at a World Cup, so I’m not happy with how it went.”

Italy have last played in the World Cup in 2014 and have not played a knockout game in the competition since 2006, when they went on to win the title, beating France in the final on penalties.

Brazil, with five titles, is the only country to have won more World Cups than Italy and Germany, both of which have lifted the coveted trophy four times in their history.

Following Italy’s World Cup play-off Final defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina last week, both FIGC President Gabriele Gravina and Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso have resigned.

Nicolò Pisilli’s rise at Roma has earned him a senior call-up for the March World Cup play-off, and with growing excitement around the Azzurri, the 21-year-old is shaping up to be a future regular starter.

The Roma midfielder made his Azzurri debut in October 2024 under Luciano Spalletti, but to date, that remains his only senior international appearance.

The adrenaline of an international match further boosts the experience of playing Rocketplay online, bringing on an added sense of excitement that mirrors the intensity and passion seen on the pitch.

Italy U21 coach Silvio Baldini could do anything but smile when he learned that Pisilli had earned a call-up to the senior Azzurri team for the crucial World Cup play-off.

Both Pisilli and Cagliari’s Marco Palestra were promoted to Italy’s first team, a source of pride for the Azzurrini.

“It is a success for us that they have been promoted to the senior squad, because it means we contributed to their growth process,” Baldini said.

“I spoke to Gattuso and Gigi Buffon over the last few days; they are accustomed to this kind of stress, having played in the biggest tournaments. They know there is a big responsibility on their shoulders, but we are all behind them, and I don’t think there’s anyone better with which to achieve qualification.”

Pisilli impressed with the Azzurrini, scoring five times in 19 appearances.

His performances at a club level have been just as good this season as the Roma academy product has scored three goals and provided two assists in 26 appearances across all competitions.

The 21-year-old is also lucky enough to train with some of his role models while on international duty with Italy.

“I think of Barella, Tonali, when he exploded with Milan, I always watched them on TV. It’s a great opportunity for me to be able to learn from them now,” he said last week.

“We’re a very strong group. Everyone here is really strong; they wouldn’t be here.

“There has to be a balance. We need the calmness of a squad that knows that with 100% commitment, they can achieve the goal, but also with the awareness that something really important is at stake.”

A complete central midfielder, Pisilli can operate in many areas in the middle of the park, from holding midfielder to box-to-box or even No.10.

Given his role models, Tonali and Barella, Pisilli will be looking to emulate the Azzurri stars and become a midfielder who can make an impact at both ends, and in just a few years, he might be playing alongside them in the Italy midfield.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini is under scrutiny, while contract talks with five players, including Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante, have been put on hold.

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Roma suffered a heavy 5-2 loss away at Inter on Sunday night, dropping to sixth, four points behind fourth-placed Como.

Italian sources, including Gazzetta dello Sport and Il Messaggero, claim that Gasperini’s future at the Stadio Olimpico is uncertain and will depend on results in the final part of the campaign.

Roma’s main target is to qualify for the Champions League this season, but their recent poor form, with three defeats in the last five league matches, has enabled direct rivals Como and Juventus to gain an advantage in the standings.

According to Gazzetta, Gasperini isn’t the only one under scrutiny, as Roma owners are also assessing some of the team’s most experienced players, such as Mancini and Cristante.

Both footballers’ contracts expire in 2027, and according to the report, talks have been put on hold, with the club assessing their transfer strategy for next season.

Likewise, talks with Paulo Dybala, Zeki Celik and Stephan El Shaarawy are on hold, with the trio potentially heading for a summer exit, as their contracts run out at the end of the season.

According to Gazzetta, there have been initial talks between the Giallorossi and Lorenzo Pellegrini’s entourage, but negotiations are far from advanced.

In the meantime, fans seem to have lost patience, and Gazzetta reports they’ll stage a protest against the team and Gasperini during the next Serie A home match against Pisa.

• Read more – Pressure mounts on Gasperini with Roma trio expected to split

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis admits he’d allow Antonio Conte to become the Italy national team coach and backs Giovanni Malagò to become the new FIGC President: ‘The perfect person.’

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Napoli President De Laurentiis admits he’s open to letting Conte leave at the end of the season to become the Italy national team coach.

“If Antonio asked me, I think I’d say yes,” De Laurentiis told reporters (via Gazzetta) in Los Angeles, where the documentary on Napoli’s fourth Scudetto premiered on Monday.

“But given that he [Conte] is very intelligent, until there isn’t a serious interlocutor and, until now, there haven’t been many, he’d resist imagining himself as the chief of something that is entirely disorganised,” ADL added.

Conte has emerged as one of the leading candidates to become the new Italy national team coach.

However, the FIGC won’t hire a replacement for Gennaro Gattuso until the end of June, given that a new President will be elected on June 22.

FIGC President Gabriele Gravina resigned following Italy’s World Cup play-off elimination last week, and so did coach Gattuso.

The Azzurri will play two friendly games in June and will be led by a caretaker coach, likely Silvio Baldini, for those matches.

De Laurentiis also confirmed Giovanni Malagò is his favourite candidate to become the new FIGC President.

“He’s the perfect person to first serve as a commissioner and then as the President of a new Federation,” concluded the Napoli owner.

• Read more – Conte: ‘If I was FIGC President, I would consider me for Italy job’

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Como pull the brake, Atalanta score three and see Europe

Inter, Conte remains

Chivu goes +7 over Napoli (who eliminate Milan)

Lautaro wakes the Nerazzurri up. The Scudetto is closer. Decisive Politano at the Maradona. Allegri: ‘Title? Now it’s gone.’

Antonio calls the national team: ‘If I were the president, I would consider myself.’

Lady, here you are!

-1 from the Champions. Spalletti: ‘Juve, I don’t understand you.’ Vlahovic injured again.

Corriere dello Sport

Milan beaten too

Antonio wins 1-0 and surpasses Allegri: he’s the only rival of the dominant Inter.

