Antonio Conte has not forgotten Inter protests about the refereeing and hopes the Lecce penalty against Napoli today was not ‘moaning influencing the referees.’

The tension was over the weekend when Napoli beat Inter 3-1 including a penalty that was awarded by the assistant referee with minimal contact between Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

Many pundits suggested that the spot-kick should’ve been overturned with a VAR review, and that the referee should not have blindly accepted the verdict of his assistant.

Inter protested at that decision, sending President Beppe Marotta to the press room, so Conte referenced this after Lecce received a penalty for Juan Jesus handball.

Conte not letting go of Inter controversy

“It is not right for me to come here and complain, as too few days have passed since the last game with a very different type of behaviour from others,” said Conte in his press conference.

“We remain hopeful that the moaning is not influencing Rocchi and the referees. When Presidents arrive to speak to the media, they think that they are sending a strong message and influencing the narrative.

“We are not here to whine, but we’re not stupid either.”

The referee had not initially awarded the penalty to Lecce this evening at the Stadio Via del Mare, but it was given following a VAR On-Field Review.

It took quite a few minutes to find the footage from an angle that showed the hand bent back by the Kialonda Gaspar header.

Luciano Spalletti is ready to put pen to paper at Juventus, but the decisive element was his acceptance of a contract to June with automatic renewal for Champions League qualification.

As we had explained already, Spalletti was always the first choice for the job after the club decided to pull the plug on Igor Tudor not even three months into the season.

Roberto Mancini had already been on the outskirts from yesterday and was never really a Plan B, while Raffaele Palladino was only kept warm as an alternative in case the negotiations didn’t go well.

Spalletti only ever the first choice for Juventus

The former Italy boss was always the main focus and only an extraordinary change of strategy would see them drift away from that candidacy.

Today was delicate and the meeting with Spalletti laid the groundwork for the agreement, confirming it was never really a two-horse race.

Ultimately, what we suggested yesterday afternoon may well prove to be decisive, because he immediately accepted the proposal of a contract until June, with option for automatic renewal for another season in case of Champions League qualification.

Once that hurdle was out of the way, he was always leading the race and just hurtling towards the signature.

Aaron Martin has lost some of the visibility he previously had in recent matches, despite an undeniably high level of performance.

Many have linked this situation to his contract expiring in June.

Genoa push for Aaron Martin renewal

Genoa want to resolve the matter as soon as possible, in order to avoid the risk of losing the 1997-born left-back on a free transfer.

As we reported back on June 10, Martin’s profile is greatly appreciated by Lazio, and there have already been inquiries to understand the position of the Spanish specialist.

At the moment Lazio cannot make moves in the market, but in the future several issues will need to be defined (starting with Tavares), and the club will continue to monitor Martin. In the meantime, Genoa will continue to push for a renewal, as we have now entered an increasingly delicate phase.

The 28-year-old signed for Genoa in 2023 from Bundesliga outfit Mainz and has since made close to 70 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Atalanta director Luca Percassi will not be drawn on the row between coach Ivan Juric and goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi, as they prepare to face AC Milan. ‘This is the start of a new era.’

It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo at 19.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Lecce-Napoli on the Liveblog.

La Dea are the only side in Serie A still to taste defeat so far this season, but it has not necessarily translated into success, because they managed just two victories in eight rounds.

That includes a run of four consecutive stalemates, having wasted numerous scoring opportunities.

Atalanta try to smooth over tension

There was tension when coach Juric reacted angrily to goalkeeper Carnesecchi commenting that Atalanta would ‘get nowhere’ with their current form, so how does the club mediate?

“I am very fond of both, so I’ll just limit myself to saying we need to keep working one day at a time,” Percassi told DAZN Italia.

“This is the start of a new era, it takes patience and belief to get stronger every day, then we’ll see where we end up, but we’re not even halfway through the season yet.”

Some time to adapt is inevitable after nine years under the guidance of coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who left for a new challenge with Roma.

Atalanta have created numerous scoring opportunities during these eight rounds so far, but struggled to finish them off with goals.

“Considering the chances that we created, I think we deserved more points, but I couldn’t say how many,” added Percassi.

“We will keep working and the team will be able to express itself better with time. Tonight is a big game against a very strong Milan side who have a great coach in Max Allegri. It’s going to be an exciting match.”

Juventus are moving closer towards the appointment of Luciano Spalletti as head coach, with reports from Italy claiming an official announcement and presentation could be made as early as Thursday.

According to Sky Sport, Spalletti has nearly reached an agreement to take over the Bianconeri, shortly after Igor Tudor was sacked yesterday after a poor run of results.

After a strong start to the campaign, the Old Lady have struggled and a winless, scoreless run sped up Tudor’s exit from the club.

Spalletti set to take charge at Juventus

It will be Spalletti’s first club job since 2023, when he left Napoli after two years in charge.

For the following two years, the Italian would lead the Azzurri, taking over the Italian national team after the surprise resignation of Roberto Mancini.

In June, following a 3-0 loss to Norway, Spalletti was sacked by the Azzurri and led his final match in charge against Moldova.

Remo Freuler’s future is back in the spotlight as Bologna work to secure a contract extension for the experienced midfielder.

The 33-year-old is tied to the Rossoblù until June 2026, and initial discussions have already taken place in recent weeks.

However, progress has been slow, and another club may now be considering an approach.

Gasperini seeks Freuler reunion at Roma

According to reports from Il Resto del Carlino, via TuttoMercatoWeb, Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini has made an exploratory call to Freuler to understand the player’s openness to a future move to the capital.

The two know each other extremely well, with Freuler having made 254 appearances under Gasperini during their long spell together at Atalanta, the most he has played for any coach in his career.

For now, concrete steps are yet to be taken, but Roma’s interest could increase pressure on Bologna to accelerate renewal talks and avoid letting the situation drift.

Luciano Spalletti has made it clear this is not a matter of salary or contract length. During the meeting with Juventus, after the contacts we reported already yesterday afternoon, Spalletti reaffirmed his strong desire to take charge in Turin.

He is open to every formula: a deal until June with a two-year option, or a straight contract until 2027. The idea of reaching the club’s minimum target of Champions League qualification and then being one year away from expiry does not concern him now; that would be a matter to evaluate later.

Spalletti wants Juventus & Juventus want Spalletti

Spalletti is convinced that through his work he can put the ship back on course after the recent wrecks.

Now, the next move belongs to Damien Comolli and his timing. One could say that after dismissing a coach, the club should already have the replacement ready.

But Comolli identified Spalletti as his target since Saturday, the eve of the defeat to Lazio, and it is up to him to assess the financial side of the operation.

There is no doubt inside the club regarding Spalletti being the most suitable candidate to pull Juventus from this situation. From this point, it is simply a matter of moving from theory to execution.

Palladino remains plan B for Juventus

Raffaele Palladino remains the plan B only in the case of sudden changes of direction, second thoughts or unforeseen developments in the coming hours.

From yesterday afternoon onward, Roberto Mancini has been removed even as a plan C, not just as plan B. The expectation now is to finalise talks with the man who has always been the first choice.

Teun Koopmeiners’ difficult start to life at Juventus is increasingly becoming a talking point in Turin. The Dutch midfielder arrived with the expectation of becoming a key part of the new project, but performances so far have fallen short of the level shown at Atalanta.

Used in multiple roles under Igor Tudor, he has yet to find continuity or influence matches in the way the club envisioned.

Koopmeiners has made clear his preference to play deeper in midfield rather than as an advanced playmaker, and his future will be re-evaluated in the winter window.

Juventus eye Dortmund star Nmecha as Koopmeiners upgrade

While the club have shown faith, there is an acceptance that the balance in midfield is still lacking and reinforcements could be required.

Among the profiles Juventus continue to monitor is Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha, via CalcioMercato. The Germany international impressed against the Bianconeri in the Champions League and was observed again recently during Dortmund’s European win in Copenhagen.

However, competition from Premier League and La Liga sides, plus a valuation approaching €50m, makes any January move complex.

It is surprising to see Juventus signings Jonathan David and Loïs Openda suddenly being written off as “flops”, when they are clearly nothing of the sort.

And if someone wanted to say it, it would have been more credible to do so on September 2nd – not at the end of October. What is certain, however, is that those two, especially those two, were the core of the disagreement between Tudor and Comolli.

The coach had pushed to keep Kolo Muani, both for tactical continuity and because his adaptation to the system was already complete. Instead, he did not appreciate the repeated delays in negotiations, accepted David without enthusiasm, almost endured Openda’s arrival, and expressed strong doubts about Zhegrova.

Juventus expected summer signings to flourish

Once Comolli had acted, the club expected those investments, significant investments, to be valued, rather than constant tactical resets and formation changes born out of improvisation.

The change of coach at Juventus is not only about stopping the negative run of three consecutive defeats and four games without scoring. It must also redirect the club’s transfer strategy.

That does not mean forcing the new manager to rely blindly on the attackers signed in July and August. But it also cannot mean discarding them on principle or using them without a clear and coherent plan.

Roma remain joint-top of Serie A, but the lack of a reliable goalscorer at centre-forward has become a clear concern.

Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson have scored just once between them in the league, and the club are evaluating solutions ahead of January.

Joshua Zirkzee is the primary idea, as per reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The former Bologna striker has had limited minutes since joining Manchester United and is open to a return to Italy.

Roma like his ability to combine and work between the lines, but the costs of any deal remain significant.

Roma eye alternatives to Man Utd forward Zirkzee

Other names are also under consideration. Arnaud Kalimuendo (Nottingham Forest) and Promise David (Union Saint-Gilloise) are being followed abroad.

Meanwhile two profiles closer to home are gaining attention: Parma’s Mateo Pellegrino and Genoa’s Jeff Ekhator, both viewed as promising long-term talents.

The final plan will depend on outgoings. If one striker leaves, Roma will likely sign one replacement; if both depart, a double move is possible.

Francesco Totti believes Luciano Spalletti would be a ‘great acquisition’ for Juventus as the Italian tactician prepares to meet with the Bianconeri.

Spalletti has emerged as Juventus’ leading candidate to replace Igor Tudor, who was sacked on Monday following three consecutive defeats and an eight-game winless streak.

Spalletti is due to meet with Juventus’ director Damien Comolli later today, but on Tuesday morning, he reunited with his ex-Roma star Totti.

Spalletti and Totti teamed up for the new commercial of Amaro Montenegro in Italy, and the company unveiled their latest advertisement at an event in Milan.

Totti comments on Spalletti’s possible appointment as Juventus coach

Talking about rumours linking Spalletti with the Juventus job, Totti said (via Corriere dello Sport): “From what is being rumoured, he’s one of the candidates, and I think Juventus would make a great acquisition if they were to hire him. Whenever he’s gone, he’s always done well.”

Totti and Spalletti openly argued at the end of the 2016-17 campaign when the former striker accused the coach of forcing his retirement. Nevertheless, the duo seems to have cleared the air in recent years.

Totti: ‘Great friendship’ with Spalletti

“Many years have passed, and some things just need to be put aside,” said Totti.

