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28Aug By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

SERIE A

Lukaku lands in Italy to finalise move to Napoli and rekindle winning relationship with Conte

Excitement is ramping up in Naples over the rekindling of the winning combination of Romelu Lukaku and Antonio Conte. Chelsea forward Lukaku landed in the Italian city on Wednesday to finalise his transfer to Napoli, and more than 100 fans greeted the Belgian international when he arrived at the club´s clinic to complete his medical. They chanted his name and he smiled as he was escorted through the crowd. A fan fell to the ground and Lukaku stopped to help him up - much to the supporter´s delight. Italian media reports that Lukaku will sign a three-year contract at Napoli, with the Serie A club paying Chelsea 30 million euros ($33 million) plus 30% of any future transfer fee. Lukaku had his two most productive seasons under Conte at Inter. The 31-year-old Lukaku has been training awa...

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28Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Juventus announces Fortinet as official cybersecurity partner

Juventus FC and Fortinet, the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, have signed a sponsorship agreement through which Fortinet becomes the new official cybersecurity partner for the next two seasons, through 2026. Juventus has also chosen Fortinet’s industry-leading Security Fabric platform to reduce complexity and streamline the identification and resolution of network and security issues across the club’s facilities. Home to Juventus football and its fans, Allianz Stadium has been a leader in sustainability and serves as one of the premier entertainment hubs and tourist attractions in Turin, Italy. Juventus will implement Fortinet solutions within the Continassa neighbourhood, including the Juventus headquarters, Allianz Stadium data center, J...

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28Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

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Inter Milan Captain Pushing To Be Fit For Serie A Clash Vs Atalanta

Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez is pushing to be fit for Friday evening’s Serie A match against Atalanta.This according to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, via FCInterNews. They report that the 27-year-old hopes to at least be fit for the bench. Inter captain Martinez was not in the squad for last weekend’s match against Lecce.The Argentine was absent due to a muscle problem. Martinez had picked up the issue in training following his start in Inter’s season opener away to Genoa.The Nerazzurri captain had made a late return to training. He had in fact been the last player in the Inter squad to join up with the preseason training camp.This was the result of Martinez having won the Copa America with Argentine. Reaching all the way to the final with the Albiceleste meant tha...

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27Aug By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

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Juventus working on four exits after Koopmeiners agreement

Juventus are working on exits for four players after finally reaching an agreement with Atalanta for the signing of Teun Koopmeieners, reports confirm. The most high-profile player expected to leave Juventus this summer is Italy international Federico Chiesa, who has been linked with a move to both Barcelona and Liverpool in recent days. The 26-year-old has already spoken to Barca coach Hansi Flick about a possible move to Camp Nou, but Arne Slot’s Liverpool have also requested more information from Juventus. Which other players could leave Juventus this summer? La Gazzetta dello Sport confirm that Empoli have an agreement in place with the Old Lady over a permanent deal for Mattia De Sciglio, who joined the the club for €12m from Milan back in 2017. Bianconero editor R...

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27Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

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Juventus dominate Verona to secure second straight Italian Serie A win

Juventus beat Verona 3-0 at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi in Verona, Italy, on Monday, pocketing their second straight win to open the 2024-25 Italian Serie A season. The "Old Lady" are the only club to have won both of their first two games in Italy's top flight, scoring six goals while keeping two clean sheets. VERONA, ITALY - AUGUST 26: Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus applauds the fans following the final whistle of the Serie A match between Hellas Verona and Juventus at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on August 26, 2024 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images) They led 2-0 in the first half after Dusan Vlahovic and Nicolo Savona found the net in the 28th and 39th minutes. The game marked Savona's full debut for Juventus. Samuel Mbangula earned a penalty for ...

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26Aug By Silver Emmanuel2 Comments

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Lazio pay tribute to Eriksson

Lazio on Monday paid tribute to their 1999-2000 scudetto winning coach Sven-Goran Eriksson who has died of cancer at the age of 76. ROME, ITALY - MAY 26: Former SS Lazio manager Sven-Goran Eriksson acknowledges the fans, who won the Italian Supercup, European Cup Winners Cup and Serie A during the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons during his reign as manager, prior the Serie A TIM match between SS Lazio and US Sassuolo at Stadio Olimpico on May 26, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images) "Thank you for everything you did for us, mister," the Roman club said on X. Eriksson was a "lovely man and Lazio won't forget him," Biancocelesti President Claudio Lotito said. "He wasn't just the most successful coach in Lazio's history but he was above all a man of huge integrit...

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26Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

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Dybala explains decision to reject move to Saudi side Al-Qadsiah

Paulo Dybala admits he weighed up "a lot" of options including his family, the city of Rome and a desire to get back into the Argentina national team before performing a last minute U-turn on a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah. The 30-year-old forward was set for a move to the Middle East before changing his mind at the last moment to remain at Roma. Roma forward Paulo Dybala says he weighed "a lot" of options before rejecting a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah, admitting “I don’t know how the Saudi club took it, because I did not speak to them.” The 30-year-old was set for a move to the Middle East in a deal that would have seen him earn a reported £64 million over three years, but changed his mind - choosing to remain at the Stadio Olimpico. According to Football Italia, Dyba...