Conte keeps it alive

Scudetto: Napoli are -7 from Lautaro

Fourth consecutive win and second spot. Politano is introduced and decides the game. Seven rounds remaining. On Sunday the Fab4 in Parma and Chivu in Como.

Cesc, Juve incoming

Spalletti knocks Genoa down (2-0): -1 from Como, held at Udine (0-0).

Game closed in 17 minutes: Bremer and McKennie score. Champions League race: Lucio gets closer to Fabregas (fourth) and flies +3 over Roma. Di Gregorio replaces Perin (injured) in the second half and saves a penalty from Martin.

Dan has decided: trust in Gasp, but the team must be rebuilt

Roma must be remade: Friedkin’s order

Benevento celebrate: back to Serie B

Tuttosport

Conte doesn’t let Inter go

Without real strikers, the coach of the Italian champions manages to unlock a dull game: 5th consecutive win and overtaking for the second spot; even if with Lautaro and Calhanoglu’s returns, Chivu seems to have put his hands on the Scudetto.

Juve, Champions jump

-1 from Como with Bremer, McKennie and DiGregorio

Fabregas’ team held in Udine. The Bianconeri crush Genoa with a good first half, but the second half infuriates him: ‘We were walking…’ Perin injured, the former starting goalkeeper flies on the penalty and Martin’s rebound, receiving everyone’s hug. Muscle problem for Vlahovic too.

Yes, D’Aversa is saving Toro and appeals…Juric

Easter in Benevento: Serie B after three years.

Antonio Conte left the door wide open to an Italy recall, admitting his future at Napoli is in doubt. ‘If I was the FIGC President, I’d take me into consideration.’

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The 56-year-old has emerged as one of the strongest candidates to take over the reins of the Azzurri after the failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

It would be a return, as he was already on the Nazionale bench from 2014 to 2016, before walking away for a new club experience at Chelsea.

When asked in today’s press conference after Napoli beat Milan 1-0 to leap into second place if he was disturbed or flattered by the Italy rumours, his response was surprisingly open.

Conte not hiding Italy ambition

“Let us not forget that last year, in the final three months of the season, there was talk in the media that I would leave Napoli to go to Juventus, right?” said Conte.

“The media has to write something, and it is only right that my name appears as part of that list. If I was the FIGC President, I would take me into consideration along with others. For many reasons, I would put Conte in that list.

“After all, I have already worked with the Nazionale and I know the environment. I am flattered, because representing your country is something wonderful.

“You all know full well that I have a year left on my contract with Napoli and that at the end of the season I will sit down with the President to discuss it.”

A new coach is only part of the process, as Italian football has struggled since that epic World Cup triumph in 2006, and the EURO 2020 victory is starting to feel like a blip more than a sign of recovery.

What more needs to be done to turn things around?

“It’s disappointing that if we had won that penalty shoot-out with Bosnia and qualified for the World Cup, people would’ve talked about a great achievement and Italy playing great football. Unfortunately, only the results count in this sport now,” noted Conte.

“After three World Cups in a row, however, something serious needs to be done. When I was CT there was a lot of talk, but I got very little help from the clubs.

“Now everything is seen as a disaster, but even in disasters, there is always something that can be salvaged. We’ve got to understand that if things aren’t working, then they remain the same whether we qualify or not. If we had qualified, the same people criticising would’ve called it a triumph.

“We all care about the Nazionale and something must be done.”

Giovane reveals his shock when discovering this morning he ‘might have to start’ in a new role for Napoli against Milan, as Rasmus Hojlund had a virus.

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This was a Scudetto showdown to see who would go into the final seven rounds as genuine challengers to leaders Inter.

It was a rough situation for the Partenopei, who lost Hojlund just hours before kick-off to a stomach bug, with Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Antonio Vergara, Amir Rrahmani and Giovanni Di Lorenzo already injured.

Giovane was used as a makeshift centre-forward, but Politano came off the bench to meet the poor Koni De Winter header at the back post, scoring the winning goal.

Giovane had no time to prepare new role

Reports started to filter through in the afternoon that Hojlund was not in good shape, but it wasn’t much earlier that Napoli found out either.

“When I arrived at the camp this morning, I couldn’t see Hojlund, because he wasn’t well,” Giovane told DAZN Italia.

“Everyone started telling me I ought to get ready, because I might have to play. I am a young guy, I know that I need to improve and learn, and this is a role I have played only a few times.

“I am happy it went well, I really needed a performance like this against a great team like Milan.”

Giovane joined Napoli in January from Hellas Verona, but was always used as a winger and not a centre-forward.

“I had only played there at youth level, but I was ready to help the team. The coach told me to do the counter-movements in the second half, and it did go better.”

Having arrived a few months ago, the Brazilian is yet to fully discover the joys of living in Naples.

“I am rather reserved and don’t really like going out much, Juan Jesus tells me I am a weird Brazilian. What I’ve seen of the city is beautiful, it reminds me of Brazil, so I hope to see more of it.”

Antonio Conte feels Napoli beating Milan to take second place during an injury crisis is ‘extraordinary,’ but while they must be ‘realistic,’ this team still ‘wants to defend the Scudetto to the end.’

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This was a massive showdown for second place and the opportunity to keep up the pressure on leaders Inter, and it really did not start in the best way for the Partenopei.

Rasmus Hojlund came down with a stomach bug overnight and was ruled out of the squad, so with Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Antonio Vergara, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Amir Rrahmani injured, Conte had to give January signing Giovane his first start as a makeshift centre-forward.

It was a substitute who decided the match, Matteo Politano volleying in a poor Koni De Winter clearance at the back post at the 79^th minute.

Conte thanks decimated Napoli

“This victory gives us a great deal of enthusiasm and confidence, because we must never forget that if we are up there in second place, it is thanks to those lads who covered for all the absences we dealt with this season,” Conte told DAZN Italia.

“Hojlund was missing today, but we haven’t had Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Neres and Vergara for a while either, so that’s five players who are almost all regular starters. It’s extraordinary that the team has stayed up there despite these absences.

“Any other side would’ve fallen apart and lost its fight. I think of Elmas, who came on for the final 15 minutes, he was a key player during the many absences. Mazzocchi, Beukema, they were protagonists over the season.