“There has been a great friendship, and it’s a pleasure to have met again on this occasion. We revisited and discussed things, and we were very happy with what we accomplished.”

Spalletti also spoke during the event, praising ex-Juventus coach Tudor and saying that whoever will replace him “will be lucky.”

Calcio&Finanza reports that Juventus will have to pay almost €30m to cover the salaries of their former coaches Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor, who remain under contract until June 2027.

Juventus are expected to pay almost €30m to cover the wages of sacked coaches Thiago Motta and Tudor, according to Calcio&Finanza.

How much will Motta cost Juventus until 2027?

Tudor was hired in March 2025 to replace Motta and signed a contract through 2027 after leading the club to Champions League qualification last season.

Juventus’ latest balance sheet for the financial year ending June 30, 2025, signals that the club has already set aside €16.3m to cover the salary of Motta and his staff members until June 2027.

How much Tudor’s sacking will cost Juventus

The figures regarding Tudor’s salary are not official, but it is believed that the Croat signed a €3m-a-year contract until 2027, circa €5.5m gross, which brings the spending to €11m plus wages of his staff members.

This means Juventus will have to pay over €27.3m to their ex-coaches, unless they reach an agreement to end their contracts or unless Motta and Tudor find a new club before their deals expire in 2027.

Juventus have now identified Luciano Spalletti as the ideal replacement for Tudor, and according to various sources, the Bianconeri director Damien Comolli will meet the ex-Italy boss today.

Luciano Spalletti opens up about rumours linking him with the Juventus job, saying that ‘whoever will replace Igor Tudor will be lucky.’

Spalletti is the leading candidate for the Juventus job, as multiple sources in Italy claim that he and Bianconeri director Damien Comolli will sit down today to discuss contract details with him today.

Ironically, Spalletti had already planned a meeting with the media on Tuesday morning to unveil a new advertisement in which he features alongside his former Roma star Francesco Totti.

Spalletti comments on possible Juventus appointment

The ad was released earlier this week, and Spalletti didn’t only talk about his latest sponsorship commitment.

“I feel well, I wait with serenity. I have the ambition to set things right,” the ex-Italy coach told Sky Sport via Gazzetta.

“I can only speak highly of Tudor, a serious and passionate person. Whoever will replace him will be lucky because he’ll find a well-trained team.”

Juventus confirmed Tudor’s sacking on Monday after the team lost three consecutive matches and failed to score in the last four.

Spalletti on the reunion with Totti

Spalletti also spoke about his reunion with Totti, which has made headlines in Italy because of their public dispute during the coach’s second spell at the Stadio Olimpico.

“It feels so good to sit next to Totti,” Spalletti said.

“There were some risky choices, but we spent some marvellous years together, so when Ramazzotti put us back together, I was very happy and he was quite relaxed.”

An 81-year-old man in an electric wheelchair was fatally struck this morning by a car driven by Inter‘s second-choice goalkeeper Josep Martinez, reports in Italy claim.

There’s tragic news from Italy this morning, as according to several sources, including Gazzetta, Inter’s second-choice keeper Josep Martinez was involved in a car accident that killed an 81-year-old man in an electric wheelchair.

Inter goalkeeper Martinez involved in car accident that killed 81-year-old man

It happened at around 9:40 am local time on Via Bergamo in Fenegrò, in the province of Como, near Inter’s training centre Appiano Gentile.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene despite the prompt arrival of an ambulance and an air ambulance.

The Italian Police is carrying out investigations to reconstruct the dynamics of the accident.

Inter cancel Chivu’s press conference

According to Gazzetta, the initial hypothesis is that the elderly man may have suffered a sudden illness and veered into the lane where Martinez was driving.

The Nerazzurri goalkeeper immediately stopped and provided first aid to the man.

Following the tragic news and as a sign of mourning, Inter decided to cancel Cristian Chivu’s press conference, which was scheduled for 14:00 CET today.

Juventus sacked Igor Tudor because of poor results and performances in recent games, but the frosty relationship between the Croat and club director Damien Comolli also played a role in the coach’s dismissal.

Juventus announced Tudor’s sacking on Monday and Juventus General Manager Comolli is set to meet Luciano Spalletti today to offer him the job at the Allianz Stadium.

Juventus have been winless since September 13, they’ve lost three games in a row and have not scored in the last four.

Naturally, results and performances in recent weeks led to Tudor’s dismissal, but there’s more behind Juventus’ decision to part ways with the Croatian tactician.

Behind Tudor and Comolli’s frosty relationship

Juventus’ transfer activity surely affected the relationship between Comolli and Tudor, given that the coach’s requests were largely ignored by the Old Lady’s general manager. Juventus didn’t sign a new central midfielder over the summer but signed instead two attacking players, Lois Openda and Edon Zhegrova, on deadline day. Furthermore, Tudor was eager to keep Alberto Costa in the team, especially after some positive performances in the Club World Cup, but Juventus still decided to swap the Portuguese right-back with his compatriot Joao Mario, who has only collected 330 minutes on the pitch across all competitions since moving to Turin.

Director of Performance

The appointment of a new Director of Performance, Darren Burgess, in September, was another decision that the club did not share with the coach. The welcome from Tudor surely wasn’t a warm one, as the Croat said “This gentleman hasn’t yet arrived at the club” when asked about Burgess’ appointment last month. Juventus had welcomed Burgess, stating that the ex-Arsenal and Liverpool staff member would “work closely with Damien Comolli, Giorgio Chiellini, François Modesto, Igor Tudor and across all the technical areas and every age group of the Club to form a high-level team dedicated to promoting excellence in performance, innovation and athlete wellbeing.” Furthermore, as first reported by Tuttosport, in recent weeks, club directors also discussed Tudor’s tactics, suggesting in one-on-one meetings that he should have considered switching to a four-man defence, a step into Tudor’s territory that the coach didn’t particularly appreciate.

Communication

Aside from results, Juventus were also not impressed by Tudor’s communication, including frequent protests towards referees. Tudor’s first complaint came after a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona, in which the Bianconeri protested for a penalty kick in favour of their opponents and a potential red card for the Gialloblu striker Gift Orban. On that occasion, Tudor labelled the penalty kick decision as “shameful.” Tudor’s communication strategy didn’t change in the following weeks as he kept complaining about referees, and even the fixture list, before a Champions League game against Real Madrid last week, with Giorgio Chiellini, Comolli and François Modesto sitting in front of him in the first row of the press room of the Estadio Bernabeu. Ultimately, on and off-the-field issues led to the coach’s dismissal, and Juventus are now on the verge of starting a new era, with their third coach in seven months.

Juventus director Damien Comolli is set to meet with ex-Italy coach Luciano Spalletti today to offer him a contract as a replacement for Igor Tudor.

• Read more – How Juventus could line up under former Italy CT Spalletti

Multiple sources in Italy, including Gazzetta, claim that Juventus will meet with Spalletti today to discuss the contract details and the technical project following Tudor’s dismissal.

Juventus to meet Spalletti today

Football Italia exclusively reported on Monday that Juventus had established contact with Spalletti right after Tudor’s departure.

The Bianconeri have gone eight consecutive games without victories and have not scored a goal in the last four matches.

Spalletti, a Napoli Scudetto winner in 2022-23, has been without a team since June, when he was sacked by the Italian federation.

Juventus to offer Spalletti a contract until June 2026

According to Tuttosport, Spalletti will be offered a contract until the end of the season, with an option to extend in case of Champions League qualification.

Gazzetta claims that Spalletti has rejected offers from Saudi and Turkish clubs and is eager to accept the Juventus job. However, if the two parties fail to reach an agreement, Roberto Mancini and Raffaele Palladino remain possible candidates for the Old Lady.

Sky Sport Italia suggests that Juventus could meet face-to-face with Luciano Spalletti to discuss a potential appointment as Bianconeri head coach on Tuesday, and that the Old Lady are planning to offer a short-term contract with an option to renew. 

Juventus are on the lookout for a new head coach to replace Tudor, who was relieved of his duties on Monday. 

The Croatian had gone eight matches without a win in any competition and his team had not scored in any of their last four matches. He becomes the first Serie A head coach to lose their job in 2025-26, lasting for just eight league matches. 

Sky: Spalletti inclined to accept Juventus terms

According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio and Sky Sport Italia, Juventus could hold face-to-face talks with Spalletti as early as Tuesday. As Football Italia reported on Monday, the former Napoli and Italy head coach is the current frontrunner to replace Tudor. 

According to the latest updates, Juventus are prepared to offer Spalletti a contract until the end of the 2025-26 season with an obligation to renew if the Old Lady qualify for next season’s Champions League. 

As per Gianluca Di Marzio, it remains to be seen whether that automatic contract extension will be for another 12 months, or for another two years. Monday evening’s report indicates that Spalletti is already inclined to accept either way. 

Sky also adds that Spalletti has recently rejected potential opportunities abroad, including Fenerbahce and to some lucrative proposals from Qatar, in order to focus on a return to Serie A. 

Kenan Yildiz has sent his best wishes to Igor Tudor, who was sacked from his position as head coach of Juventus on Monday: ‘All the best for the future’. 

Juventus officially announced the departure of Tudor as head coach on Monday following a run of eight matches without a win across Serie A and the Champions League. The Bianconeri had not won since the 4-3 victory over Inter on September 13, and had not scored in any of Tudor’s last four matches in charge. 

The Croatian is the first head coach to lose his job in Serie A in 2025-26, receiving his marching orders just eight league games into the campaign. 

Juventus players thank Tudor after Juventus sacking

Gleison Bremer was the first of the Juve players to publicly express their gratitude to Tudor following the news of his departure on Monday. “Thank you for everything, gaffer, best of luck for the future,” he wrote in his story on Instagram. 

Yildiz, the most recent of the Juventus players to thank Tudor, wrote the same message as Bremer, but in English: “Thank you for everything, Mister. All the best for the future.” 

Mattia Perin has also sent a message to Tudor on his Instagram story, simply writing: “Thank you, mister.”

Juventus and Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon has expressed his support for his former colleague Luciano Spalletti, who is the current frontrunner to replace Igor Tudor as head coach of the Bianconeri. 

Juventus announced on Monday that Tudor has been relieved from his duties as head coach following a run of eight matches without a win and four games without scoring. The Old Lady have not won in any competition since the 4-3 Derby d’Italia victory over Inter on September 13. 

Several names have already been linked with a move to take over at the Allianz Stadium, including Roberto Mancini and Raffaele Palladino, but Spalletti is the current frontrunner, and is already in direct contact with the club. 

Buffon on Spalletti and Juventus: ‘The best around in terms of experience’

Buffon, speaking at the closing ceremony of the Corriere dello Sport centenary event in Naples on Monday evening, expressed his support for Spalletti becoming the next head coach of his beloved Juventus. 

“For me, Luciano is the right profile for any big club who wants to remain ambitious. You won’t lose many with Luciano,” Buffon said. 

Buffon and Spalletti have worked together previously as part of the Italy national team set-up. Spalletti was CT from the end of the summer in 2023 until the start of the summer in 2025, while Buffon served as delegation chief, a role that he still holds today. 