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25Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Darmian and Calhanoglu score as Inter sail past harmless Lecce

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez probably picked the best possible match to miss through injury as his teammates sailed to a comfortable 2-0 win over a timid Lecce side in their Serie A Matchday 2 fixture at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. As a sell-out crowd of 70,921 fans welcomed the champions back home for the new season, Matteo Darmian was the one who gave his side an early lead that allowed the Nerazzurri to control the first half with ease. Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty to double Inter‘s advantage in the second half, sealing an effortless victory. It was important for Simone Inzaghi to silence his doubters after their slip-up at Genoa in the season opener, albeit with a much sterner test to come next week against Atalanta. Inter secure early lead in a dominant first-half Inter‘...

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24Aug By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

SERIE A

Lautaro Martinez doubtful for Inter’s clash with Lecce

Inter Milan and manager Simone Inzaghi have received concerning news ahead of their second Serie A match against Lecce. Team captain Lautaro Martinez is experiencing muscle fatigue and is now doubtful for the upcoming fixture. The Argentine striker has reported fatigue in his adductor muscles, putting his participation in the Lecce match in question. Inzaghi will make a final assessment of Martinez’s condition on Saturday. However, it seems unlikely that the club will risk their star forward for this early-season encounter. This setback comes at an inopportune time for Inter, as they look to build momentum following their season opener. Martinez’s absence, if confirmed, would be a significant blow to the team’s attacking prowess. The coaching staff will now have to consider alternat...

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24Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

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Napoli host Bologna with Conte under pressure

Napoli manager Antonio Conte had no interest in speaking about the transfer window and only wanted to talk about football and their next Serie A game with Bologna, when he faced reporters on Friday. His side suffered a 3-0 loss at Hellas Verona on the opening day and after fielding question after question regarding the club’s ambitions in the transfer market before that game, he was in no mood for a repeat. “Let’s redirect the press conference immediately,” Conte told reporters. “Last week we had a press conference where we spoke only about the transfer market. I received zero questions about Verona, or maybe one, there was no talk of football, and then what happened, happened. Regarding the market you need to ask the club, but I see you are quite informed because I also read about it...

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23Aug By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

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Dybala commits to Roma, rejects big Saudi offer

Argentina star Paulo Dybala announced on Thursday that he would remain with AS Roma, ending weeks of speculation linking him with a lucrative move to Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah. Multiple reports indicate that Dybala turned down an offer of €75 million ($83M) over three years. "Thank you Rome...See you on Sunday," he said in an Instagram post. Dybala's decision came amid a period of uncertainty about his future. He trained separately from the Roma first team on Thursday and was absent from the starting lineup in their opening Serie A match against Cagliari last Sunday. Dybala is entering his last year of his contract with Roma but the deal has an automatic extension if he plays at least 15 official matches this season. He will earn €7.5 million plus €2 million in add-ons and bonus...

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22Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

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Atalanta considering offering new deal to 2024 Europa League final standout performer Lookman

Nigeria international Ademola Lookman was officially the standout performer as Atalanta won the Europa League in May, scoring a historic hat-trick to help the Bergamo outfit beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0. According to Tuttomercatoweb, Atalanta are reportedly exploring the possibility of extending the versatile forward's contract and increasing his wages to prevent further transfer issues. This move comes in response to recent speculation linking the Nigerian winger with a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.The transfer saga intensified after Lookman requested to be excluded from Atalanta's Serie A opening match against Lecce on Monday. This decision prompted a meeting between Atalanta's Chief Executive Officer, Luca Percassi, and Lookman's representative to address the situation.the me...

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22Aug By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

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Juventus’ Federico Chiesa move to Barcelona will only happen in final week of transfer window

Barcelona remain set on bringing in a left winger this summer, even if it looks like being a much more low-profile choice compared to Nico Williams. They are currently in talks with Juventus for Federico Chiesa, who is out of contract next summer. Previous reports state that Barcelona have agreed personal terms with Chiesa, who would take a wage cut to sign a three-year deal with the Catalan side, and has given the green light for the move. Meanwhile talks with Bianconeri are still ongoing. Juventus are keen to raise the fee to €20m, while Barcelona seemingly will not move above €15m. However Cadena SER explain that the deal will not go through this week. Any agreement will have to be rubber-stamped in the final week of the transfer window, due to doubts about Barcelona’s ability to ...

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20Aug By Silver Emmanuel3 Comments

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Thiago Motta hails Juventus performances from young talents

Thiago Motta was not surprised by Samuel Mbangula scoring on his shock debut as Juventus crushed Como 3-0, but outlined how Dusan Vlahovic and Kenan Yildiz combined upfront. The Bianconeri had stuttered in pre-season and there were doubts as to what the real identity of this team would be under a very different coach to predecessor Max Allegri. There were also eyebrows raised when 20-year-old Next Gen talent Samuel Mbangula was picked in the starting XI rather than massive investment Douglas Luiz, but it was the young winger who opened the scoring against Como. Tim Weah added a second on the stroke of half-time from a Kenan Yildiz pull-back, Andrea Cambiaso sealed the 3-0 rout, while Vlahovic hit the woodwork twice and had a goal ruled offside. “I had good sensations about Mb...