“That was extraordinary, not what we saw this evening. It’s inevitable that the more players we get fit, the more we have choices and the more we can rotate to keep everyone fresh.”

The news only started to filter through in the afternoon that Hojlund not only might not be in the starting XI, but wasn’t even ready for a spot on the bench.

“This morning the doctor greeted me with this marvellous news that Hojlund had a fever and was vomiting, so I had to change plans, Giovane gave a good response,” explained Conte.

“I am eager during a moment of joy now that we are in second place to thank those lads who stepped up during a tragic sporting situation that could’ve ended badly. They gave a great response, we are starting to get players back, Rrahmani and Giovanni are on track. We hope Neres and Vergara can recover before the end of the season.”

Politano was in part on the bench because he was involved in Italy’s failed World Cup play-off campaign, starting against both Northern Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“I was joking with Politano today that I had predicted he’d come on and make the difference when Milan were more tired, in an area of the pitch where they’d attack us more,” revealed Conte.

“I am very glad for Matteo, who scored his second goal of the season. Alisson Santos was important too as a substitute.”

This result means Napoli leapfrog Milan into second place and are seven points behind leaders Inter, who crushed Roma 5-2 last night.

“Now we have to keep going, because there are seven rounds to go and we took an important step towards the Champions League, which is our objective,” added Conte.

“If Milan can say the Champions League is their target, why shouldn’t it be Napoli’s? Juventus say the same too, Napoli won the Supercoppa, but people seem to expect even more from us than these clubs.

“Now we must try to stay up there and defend this position. We know Inter deserve to be first in the table, we are there, and must focus on ourselves.”

More might be expected because Napoli are the reigning Champions of Italy and won two of the last three Serie A titles, even if both times their coaches tried to depict them as sporting miracles.

How much does Conte believe in the possibility of a second consecutive Napoli Scudetto?

“We’ve got to be realistic here. We would need to not make a single mistake, and at the same time hope that Inter slip up more than once. Seeing what Inter have done so far, that seems improbable. They are a very strong squad, they deserve all they are doing, and we must try to just keep our foot on the gas.

“We want to defend the Scudetto to the very end, which we hadn’t been able to do for many months, but now we’ve been able to take back control of our history, our destiny, and we want to keep going, without making proclamations.

“The Champions League spot still needs to be locked down, and it is by no means achieved yet. That truly is a fundamental objective, because everyone knows the financial benefits that brings,” concluded Conte.

Max Allegri admits ‘the Scudetto race is not for us now’ after defeat to Napoli, so they ‘still have work to do to achieve our objective, which is Champions League football.’

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The Rossoneri made big changes at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, leaving the not fully fit Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic on the bench to start an all-new partnership of Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku.

They struggled to test Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, and were beaten by a late Matteo Politano volley at the back post, ready to meet the poor Koni De Winter headed clearance.

Allegri regrets after Napoli 1-0 Milan

“It was a game with few scoring opportunities, so we felt like one incident would make the difference,” Allegri told DAZN Italia.

“Napoli did well to make the most of it, our defence was in position, but we conceded that goal. We should’ve been a bit quicker to finish off attacking moves in the second half, as we hesitated and allowed them to close us down.”

The choice of strikers was a big risk when they had not been used together before, but were there fitness problems behind that decision?

“I think Nkunku and Fullkrug had a good game, Nkunku worked for the team and had a couple of opportunities. Someone like him needs to score one of those chances,” replied Allegri.

“Football is made of these situations, the whole team played pretty well. We allowed one Spinazzola shot in the first half we shouldn’t have let him get through, then struggled with a few counter-attacks.

“I thought we recovered the ball three or four times in their half, but made the wrong pass, and that lack of precision is important. We absolutely need to improve, we still have some work to do in order to achieve our objective, which is Champions League football.”

Allegri has a tendency to throw strikers on when in a losing situation, but could Milan attempt a 4-3-3 formation from the start at some point too?

“The 4-3-3 is something we could try from the start, but it depends on fitness levels. Pulisic arrived on Friday from international duty, Leao was out for two weeks and had two half training sessions. I could’ve gone for it earlier, but I preferred to keep the game going for a while.

“Unfortunately, Rafa had started the season well, but has struggled with a series of injury problems.”

This was a head-to-head for second place, and Milan have slipped down to third, now two points behind Napoli and nine adrift of leaders Inter.

Perhaps more worrying, they are now only six points clear of Juventus in fifth, so that Champions League ticket is by no means locked down yet.

“The Scudetto race is not for us now, Inter are nine points away and Napoli are ahead now. We need to focus on ourselves, taking it one game at a time. We are right now on target for our objective, but it won’t be decided within a week or two, we need to maintain that advantage by trying to win games,” warned Allegri.

Matteo Politano came off the bench for a late goal to give Napoli victory over Milan, sending them into second place, with Inter’s lead at the top extended to seven points.

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This was a crucial crossroads in the campaign, as third hosted second to see who would emerge to challenge leaders Inter.

Rasmus Hojlund was ruled out by a stomach bug, so Giovane was the makeshift centre-forward, because Romelu Lukaku was frozen out for seeking treatment in Belgium, with David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Antonio Vergara injured.

Both Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic were only fit for the bench, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek returning after six weeks out with facial fractures, and Matteo Gabbia a long-term absentee, so Max Allegri launched a new front pairing of Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Luka Modric squirmed through a crowd to force Alessandro Buongiorno into a bookable offence, and from that free kick Strahinja Pavlovic nodded inches wide of the near post.

Leonardo Spinazzola dribbled past Youssouf Fofana to bend a finish just wide of the far top corner, with Nkunku failing to keep his finish down when sent clear down the left by Fofana.

Giovane sprinted onto a through ball and was shaping up to shoot when blocked off by Pavlovic, but he forced a big one-handed save out of Mike Maignan with a strike from outside the area after the restart.

Maignan also parried a Kevin De Bruyne effort from the by-line at the near post when sent through by Spinazzola, while Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa nodded wide from a promising position.

