SERIE A – Page 36 – Football Flame

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Cristiano Ronaldo recovers from COVID-19

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has tested negative for coronavirus, the club confirmed on Friday."Ronaldo carried out a check with a diagnostic test (swab) for COVID-19. The exam provided a negative result," the Italian champions said in a statement."The player has, therefore, recovered after 19 days and is no longer subjected to home isolation."Ronaldo first tested positive for COVID-19 on October 13 while playing with Portugal. He had been in self-isolation since returning to Italy.The 35-year-old has missed four games including Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Lionel Messi's Barcelona.Nine-time reigning Italian champions Juventus, are fifth in Serie A, four points behind leaders AC Milan after five games, and the next game is away at newly promoted Spezia on Sunday.
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Ibrahimovic on COVID-19: You are not Zlatan, don’t challenge the virus

Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan smiles during the UEFA Europa League Group H stage match between AC Milan and AC Sparta Praha at San Siro Stadium on October 29, 2020 in Milan, Italy.AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has recently recovered after testing positive for coronavirus, has joined an information campaign, telling the public to respect social distancing and wear a mask."The virus challenged me and I won," he said. "But you are not Zlatan, don't challenge the virus."Use your head, respect the rules: distance and mask, always. We'll win!"The video was posted on the website and social media accounts of the Lombardy region in Italy which has seen a surge in coronavirus cases.Despite missing two games after testing positive, the 39-year-old is Serie A's leading scorer with six goal...
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Roma ends Milan’s winning streak in Serie A

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (L) of AC Milan competes for the ball with Leonardo Spinazzola of AS Roma during the Serie A match between AC Milan and AS Roma at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 26, 2020 in Milan, Italy.AC Milan's perfect Serie A record was snapped by Roma on Monday, as the Rossoneri fumbled the lead three times, only managing a 3-3 home draw.AC Milan showcased fearsome form since the start of the new season, going on a run of four consecutive victories, scoring nine goals and conceding just one. But in Monday's match, Milan's Gianluigi Donnarumma and Jens Petter Hauge tested positive for COVID-19 just hours before kick-off.The home side had a dream start just two minutes into the game, as Rafael Leao whipped in a cross from the left, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic cushioned a volley into th...
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Pirlo demands more intensity from his Juventus side

Andrea Pirlo Coach of Juventus FC during warm-up ahead of the Serie A match between Juventus and Hellas Verona FC at Allianz Stadium on October 25, 2020 in Turin, Italy.Juventus once again had to come from a goal behind to get a share of the spoils, this time against Hellas Verona at home in a 1-1 draw.After the game, coach Andrea Pirlo was displeased that his side needed to go behind again to get a reaction.“Our first half wasn’t aggressive enough, we waited for them, and yet we created the best chances.“We reacted well after they took the lead, but we shouldn’t need a slap in the face to wake up and play with intensity.“When you play against Verona or Atalanta, it’s difficult because they take you one-on-one all over the field and create many duels. We worked to avoid their high press an...
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Insigne brothers score for opposing sides in Napoli win

Lorenzo Insigne of SSC Napoli talks and laughs to his brother Roberto after scoring goal 1-1 during the Serie A match between Benevento Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Ciro Vigorito on October 25, 2020 in Benevento, Italy.Lorenzo Insigne and his younger brother Roberto scored for opposing sides on Sunday as Napoli came from behind to win 2-1 away to promoted Benevento in Serie A.Roberto Insigne, the younger of the two, stunned Napoli by scoring his first Serie A goal at the age of 26 before Lorenzo levelled on the hour and substitute Andrea Petagna won the game for the visitors who moved into second place.The two brothers have had very different careers despite both making their professional debuts with Napoli.Lorenzo Insigne has gone on to make over 350 appearances for them and become one...
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Lukaku strikes again as Inter grind out 2-0 win at Genoa

Romelu Lukaku of FC Internazionale celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with team mates during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and FC Internazionale at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on October 24, 2020 in Genoa, Italy.Romelu Lukaku struck again as a Inter Milan ground out a 2-0 win away to Genoa in a lacklustre Serie A match on Saturday.The Belgian scored his fifth league goal of the season, and his seventh in all competitions, as Inter ended a three-match winless run and kept a clean sheet for the first time this season.Lukaku broke the deadlock in the 64th minute and Danilo D’Ambrosio headed the second 15 minutes later. Beaten 2-1 by AC Milan last week, Inter moved up to third with 10 points from five games.It was anything but a memorable performance from Inter who failed to manage...
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Udinese pick up first points with late winner against COVID 19-hit Parma

Ignacio Pussetto of Udinese Calcio celebrates after scoring his team third goal during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and Parma Calcio at Dacia Arena on October 18, 2020 in Udine, Italy.Udinese picked up their first three points of the Serie A season when a late goal from Ignacio Pussetto gave them a 3-2 win over Parma to continue a high-scoring weekend on Sunday.Parma travelled to the game without seven players who had tested positive for COVID-19 over the course of the last five days. The players were not named, although Parma were able to field most of their regular line-up.Hernani gave Parma the lead in the 26th minute with a shot which deflected off Udinese defender Samir, who made amends by levelling two minutes later with a header from a corner - his side’s first goal of t...
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Pirlo: Juventus will learn from mistakes