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19Aug By Silver Emmanuel3 Comments

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Atalanta reject PSG’s €30m bid for Lookman

Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) attempt to sign Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman has hit a roadblock. PSG’s initial offer of €30 million fell short of Atalanta’s valuation for the 2024 African Player of the Year frontrunner, according to reports. Atalanta are demanding a significantly higher price tag, with estimates ranging from €45-50 million. a sharp increase driven by his stellar performances in the latter part of the season, including a match-winning hat-trick that clinched Atalanta’s UEFA Europa League cup. According to Tutto Atalanta, PSG’s initial offer of €30 million was swiftly dismissed by the Serie A club. “Atalanta does not have a figure to sell Ademola Lookman,” noted the Italian publication. “The Nigerian striker, who scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final against...

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18Aug By Silver Emmanuel2 Comments

SERIE A

Inter Milan pegged back late on as they start their Serie A defence

Reigning Serie A champions Inter Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by Genoa in their first match of the new season. Marcus Thuram netted a brace but goals from Alessandro Vogliacco and a finish by Junior Messias, who scored the rebound from his saved stoppage-time penalty by Yann Sommer, saw the points shared at Stadio Luigi Ferraris. City rivals AC Milan were also frustrated as they failed to take advantage of Inter’s draw in a similar 2-2 affair with Torino at San Siro. Malick Thiaw diverted the ball into his own net before Duvan Zapata doubled Torino’s lead. Alvaro Morata came off the bench to score on debut before Noah Okafor volleyed in a second half added-time equaliser. Parma managed a point against 10-man Fiorentina in their first match back in the top flight. Dennis Man scored fi...

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17Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Conte: ‘I expected better from Napoli, you all know Osimhen situation’

Antonio Conte warns he ‘expected better’ from Napoli and isn’t sure if it will take ‘6 months or 2 years’ to make them competitive again, including a Victor Osimhen situation that he inherited on his arrival. Their Serie A opener against Hellas Verona kicks off at the Stadio Bentegodi on Sunday at 17.30 UK time (16.30 GMT). The Partenopei already began their campaign in less than sparkling form, held 0-0 by Serie B side Modena in the Coppa Italia First Round and qualifying only through a penalty shoot-out.“Our mantra is to give 200 per cent, we must go beyond our limitations, because this is a critical moment for Napoli,” said Conte in his press conference. “The President talked about a reconstruction. I evaluated the squad and agree fully, we need to rebuild from the foundations....

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17Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

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Official: Lazio announce Dia signing from Salernitana

Lazio have officially announced the signing of Senegal international Boulaye Dia on a what is likely to be a permanent deal from recently-relegated Salernitana. The 27-year-old striker joins in a deal reported to be worth €12m, while Lazio are also set to send teenage defender Fabio Ruggeri in the other direction to sweeten the deal. Dia has technically joined on a two-year loan deal with an obligation to buy if certain sporting conditions are met. The club have confirmed that he has agreed to a four-year-contract at the Stadio Olimpico, which means he will be tied to the Biancocelesti until the summer of 2028. He has signed in time for Lazio’s Serie A season opener at home against Venezia, which kicks off at 19.45 on Sunday evening. Dia will wear the no.19 shirt during his first...

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16Aug By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

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Report: Juventus again raise their offer to Atalanta for Teun Koopmeiners

As the beginning of the 2024-25 season seems to fast approaching, it’s not exactly the same when it comes to Juventus’ final steps to sign Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners. Things have been at what feels like a crawl all summer, with a multitude of reasons — available money, Atalanta’s demands, a Koopmeiners replacement being secured — causing Juve’s No. 1 transfer target still not on the roster just a couple of days before the new year kicks off. Inching forward. Slowly but hopefully surely. That essentially translates to getting closer to and closer to Atalanta’s asking price for Koopmeiners, which looks like it’s about to be one of the most expensive deals Juventus will have ever made. According to Fabrizio Romano on Thursday, Juventus submitted their latest bid for Koopmeiner...

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15Aug By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

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Milan offered hope to land their top target from Monaco

Paulo Fonseca was clear about whom Milan want to bolster their midfield, Youssouf Fofana, and Monaco are starting to be more open about his departure. Recent reports suggested the Rossoneri could wait until 2025 to scoop him up for free. That’d be highly detrimental for the Ligue 1 side. His director Thiago Scuro, who was very stern in recent weeks, spoke with L’Equipe (via Fantacalcio). “Fofana wasn’t called up for the last friendly because, if he has no intention of staying, it makes no sense for him to be involved in the preparation. We discussed it internally and backed this choice. I’ve had many conversations with him last season. He clearly voiced his desire to leave this summer. "In his opinion, his cycle has ended. We must respect it. It wouldn’t be logical to keep ahold of som...

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