The breakthrough came in the final stages, as Mathias Olivera’s cross to the back post was only flicked on with a weak Koni De Winter header, finding Matteo Politano on the volley with the left foot from a tight angle to give Napoli the lead.

That magic left foot

Matteo Politano gives Napoli the lead in a must win game

TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/jHkoYanuhX

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 6, 2026

Santiago Gimenez saw his header sail just over the bar from a Zachary Athekame cross, while Rafael Leao fired over when going for the same ball as Pulisic.

Napoli 1-0 Milan

Politano 79 (N)

06-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 31

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Milan

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Alessandro Buongiorno

12'

2nd half

Matteo Politano		79'
Matteo Politano		81'

Match statistic

53

Possession %

47

10

Total shots

7

3

Shots on target

1

6

Shots off target

6

1

Blocked shots

0

4

Corners

3

5

Offsides

2

7

Fouls

6

Napoli

Milan

Starting lineups

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

85'

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

74'

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

99

Frank Anguissa

Midfielder

11

Kevin De Bruyne

Midfielder

85'

8

Scott McTominay

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

23

Giovane

Attacker

70'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

82'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

62'

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

82'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

74'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

63'

Substitutes

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

70'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

74'

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

85'

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

85'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

62'

7

Santiago Giménez

Attacker

63'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

74'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

82'

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

82'

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. 

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.”

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. 

“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’. 

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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. 

“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.” 

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. 

“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’.

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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. 

You can see how the action from all of Monday’s Serie A matches unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Spalletti reacts to Juventus 2-0 Genoa: ‘I’m still not sure what I’m dealing with’ 

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.” 

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. 

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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. 

You can see how the action from all of Monday’s Serie A matches unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Why was there no Vlahovic in Juventus 2-0 Genoa?

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. 

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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. 

You can see how the action from all of Monday’s Serie A matches unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

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. 

“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.” 

Napoli director Giovanni Manna explains Romelu Lukaku will face ‘consequences’ for his refusal to return from Belgium, but has faith in Giovane in tonight’s big match with Milan.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

Whoever wins will be in a position to challenge leaders Inter going into the final seven rounds of the season, as only one point separates Napoli in third from Milan in second going into this clash.

Manna outlines Napoli position on Lukaku

“It is an important match, we want to give a sense of consistency to our positive period of form, and certainly want to consolidate our position in front of our fans,” Manna told DAZN Italia.

“These are two strong teams, they are well-drilled, close together in the table. It is going to be a long and tough match.”

There was a surprising twist in the build-up to this match, because reports emerged this afternoon that Rasmus Hojlund was struggling with a stomach bug, and he is not even fit for the bench.

Lukaku, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Antonio Vergara are also still out of action, though Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa seem to be getting back to full fitness after long lay-offs, so Giovane is the makeshift centre-forward.

“We signed Giovane because we needed an attacking player. Centre-forward isn’t his best role, but he can play there, he is humble, professional, works hard, and that tends to pay off.

“He earned this opportunity, the coach had no doubts, so we have full faith in him.”

Lukaku faces disciplinary action after he refused to return from international duty, preferring to seek treatment in Belgium rather than with the Napoli medical staff.

“The situation is very clear to me. Romelu went to Belgium for international duty, he had a small injury setback and preferred to remain there to train, against what we had asked. Nobody would’ve stopped him from working with his doctors, but we had wanted to talk it over in Naples, and it didn’t happen. We are not happy about that.

“The integrity, respect and value of the group is above all else. Talking about this now is superfluous, because Romelu is not here, he is working in Belgium, I think and hope he will return in a week’s time.

“He knows there will be consequences, but we keep going, Giovane plays today, and so we are happy about that.”

Milan won when these teams met at San Siro in September, but Napoli replied with a 2-0 victory in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final in December.

“We expanded the squad precisely for these issues, and if we hadn’t done that, then we wouldn’t be there competing for our main target, which is a Champions League spot,” added Manna.

“We always fought this season to deal with injuries, but we are here, we want to give more joy to our fans this evening.”

Milan director Igli Tare explains the surprising new strike partnership against Napoli and insists Rafael Leao ‘is a very important player’ despite this season’s problems.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

This is a crucial moment in the season, as whoever wins will be in a position to challenge leaders Inter going into the final seven rounds.

Tare stands up for Leao and Milan

“These are two great teams, the table says so as well, we expect a spectacular game of football tonight,” Tare told DAZN Italia.

“Looking at the Juventus victory too, the table is closing up and a victory would be fundamental for us this evening.”

Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic are not at 100 per cent, so rather than risk them, Allegri has launched a new strike pairing of Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku.

“We have many excellent strikers, it is a deep squad for this reason, so there is nothing surprising about these choices. The best thing for Allegri today is that he has a lot of options to choose from.

“I generally try to look more to the top than over my shoulder, playing in a stadium with this atmosphere, there is nothing better for a player. We must try to do everything possible to win tonight.”

Leao has struggled as a False 9 and would perhaps prefer to be on the left wing, but how has his season been overall?

“We seem to talk about Leao every week, but his quality is beyond doubt,” replied Tare.

“His problem is that he suffered a lot of injuries this season that never allowed him to express himself in the best way. He was out for two weeks, had a couple of days training with the team, we brought him along because he can make the difference off the bench too.”

Will these setbacks affect the future of a player like Rafael Leao?

“He has a contract for another two years, he is a very important player for Milan,” concluded the director.

These sides have already met twice this season, Milan winning 2-1 in Serie A in September despite the Pervis Estupinan red card, but then Napoli emerged 2-0 winners in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final.

Juventus closed to within a point of Como in fourth place with a 2-0 victory over Genoa, as Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie scored, substitute Michele Di Gregorio saving a penalty.