“It would be a great professional choice,” Buffon said of Juventus’s links with Spalletti. “He’s a football man, he’s a great person and a great coach. 

“Spalletti is the best around in terms of experience, charisma and authority. He’s the right person for ambitious clubs who want to remain ambitious. It’s a shame seeing him not in the dugout.” 

Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Tottenham and Bayern Munich are showing ‘real interest’ in struggling Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.

The Serbia international remains Juventus’ best scorer this season with four goals in 11 appearances across all competitions, but has not found the net since September 16.

Last night, he started in a 1-0 loss against Lazio, which marked Juventus’ third consecutive loss and Igor Tudor’s dismissal.

Juventus have not scored in four consecutive matches for the first time since 1991 and have gone eight games without winning for the first time since 2009.

Tudor had replaced Thiago Motta in March 2025, but it would be a mistake to consider him as only responsible for Juventus’ downfall in recent weeks.

Gazzetta noted that Juventus lack high-level players in the team and analysed the Vlahovic case.

Tottenham and Bayern Munich interested in Vlahovic

“Tudor changes the factors, but the product remains the same,” wrote Gazzetta dello Sport vice-editor Stefano Agresti.

“Juventus haven’t seen similar numbers since the Maifredi era in 1991.

“Vlahovic has lost the magic that had brought him back in harmony with the black-and-white world.

“The Serbian striker neither scores nor helps the team, sending the coach into a tailspin when it comes to choosing the formation and the focal point in attack.

“He could leave in January as Tottenham and Bayern Munich are showing real interest.”

Vlahovic set to leave Juventus in June 2026

Vlahovic’s contract at the Allianz Stadium expires at the end of the season, so the Bianconeri will be willing to listen to offers in the winter transfer window.

Parma coach Carlos Cuesta says his side will need humility, intensity and complete collective focus as they prepare to face Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in Tuesday’s midweek Serie A round.

With the league immediately returning after the weekend fixtures, the Crociati now face one of the toughest away matches on the calendar – and will have to do so without most of their travelling fans, following restrictions on away ticket sales to Parma residents.

Parma coach Cuesta has respect for Roma

Cuesta was full of respect for the Giallorossi when speaking in his pre-match press conference. “Roma are a very strong, solid team with clear ideas,” he said, via TMW.

“Their coach is a reference point in this league for what he has done and what he has inspired. It will be a difficult match that we must approach with humility and confidence.”

On the coaching duel, Cuesta smiled at the contrast in experience: “I want to learn from everyone, and he is certainly a major reference. Roma transform quickly under his guidance. We go there with the will to play our football and to play well.”

Cuesta: Rotation vital – matches last more than 90 minutes

Rotation could be a factor, but Cuesta stressed mentality over names. “We will always choose the players who are most ready. Matches last more than 90 minutes – everyone must be ready to make a positive impact.”

Roma’s threat is no mystery to him. “We expect a Roma side that wants to play in our half, attack space and press without the ball. They are solid, aggressive and flexible. We must be ready for every scenario.”

Despite Parma’s goal struggles, Cuesta remains calm. “We are convinced the goals will come. When you give everything, there is nothing more you can ask.”

Former Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli believes Igor Tudor has been made a scapegoat by the club and argues the team’s structural problems come from above, after the coach was sacked earlier this week.

Speaking to TMW, the ex-chairman said the situation in Turin is “complicated to explain” and goes well beyond the dugout.

‘Tudor deserved more credit’ – Gigli

Cobolli Gigli insisted Tudor had earned more credit than he was given.

“Tudor proved he was capable of doing good things,” he said.

“He miraculously brought Juventus to fourth last year and he also produced almost glorious performances, like the match against Inter. Something is not working in the club’s mechanisms more than Tudor’s.”

He criticised Juventus’ recent planning and mercato strategy, suggesting the coach was let down rather than supported. “The transfer campaign looked promising, but it turned out to be dysfunctional. The responsibility lies with the club, and the first one to pay is always the coach.”

Juventus should take Mancini over Spalletti – Gigli

Cobolli Gigli also pointed to strained internal dynamics, especially with management. “Tudor has a strong character and likely clashed with Comolli. But I cannot forget he took Juventus in a complicated moment and brought exciting football. I would have kept him, but the club wanted a shock.”

Asked about potential successors, he gave a clear preference: “Between the options, the most relevant name is Mancini – although I have my reservations about him. I would exclude Spalletti.”

He was more cautious on Raffaele Palladino, arguing the former Monza and Fiorentina coach remains “full of good will but without much experience.”

Finally, he dismissed any regret over Thiago Motta, concluding that Juventus must “restart from zero” to win back their identity.

Juventus sacked head coach Igor Tudor today and now the Bianconeri will seek their third permanent head coach appointment since Summer 2024.

In March of this year, Juventus parted ways with Thiago Motta and hired Tudor to replace him and see out the remainder of the 2024-25 season.

The Croatian performed well in the closing stages of the campaign, helping the Bianconeri achieve a top four finish on the final day of the season.

Therefore, and after a string of alternative targets were deemed unattainable, Juventus opted to hand Tudor a new contract on June 13, 2025.

Tudor sacking compounds financial misery for struggling Juventus

After Tudor’s contract extension, Juventus currently have two head coaches, in Tudor and Motta, who are due to collect a salary until 2027, after both of their spells at the helm were cut short prematurely.

This represents a major blunder for the Bianconeri who, when they hire a permanent replacement for Tudor, will technically have the salaries of 3 head coaches on their books for the next two years.

Juventus have seen two gambles on relatively inexperienced coaches fail to pay off. The Bianconeri’s decision to hire Motta and Tudor was born out of good intentions, wanting a younger coach to lead the club into a new golden era, but has shown glaring weaknesses when compared to Conte at Napoli and Gapserini at Roma, for example, two coaches who have been linked with the Bianconeri in the past year.

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After a dreadful run of games, Juventus sacked Igor Tudor this morning and for the meantime, Massimo Brambilla will step in as interim head coach.

Last night, the Bianconeri lost 1-0 to Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico and that was the last straw for Croatian coach Tudor.

Juventus are without a win in eight games and pressure had been mounting on Tudor for some time. Today, the Bianconeri management decided that enough is enough and fired the coach.

Who is Juventus interim coach Brambilla?

Massimo Brambilla will temporarily take the reins for Juventus, but who exactly is the 52-year-old former player?

During his playing career, Brambilla was somewhat of an Italian journeyman, playing for ten different clubs around Italy. He also made several youth appearances for the Azzurri but was never selected to play for the senior Italian national team.

After he retired, in 2010, he spent 12 years working in the youth systems at Pergocrema, Novara and Atalanta.

In 2022, Brambilla was appointed as head coach for the Juventus Next Gen team in Serie C. After two seasons with the Bianconeri B team, Brambilla took over at fellow Serie C outfit Foggia. He spent just a few months at Foggia before being dismissed for poor results in September 2024.

Two months later, he returned as head coach of Juventus Next Gen, where he has remained since. Now, he will get his chance to lead the first team while the club search for a suitable long-term replacement for the fired Tudor.

Inter have confirmed Henrikh Mkhitaryan sustained a muscular injury, but it is not as serious as first feared for the veteran midfielder.

He limped off during the first half of Saturday’s 3-1 Serie A defeat to Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, right after giving away a penalty.

Extent of Mkhitaryan injury confirmed

Tests were performed today and a formal statement from the Nerazzurri medical staff confirms a strain to the semitendinosus muscle in the left thigh.

Crucially, there is no lesion, which means it is not as serious as first thought.

The official club website merely states the situation will be re-evaluated next week, meaning Mkhitaryan will miss at least the midweek round against Fiorentina and Sunday’s trip to Hellas Verona.

There is some hope that the Armenia international might be back in action for the clash with Lazio on November 9, but it is more likely that he’ll return for the Derby della Madonnina against Milan on November 23, after the break for international duty.

Multiple sources claim that Luciano Spalletti and Raffaele Palladino are the leading candidates to replace Igor Tudor, who was sacked by Juventus this morning.

Spalletti and Palladino are the frontrunners for the Juventus job, according to various sources, including Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto.

Palladino and Spalletti linked with Juventus job

Spalletti was sacked by the Italy national team in June, while Palladino left Fiorentina by mutual consent at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Juventus confirmed Tudor’s sacking with an official statement on Monday morning after the team had lost three consecutive matches and failed to score in the last four.

Juventus have interim coach for Udinese game

Juventus also confirmed that Massimiliano Brambilla, the NextGen coach, will lead the team in the next two days and be in charge when the Old Lady host Udinese in the next Serie A game on Tuesday.

Tudor has won 10 of his 24 matches as Juventus coach. He was appointed in March 2025 to replace Thiago Motta.

Both coaches remain under contract at the Allianz Stadium until June 2027.

Napoli have confirmed the worst fears, as Kevin De Bruyne has been diagnosed with a severe lesion to the thigh muscle and is expected to be out for several months.

The midfielder pulled up clutching the back of his right thigh after successfully converting a penalty during the 3-1 victory over Inter on Saturday evening.

That result allowed them to go top of the table, alongside Roma, but it came at a heavy cost.

Napoli confirm serious De Bruyne injury

De Bruyne immediately seemed to be distraught when holding his leg and Napoli medical staff confirmed in a statement today that he had been diagnosed with a ‘high grade lesion to the femoral bicep in the right thigh.’

There was no official word on the time it will take to recover from this injury, but it is not dissimilar to the one sustained by Romelu Lukaku during a pre-season friendly in August.

That setback forced the striker to be out for circa four months, and it is entirely possible there will be a similar timeframe for his fellow Belgium international.

De Bruyne has a history of muscular problems, as a similar issue saw him ruled out for three months at Manchester City.

Juventus have already informed Igor Tudor that he’ll be sacked, but the coach’s destiny has been written since the start of October.

Juventus have decided to sack their coach Tudor, and the club directors have already informed the Croatian tactician. An official statement in the coming hours will formally put an end to Tudor’s reign, which began in March 2025 and ended with three consecutive losses against Como, Real Madrid and Lazio.

Tudor’s situation was already clear

The situation at Juventus has been clear since October 6, when I reported that, without tactical clarity, the coach would pay a high price.

This is exactly what happened today, as Juventus have not even waited for the next Serie A match against Udinese on Wednesday.

Tudor doesn’t pay just for lack of results

Juventus’ poor results and the lack of trust in new summer signgins have made the difference in determining the coach’s fate.

Tudor took charge of 24 Juventus matches across all competitions, grabbing 10 wins, eight draws and six losses.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Juventus have sacked their coach, Igor Tudor, with an official statement expected later today.

• Official statement: Juventus have sacked Tudor

Tudor is no longer the Juventus coach, and the Croatian tactician has already been informed about the club’s decision, according to Gazzetta.

Juventus sack Tudor

The pink paper claims that Juventus will confirm Tudor’s sacking with an official statement later today.

According to the report, Juventus NextGen boss Massimo Brambilla will likely lead the team as an interim coach in a Serie A game against Udinese in just two days.

Reports in Italy on Monday morning suggested Juventus would wait until the next match to sack Tudor, but the situation has evolved since.

