SERIE A – Page 40 – Football Flame

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AS Roma players agree to go without four months' salary

Paulo Fonseca manager of Roma with his players.Roma players and coaching staff have agreed to go without pay for the next four months to help the club’s finances during the coronavirus pandemic.Roma said in a statement on Sunday that the players would forgo the wages they were due to receive between March and the scheduled end of the season in June.Roma also said the players would top up the wages of other club employees who were placed on the Italian government's social safety net scheme to ensure they received their regular monthly income."We always talk about unity at Roma and in volunteering to cut their salaries for the rest of the season, the players, the coach, and his staff, have all proved that we really are in this together," said chief executive Guido Fienga."(Club captain) Edin...
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Former Real Madrid President Calderon says Ronaldo Rejected Chance to Join Barca

Juventus Star Cristiano Ronaldo.The Juventus football legend played for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018, before his transfer to the Italian club. He joined Real Madrid after his €96 mln buyout from Manchester United. However, it turns out that the famous Portuguese maestro was offered another lucrative proposition before Italian move, which he turned down.Manchester United wanted to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Barcelona between 2007 and 2008, former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon revealed to Al Mayadeen in an interview.According to Calderon, Alex Ferguson who coached the English club did not want to lose the star player, especially to rival Real Madrid.Nevertheless, Ronaldo was adamant about his decision to join the Spanish club and his proposed move to Barcelona never gained tractio...
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Ex-Milan Star Marco Simone cricitizes Club for selling Piatek

Krzysztof Piatek of Hertha BSC.Former AC Milan player Marco Simone criticized AC Milan for transferring Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek to Hertha Berlin."I think they shouldn't have let Piatek go. The Pole is young and he is still learning on the pitch. The cooperation with [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic would be beneficial for him as he had someone to share the responsibility for scoring," Simone was quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport."They would create a dangerous attack. If Zlatan leaves, a center forward will be missing at San Siro," he added.Piatek left San Siro during the winter market after Hertha offered nearly 30 million euro for him, and AC Milan is believed in need to strenghen the attack as Ibrahimovic' contract expires in July 2020.Simone urged the club to buy a sniper in the summer."The...
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Jose Fonte : Cristiano Ronaldo has always left door open to return to Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus in action during the Serie A match between Juventus and FC Internazionale played behind closed doors at Allianz Stadium after the Italian Government has issued a list of new guidelines to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus COVID-19 on March 8, 2020 in Turin, Italy.Cristiano Ronaldo has left the door open for a surprise return to Real Madrid, according to his Portugal teammate Jose Fonte. Ronaldo joined Madrid from Manchester United in 2009 and spent nine record-breaking years at the Santiago Bernabeu before he left for Juventus in 2018. During his time at Madrid, the 35-year-old scored 450 goals in 438 games and helped the club win the Champions League four times and La Liga twice. Reports in Italy have claimed that Juventus could be forced to o...
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Milan willing to sell midfielder Paqueta for €28m

2020/02/17: Lucas Paqueta of Ac Milan in action during the Serie A match between Ac Milan and Torino Fc. Ac Milan wins 1-0 over Torino Fc.After failing to express his full potential at AC Milan, Lucas Paqueta could leave the club this summer. The former Flamengo man has disappointed when given the chance and is now considered sellable by the Rossoneri, who could cash at the end of the season.According to reports, Benfica are the latest team to have joined the race for the 22-year-old's services. The management values Paqueta's qualities and he could soon become a serious market target for the club.In order to avoid making a loss, Milan will have to sell the Brazilian for at least €28m. Given the circumstances, it's possible that the clubs could work on a broader operation, as the Portugues...
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Ibrahimovic : "Retirement? I haven't made up my mind yet"

Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan reacts during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and AC Milan at Stadio Artemio Franchi on February 22, 2020 in Florence, Italy. Zlatan Ibrahimovic spoke to Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet to discuss a number of topics, among those the idea of his retirement from football. The idea has floated about that the striker's recent stint at Milan could be his last act, but Ibrahimovic himself is not convinced. "We will see. I still have not made up my mind yet, each day something new happens. Coronavirus was not forseeable. It's tough that the leagues have stopped but we must respect the rules and be patient."
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Serie A chiefs to discuss cancelling season on Monday

(LtoR)Demetrio Albertini, Manuela Ronchi and Damiano Tommasi arrive at the "Gran Gala del Calcio" Italian Football Association (Associazione Italiana Calciatori - IAC) awards ceremony on December 2, 2019, in Milan.President of the Italian Footballers’ Association Damiano Tommasi fears the Serie A season could be cancelled due to the outbreak of coronavirus.Italy has been hit hardest in Europe by the virus and on Sunday had over 10,000 confirmed deaths from Covid-19.Serie A has been suspended since March 9 and sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora revealed last week a blanket ban on all sport could continue until May.Spadafora’s words have alerted the attention of the Italian FA, who are due to meet on Monday via a conference call when the topic of Serie A being cancelled will be discussed.&nb...
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Juventus, Ronaldo agree to wage reduction that will save club €90 million