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The Bianconeri were feeling the pressure after a 1-1 draw with Sassuolo left them in joint fifth place, although Como’s draw in Udine gave them the opportunity to close the gap on fourth. While they finally had a full squad to choose from, Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik were only ready for the bench. Genoa missed Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Maxwel Cornet and Benjamin Siegrist after a run of three wins in four games was ended by a home defeat to Udinese. It was a touchline reunion for Luciano Spalletti and his former Roma player Daniele De Rossi.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It took just four minutes to break the deadlock, as after the first Gleison Bremer header was charged down, Khephren Thuram and Lloyd Kelly knocked it back into the box for another Bremer header, this one wrong-footing Justin Bijlow with a deflection off Johan Vasquez.

Thuram flashed just wide and Ruslan Malinovskyi’s powerful free kick was deflected for a corner, but Juventus added a second with a well-worked move.

Weston McKennie started it in the centre-circle sending Francisco Conceicao down the right, continued his run and was ready to sweep home the return pass from 12 yards off the inside of the right boot.

However, McKennie was booked soon after for a clumsy sliding tackle on Vasquez and will be suspended for the big match with Atalanta.

Kenan Yildiz had a couple of weak efforts straight at Bijlow, but McKennie wasted an astonishing chance on the stroke of half-time.

Conceicao’s cross to the far post was acrobatically knocked back at the by-line by Kenan Yildiz, but McKennie somehow turned over from point-blank range.

Moments later, Conceicao went for goal himself, an angled drive flashing across the face of goal to skim the back stick.

Michele Di Gregorio came on for the second half, as Mattia Perin sustained a slight calf issue.

Juve continued to pour forward, as first McKennie was sliding in unable to fully meet the Thuram knockdown in a free kick routine, then moments later Jonathan David’s screamer from the edge of the area thumped the inside of the far post.

Tommaso Baldanzi fired straight at Di Gregorio, while the Vasquez strike was charged down, along with a Vitinha volley from a corner.

Vlahovic was getting ready to come on when he felt a calf twinge in the warm-up, so Milik was introduced instead.

Bremer brought down Aaron Martin for a yellow card, but VAR confirmed the contact was on the line, which is part of the penalty area. Martin stepped up, but Di Gregorio marked his unexpected return with a huge double save, first on the Martin spot-kick, then the follow-up volley too. It means Genoa have failed to convert four of their eight Serie A penalties this season, with four different players missing.

Baldanzi made a big difference since coming on for Genoa and was brought down by Thuram this time inches outside the box.

Arkadiusz Milik spotted Bijlow off his line and attempted an audacious lob from the centre-circle, which the Genoa goalkeeper scrambled back to claw away.

Juventus 2-0 Genoa

Bremer 4 (J), McKennie 17 (J)

Saved penalty: Martin 75 (G)

06-04-2026 17:00

MatchDay 31

Juventus Stadium (Allianz Stadium)

Juventus

Genoa

2 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Bremer (Assist: Lloyd Kelly)		4'
Manuel Locatelli		15'
Weston McKennie (Assist: Francisco Conceição)		17'
Weston McKennie		26'

2nd half

		51'		Morten Frendrup
Bremer		72'
		75'		Aarón Martín
Khéphren Thuram		78'

Match statistic

62

Possession %

38

16

Total shots

12

5

Shots on target

3

8

Shots off target

2

3

Blocked shots

7

5

Corners

5

0

Offsides

0

10

Fouls

8

Juventus

Genoa

Starting lineups

1

Mattia Perin

Goalkeeper

46'

27

Andrea Cambiaso

Defender

84'

3

Bremer

Defender

6

Lloyd Kelly

Defender

15

Pierre Kalulu

Defender

19

Khéphren Thuram

Midfielder

5

Manuel Locatelli

Midfielder

22

Weston McKennie

Midfielder

7

Francisco Conceição

Attacker

83'

30

Jonathan David

Attacker

67'

10

Kenan Yıldız

Attacker

90'

16

Justin Bijlow

Goalkeeper

3

Aarón Martín

Defender

27

Alessandro Marcandalli

Defender

22

Johan Vásquez

Defender

5

Leo Östigard

Defender

32

Morten Frendrup

Midfielder

83'

17

Ruslan Malinovskyi

Midfielder

66'

10

Junior Messias

Attacker

52'

29

Lorenzo Colombo

Attacker

66'

77

Mikael Egill Ellertsson

Attacker

9

Vitinha

Attacker

Substitutes

9

Dusan Vlahovic

Attacker

23

Carlo Pinsoglio

Goalkeeper

8

Teun Koopmeiners

Midfielder

4

Federico Gatti

Defender

20

Loïs Openda

Attacker

18

Filip Kostic

Midfielder

11

Edon Zhegrova

Attacker

32

Juan Cabal

Defender

16

Michele Di Gregorio

Goalkeeper

46'

14

Arkadiusz Milik

Attacker

67'

21

Fabio Miretti

Midfielder

83'

2

Emil Holm

Defender

84'

13

Jeremie Boga

Attacker

90'

20

Stefano Sabelli

Defender

39

Daniele Sommariva

Goalkeeper

1

Nicola Leali

Goalkeeper

13

Nils Zätterström

Defender

34

Sebastian Otoa

Defender

4

Amorim

Midfielder

98

Jacopo Grossi

Midfielder

99

Latif Ouedraogo

Defender

8

Tommaso Baldanzi

Midfielder

52'

18

Caleb Ekuban

Attacker

66'

73

Patrizio Masini

Midfielder

66'

21

Jeff Ekhator

Attacker

83'

It’s a huge Scudetto battle between third and second, as Napoli lose Rasmus Hojlund, so Giovane, Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay start, while Milan revamp with Niclas Fullkrug, Christopher Nkunku and Luka Modric.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

This is a decisive crossroads in the campaign, as whoever wins will be in a position to challenge leaders Inter going into the final seven rounds of the season.

Napoli are still missing Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Antonio Vergara, with Lukaku frozen out of the squad as punishment for refusing to return early from international duty, seeking instead to continue treatment in Belgium.

The situation took a totally unexpected turn today when Hojlund came down with a stomach bug and fever, so he is not even fit for the bench, having started the last 29 games in a row.

Antonio Conte can finally start De Bruyne, McTominay and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa together after their injury problems.