Tudor’s poor results at Juventus

Juventus have lost their last three games and have not scored in their last four outings.

Furthermore, they have gone eight consecutive matches without winning.

Fabrizio Romano confirms that Juventus have already decided to sack Tudor and will now make the formal steps forward to relieve him from his duties.

Tudor was appointed in March 2025 to replace Thiago Motta. Both Motta and Tudor are under contract with Juventus until 2027.

Christian Pulisic is expected to return to action before the international break in November, but Milan director Giorgio Furlani is reportedly in talks with the United States Soccer Federation, hoping that Mauricio Pochettino will not include the star winger in the USMNT squad.

Milan hope Pulisic will not be called up to the USMNT squad in November.

When will Pulisic return from injury?

The American winger sustained a hamstring injury during a friendly match against Australia earlier in October, irritating his club.

Pulisic has not featured for Milan since, but according to Gazzetta, his recovery is going ahead smoothly.

The American star will miss tomorrow’s game against Atalanta and has little chance to make it for the Roma match next Sunday, but Milan hope he’ll return to action against Parma on November 8, right before the next international break.

If Pulisic is eligible for that match, then he’ll automatically become available for selection for USMNT, but Milan want to avoid another long trip and more games for the ex-Chelsea star.

Milan talks with US Soccer

Therefore, according to the report (via Milannews) CEO Furlani has already initiated talks with the US Soccer, hoping that Pulisic will be allowed to remain in Milanello during the November break to fully get back in shape.

The USMNT will meet Paraguay and Uruguay in friendly encounters next month, while Milan will face city rivals Inter on November 23, in the first game after the November break.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Inter are ‘still irritated’ by Antonio Conte’s claims after Napoli’s 3-1 win at the Stadio Maradona on Saturday.

Tension erupted in Naples over the weekend, both during and after a Serie A match between the Partenopei and Inter.

As reported by Gazzetta, the Nerazzurri are not bothered by the on-pitch argument between Lautaro Martinez and Conte, but are rather annoyed by what happened after the final whistle.

During his post-match interviews, Conte criticised Inter’s decision to send their president, Beppe Marotta, to talk to the media to complain about a penalty kick given to the Partenopei.

What Conte said about Inter

“A team has to evaluate and realise why they lost, doing this, they just create alibis for the players and coach. I would not have allowed it. Now Marotta is President, but it’s not right that he has to come here and make these statements,” Conte said.

“I say with all due respect for the director, leave these things to the people who actually participated in the match, because it is diminishing the role of the coach too.”

Inter also found ‘inappropriate and serious’, according to Gazzetta, that Conte said Inter have been “The best team” in Serie A and “could have won more in the last four years.”

Inter irritated by Conte

Gazzetta notes that Conte behaved differently during his time at Inter, as he publicly requested the directors’ intervention after some disappointing results or debatable referee decisions.

Conte won the 2020-21 Serie A title at Inter, but his relationship with club directors deteriorated at the end of the campaign as the Italian tactician pushed to leave, knowing that the club would need to sell Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi over the summer for financial reasons.

Inter and Conte eventually parted ways by mutual agreement, seeing the Italian tactician get a €7m net severance pay.

Alessandro Del Piero insists Igor Tudor is ‘not the problem’ at Juventus and ‘it’s not as if with another coach this squad would win the Scudetto.’

The Bianconeri are now in a full-blown crisis after three consecutive defeats against Como, Real Madrid and Lazio, going 394 minutes without scoring a goal.

They are on their longest winless streak in all competition since 2009, as after five draws in a row between Serie A and the Champions League, they lost three on the bounce.

Del Piero takes Juventus blame off Tudor

With Tudor continually chopping and changing the line-up and tactics, is there too much confusion on the bench?

“I wouldn’t say confusion is the right word,” said Del Piero on Sky Sport Italia when analysing his beloved Juventus.

“The coach is not the problem, it’s more complicated than that, and includes how the team has struggled to come together so far this season.”

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Lazio 1-0 Juventus

Although there were 1-0 defeats to Real Madrid and Lazio, Del Piero still saw some signs of improvement.

“The team was alive and did not deserve to lose tonight, perhaps a draw was the right result. They weren’t bad against Madrid either, the problem was the performance against Como.

“In any case, it’s not as if with another coach this team would win the Scudetto.”

Another issue that he did not necessarily put the blame on Tudor for was the absence of a core to this side.

“He doesn’t yet have a first choice XI, but it’s not because Tudor doesn’t want to find it, it’s because aside from a few individuals, the others have struggled to perform consistently.

“If you look at the best teams in Italy and Europe, they more or less all have a regular XI that will start the big games.”

Maurizio Sarri admits he was ‘surprised’ by the level of performance from Toma Basic and Gustav Isaksen against Juventus, but Lazio have been on the right track for a while.

The Aquile were in dire need of a boost and received it with Basic firing in after Danilo Cataldi gratefully received the poor Jonathan David back pass.

Both sides were angry about the refereeing of Andrea Colombo, as Weston McKennie was very fortunate to avoid a second yellow card, while VAR did not intervene when Mario Gila appeared to stamp on Francisco Conciecao’s foot inside the penalty area.

Nuno Tavares, Matteo Cancellieri, Taty Castellanos, Nicolò Rovella, Samuel Gigot and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru were out of action, so it was a remarkable victory in the circumstances.

Sarri had already seen Lazio improvement

“We suffered, but not really that much today, so we played with sacrifice, but also quality. I am happy for the players and for our fans,” Sarri told DAZN Italia.

Basic had been cut from the Lazio squad list at the start of the season and put on the transfer market, but was welcomed back only due to the injury crisis, and quickly became a key figure in their midfield.

“He had rather lost his way and was left off the squad list, but we needed him and he did really well to step up,” noted Sarri.

“I think he has really grown in terms of character and is giving us a big hand at the moment. We all thank him for that.”

Another player who had been out for a while was Isaksen, who spent much of the summer locked away with glandular fever for fear of being contagious to his teammates.

This was his first start of the season and he was named Football Italia’s Man of the Match in the Player Ratings.

“You could tell in training that he was improving his fitness levels, but frankly not to this degree. His performance today was a surprise for us too,” confessed Sarri.

Lazio are now unbeaten in four, having defeated Genoa and Juventus, interrupted by stalemates against Torino and Atalanta.

They are just one point behind Juventus in the Serie A standings now and have a midweek round with Pisa coming up.

“Missing an average of seven players per game, we’ve put together eight points in four matches, so the team has been doing well for a month, not just tonight,” insisted the coach.

He was asked how the meeting had gone with President Claudio Lotito and director of sport Angelo Maria Fabiani this week.

“I have no problems with the President or the director of sport. If something was written otherwise, then that is fake news. It was a perfectly normal meeting.”

Igor Tudor was critical of Andrea Cambiaso and Jonathan David after Juventus suffered a third straight defeat to Lazio, but insisted he ‘doesn’t care about my future.’

Jonathan David made his first start alongside Dusan Vlahovic today, but it was his poor header back that sparked the Lazio goal, handing it straight to Danilo Cataldi for Toma Basic to fire in from outside the area.

Tudor evidently wasn’t happy, as within 10 minutes he had Filip Kostic warming up and was shouting at Cambiaso, who was eventually replaced at half-time.

“Kostic was warming up because I saw Cambiaso was not doing well, but in general the team had the right attitude from the start, apart from Johnny’s error and that goal,” Tudor told DAZN Italia.

“It is a bad moment, a difficult moment, we need to stay united and all work together. There is disappointment, because I think we prepared it the right way, but we are always missing something. We get to the penalty area and then don’t put the ball in the net.

“We also keep telling ourselves don’t make mistakes, but there is always a mistake, and we lose games. We feel terrible, but we have to stick together.”

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Lazio 1-0 Juventus

Tudor identifies Juventus problem in attack

Their biggest problem would seem to be clear, as this was Juve’s fourth consecutive match without scoring a goal, something they hadn’t seen since March 1991 under legendary flop Gigi Maifredi.

“We tried with two strikers from the start, then four attacking players, we tried everything, but are certainly missing something upfront,” confessed Tudor.

The Bianconeri are now without a victory in eight competitive games, having drawn five in a row, followed by three consecutive defeats to Como, Real Madrid and Lazio, their longest negative streak since May 2009.

“We are all responsible. We must try to do better and stay united, we have another game in a couple of days, I think a victory will get us on the right track. It’s a problem if we need four strikers to score and 10 midfielders when defending. It is a problem if someone always makes a mistake.

“As I said, there’s no need to make a drama out of it, we play again soon and need to stay focused.”

Tudor had tried to change things today with Vlahovic and David together, plus Francisco Conceicao out wide, then added Kenan Yildiz at half-time too.

“It was a decision because Kenan needed rest. Johnny and Dusan have goals in their blood, but we put the crosses in and in the final third someone has to put it in the net, otherwise nothing happens and you get punished for every tiny error at the back.”

Cambiaso swapped places with Weston McKennie after 25 minutes, putting the USMNT player in the attacking wing-back role.

“I saw Andrea was struggling with Isaksen and when attacking we wanted him to cover the whole wing, but I didn’t like the way Andrea was interpreting the role. McKennie can cover the wing and Andrea can be a mezz’ala, so I swapped them.”

Juventus have repeatedly said they are backing Tudor, but how long can the coach realistically continue with such poor results, especially as they seem to be deteriorating rather than improving?

“People keep asking me if I feel safe or worried, but I don’t think about myself. I don’t care about my future, what I care about is doing what I can, being aware of all the problems and trying to improve things. My future is of zero interest.”

Lazio President Claudio Lotito insists they ‘have what it takes to turn this around’ after a rough start to the season, as Maurizio Sarri’s men host Juventus.

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 GMT.

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

The injury crisis keeps getting worse for the Biancocelesti, who go into tonight’s match without Nuno Tavares, Matteo Cancellieri, Taty Castellanos, Nicolò Rovella, Samuel Gigot and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

Fans are losing patience and there has been criticism of the way the team has been constructed.

Lotito tries to calm frustration around Lazio

“Constructive criticism is right when results aren’t arriving, even if for a series of reasons that are beyond our control, but it is a team sport and we must all work in the same direction,” Lotito told DAZN Italia.

“I am convinced it is dictated by a series of imponderable factors that completely changed the results we expected. I urge everyone to have faith, because we are building a solid club, we are continuing the process of taking over the Stadio Flaminio and building the new training ground.”

Lazio were unable to make any new signings over the summer, as after failing three different financial stress tests, they received a transfer embargo.

Coach Sarri admitted he was unaware of this when accepting the job, and would’ve walked away from any other club but Lazio.

Will Lotito at least be able to promise reinforcements in the January transfer window?

“I have a rapport of respect and affection with Sarri, there is no clashing of roles, as everyone wants what is best for the club and the fans. The club was prevented from acting over the summer, we are ready to do whatever is necessary,” replied the President.

“I’ve never seen so many injuries and other situations that penalised us. We understand the mood of the fans, who are passionate about this side and feel upset when certain results are not achieved. There is sadness, irritation and at times criticism, but always remember unity is strength, we have what it takes to turn this situation around.