Cristiano Ronaldo (L) and his partner Georgina Rodriguez push two strollers as they have a walk with their children in Funchal on March 28, 2020.Cristiano Ronaldo and his Juventus team-mates along with coach Maurizio sarri agreed to forgo 90 million euros ($100 million) in the wages on the Saturday to help the club during the coronavirus crisis.The club said the money amounted to four months worth of wages, a third of the players’ salaries.The first agreement of its kind in Serie A since play was halted three weeks ago means Ronaldo, the highest-paid player in the Italian league, will give up 10 million euros (more than $11 million).Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini, who has an economics degree, led the negotiations with the club and fellow players.The agreement comes at a time when many ...
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Juventus to end Isolation tomorrow

Juventus Under 23 players during a Juventus U23 Training Session at Juventus Center Vinovo on March 9, 2020 in Vinovo, Italy.Juventus players and staff are expected to end their voluntary quarantine tomorrow but self-isolation will continue afterwards.The Bianconeri underwent voluntary isolation after Daniele Rugani tested positive for the Coronavirus while some players remained at the Juventus Hotel for two weeks.A total of 121 players and staff have been self-isolating since shortly after Juve’s 2-0 win over Inter but the two week isolation period is due to end.The entirety of the squad reportedly underwent swab testing with only three players testing positive: Paulo Dybala, Blaise Matuidi and Rugani.Matuidi tested positive 17 March meaning his self-isolation will end 31 March – Dybala’s...
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Napoli set to Return to training next week

SAN PAOLO STADIUM, NAPLES, CAMPANIA, ITALY - 2020/02/29: Napoli's Turkish midfielder Eljif Elmas,Napoli's Italian defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Napoli's belgian striker Dries Mertens celebrate at the end of the Italian Serie A football match SSC Napoli vs Torino FC. Napoli won 2-1.Although the Italian Players’ Association insists no team activities should happen until April, Napoli have announced that the team will return to training next Wednesday.The Azzurri have called their players back for a morning session at Castel Volturno on March 25, as President Aurelio De Laurentiis and Lazio boss Claudio Lotito are the only Serie A clubs that want to return before April 4.Italy is on a full lockdown until April 3, and AIC President Damiano Tommasi has made it clear that returning before the...
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Juventus Player Tests positive for Coronavirus

Juventus player Daniele Rugani during a training session at JTC on March 10, 2020 in Turin, Italy.A player for Juventus, the Italian soccer champion, has tested positive for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, the club announced Wednesday, a worrisome development for a sport — and a country — struggling to contain the outbreak.The player, the 25-year-old defender Daniele Rugani, is believed to be the first athlete in Italy’s top division to test positive. The team said in a statement that Rugani was “currently asymptomatic,” but that the club was following isolation procedures required by law for him and anyone who has had contact with him.Rugani is not the first player in Europe to test positive for the disease — a German team, Hannover 96, confirmed earlier on Wednesday ...
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Dybala sends Juventus top with behind-closed-doors win over Inter Milan

Paulo Dybala of Juventus scores the goal of of 2-0 during the Serie A match between Juventus and FC Internazionale at Allianz Stadium played behind closed doors after rules to limit the spread of Covid-19 have been put in place on March 8, 2020 in Turin, Italy.Juventus beat Inter Milan 2-0 to go back top of Serie A, one point ahead of Lazio, on Sunday night.The goals came from Aaron Ramsey and Paulo Dybala.Juve now have 63 points to Lazio's 62.Inter are eight points behind Lazio on 54, with a game in hand."There's still a long way to go," said Bianconeri coach Maurizio Sarri after winning the so-called 'derby of Italy".The match was played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus.On the possibility of Serie A being halted, Nerazzurri coach Antonio Conte said "I hope the best decisions ar...
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Boban sacked by AC Milan over spat with Gazidis

2019/09/26: Zvonimir Boban, Chief Football Officer of AC Milan, looks on prior to the Serie A football match between Torino FC and AC Milan. Torino FC won 2-1 over AC Milan.AC Milan have officially announced on their website that Chief Football Officer Zvonimir Boban's contract has been terminated. The former Rossoneri No. 10 has been with the club just nine months after leaving his role as the Deputy Secretary General of FIFA. Boban was involved in a public spat with CEO Ivan Gazidis last week where he accused the latter of going behind the back of the technical directors to approach Ralf Rangnick thus undermining their roles as we reported here.The club statement notably read, “The Club will keep supporting Stefano Pioli and his first team in all areas and is optimistic looking ahead to ...
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Zapata nets 3 as Atalanta puts on a show in 7-2 win at Lecce