They need to provide support for makeshift centre-forward Giovane, who joined from Verona in January.

Miguel Gutierrez is preferred to Matteo Politano, who struggled for Italy in the World Cup play-offs, as Napoli seek a fifth straight Serie A victory.

Milan have quite a few problems to deal with after the hard-fought 3-2 win over Torino, because Rafael Leao is still not fully fit after a hip inflammation, while Christian Pulisic returned fatigued from international duty with the USMNT.

With that in mind, Max Allegri launches a brand new front pairing of Fullkrug and Nkunku, neither of them entirely accustomed to starting, let alone together.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is back on the bench for the first time since suffering facial fractures in a collision with the Parma goalkeeper in February, so only Matteo Gabbia remains out of action entirely.

Davide Bartesaghi is chosen ahead of Pervis Estupinan, with Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot in midfield.

These teams have already met twice this season, as Milan won 2-1 at San Siro in Serie A in September, then Napoli sealed a 2-0 victory in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final on December 12.

Napoli vs. Milan official line-ups

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Juan Jesus, Buongiorno, Olivera; Gutierrez, Lobotka, Anguissa, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, McTominay; Giovane

Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Fullkrug, Nkunku

06-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 31

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Milan

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Alessandro Buongiorno

12'

2nd half

Matteo Politano		79'
Matteo Politano		81'

Match statistic

53

Possession %

47

10

Total shots

7

3

Shots on target

1

6

Shots off target

6

1

Blocked shots

0

4

Corners

3

5

Offsides

2

7

Fouls

6

Napoli

Milan

Starting lineups

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

85'

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

74'

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

99

Frank Anguissa

Midfielder

11

Kevin De Bruyne

Midfielder

85'

8

Scott McTominay

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

23

Giovane

Attacker

70'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

82'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

62'

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

82'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

74'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

63'

Substitutes

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

70'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

74'

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

85'

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

85'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

62'

7

Santiago Giménez

Attacker

63'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

74'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

82'

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

82'

Juventus had dropped Michele Di Gregorio as their first choice goalkeeper, but he replaced Mattia Perin at half-time in today’s game with Genoa.

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You can follow all the action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

Juventus forced into goalkeeper change

The Bianconeri have seemingly changed their hierarchy of goalkeepers due to recent form, as coach Luciano Spalletti had started out picking Di Gregorio, but switched to Perin after a series of errors.

The former Monza man was benched for six games in a row between Serie A and the Champions League, not featuring since the 2-0 home defeat to Como on February 21.

He was also on the touchline for this evening’s Week 31 fixture against Genoa, but surprisingly came on for the second half.

Sky Sport Italia report this is because Perin felt a twinge in his calf muscle and it was decided not to risk further damage, so Di Gregorio came on in his place during the break.

Raffaele Palladino was ‘satisfied’ with Atalanta’s 3-0 victory away to Lecce, which put them back in the race for the top four. ‘It was the first of eight finals, we’ll keep climbing that mountain.’

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La Dea put themselves right back in the race for a top four finish and return to the Champions League, as they started the final sprint of eight rounds with a 3-0 victory away to Lecce.

Giorgio Scalvini opened the scoring in the first half at the Stadio Via del Mare, followed by Nikola Krstovic and Giacomo Raspadori, while Marco Carnesecchi never really had a save to make.

Palladino believes in Atalanta comeback

“This was a game with many hidden dangers, as the first after the break for international duty is always complicated to get everyone back together again,” Palladino told DAZN Italia.

“It wasn’t easy to prepare for this, the two teams also struggled with the heat as the temperature is changing, so that made the passing too predictable.

“We adjusted as time went on and did well to attack the space. I’m satisfied with the performance, another clean sheet also gives confidence to the defence.

“It was the first of eight Finals, now we must continue our climb up that mountain.”

If Champions League football and a top four finish seemed improbable when Palladino took over from Ivan Juric in November, the situation is very different now.

Atalanta are within five points of fourth place after Como were held to a 0-0 draw by Udinese today.

“We expected Lecce to be aggressive, as this was a decisive match for them, so I liked the maturity shown by my team in dealing with that early strong approach,” continued Palladino.

“We let them have their runs down the flanks with Banda and Pierotti, but blocked off the channels with quality, technique and dynamism.”

Having been eliminated from the Champions League Round of 16 by Bayern Munich, Atalanta are still in the Coppa Italia semi-final, having drawn the first leg 2-2 with Lazio.

“Now we have two head-to-head clashes coming up, plus the Coppa Italia semi-final, so I asked the team to raise the bar. Everyone is really involved in this fight,” continued the coach.

“Our DNA is to attack and defend together, the players know how much I care about everyone contributing to the two phases. We need altruism in the final third to find the player in the best position to score, I saw some of that today, and we could’ve won by a wider margin.”

It is not just Como’s draw that represented a boost for Atalanta, but Roma losing 5-2 to Inter also means La Dea are within a point of their former boss Gian Piero Gasperini in sixth.

“Obviously, those results were positive for us, I tried to keep the lads concentrated on our own path. I asked them to finish off this journey by giving their all, then we will see where we end up,” concluded Palladino.

Rasmus Hojlund is reportedly out of tonight’s big game between Napoli and Milan with a virus, so Giovane or Alisson Santos could step in.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

This is a huge match for the title race, as the winner will be in a position to keep up the pace with leaders Inter and pressure them to the end.

Napoli must do without Hojlund

Hojlund was set to start his 30^th game in a row for Napoli, but there were reports this afternoon that he was struggling for fitness.

Details were scarce, it was assumed he had sustained an injury on international duty with Denmark, but Sky Sport Italia now confirm it is a different matter.

Hojlund started feeling ill last night with a high fever, vomiting and stomach bug, he is still not in any fit condition to play, so is likely to not even be on the bench tonight.

The 23-year-old was their top scorer with 14 goals and four assists in 37 competitive games.

It’s a devastating blow for Antonio Conte, who was already missing Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Antonio Vergara, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Amir Rrahmani.

Giovane is the only real striker available, although some are suggesting that Alisson Santos could be used as a False 9 instead.