“If we stick together, the players, club, staff and fans, then you’ll see we will get great results.”

Lotito was asked about his view on the controversy that erupted after last night’s game, when Napoli beat Inter 3-1 with debate over the penalty and role of the assistant referee.

“I believe a system must be watched over, but not destabilised. There is a new generation of referees and when things don’t work, we need to point it out, but only trying to make it better, otherwise we risk making the situation worse. We need utmost transparency to bring through a generational shift of referees,” noted Lotito.

Juventus technical director Francois Modesto insists they ‘have a lot of faith’ in coach Igor Tudor, and are confident Lois Openda and Jonathan David will flourish eventually.

The trip to Lazio kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 GMT.

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

The pressure is growing on the Old Lady after a dire run of nine competitive matches without a victory, including back to back defeats to Como and Real Madrid.

“Igor is our coach, we are very happy with him, have a lot of faith in his work, and want to focus on getting the win this evening,” Modesto told DAZN Italia.

New Juventus faces struggling to make their mark

David and Openda have struggled to make any kind of impact since their transfers to Juventus, so how long will it take for them to flourish in this new league?

“It is a very difficult league in Italy, there are some very well-organised coaches and teams, which makes it tough for those who come here from other divisions. If we look to the past, we’ll see many great champions who struggled at the beginning in Serie A,” warned Modesto.

“The positive thing is that they have settled well into the group, and of course they have always scored lots of goals in their careers, so we think it’s just a matter of time. We hope that they will start scoring from tonight.”

Dusan Vlahovic starts tonight and is still taking a strong role at Juventus, despite the fact he has refused to sign a new contract and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

“There are absolutely no issues. Dusan is a great professional, a leader of this team, he is helping David and Openda off the field too, and we are very happy,” added Modesto.

“We have leaders in this squad, like Bremer who unfortunately is injured, Gatti and Kenan Yildiz, so we have no lack of leaders.”

Teun Koopmeiners was a big investment at over €50m from Atalanta last summer, but never quite lived up to those expectations, and made comments on playing in his preferred role.

“Koopmeiners works hard, he had difficulties like many who first come to Juve, but he is improving, the coach has put him in a few different positions, and we hope he can show what he has always done with Atalanta and in some games at Juventus,” concluded the director.

Napoli’s 3-1 victory over Inter has lifted the mood at the Stadio Maradona, restoring confidence and momentum, but celebrations were muted by a fresh injury concern for Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgian midfielder asked to come off after feeling discomfort in the same area that required surgery last season, immediately triggering alarm within the club’s medical staff.

According to Sky Sport, via TuttoMercatoWeb, there is real concern that the 32-year-old may have suffered a significant muscular relapse.

While De Bruyne appeared relatively calm after the final whistle, Napoli are approaching the situation with maximum caution given his recent history and the delicate nature of the injury.

Napoli await worst case scenario as De Bruyne faces injury setback

Tests scheduled will offer a clearer picture, but the fear is that it could be a high-grade lesion, which would rule him out for an extended spell.

With De Bruyne serving as the creative heartbeat of Antonio Conte’s side, the potential setback comes at a difficult moment in the season.

Napoli are back in the Scudetto race and preparing for a decisive run of fixtures in Serie A and Europe. Losing their technical leader for several weeks, or possibly longer, would represent a major blow to their ambitions.

For now, the club will wait for the official medical bulletin before outlining recovery times and a plan for his replacement. What is certain, however, is that Napoli are bracing themselves for bad news.

Inter are concerned Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be ruled out for up to a month or more after the midfielder suffered a thigh injury in Saturday’s defeat away to Napoli.

The Armenian was forced off after 32 minutes, immediately signalling to the bench and leaving the pitch unable to continue.

The 35-year-old will undergo medical tests on Monday to determine the full extent of the damage to his left flexor, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Inter midfielder Mkhitaryan could miss six weeks

Early signs have not been encouraging, with Mkhitaryan still limping heavily on Sunday at Appiano Gentile, and the fear is he could be sidelined for 4-6 weeks depending on the grade of the injury.

Inter’s schedule makes the timing particularly delicate. After the November international break, Cristian Chivu’s side face the Milan derby on November 23 and then Atletico Madrid away on November 26 in the Champions League.

In the best-case scenario, Mkhitaryan could return around that period or shortly after, but a second-degree lesion would push his comeback well into December. Recovery time will depend not only on the scan results but also how the muscle responds to treatment and reconditioning.

Positive news for Nerazzurri as Thuram progresses nicely

There is, however, better news regarding Marcus Thuram. The French forward is making encouraging progress and is expected to increase his workload in training this week.

Inter will resume work on Monday and as the squad returns to Appiano to recover from the Napoli match and celebrate Cristian Chivu’s 45th birthday, Thuram will undergo his first full on-pitch session since the injury.

If all goes well, he should rejoin group training soon and be available for selection afterwards.

Elia Caprile proved once again today that he is a great goalkeeper and Cagliari made a wise decision demanding at least €18m to sell in the summer, as now he’ll be worth more.

The shot-stopper made some more incredible saves in the 2-2 draw against Hellas Verona today at the Stadio Bentegodi, keeping his team in the game for their late comeback against the run of play.

Cagliari President Tommaso Giulini had bought him outright from Napoli for €8m and the idea was to sell, but only if a big offer came along, just like the one they accepted from Fiorentina for Roberto Piccoli.

Impressive Caprile will cost the big clubs

Caprile was given a price-tag of no less than €15-18m to even consider a transfer, and as nobody turned up with that kind of money, Giulini was happy to keep the goalkeeper.

His performances have been remarkable so far this season, as not a week goes by without some extraordinary saves hitting the headlines, and his consistency is so impressive.

Caprile only celebrated his 24^th birthday a couple of months ago, and it’s easy to assume the step up to the next level has only been delayed a little bit.

Now a few big clubs have already set their sights on a goalie who is destined to be a protagonist in the next transfer sessions.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic had been linked with a return to Serie A, above all for Juventus, but the ex-Lazio midfielder has renewed his contract with Al-Hilal.

The official announcement came from the Saudi Pro League side today, confirming what had been reported by our Sportitalia colleague Gianluigi Longari on October 17, who knew the rumours of an Italian comeback were unlikely to come true.

Milinkovic-Savic always a tough candidate for Juventus

It would’ve been a tough move to make work for a number of reasons, none more so than the head-spinning salary the Serbian commands at Al-Hilal.

He has also been reunited at the club with coach Simone Inzaghi, who had already worked with him closely during their time together at Lazio.

 

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Milinkovic-Savic was one of the first to truly believe in the ambitious projects in Saudi Arabian football, and the investments continue to keep building those plans.

Juventus did have a real chance of tempting him before the move to Al-Hilal was made, but had to surrender when faced with the sheer figures on offer.

Paulo Dybala admits he was getting ‘pressure’ to score his first Serie A goal of the season, while Lorenzo Pellegrini sees Roma improvements in a 1-0 win at Sassuolo.

The Giallorossi had lost three of their last four competitive games between Serie A and the Champions League, but emerged with a 1-0 victory from the Mapei Stadium.

The only goal of the game was scored by Dybala, on the rebound from a save on Bryan Cristante, to put them joint top of the table alongside Napoli.

Dybala and Pellegrini lead Roma response

“We are relaxed, we knew before the game with the other results that we could take top spot, but there is a very long way to go,” Dybala told DAZN Italia.

“These are three important points, also for us to make up for recent setbacks, and now we have to turn our focus to Wednesday.”

Although he had found the net in the Europa League, this was La Joya’s first Serie A goal of the season, and it allowed him to debut a special celebration with the ball under his jersey, for pregnant wife Oriana.

“Strikers live for goals, obviously, so we would love to score in every game. Unfortunately, there are negative moments during the season, but the important thing is that the team wins, not who scores.

“I had been waiting to make this celebration, as my wife was putting pressure on me to get on with it!”

Pellegrini came off the bench and almost scored within 120 seconds, as his dinked finish bounced off the upright.

The former captain was asked if Roma really can aim to stay top of the table and if a Scudetto challenge is their objective this season.

“The objective is to keep improving, and I thought today was a little better when attacking than previous games, we could’ve scored a few more goals,” replied Pellegrini.

“We were coming off defeats and really eager to prove ourselves on the pitch. We are giving our all.”

Curiously, all four defeats between Serie A and the Europa League have been at the Stadio Olimpico, but even in away fixtures, Roma always have a strong presence of cheering fans.

“We are fortunate that our fans always travel with us with passion, I don’t think they realise how much they give to us on the field with their presence. This is also a special match for me, as I called Sassuolo home for a while and want to salute the Sassuolo supporters too, as they remained in my heart.”

Gian Piero Gasperini reveals why the Paulo Dybala and Bryan Cristante tactical experiments go way back, as Roma beat Sassuolo and turn to their next ‘absolute priority.’

The use of Dybala as a False 9 has failed to provide results so far, but it paid off eventually, as La Joya scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory away to Sassuolo this afternoon.

Wesley and Zeki Celik also came close, while Lorenzo Pellegrini hit the upright just moments after coming off the bench, but it proved enough for all three points and the leadership alongside Napoli.

“I am very satisfied with our position, but also with today’s game, as it was not easy against a Sassuolo side that is doing well. After two defeats to Inter and Viktoria Plzen that left us with regrets, there was a good reaction,” Gasperini told DAZN Italia.

Midfielder Cristante tended to push into a more advanced role, and that was decisive for the goal before Dybala turned in the rebound, but Gasperini noted this is hardly new.

“I never doubted that Dybala was a striker. I might’ve had doubts on others. He can play as a centre-forward, a support striker, just not really wide. Players have characteristics and a coach must try to make the most of those strengths.

“I have to say Mario Pasalic scored lots of goals in that role over the years with me and Atalanta, but even if it was eight years ago, Cristante had been doing it first! He hasn’t forgotten, he is now more mature and experienced, so is giving the team a big hand.”

Gasperini still experimenting with Roma attack

Artem Dovbyk came off the bench and was instructed to not drift into the middle too much, so how is the Ukrainian developing under Gasperini’s very different style?

“We needed to keep the forwards a little wider for this match and allow spaces for the midfielders to push through the centre. Dovbyk came on well, his fitness levels are certainly better now,” noted the coach.

“I work with everyone and try to improve them, I’m attempting to find solutions in attack, because that has been the least prolific area of the team. Despite that, we have a good position in the table.

“It requires experiments during the matches, as Dybala was out for a while, this was the first time Bailey managed to start, so we are getting there.”

This means Roma are top of the Serie A table after eight rounds, which hadn’t happened since the 2013-14 campaign, albeit sharing the seat with Napoli.

Their next fixture is the midweek round against Parma on Sunday at 17.30 GMT, hoping to end their run of home losses.

“It is absolutely a priority to win at home. It’s a pity for our fans, who were not accustomed to seeing so many defeats. With an always sold out stadium and passionate crowd behind us, we want to give them something to celebrate,” added Gasperini.