Head coach of Juventus Andrea Pirlo looks on during the Serie A match between FC Crotone and Juventus at Stadio Comunale Ezio Scida on October 17, 2020 in Crotone, Italy.Club football resumed this weekend with Juventus traveling to Crotone, and drawing 1-1 in a disappointing result.Speaking to the media after the game, coach Andrea Pirlo preached patience with his developing side.“Unfortunately, we went down to 10 men in the last two games because of our errors, but we are a young team that needs to work and there hasn’t been much time for that with so many internationals.“Young players need to gain experience by playing in matches and it can happen that they make naive errors as part of the learning process.“We built a team with quality, but it is still a work in progress and needs time. ...
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Ibrahimovic’s quickfire double gives Milan 2-1 derby win

Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan celebrates after scoring to give the side a 2-0 lead during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Milan at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 17, 2020 in Milan, Italy.AC Milan’s 39-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic, recently recovered from a COVID-19 infection, scored an early brace to secure a 2-1 win over neighbours Inter in the Serie A derby on Saturday.The Swedish striker put Milan in front after 13 minutes, tapping the ball in from the rebound after his penalty was saved by Samir Handanovic, and then struck again three minutes later from Rafael Leao’s cross.In a breathless first half, Romelu Lukaku pulled one back for inter in the 29th minute, the first Serie A goal Milan have conceded this season. Inter were awarded a penalty in the 75th minute bu...
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Napoli bounce back from Juve no-show to crush Atalanta

Napoli players celebrate the 1-0 goal scored by Hirving Lozano during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Atalanta BC at Stadio San Paolo on October 17, 2020 in Naples, Italy.Hirving Lozano bagged a brace as Napoli thumped Atalanta 4-1 on Saturday, days after they were punished for failing to turn up for their last Serie A game against Juventus.Napoli were handed a 3-0 defeat and one-point deduction for not travelling to Turin earlier this month after two cases of coronavirus in the team were recorded.But Gennaro Gattuso's side picked up where they left off before the controversy, with a third win in as many league games they have played."Brilliant Napoli! What a pity not being able to play Juventus in Turin," tweeted Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis.Mexican forward Lozano scored tw...
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Cristiano Ronaldo denies breaking virus protocols

Cristiano Ronaldo shot back at Italy’s sports minister on Friday, denying that he broke the nation’s coronavirus protocols after returning from international duty while infected with the disease.The Juventus forward is currently quarantined at his home in Turin after traveling from Portugal in an air ambulance following a positive COVID-19 test while with Portugal for Nations League matches.“I never broke the protocol,” Ronaldo said on Instagram, adding that he traveled after gaining authorization to do so and had avoided contact with other people. “Someone, whose name I’m won’t say, here in Italy … says that I didn’t respect the protocol, that is simply a lie.“I am continuing my quarantine, I am alone, my family is on another floor, we can’t be in contact and it will be like that at least...
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Cristiano Ronaldo ‘violated’ COVID-19 protocols, says sports minister

Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for COVID-19, Portugals Football Federation said in a statement in Lisbon, Portugal, on October 13, 2020. The 35-year-old Juventus striker will miss Wednesdays UEFA Nations League game against Sweden but is well, has no symptoms and is in isolation, the federation said.Cristiano Ronaldo may have violated Italy's coronavirus preventive measures by traveling to Portugal while Juventus were in isolation, and returning to Turin this week after testing positive, Italy's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora said on Thursday."Yes, I think so, if there were no specific authorizations from the health authority," Spadafora told Radio Uno when asked whether the 35-year-old Portuguese star had breached COVID-19 rules.Ronaldo risks a fine after...
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Juventus report losses of 89.7m euros

The Juventus club crest and Italian flag on the first team home shirt on May 6, 2020 in Manchester, England.Juventus recorded losses of 89.7 million euros ($105 million) for the financial year to June 30, the Italian league champions announced on Thursday.Club president Andrea Agnelli chaired the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting in Turin through video conference because of the coronavirus pandemic.And the nine-time reigning Serie A champions reported a deficit which included the 39.9m euro shortfall from the previous financial year."The Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting approved the financial statements as of 30 June 2020, reporting a loss of 89.7 million euros (compared to a loss of 39.9 million euros in 2018/2019), which was covered by using the share premium reserve," Juventus said in a stat...
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Napoli handed 3-0 defeat, lose one point over unplayed Juve match