Juventus director of sport Marco Ottolini faces his old club Genoa, giving updates on contract talks with Dusan Vlahovic and Luciano Spalletti. ‘Italian football needs vision and patience.’

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It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The pressure is on the Bianconeri to secure Champions League qualification, which became more difficult after their 1-1 draw with Sassuolo going into the break for international duty.

However, a win here would put them within a point of fourth place, seeing as Como were held 0-0 by Udinese earlier today and Roma lost 5-2 to Inter.

Ottolini outlines Juventus vision

“It is a special game for me, I want to salute all of Genoa, as I spent some unforgettable years there,” Ottolini told Sky Sport Italia.

“The team is doing well, including those who returned from international duty, and we are ready to concentrate on this final sprint.”

Vlahovic and Arek Milik made their comebacks two weeks ago, but are still only fit for the bench to begin with after so many months on the treatment table.

The Serbian is only under contract until June 30, but while his exit as a free agent had seemed inevitable, it is increasingly likely that a new agreement will be reached.

“With Dusan we started talking again after his return from Belgrade, showing the mutual desire to sit down and evaluate the situation. Those talks will continue over the next few weeks. There is nothing more to say than that,” explained Ottolini.

Coach Spalletti is also in discussions for a contract extension, as he arrived to replace Igor Tudor and penned a short-term deal without guarantees, even if he qualifies for the Champions League.

“With the coach, as he himself said, there is no rush. We are concentrated on these final games, but talks are at an advanced stage.”

Although Jeremie Boga had been expected to start, it is Jonathan David who gets the nod in attack, with Francisco Conceicao, Weston McKennie and Kenan Yildiz in support.

It also remains to be seen how the Italy internationals in the squad will react after the World Cup play-off failure to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The debate over how to get more young players to develop in Italy also involves stronger use of second teams.

“We were the first club in Italy to set up the Next Gen team and are very pleased with how that is progressing, but naturally that also requires investment and infrastructure,” explained Ottolini.

“It also needs patience, but if you have a medium to long-term vision, it does bring results, and we will continue to put our faith in this project.

“When it comes to Italian football as a whole, many expressed their opinions, but I feel we need to sit down, set individual interests aside, and focus on the system in total.”

Daniele De Rossi explains his Genoa choices against Juventus and why he admires Luciano Spalletti. ‘He keeps up to date with changes in football and remains a modern coach.’

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It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

De Rossi outlines Genoa decisions

Genoa went into the break for international duty off a home defeat to Udinese, but are missing Brooke Norton-Cuffy after he suffered an injury with the England Under-21 side.

There were different options on the left flank, but Aaron Martin got the nod ahead of Stefano Sabelli.

“I can’t be using left-footed players on the opposite flank, Martin is suited to the left, so I’ll keep him there. We can solve games like this with set plays and Martin is a maestro, and his fitness levels really improved recently,” De Rossi told Sky Sport Italia.

“With five substitutions, it helps to have a deep squad, but I think Juventus have a great starting XI and play some of the best football currently in Italy along with Como.”

It is a touchline reunion with De Rossi’s former Roma coach Spalletti, and the veteran said that he considered DDR one of his ‘football sons’ who went on to become tacticians.

“He taught me so much, I worked with him when I was very young, he left and came back an even better coach than I remembered,” explained De Rossi.

“That means he is always eager to keep up to date with changes in football, continue to develop, and remain a modern coach, even when the years tick by.”

It was a long rapport, because De Rossi played 251 competitive games under Spalletti, more than with any other coach.

The midfielder scored 30 goals and provided 27 assists in that time.

Roma are expected to be without Gianluca Mancini for two to three weeks after tests showed a serious injury during the 5-2 defeat to Inter.

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The defender had been in the starting XI at San Siro on Easter Sunday and scored the equaliser, but then limped off at half-time clutching the top of his right thigh.

Mancini injury confirmed for Roma

Now tests have identified the source of the problem, namely a lesion to the adductor in the right leg.

According to the Corriere dello Sport and Sky Sport Italia, it means Mancini is expected to be out of action for two to three weeks.

It would rule him out of the games against Pisa on April 10, Atalanta on April 18 and possibly also the trip to Bologna on April 25.

This is a further blow for the Giallorossi, who were already missing Wesley, Manu Koné, Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson.

Their chances of making it into the Champions League suffered a blow with that 5-2 defeat to Inter, although they were boosted by the fact Como in fourth were held to a 0-0 draw by Udinese today, keeping them within reach.

Juventus use Jonathan David and Kenan Yildiz upfront in a must-win game against Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa, who look to Vitinha and Lorenzo Colombo.

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It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The race for fourth place and that Champions League qualification could go down to the wire, but with Roma beaten 5-2 by Inter on Sunday, the pressure is on for Juve to keep up with Como.

They slipped behind going into the break for international duty with a 1-1 draw against Sassuolo.

In a rare situation, Luciano Spalletti has a full squad to choose from, although Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik are only fit for a spot on the bench initially.

Jonathan David and Lois Openda have been flops this season, but the Canadian is given another chance as the centre-forward, flanked by Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao, with Weston McKennie uniting midfield and attack.

Mattia Perin gets to face his old club in goal, preferred to Michele Di Gregorio.

Genoa had been on sparkling form with three wins in four rounds, until a surprising 2-0 home defeat to Udinese.

Brooke Norton-Cuffy picked up an injury playing for the England Under-21 side, so he is out along with Maxwel Cornet and Benjamin Siegrist.

Junior Messias gets the nod rather than Tommaso Baldanzi in support of strikers Vitinha and Colombo.

This is a special reunion on the touchline for Luciano Spalletti and his former Roma player De Rossi.