Duvan Zapata of Atalanta celebrates after scoring his team's 4th goal during the Serie A match between US Lecce and Atalanta BC at Stadio Via del Mare on March 1, 2020 in Lecce, Italy.On a day when one of Serie A’s biggest matches was postponed, Atalanta offered up a spectacle of its own for its travelling fans, who had their temperature checked before watching Atalanta rout Lecce 7-2 Sunday.Duvan Zapata scored a hat trick for the visitors.Despite the biggest clusters of coronavirus infections being in the Lombardy region, where Atalanta is based, fans were allowed to travel to the match in the south.Atalanta had sold more than 200 tickets but only around 30 fans made the trip and they had their temperature taken before entering the stadium by medics wearing protective face masks and glove...
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Inter Defender Ashley Young: “Preparing For Tomorrow’s Game”

Ashley Young of FC Internazionale celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and FC Internazionale at Stadio Olimpico on February 16, 2020 in Rome, Italy.Inter wing back Ashley Young has joined many of his Nerazzurri teammates in taking to social media to share some thoughts ahead of the team’s Europa League round of 32 first leg clash with Ludogorets tomorrow evening.The veteran English defender, who joined Inter this past January for a nominal fee from Manchester United, has made five appearances across all competitions to date this season.The 34-year-old has contributed a single goal and single assist in just exactly 450 minutes and helped Inter keep one clean sheet since his arrival.“Preparing for tomorrow’s game,” he posted to Instagram....
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Rebic keeps up scoring form in AC Milan's win over Torino

Ante Rebic of AC Milan in action during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Torino FC at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 17, 2020 in Milan, Italy.AC Milan forward Ante Rebic continued his superb run of form by securing a 1-0 Serie A win over Torino at San Siro on Monday that sent them within touching distance of the European spots.The Croatia international latched onto a Samuel Castillejo cross to sweep home the decisive goal after 25 minutes, marking his fifth in the last five league games.Milan move into eighth place on 35 points but only trail seventh-placed Parma and Hellas Verona in sixth on goal difference.The home side came close to doubling their advantage after the break when Zlatan Ibrahimovic curled a shot just wide, before Castillejo fired a low shot off target from a pro...
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Dybala, Cuadrado fire Juventus back top against Brescia

Paulo Dybala of Juventus celebrates with his team-mates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between Juventus and Brescia Calcio at Allianz Stadium on February 16, 2020 in Turin, Italy.Juventus reclaimed top spot in Serie A on Sunday with a 2-0 win over 10-man Brescia but Lazio moved just a point behind into second after beating Inter Milan 2-1 in a clash between the title rivals in Rome.Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado scored in either half as champions Juventus rediscovered their winning form at home.Inter Milan drop from top spot to third, three points behind the champions, after falling to just their second defeat of the season.Sparks flew at the Stadio Olimpico with Romelu Lukaku threating Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Straskosha early with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic rattling ...
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Inter top Serie A following stunning comeback win over AC Milan

Romelu Lukaku of FC Internazionale scores the 4-2 goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Milan at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 9, 2020 in Milan, Italy.Inter Milan launched a superb second-half comeback from 2-0 down to stun rivals AC Milan and go top of Serie A.Inter started in third but leapfrogged Lazio and head the table on goal difference from champions Juventus.Ante Rebic tapped home from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's knockdown and the Swede headed in the second before the break.But Marcelo Brozovic volleyed in and Matias Vecino stroked home Alexis Sanchez's cutback before Stefan de Vrij and Romelu Lukaku both scored headers.Antonio Conte's side looked beaten at half-time after a lethargic opening 45 minutes, but responded in sensational fashion in the second peri...
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Ronaldo nets as Verona stun Juventus in late comeback

Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus scores the opening goal during the Serie A match between Hellas Verona and Juventus at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on February 8, 2020 in Verona, Italy.Verona produced a huge upset by coming from behind to beat Serie A leaders Juventus 2-1 at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi on Saturday, inflicting a third defeat of the season on the Italian champions. Cristiano Ronaldo set a new Juventus record by scoring in a 10th consecutive league game to put the visitors in front after 65 minutes.Yet Ivan Juric’s side left the visitors stunned as Fabio Borini struck an equaliser before a late penalty from the substitute Giampaolo Pazzini completed the comeback. Juve remain on top of the table on 54 points, but Internazionale will draw level with them if they beat M...
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Brescia Sack Eugenio Corini for Second time this Season

Brescia Calcio head coach Eugenio Corini looks on during the Serie A match between Brescia Calcio and Cagliari Calcio at Stadio Mario Rigamonti on January 19, 2020 in Brescia, Italy.Relegation-threatened Brescia fired coach Eugenio Corini for a second time this season and hired Diego Lopez as his replacement on Wednesday.Brescia announced the move amid a six-match winless streak that has left the club in next-to-last place in Serie A — level on points with last-place Spal.Corini coached Brescia to the Serie B title last season but was fired in early November after the squad lost seven of its opening 10 matches.After Fabio Grosso coached the club to three straight losses, Corini was rehired in December and Brescia immediately won two consecutive games. But the team has not won since.Lopez, ...
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