“Some performances were unlucky, but others like on Thursday we really should’ve won. We have to be wary, as evidently some of our characteristics see us hit our heads against a brick wall at home and then concede on the counter, so we need to be more efficient.”

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has proven, once again, that he has become a giant for Napoli, not only with his crucial goal against Inter on Saturday evening, but also through his performances, showing that he can flex his muscles and walk the walk. 

Napoli got it spot on with Anguissa

The Cameroon international was on the scoresheet, restoring Napoli’s two-goal lead in their 3-1 victory over Inter on Saturday evening, which has sent the Partenopei back up to the top of the Serie A standings after eight matches. 

Anguissa, towards the end of last season, had a moment of hesitation, considering potential opportunities elsewhere after having helped Napoli to two Scudetti within the last three years. 

In the end, his desire was to stay on with Napoli, where he has proved himself as a key player under Antonio Conte, despite the arrivals of Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne over the last two years. 

And so, his contract was extended, and is now set to expire in 2027. This was the perfect outcome for Napoli, and it comes as a reward for Anguissa’s unquestionably key performances over the last few seasons. 

Anguissa is becoming an increasingly key figure within Partenopei circles, and a renewal could not have been any more appropriate. 

Juventus are due to take on Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico in Serie A on Sunday evening, but pre-match reports indicate that Igor Tudor will have to do without starman Kenan Yildiz in his starting line-up. Here’s why. 

Yildiz potentially out of Lazio vs. Juventus? 

Juventus, who have not won in any competition since September 13, are looking to get back to winning ways in a difficult away game against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. 

Yildiz, who has started in every one of Juventus’s Serie A and Champions League matches so far this term, is expected to drop out of the starting line-up, however. 

According to reports from Ilbianconero, Yildiz is suffering with patellar tendinopathy, sometimes referred to as jumper’s knee in his left leg. This is effectively an inflammation that affects the tendon beneath the kneecap. 

This is a manageable condition, but one that can cause occasional pain and discomfort, hence why Yildiz is expected to drop out of the starting line-up against Lazio, in an attempt to recover and go again at full strength against Udinese on Wednesday. 

Sunday’s reports indicate that referee Maurizio Mariani and assistant Daniele Bindoni will be dropped for the next round of Serie A fixtures after awarding a controversial penalty during Napoli’s 3-1 win over Inter on Saturday evening. 

What happened in Napoli 3-1 Inter?

Napoli went back to the top of the Serie A standings thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in an eventual 3-1 win over the Nerazzurri, who had won seven games in a row prior to Saturday’s match. 

There have been complaints from the Inter camp, however, regarding the decision to award a penalty to Napoli five minutes before the end of the first half. 

Giovanni Di Lorenzo found himself in the penalty area and went down under the challenge of Henrikh Mikhtaryan. Some argue, however, that Di Lorenzo was looking for the contact, and that Mkhitaryan did not make any intentional moves towards the Napoli captain, and that the penalty should not have been given. 

Now, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport, the AIA have concluded that a penalty should not have been awarded to Napoli last night. 

Sunday’s reports suggest that assistant referee Bindoni was the one who originally signalled for a penalty, that Mariani did not originally give it, but then changed his mind after a VAR review. 

Assistant referee Bindoni is the one who has come under the most criticism for signalling for the penalty, although Mariani has also been criticised from changing his original decision. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that it is likely that both referees, who were also involved in the U20 World Cup final in Chile earlier this week, will be dropped for the next round of Serie A fixtures.

Napoli head coach Antonio Conte and Inter striker Lautaro Martinez exchanged insults during the meeting of their two sides in Serie A on Saturday evening, but this was not the first time the former colleagues have clashed on the pitch. 

Here is a reminder of what happened the last time Conte and Lautaro came to blows. 

Napoli 3-1 Inter: Conte and Lautaro clash again 

Napoli claimed a 3-1 victory at home against the in-form Inter on Saturday evening thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa. The Partenopei are now back at the top of the Serie A standings as a result. 

Around the hour mark at the Stadio Maradona, Conte and Lautaro were seen throwing insults and gestures towards each other following an argument between the players on the pitch. 

• Read more: Conte and Lautaro insult each other in tense Napoli vs. Inter clash

This was not the first time that Conte and Lautaro have found themselves arguing with one another in Serie A, though. 

They also spent two seasons together at Inter between 2019 and 2021. 

During the Scudetto-winning 2020-21 season, Conte and Lautaro found themselves arguing after the coach decided to ‘double sub’ the striker during a 3-1 win over Roma in May, 2021. 

Lautaro, who had been accused of showing poor attitude on the pitch at the time, reacted to his substitution by shouting and throwing his shirt when Conte took him off. 

The following day, Conte and Lautaro returned to the training ground, and in an effort to put their difference to one side, organised a friendly boxing match on the training pitch, which ended in hugs and laughter. The same will not happen this time around, though.

Juventus have been taking positive steps forwards in their attempts to hand a new contract extension to star attacker Kenan Yildiz, who has been subject of interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs over the last few weeks, including Real Madrid. 

Yildiz, Juve’s posterboy and star of the Turkey national team at the age of 20, has been in talks over a new contract extension, which is expected to come with a significant increase in salary, reflective of his recent performances in Serie A and the Champions League. 

Yildiz is already tied to the club until the summer of 2029, but is expected to pen a one-year extension until 2030 with a salary offer that will make him one of the highest earners within the squad. 

Gazzetta: Juventus taking positive steps in Yildiz talks

Juventus are also hoping that a new contract will also fend off interest from the likes of Real Madrid, who are reportedly prepared to offer staggering fees in order to sign Yildiz from the Bianconeri. 

As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus have taken ‘positive steps’ towards a contract extension for Yildiz in recent days. 

The player’s mother and father, along with his agent, have been called into Continassa to discuss Yildiz’s future with general manager Damien Comolli over the last week. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Juventus are prepared to offer Yildiz a salary in the region of €5m to €6m per season, which will make one of the highest earners in the current Juventus squad. Only the recent free agent Jonathan David and fellow centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic earn above the €6m-per-season mark in net salary in the current Juventus set-up. 

Fabio Capello has had his say on Inter after their 3-1 defeat at the hands of reigning champions Napoli in Serie A on Saturday evening, and while he admits that Kevin De Bruyne’s penalty was ‘non-existent’, he feels that the Nerazzurri can only look at themselves. 

Napoli returned to the top of the Serie A standings thanks to their 3-1 win over Cristian Chivu’s side, courtesy of goals from De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa. Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half penalty was not enough for Inter to get back into it. 

• Read more: Napoli 3-1 Inter: Player ratings! 

Capello on Napoli 3-1 Inter: ‘Unrecognisable’

Capello agrees with the Inter camp that De Bruyne’s penalty was ‘non-existent’, and that it impacted the rest of the game, but he also feels that Inter were ‘unrecognisable’ in their performance. 

“It’s true that it was a non-existent penalty that shifted the balance of the game, the one from which De Bruyne broke the deadlock. It is also true that this should not and cannot be an excuse for the Nerazzurri,” Capello explained in his La Gazzetta dello Sport column.

“Aside from Bastoni hitting the crossbar and Dumfries the post, Inter were unrecognisable. There was space in behind for Napoli to counter attack every time they lost the ball, and the thing that surprised me the most was the lack of balance between the different departments. That had been the strength that pushed Lautaro and his teammates to seven wins in a row across all competitions.”

Capello feels that Chivu’s decision to give his players an extra day off after their recent Champions League victory over Union Saint-Gilloise was a mistake that backfired. 

“Maybe the victory against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League ended up affecting Inter too much, overconfidence in football can play tricks on you.

“In retrospect, it felt that the decision to give the players a day off between the trip to Brussels and the trip to Naples was an attempt to lighten the load within the group. The Inter coach is usually good at calming his players’ minds, and attempted a difficult move, but evidently, it wasn’t enough.”

And in terms of Inter’s play on the pitch, Capello said: “they often looked messy, and those who came off the bench, this time, took away more than they added. Instead of looking for speed, the changes off the bench tried to carry the ball too much. 

“Missteps are part of any season, and nothing has been fully compromised. Milan happened to slow down the other night against Pisa, too, Inter slipped during a Scudetto clash against the reigning champions. 

“The Nerazzurri have all the tools required to get back on their feet immediately, as long as they understand that they have to give more than what they showed on Saturday. Without that unity and purpose, they will not go far.” 

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Call to the top 

Napoli: 3-1 and first place, Inter furious 

Debatable penalty from De Bruyne (who gets hrt while scoring the goal for 1-0). Marotta: ‘We’re angry, it changed the game’. Conte: ‘Stop acting like the pope’. Arguments and insults with Lautaro. Goals from McTominay and Anguissa, Calhanoglu’s penalty unhelpful

Juve

Tudor: ‘Not afraid’. David with Vlahovic, Yildiz on the bench, but he is about to sign 

Roma 

Dybala attack, they need goals to take the lead

Corriere dello Sport 

Napoli cackle 

Conte silences Inter and Marotta

What a lesson: 3-1

The champions return to first place: Gasp’s Roma could draw level today

De Bruyne, McTominay and Anguissa decide the clash. Calhanoglu’s goal at 2-1 no good. The President: ‘Their victory came from a soft penalty’. Antonio: ‘Those are excuses, I wouldn’t have let one of my directors complain like that’. Sparks also fly with Lautaro at the end

Tudor wall: ‘Sacked? I’m not afraid’

Lazio-Juve at 19.45: Igor hasn’t won in seven games 

The Croatian: ‘Yildiz being like Del Piero? Comparisons are tricky’. Sarri: ‘We might have different ideas to Lotito, but our relationship is normal’

Kean and Castro, Derby call 

Fiorentina-Bologna at the Franchi 

The viola have lost three in three at home in the league. The Argentine could push Italiano to -2 from Napoli

Tuttosport

‘I’m not afraid’ 

Tudor against his Old Lazio. Needs to find goals and wins again. ‘I’m not afraid of the sack. And I want a more attacking Juve’

The coach protects his team: ‘I’m only thinking about the players, not about myself’, and tries to take the pressure off Yildiz: ‘Like Del Piero? Calm down’. Tempted to play the Turk with Conceicao behind Vlahovic and David. Zhegrova case. Perin in goal? 

Conte rises Napoli, Inter and Lautaro on a tilt 

Penalties, woodwork, battles, injuries, scuffles: The 3-1 at the MAradona had it all 

‘Go on Toro! Ride the wave of enthusiasm’ 

Against Genoa at 11.30, in a full stadium

Baroni: ‘The hug with the supporters was great, we can’t take anything for granted now’ Cholito looking for his third consecutive goal. Israel out, there’s Paleari

Gasp to Dybala: ‘Words weren’t right, score goals and assist, you’ 

Paulo critical after the Euro-flop 

Napoli are anxiously awaiting news of tests on the Kevin De Bruyne injury, as he was spotted using crutches and there are fears it is a similar problem he had at Manchester City in 2023.

