SERIE A – Page 41 – Football Flame

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AC Milan target Argentina U23 Striker Nahuel Bustos

Nahuel Bustos of Argentina observes during the friendly match between Mexico U23 and Argentina U23 at Hidalgo Stadium on October 15, 2019 in Pachuca, Mexico. A new name has appeared in terms of AC Milan’s targets to reinforce the attack ahead of next season, reports in Spain claim. It is seemingly no secret that Milan are in the market for a new striker this summer with doubts over the future of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the desire of Elliott Management to embark on a new youth-led revolution. According to Estadio Deportivo (via MilanLive), Talleres striker Nahuel Bustos is among the players that Milan are looking at view of the next transfer market window. Rossoneri scouts were in South America to watch him before the season was halted due to the Coronavirus emergency. Competition...
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Milan star Ibrahimovic return to Italy ahead of Serie A resumption

AC Milan's Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic attends a training session of Swedish league team Hammarby IF at Arsta IP on April 13, 2020 in Stockholm. AC Milan star returned to Italy on Monday after two months in his native Sweden, as Serie A prepares to resume group training in a week's time.  Ibrahimovic was photographed arriving in Milan wearing a facemask and gloves before being driven to the team's training centre at Milanello. The Swede is expected to spend two weeks in quarantine before joining his teammates who resumed individual training last week. Group training is set to start again on May 18. The 38-year-old returned to Sweden on March 12 days after Serie A was suspended as the coronavirus pandemic swept through Italy and Europe. Ibrahimovic has been busy trai...
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Atalanta teenager Andrea Rinaldi passes away

Andrea Rinaldi(R) of Atalanta BC celebrates after scoring goal 2-2 during the U17 Serie A Final match between Atalanta BC and FC Internazionale on June 21, 2017 in Cesena, Italy. Atalanta midfielder Andrea Rinaldi has died aged 19 after suffering a brain aneurysm on Friday while training at home during the coronavirus lockdown. Rinaldi was part of the youth system at Atalanta and had been on loan at Serie D side Legnano this season. "Always available and positive, he knew how to make himself well-liked by everyone," said an Atalanta statement. Legnano described Rinaldi's death as "a sudden and shocking tragedy, impossible even to imagine". Legnano's statement, which confirmed the cause of death, added: "Andrea fought for three days after the illness that hit him. Unfortunate...
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Inter Milan ask price tag for Chelsea Loanee Victor Moses

Victor Moses of FC Internazionale reacts during FC Internazionale training session at Appiano Gentile on February 25, 2020 in Como, Italy.Inter Milan have reportedly asked Chelsea to drop their asking price for Nigerian utility player Victor Moses.According to Calcio Mercato, the Italian club are unwilling to match Chelsea’s €12 million price tag.Inter head coach Antonio Conte remains eager to sign Moses on a permanent deal at the end of his loan spell with the club. The Nezarrurri though will require Chelsea to drop their evaluation of the player if he is to complete a permanent switch to the San Siro at the culmination of the 2019-20 season.Moses spent the first half of the current campaign on-loan at Turkish Super Lig club Fenerbahce, but left the Istanbul-based club almost exactly a ye...
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Juve star Cristiano Ronaldo held back in team training after returning to Italy

Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Juventus during team warm up before the Lyon V Juventus, UEFA Champions League, Round of Sixteen, 1st leg match, at Groupama Stadium on February 26th 2020 in Lyon, France.Cristiano Ronaldo will not be allowed to train with his Juventus teammates despite finally returning to Italy after two months of coronavirus lockdown.The Portugal international has been self-isolating with his family in Madeira but has now arrived back in Turin.Ronaldo landed in Italy on Tuesday on the same day that many of Juve's stars reported back to the club's training ground.The forward and his family flew back in his £20million Gulfstream G200 Galaxy plane.But he is now being forced to complete 14 days of quarantine because he entered Italy from another country.The 35-year-old is hoping to h...
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Fiorentina reportedly demands loan extension for Cristiano Biraghi and Dalbert

Cristiano Biraghi of FC Internazionale celebrates the equalizing goal scored by an own goal of Georgi Terziev of Ludogorets (not in frame) during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg match between FC Internazionale and PFC Ludogorets Razgrad at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on February 27, 2020 in Milan, Italy.Fiorentina have asked Inter about the possibility of extending the loans of Cristiano Biraghi and Dalbert for a further season according to a report in today’s print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport.Biraghi joined Inter on a season long loan this past Summer and Dalbert went in the opposite direction and joined La Viola on a season long loan too.Inter chief executive Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Marotta finds the prospect of a loan extension to be interesting given the lack of money expected t...
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Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Juventus ahead of Serie A resumption

Juventus' Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) warms up with Juventus' French midfielder Blaise Matuidi in the empty stadium as the match will be played behind closed doors due toi the novel coronavirus before the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Inter Milan, at the Juventus stadium in Turin on March 8, 2020.Juventus star striker Cristiano Ronaldo is returning to Italy on Monday after being in quarantine in his native Portugal since March, according to ESPN. The veteran goal-scoring machine had been in his hometown of Madiera with his family since March 8, which came one day before Serie A action was stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ronaldo's mother had suffered a stroke back in March, prompting his trip home. Ronaldo returning isn't a sign that games a...
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Ancelotti: 'Milan 2005 Squad was even better than the 2003 version'

Carlo Ancelotti of Everton before the Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge on March 8, 2020 in London, England.Although they failed to take home the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti believes his 2005 AC Milan squad was better than the sides that won in 2003 and 2007.The Rossoneri famously saw a 3-0 lead evaporate in just six minutes, as Liverpool fought back to claim an unlikely triumph in Istanbul in 2005.Ancelotti believes that star-studded squad was the best he coached while at the San Siro, as they were technically superior in his eyes.“The 2007 side was technically inferior to the 2005 one, which remains the best team with the best performance in a final,” he said during an Instagram Live video. “That 2005 side was even better than the 2003 version.“We ...
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Costa: 'Dybala my best teammate'

Juventus players Douglas Costa and Paulo Dybala during a training session at JTC.Juventus star Douglas Costa says Paulo Dybala, not Cristiano Ronaldo, is his best teammate.Costa, 29, was speaking via Instagram live from his native Brazil, where he is seeing out the COVID-19 pandemic until football resumes in Italy.“I hope to return to Italy soon,” Costa said. “I can’t wait to get back, partly because I don’t know what to do here anymore.”When asked in the Q&A who his best teammate at the club is, he gave a surprising reply."The strongest teammate is Paulino [Dybala]," he said. "Then of course also Ronaldo."Costa and Dybala are close friends, but Ronaldo, 35, is having his best season at Juventus.The Portugal legend has scored 21 goals (three assists) in 22 Serie A matches, compared to ...
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Ashley Young to sign one-year deal with Inter Milan

Ashley Young of Inter Milan.Inter Milan are ready to hand Ashley Young an extension to his contract that will keep him at the San Siro until next summer.Young only joined the Serie A side back in January on a six-month deal from Manchester United and has gone on to feature seven times since making the move.But in that short space of time he has done enough to convince manager Antonio Conte of his worth and Inter are now ready to trigger an extension in his contract to keep him until the end of next season according to the Guardian.Young, who is 35-year-old in July, has already accepted terms of a new deal following talks with the club.He will now look to focus on completing the season with Inter who still hold realistic hopes of grabbing silverware on three fronts.Although their Serie A ho...
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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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