Napoli have been handed a 3-0 defeat and had one point deducted for failing to play their Serie A match away to Juventus earlier this month amid confusion over Italian soccer’s COVID-19 rules.Napoli did not travel to Turin for the match on Oct 4., saying their local health authority (ASL) had told the players to stay at home after two members of their squad tested positive for COVID-19.Serie A turned down Napoli’s request to call the game off, meaning that Juventus and match officials were both present at the stadium and the floodlights were turned on. Play was officially abandoned 45 minutes after kickoff time.Serie A’s disciplinary tribunal, which announced its decision in a statement, rejected Napoli’s claim of force majeure and said there was a clear health protocol for Serie A.The ann...
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Christian Eriksen voices Inter Milan frustrations

Christian Eriksen of Denmark Controls the ball during the international friendly match between Denmark and Faroe Islands at MCH Arena on October 7, 2020 in Herning, Denmark.Inter Milan midfielder Christian Eriksen has admitted that he is growing impatient over a lack of game time at San Siro.The former Tottenham Hotspur man made the switch to Antonio Conte's side in January and has chalked up 28 appearances thus far, but Eriksen has only turned out for the full 90 minutes three times for Inter in all competitions.Furthermore, Eriksen was only brought on as a substitute in I Nerrazurri's victory over Benevento at the end of September, and the Denmark international has now sent a clear message to Conte over his situation."I don't want to sit the bench for [Inter] the whole season," he said w...
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Ibrahimovic in doubt for Milan derby after new positive COVID-19 test

Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC MIlan reacts during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Bologna FC at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on September 21, 2020 in Milan, Italy.Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks likely to miss the Milan derby this month after his club AC Milan announced Thursday that the veteran Swede had again tested positive for coronavirus.Ibrahimovic, who went into quarantine two weeks ago when he first tested positive, must test negative twice before he can return to the Milan squad, whose next game is the derby against Inter at the San Siro on October 17.Brazilian defender Leo Duarte, whose last test was also negative, is also continuing his quarantine. The rest of the players are all negative, the club said. City rivals Inter have also been hit by COVID-19, with the club announcing on Thu...
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Napoli fail to turn up for Juventus game after virus row

Cristiano Ronaldo and Roberto Baronio of Juventus arrives at the stadium prior to the Serie A match between Juventus and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on October 04, 2020 in Turin, Italy. Napoli failed to turn up for their Serie A clash against Juventus on Sunday after a coronavirus row involving both clubs and health and football authorities. Gennaro Gattuso's side were not present at Juve's Allianz Stadium for the game's 19:45 GMT kick-off. They were in isolation on the instructions of the regional health authorities of the Campania region which hosts the city of Naples after midfielders Eljif Elmas and Piotr Zielinski both tested positive during the week. Napoli, who had won both their Serie A matches so far this season, risk forfeiting the game 3-0. Club president Aurelio ...
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Five-goal Atalanta crush Cagliari, Juve v Napoli under coronavirus cloud

Alejandro Gomez of Atalanta BC celebrates his goal with his team-mates during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Cagliari Calcio at Gewiss Stadium on October 4, 2020 in Bergamo, Italy. Papu Gomez extended his scoring streak as Atalanta crushed Cagliari 5-2 for a third consecutive win this season, but champions Juventus's clash against Napoli later Sunday remains in doubt after coronavirus cases at both clubs. Atalanta struck hard in their first home game this season in Bergamo, bringing their tally to 13 goals in three games played, to sit top of the Serie A table. "This team is going through an excellent period," said coach Gian Piero Gasperini. "They did not suffer much, the goalkeeper was not very busy. The score could have been much bigger. "We've given the maximum ...
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Lukaku scores twice in big Inter win

Romelu Lukaku of FC Internazionale scores the 0-3 goal during the Serie A match between Benevento Calcio and FC Internazionale at Stadio Ciro Vigorito on September 30, 2020 in Benevento, Italy. Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Inter Milan maintained their 100% start to the season by thrashing Benevento. Lukaku struck inside the first minute when he turned in Achraf Hakimi's cross before Roberto Gagliardini drove in to double the lead. Lukaku swept in a third and although Gianluca Caprari pulled one back, Hakimi made it 4-1 before the break. Alexis Sanchez set up Lautaro Martinez for Inter's fifth before Caprari got another consolation goal. Victory means Inter have won two games out of two so far in Serie A, with both being high-scoring encounters. Roberto Mancini's side won t...
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Serie A: Cristiano Ronaldo double rescues a point for Juventus at Roma; Napoli hammer Genoa

Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus controls the ball against Gianluca Mancini of AS Roma during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Juventus at Stadio Olimpico on September 27, 2020 in Rome, Italy. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to salvage a point for 10-man Juventus in a 2-2 draw at Roma as Napoli hammered Genoa 6-0 in Serie A on Sunday. Champions Juventus were trailing 2-1 and a man down after an hour at the Stadio Olimpico after a Jordan Veretout brace for the hosts and Adrien Rabiot's sending off. But a towering Ronaldo header grabbed the equaliser in the 69th minute to avoid handing new Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo a first defeat. "Going behind complicated things but we got an important point," said Ronaldo. "We're at the start of the season, with a new coach. But the team ar...
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