The 34-year-old converted a penalty to open the scoring in today’s 3-1 Serie A victory over Scudetto rivals Inter at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Kevin De Bruyne pulled a muscle in the process of putting Napoli ahead against Inter pic.twitter.com/SKnGHnsXHN

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 25, 2025

There was no time to celebrate, as he immediately clutched the back of his right thigh, and seemed to be in tears when consoled by teammates.

De Bruyne carried off during Napoli 3-1 Inter

Unable to put his right foot down even with arms around two Napoli medical staff, De Bruyne was eventually put on the motorised stretcher to get him back to the locker room.

He came back out for the second half using crutches to take his seat on the bench and watch the final 20 minutes of the match, but it remains to be seen how long he will be out of action for.

The worrying thing is this is an injury in a similar spot to the one that kept him out for four months from August to December 2023 at Manchester City.

Initial reports are that it might not be quite as serious as that, but that with the memory of that setback, De Bruyne was anxiously trying to avoid making the situation worse.

Napoli have been beset by injury problems this season, as Romelu Lukaku was ruled out for four months by a tear in the back of his thigh.

Cristian Chivu and Antonio Conte continued to trade insults in the press room after Napoli’s 3-1 win, the Inter coach noting he ‘isn’t interested in complaining or showing how great I am.’

There had already been tension on the touchline at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with a scuffle that broke out between the Partenopei bench, Denzel Dumfries and Lautaro Martinez.

After the match, Inter sent President Beppe Marotta to speak to the media before Chivu to complain about the penalty, which Conte in turn said was “delegitimising the coach” and giving “alibis” for the defeat.

Chivu hits back at Conte comments

When Chivu spoke at the press conference, he sent out what seemed to be some barbed comments aimed at Conte.

“The club has to the right to do whatever it feels is right. I as a coach remain consistent, I will never come here to complain,” said the Romanian.

“I have a different approach to some others, I am not interested in my reputation, nor at showing how great I am. I am what I am, I try to transmit those values to the players.

“I am trying to change things, even if I do it by myself. As long as I am here, I will try to change the way football is perceived in Italy. They are accustomed here to moaning and crying over spilt milk.

“We need to change things in the right way. I am not interested in what other people think about me.”

So is Chivu not going to say anything about the controversial penalty awarded to Napoli in this 3-1 defeat?

“We will wait to hear the explanation. We don’t have to seek excuses or alibis, we just have to think about our football. We must be positive and remain on the bench.

“After all, they won’t change their decisions based on protests, so it’s a waste of energy.”

Cristian Chivu believes Inter lost 3-1 to Napoli because they ‘wasted energy arguing’ with the opposition bench, but feels ‘even more confident’ of their future success.

The Nerazzurri were the favourites going into the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona after winning their last seven on the bounce in all competition, while the Partenopei were struggling with an injury crisis.

However, a controversial Kevin De Bruyne penalty, Scott McTominay and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa counter-attacks sealed the result, despite a Hakan Calhanoglu spot-kick.

Chivu refuses to discuss Napoli-Inter controversy

It was that penalty that hit the headlines and prompted Inter President Beppe Marotta to speak to the media first, but Chivu did not want to be drawn on the matter.

“I talk about football and the match,” Chivu told DAZN Italia.

“I would like to talk about the good things the players did in the first half. We tried to stay in the game after that, to keep our balance, but we hit the woodwork twice and reacted to going behind.

“We lost our balance in the second half because we were so eager to get the game back on track, so we conceded for 2-0. Despite that, we were still able to get back into it, then wasted energy arguing with their bench and from that moment on we lost sharpness.”

The argument was largely between the Napoli staff and coach Antonio Conte, Inter players Denzel Dumfries and Lautaro Martinez.

After that, the hosts scored a third goal with Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa after a flicked-on throw-in.

“It is down to the waste of energy that we threw away for nothing. We should’ve understood the moments of the match,” continued Chivu.

“In the second goal, we didn’t sense the danger, as there were so many of us pushing and building, we were unprepared on a ball Spinazzola just hit upfield to McTominay.

“Then we reacted too slowly to the third goal, which was down to losing sharpness. We cannot concede so easily from a throw-in.”

Inter had won seven in a row in all competition before this setback, but it is the second Scudetto showdown defeat after their 4-3 to Juventus.

“I am proud of what the lads are doing, and even more confident after tonight,” assured Chivu.

“I saw a great first half, despite the Napoli enthusiasm, as we were dominant. We came here to play our game, but unfortunately this is football. You have to maintain concentration and we lacked something in the second half.”

There was an extremely tense moment on the touchline between Denzel Dumfries and the Napoli bench, which then saw Antonio Conte and Lautaro Martinez exchange ugly hand gestures.

“I don’t know what happened and I don’t care. I will tell the players in future not to waste their energy just to argue. We’ve got to focus on the game and where we want to go,” concluded Chivu.

Antonio Conte angrily hit back at Inter for ‘creating alibis’ over the penalty, lashed out at Lautaro Martinez, and assured Napoli ‘had no intention of getting killed’ today.

The Partenopei came into this game with an injury crisis and losing four of their last seven competitive games, including a 6-2 Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven midweek.

When they took the lead with a Kevin De Bruyne penalty, the former Manchester City midfielder injured his right hamstring in the process and might be out for a while, as he was spotted on the bench towards the end with crutches.

Scott McTominay doubled their lead, then Hakan Calhanoglu converted a spot-kick, but Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa completed the 3-1 rout.

Conte had a fiery contribution

“I live the game with my players, for good and bad, and we played against in my view the best squad in Italy,” Conte told DAZN Italia.

“They dropped some points along the way, but their squad is on paper on a completely different level to all the others. They didn’t get to the Champions League Final twice in three years because of a fluke.

“To have won this game, with all the difficulties that we had, missing players like Lobotka, Rrahmani, Meret and Hojlund, then losing De Bruyne, with Lukaku out since pre-season…

“Perhaps someone has cursed us, but we keep going anyway. Inter came here today aiming to on a sporting level ‘kill’ us, as they were in great shape and coming off a run of seven straight wins, facing a side like ours that had lost to Torino and Eindhoven.

“If you understand that moment of the campaign, you have to kill your opponent, but we had no intention of dying. In amongst all those problems, we put in a great performance.”

There was a moment of real tension too, as Conte was booked for his part in a touchline scuffle involving Denzel Dumfries and especially Lautaro Martinez, as the coach exchanged some rather harsh hand gestures with the Inter captain.

Was there something left over from the time they worked together at Inter?

“When you play games at this level, these things can happen,” noted the coach.

“I just want to remind Inter that I brought the Scudetto back to the club after 10 years, including nine consecutive Juventus titles, and you know what that means to me. I retain very good memories of that experience.

“Lautaro is a very good player, perhaps I didn’t get to know him that well on a personal level. I wish him all the best, that’s fine.”

Inter sent President Giuseppe Marotta to speak to the media after the match rather than coach Cristian Chivu, to complain about the controversial opening penalty.

“Inter send Marotta and the directors whenever they get the opportunity, whereas at Napoli I come here,” replied Conte.

“A team has to evaluate and realise why they lost, doing this they just create alibis for the players and coach. I would not have allowed it. Now Marotta is President, but it’s not right that he has to come here and make these statements…

“I say with all due respect for the director, leave these things to the people who actually participated in the match, because it is diminishing the role of the coach too.

“I always stood up for myself, so a club making these sorts of statements… It’s fine,” concluded a visibly irritated Conte.

Scott McTominay reveals he had a surprising problem scoring for Napoli against Inter, while Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa gives his view on the tactical change.

The Partenopei were not the favourites going into this Scudetto showdown, as they had lost four of their last seven competitive games, whereas the Nerazzurri had won seven on the bounce.

However, a Kevin De Bruyne penalty, McTominay screamer and Anguissa counter-attack cancelled out the Hakan Calhanoglu penalty to seal a 3-1 victory.

Napoli thank McTominay and Anguissa goals

“I don’t know if we sent a signal, but we have to take it one game at a time and the objective is to keep winning. We pushed hard, we won as a team, and had the right attitude,” Anguissa told DAZN Italia.

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Napoli 3-1 Inter

Napoli changed to a 4-3-3 system after De Bruyne went off injured, and that seemed to give them more balance, not to mention being familiar from last season.

“I wouldn’t say the system made the difference, but rather the approach. We had energy, we wanted to win, we work on many different systems in training and ultimately the coach decides. We are here just to follow his instructions.”

This puts Napoli top of the table, as AC Milan were held 2-2 by Pisa last night, while Roma could join them with a victory away to Sassuolo tomorrow.

McTominay scored his first home goal since the Scudetto winner against Cagliari back in May, so he only seems to reserve his goals for some big fixtures.

“We knew we had to give a reaction after the Champions League and I thought we did that really well. Inter are a top team with great players, but it was a top response,” McTominay told DAZN Italia.

When asked about the pass from Leonardo Spinazzola, the Scotland international revealed some difficulty with the situation.

“I lost it in the lights, so the pass took me by surprise, the lights are so bright I couldn’t see it. Then I just thought to shoot. Leo is a top player, he put in some great passes this year, now we need to find that consistency so we can continue to push.”

Inter President Giuseppe Marotta took the unusual step of speaking to the media after the 3-1 defeat to Napoli, complaining the controversial penalty was ‘decisive to shift the balance.’

The Nerazzurri were the favourites going into this clash, having won their last seven competitive games in a row, but they were beaten 3-1 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

The deadlock was broken by a very controversial penalty, converted by Kevin De Bruyne, then Scott McTominay doubled the lead with a ferocious strike.

Hakan Calhanoglu also converted from the spot, while Alessandro Bastoni and Denzel Dumfries hit the woodwork, but Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa sealed the 3-1 result after a throw-in.

Inter President Marotta leads protest against refereeing

Rather than coach Cristian Chivu, it was President Marotta who arrived first at the post-match interview area.

“My presence is simply a contribution I wish to give to the football movement and I too am eager to understand,” Marotta told DAZN Italia.

“Even though Napoli eventually legitimised the victory, largely in the final 20 minutes, the penalty was decisive to shift the balance of the game. It came from an evaluation made by the assistant referee. It is clear the referee was in the perfect position to evaluate, he viewed it and turned away, then blew the whistle eight seconds later.

“I thought this was an ideal situation for VAR to intervene, seeing as the referee had initially evaluated and ignored the situation. The footage would’ve allowed the referee to view it again and make his own decision.”

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Napoli 3-1 Inter

Giovanni Di Lorenzo had run into the box and gone down between a Henrikh Mkhitaryan nudge and the Francesco Acerbi sliding tackle in front, but neither of them seemed to make any significant contact.

The penalty seemed odd because the referee turned his back to the move and walked away, but eight seconds later he blew the whistle, having evidently been told by his assistant that it was a foul.

“Napoli’s victory was sparked by this incident, then of course they won 3-1 eventually, but if we look at the dynamics behind the penalty, it is a reflection that Rocchi has made more than once, saying no more soft penalties. Many journalists and your refereeing pundit Luca Marelli all said this is not a penalty,” continued Marotta.