Juventus vs. Genoa line-ups

Juventus: Perin; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; David

Genoa: Bijlow; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez; Ellertsson, Frendrup, Malinovskyi, Martin; Messias, Vitinha; Colombo

06-04-2026 17:00

MatchDay 31

Juventus Stadium (Allianz Stadium)

Juventus

Genoa

2 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Bremer (Assist: Lloyd Kelly)		4'
Manuel Locatelli		15'
Weston McKennie (Assist: Francisco Conceição)		17'
Weston McKennie		26'

2nd half

		51'		Morten Frendrup
Bremer		72'
		75'		Aarón Martín
Khéphren Thuram		78'

Match statistic

62

Possession %

38

16

Total shots

12

5

Shots on target

3

8

Shots off target

2

3

Blocked shots

7

5

Corners

5

0

Offsides

0

10

Fouls

8

Juventus

Genoa

Starting lineups

1

Mattia Perin

Goalkeeper

46'

27

Andrea Cambiaso

Defender

84'

3

Bremer

Defender

6

Lloyd Kelly

Defender

15

Pierre Kalulu

Defender

19

Khéphren Thuram

Midfielder

5

Manuel Locatelli

Midfielder

22

Weston McKennie

Midfielder

7

Francisco Conceição

Attacker

83'

30

Jonathan David

Attacker

67'

10

Kenan Yıldız

Attacker

90'

16

Justin Bijlow

Goalkeeper

3

Aarón Martín

Defender

27

Alessandro Marcandalli

Defender

22

Johan Vásquez

Defender

5

Leo Östigard

Defender

32

Morten Frendrup

Midfielder

83'

17

Ruslan Malinovskyi

Midfielder

66'

10

Junior Messias

Attacker

52'

29

Lorenzo Colombo

Attacker

66'

77

Mikael Egill Ellertsson

Attacker

9

Vitinha

Attacker

Substitutes

9

Dusan Vlahovic

Attacker

23

Carlo Pinsoglio

Goalkeeper

8

Teun Koopmeiners

Midfielder

4

Federico Gatti

Defender

20

Loïs Openda

Attacker

18

Filip Kostic

Midfielder

11

Edon Zhegrova

Attacker

32

Juan Cabal

Defender

16

Michele Di Gregorio

Goalkeeper

46'

14

Arkadiusz Milik

Attacker

67'

21

Fabio Miretti

Midfielder

83'

2

Emil Holm

Defender

84'

13

Jeremie Boga

Attacker

90'

20

Stefano Sabelli

Defender

39

Daniele Sommariva

Goalkeeper

1

Nicola Leali

Goalkeeper

13

Nils Zätterström

Defender

34

Sebastian Otoa

Defender

4

Amorim

Midfielder

98

Jacopo Grossi

Midfielder

99

Latif Ouedraogo

Defender

8

Tommaso Baldanzi

Midfielder

52'

18

Caleb Ekuban

Attacker

66'

73

Patrizio Masini

Midfielder

66'

21

Jeff Ekhator

Attacker

83'

Atalanta closed the gap on fourth place to just five points and plunged Lecce closer to relegation trouble with Giorgio Scalvini, Nikola Krstovic and Giacomo Raspadori goals.

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La Dea made the trip without Isak Hien and Gianluca Scamacca, so Nikola Krstovic faced his old club. The Salentini were increasingly in danger of the drop after losing four of their last five games, missing Antonino Gallo, Riccardo Sottil, Francesco Camarda, Medon Berisha and Kialonda Gaspar.

There was a mixed atmosphere before kick-off, as while Lecce ultras left the Curva Nord empty for the first 15 minutes in protest at limitations, the players brought out puppies from a local rescue centre as mascots.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Sadik Fofana should’ve done much better on 11 minutes when shinning the half-volley well over from 14 yards relatively undisturbed, so at the other end Wladimiro Falcone made a great one-handed save to deny Charles De Ketelaere on the Krstovic lay-off.

Lameck Banda had an effort charged down, but Atalanta scored on the counter-attack, as Giorgio Scalvini ran from his own box to meet the De Ketelaere pass, shrug off a defender, and smash into the net from 12 yards.

It was nearly 2-0, as De Ketelaere rolled across for Krstovic to sweep first time, forcing a sensational save out of Falcone. On the resulting corner, Danilo Veiga charged down Ederson’s scorcher with his face.

Atalanta had the ball in the net again after the restart with Ederson tapping in the De Ketelaere pass to the back post, but the offside flag went up for a very tight decision.

When Lecce did get into promising situations, they were wasteful with rushed crosses from Walid Cheddira and Lameck Banda, and were made to pay for it with a second goal on the counter-attack.

Ederson started the move and De Ketelaere threaded through for Krstovic to fire in from 12 yards. The former Lecce striker did not celebrate, instead bowing in apology to his former fans.

Falcone made another strong save to deny Ederson from close range, but the move kept going and he could do nothing as Giacomo Raspadori rifled it into the roof of the net from 12 yards for 3-0.

Banda was the last to give up for Lecce, curling just over the bar, while Krstovic’s acrobatic overhead kick was off target from a Raspadori assist.

Lecce 0-3 Atalanta

Scalvini 29 (A), Krstovic 59 (A), Raspadori 73 (A)

06-04-2026 14:00

MatchDay 31

Stadio Ettore Giardiniero - Via del Mare

Lecce

Atalanta

0 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

29'

Giorgio Scalvini (Assist: Charles De Ketelaere)

2nd half

		47'		Berat Djimsiti
		59'		Nikola Krstovic (Assist: Charles De Ketelaere)
		70'		Davide Zappacosta
		73'		Giacomo Raspadori (Assist: Mario Pasalic)

Match statistic

42

Possession %

58

11

Total shots

16

Shots on target

6

6

Shots off target

6

5

Blocked shots

4

2

Corners

5

2

Offsides

5

10

Fouls

18

Lecce

Atalanta

Starting lineups

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

67'

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

46'

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

68'

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

78'

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

70'

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

70'

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

47

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Defender

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

13

Éderson

Midfielder

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

63'

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

63'

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

80'

Substitutes

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

28

Olaf Gorter

Midfielder

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

46'

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

67'

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

68'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

78'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

98

Albert Navarro

Defender

99

Piotr Pardel

Goalkeeper

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

63'

18

Giacomo Raspadori

Attacker

63'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

70'

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

70'

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

80'

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