“We need to understand what a penalty is and is not. I am someone who would prefer to keep the referee at the centre, and if he saw the incident and turned away, then listened to the assistant manager in a worse position, he let himself be influenced far too easily.”

Inter went into the break 1-0 down, having hit the frame of the goal twice with Alessandro Bastoni and Denzel Dumfries.

“I was in the locker room at half time and clearly that penalty had a strong effect on the mood of the team. I am not saying Napoli would not have won anyway, but we are here to protest the way the penalty was assigned.”

There was some tension on the touchline when Inter captain Lautaro Martinez exchanged some harsh words and hand gestures with Napoli coach Antonio Conte. Did this go back to their time together at Inter?

“No, these things happen on the field, we see this a lot in football. I wouldn’t say too much about that,” concluded Marotta.

Zambo Anguissa is Football Italia’s MVP in Napoli’s 3-1 win over Inter on Saturday.

Player Ratings: Napoli 3-1 Inter

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic 6; Di Lorenzo 6.5, Buongiorno 5.5, Juan Jesus 6.5, Spinazzola 6.5; Gilmour 5.5; Politano 6 (81′ Elmas N/A), Anguissa 7.5, De Bruyne 6 (37′ Olivera 6), McTominay 7; Neres 6.5 (81′ Lang N/A). Coach: Conte 7.

Best Napoli player: Anguissa 7.5 – The second half was absolutely stunning. Anguissa dominated in central midfield and even scored the third goal for the Partenopei, finalising a perfect counter-attack.

Lowest Napoli rating: Buongiorno 5.5 – Same rating as Gilmour, but Buongiorno caused a penalty kick with a clumsy handball that could have had worse consequences for the Partenopei.

Napoli coach: Conte 7 – His argument with Lautaro is already a classic scene in Italian football, but Conte will rightly make headlines thanks to a perfect game plan. Napoli were happy to leave the ball to Inter and hurt the Nerazzurri on counter-attacks. The penalty kick in the first half, more than debatable, helped them, but the Napoli defending was even more resolute once they took the lead.

Inter: Sommer 5.5; Akanji 5, Acerbi 5, Bastoni 5.5; Dumfries 5.5 (75′ Luis Henrique 5.5), Barella 6 (73′ Frattesi 6), Calhanoglu 7 (73′ Sucic 6), Mkhitaryan 5.5 (32′ Zielinski 5.5), Dimarco 5.5; Lautaro Martinez 5, Bonny 5.5 (62′ Pio Esposito 5.5). Coach: Chivu 5.

Best Inter player: Calhanoglu 7 – Converted a spot kick to keep Inter in the game and maintained a high passing accuracy despite the physicality and press from Napoli midfielders. It wasn’t enough to get a result.

Lowest Inter rating: Acerbi and Akanji 5 – Both poor in the build-up, but mostly unable to cope with Napoli’s counter-attacks, especially in the second half.

Inter coach: Chivu 5 – Inter were probably the better side in the first half and had a convincing reaction after Napoli had taken the lead. However, they showed no balance and were too exposed defensively after the break. Not even Calhanoglu’s goal gave them the push to go for the equaliser.

Antonio Conte and Lautaro Martinez were caught on camera insulting each other during the second half of a tense Napoli-Inter on Saturday.

The incident happened around minute 61 after an argument had sparked between Napoli and Inter players.

What Conte and Lautaro said in tense Napoli-Inter

Lautaro, who had played under Conte at Inter, was seen pointing at the Italian tactician and making a gesture as to say: ‘You are sh****** yourself,’ but the Napoli boss replied (via Daniele Mari): ‘Wrap your laughing gear around this,’ also making an unequivocal gesture.

Napoli were leading 2-1, but Hakan Calhanoglu had just scored a penalty kick goal to put Inter back into the game.

Conte and Lautaro already argued during the Italian tactician’s final season at the Stadio Meazza in 2020-21.

When Conte and Lautaro argued at Inter

That time, Lautaro openly complained about a substitution and kicked a bottle on the touchline.

Conte didn’t take it well and hit back at the Argentine, telling him to shut up.

Inter players and staff members jokingly organised a boxing fight at Inter’s training ground a few days later to clear the air between the two.

Watch as Scott McTominay scores a spectacular strike to double Napoli’s lead in the Scudetto showdown with Inter, picking up where he left off last season.

You can see how that game unfolds on the Liveblog.

The Scotland international was the key player in their Serie A title success during his maiden campaign with the club, earning the crown of Player of the Season, as well as a nomination for the Ballon d’Or.

He showed why this evening when facing Inter at the Stadio Maradona, as he started the run from the centre-circle onto an inspired Leonardo Spinazzola pass, let it bounce and thumped the ferocious finish on the half-volley into the far bottom corner.

McTominay turns on the style for Napoli vs. Inter

STUNNING from Scott McTominay!

What a finish from the Scot pic.twitter.com/Uy7honw6aC

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 25, 2025

The former Manchester United man scored 12 goals with six assists in his first Serie A season, but this was his second of the current campaign.

SUPER SCOTT MCTOMINAY pic.twitter.com/62xTbn5ZGf

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 25, 2025

DAZN reports that Antonio Conte urged Kevin De Bruyne to take a penalty against Inter instead of David Neres, but referee pundit Luca Marelli argues that the spot kick should have been revoked by VAR.

Napoli took the lead in the first half of a home game against Inter on Saturday thanks to a penalty kick converted by De Bruyne, who even got injured while kicking the ball.

DAZN reports that David Neres had already put the ball under his arm to take the penalty, but Conte said De Bruyne should have stepped up instead.

David Neres not allowed to take Napoli penalty

According to the report, Conte told Matteo Politano to inform his teammates that KDB should have taken the spot kick.

There will surely be controversy regarding the penalty given to the Partenopei, which was awarded for a Henrikh Mkhitaryan foul on Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

DAZN referee pundit Luca Marelli has already claimed that it was a wrong call from the official Maurizio Mariani and the VAR.

Marelli: ‘Napoli-Inter penalty should have been revoked’

“I repeat that there was no penalty for Napoli. It should have been overturned by VAR,” Marelli said via Daniele Mari.

“The contact was clearly initiated by Di Lorenzo. Mkhitaryan did not move towards Di Lorenzo. There was no foul from Acerbi, who played the ball. It’s a penalty that should have been revoked.”

Follow Napoli-Inter live on the Football Italia LIVEBLOG.

It went from celebration to drama in the space of a second for Kevin De Bruyne, as he converted a penalty to give them the lead against Inter, then sustained a serious injury in the process.

You can follow the action as it happens from that game on the Liveblog.

The Belgium international was not seemingly even meant to take the spot-kick, as David Neres had initially taken the ball, but the order came from Antonio Conte on the touchline to hand it to De Bruyne.

Napoli joy and pain for De Bruyne

It proved a correct decision, as the former Manchester City midfielder converted past Yann Sommer to put his team in front.

However, the player immediately grabbed the back of his right thigh and had to be consoled by teammates rather than surrounded in celebration, as it immediately looked to be serious.

Kevin De Bruyne pulled a muscle in the process of putting Napoli ahead against Inter pic.twitter.com/SKnGHnsXHN

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 25, 2025

De Bruyne was substituted by Matias Olivera and could not even put his right foot down when held up by two members of the Napoli medical staff.

He eventually had to be taken away on the motorised stretcher to applause from the Napoli fans at the Stadio Maradona.

It adds to the growing list of Partenopei injuries, as they already went into this Scudetto showdown without Rasmus Hojlund, Stanislav Lobotka, Alex Meret, Amir Rrahmani and Romelu Lukaku.

What a bizarre few moments in Naples…

Kevin de Bruyne steps up to take the penalty for Napoli and appears to pull his thigh as he scores pic.twitter.com/ICcaJ8Xuf9

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 25, 2025

Inter President Giuseppe Marotta insists they are back to the ‘normality’ of winning ways as they visit Napoli, noting Cristian Chivu is now ‘respected by many who criticised him.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT).

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

The Nerazzurri had stuttered early into Chivu’s reign, losing to Udinese and Juventus, but have now won seven on the bounce between Serie A and the Champions League.

Marotta and Inter had faith in Chivu

“If we look back, then that defeat to Juve was also paradoxical, as we had been winning until stoppages,” Marotta told DAZN Italia.

“Aside from that, the change was a natural result of Chivu’s daily work in training, the way the team put the work in with the staff, and with all due humility and respect, we got back to the normality of winning ways.

“We are a big club and therefore destined to follow a certain path to go as high as possible. We are second in the table, facing the reigning champions of Italy, so we need an extraordinary performance. You can just sense the atmosphere from the fans in this stadium and how important the game is.”

Inter missed out on the Scudetto in a battle that raged to the final day last season, and this is another head-to-head for top spot, as Milan were held 2-2 by Pisa last night.

It had been said that the Nerazzurri squad needed to revolutionised, but Chivu is doing well with practically the same players Simone Inzaghi had last season.

“It’s not an alibi, but Chivu had his first official game in charge during the Club World Cup, just days after the end of the previous season. It was atypical, so was the fact we could not have a ‘normal’ pre-season training routine,” added Marotta.

“We managed eventually to deal with these situations, but nobody should be surprised at how good a coach Chivu is. We evaluated this choice and knew who we were dealing with, so we’re not surprised that he is now respected by many who had criticised him.”

Napoli director Giovanni Manna assures Antonio Conte’s complaints are ‘not alibis,’ but also warns they don’t want to ‘get sucked into a negative vortex’ ahead of facing Inter.

It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT).

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

This was the Scudetto showdown last season and could well be again, especially after leaders AC Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by Pisa last night.

It is crisis time for the Partenopei, who lost four of their last seven competitive games, including a 6-2 mauling by PSV Eindhoven midweek.

Napoli looking for way back from crisis

“When we win or lose, it is always as a team,” Manna told DAZN Italia.

Conte had complained repeatedly that Napoli needed time to find their form after bringing in nine new faces, which was reiterated by Manna.

“The coach said things we’ve been saying since the start of the season, as we needed to change nine players and that is not an alibi. Conte speaks for the good of Napoli, it is only normal that with so many changes, it will take a while to recreate the right alchemy.

“If we add some serious injuries, as Rrahmani only played two games, Buongiorno just returned, we were without seven players against Torino, it makes consistency difficult.

“We are not happy, as we suffered a heavy defeat making mistakes that were not like us. Now we want to get back on track, we’re against an Inter side who are in incredible form, brought in some fresh faces to reinvigorate them, so it’s going to be tough.”

Alex Meret fractured a finger in training, joining Rasmus Hojlund, Stanislav Lobotka, Amir Rrahmani and Romelu Lukaku on the treatment table.

Rather than start Lorenzo Lucca, who was sent off in the Champions League after another misfiring performance, it is David Neres chosen as a False 9.

“These are important absences, as we are missing the spine of the team. If you are out for 10 days, you miss four games now. Again, this is not an alibi, it is just something to be acknowledged. We don’t want to be sucked into a negative vortex that would not be helpful to anyone,” concluded Manna.

“Neres is an alternative, he has quality and pace, the game lasts 90 minutes and changes are important. It is a different tactical solution.”