SERIE A – Page 46 – Football Flame

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OFFICIAL : Inter Milan Name Conte as New Coach

Antonio Conte was this morning announced as the new head coach of Internazionale, replacing Luciano Spaletti, who was officially dismissed yesterday.This marks the return of Conte to management, following his sacking by Chelsea last July as well as the protracted and quite unseemly 10-month legal battle that followed over severance payments. But that nonsense is now over, with Chelsea reportedly agreeing in arbitration to pay in full the £9m compensation that was due, and all involved could move on with their lives.Conte will certainly have his work cut out for him at Inter, who are far from the dominant force in Italian football that they once were. It is however a rather typical Conte assignment: another reclamation project at a fallen giant. After his successes at Juventus and Chelsea, ...
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Luciano Spalletti Sacked as Inter Milan Manager

Luciano Spalletti has been sacked as Inter Milan boss, with the Italian club expected to replace him with former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.Spalletti, who had a contract until 2021, led Inter into the Champions League for the first time in six years in the first of his two seasons.This year his side finished fourth in Serie A and were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage.Conte has been out of the game since being dismissed by Chelsea last July.Inter secured a Champions League spot on the last day of the season by beating 2-1 on Sunday to finish level on points with third-placed Atalanta.
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Gazidis Wants Maldini as Milan Technical Director

Paolo MaldiniAC Milan chief executive Ivan Gazidis wants to appoint Paolo Maldini as technical director following Leonardo's departure.Leonardo stepped down as sporting director on Tuesday, the same day head coach Gennaro Gattuso resigned from the Serie A club.Gattuso himself had confirmed his departure earlier on Tuesday, saying he is walking away despite having two years remaining on his contract, while Leonardo had only been in his job for one season.Milan are set for a busy off-season after missing out on Champions League qualification by just one point and CEO Gazidis is eyeing a new role for club great Maldini, who is the team's sporting strategy and development director.Gazidis, who offered thanks to both Leonardo and Gattuso as the two left the club , hopes to "bring Milan back to ...
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AC Milan miss out on UCL spot despite SPAL win

AC Milan endured a bittersweet 3-2 win at SPAL in the last round of the Serie A, finishing the campaign outside the top four after their nearest rivals both booked their Champions League berths on Sunday.The result left Milan fifth on 68 points, one behind third-placed Atalanta and fourth-placed city rivals Inter, meaning they will have to be content with the Europa League next season.Atalanta came from behind to beat Sassuolo 3-1 at home while Inter eked out a 2-1 win against relegated Empoli at the San Siro.“I am happy with the development of my players, I think many of them have improved a lot,” said AC Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso, whose future with the club is uncertain. “We can still get better although it will not be easy to improve this season’s 68 points.“The biggest regret is...
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Reports: Inter Want Lukaku, Moses After Conte Joins

Inter Milan want to sign Romelu Lukaku and Victor Moses this summer; once they have appointed Antonio Conte as their new head coach, as per reports. The former Chelsea boss is expected to replace Luciano Spalletti at Inter next week, according to reports in Italy, and both players are believed to be on his wishlist.Conte tried to sign Lukaku in the summer of 2017 when he was still at Stamford Bridge, but the striker opted to move to Manchester United from Everton instead.The Belgium international has scored 42 goals in 96 games for United, but failed to score in his last eight games this season and often found Marcus Rashford chosen ahead of him as the team's central striker after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became manager.
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Juve striker Cristiano Ronaldo named Serie A MVP

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Serie A MVP award for the 2018-19 season, his first in the Italian top division.Per Football Italia, he won the award calculated via statistics, thanks to his 22 goals and 11 assists in 33 matches across all domestic competitions. The award is an official distinction from the league, with Ernst & Young putting the list together using data from Opta Sports and Netco Sports.Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Inter Milan's Samir Handanovic, Sampdoria's Fabio Quagliarella and AS Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo were the other winners, the latter being voted Best Young Player and the others picking up the positional awards.
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Allegri on Juventus exit: 'Now I can go to the beach a little bit'

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has broken his silence after the Italian club announced his imminent departure. The 51-year-old is set to leave the Bianconeri this summer and will be in charge of his last home game when his side welcomes Atalanta to the Allianz Stadium for the penultimate Serie A encounter on Sunday.Allegri was appointed as the manager of the Turin club five years ago and has won the league title in each of those years. Having signed Cristiano Ronaldo last summer for a club-record fee, the Old Ladies were looking to the Italian coach leading the club to its first Champions League title in 23 years.However, the Juve was met with the dismay of crashing out in the quarter-finals of as a result of a shock 3-2 aggregate defeat to Ajax. With the Italians hav...
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Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini to miss Atalanta clash

Giorgio Chiellini has been ruled out of Juventus’ home clash with Atalanta on Sunday due to a calf injury.The Bianconeri enter the contest having already clinched this season’s Scudetto, while La Dea remain in the thick of the Champions League chase as they enter the match in fourth, three points up on Roma and AC Milan.Atalanta’s chances have received a boost as Sky Sport Italia reports Chiellini did not train with the Juventus first team on Thursday, and as a result he will miss out on the clash.Meanwhile Mario Mandzukic did take part in the session, and it’s believed he could be named to the squad for the match.Leonardo Bonucci also returned to training with his teammates and it’s expected the 32-year-old will feature in the contest as well.
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Roma confirm Daniele De Rossi will leave at the end of the season

Daniele De Rossi will leave Roma at the end of the season, the club has confirmed.The Italian legend is in his 18th season at the club having made his debut in 2001.He's featured 614 times for Roma, scoring 63 times.His final game for the club will come against Parma on May 26.Roma president Jim Pallotta told the club’s official website, per Goal: “For 18 years, Daniele has been the beating heart of AS Roma’s team.“From his debut in 2001 to taking on the responsibility of the captain’s armband, he always represented the Roma fans on the pitch with pride as he established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe.“We will all shed tears when he pulls on the Giallorossi shirt for the last time against Parma but we respect his desire to prolong his playing career - even if, at almost 3...
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Juventus set to face Inter at Nanjing

A clash of the titans will unfold at Nanjing Olympic Sports Center on July 24 when Relevant Sports Group (RSG) presents an epic International Champions Cup match featuring two of Italy's top clubs  Juventus and Inter Milan in the storied Derby D'Italia.The century-old competition is renowned internationally for the extraordinary passion it evokes on the pitch and in the stands, and this year's showdown marks the first time Chinese fans will witness it on home soil.Juventus and Inter are two of the most popular international clubs in China. Recent successes, including winning eight consecutive Serie A titles ("the scudetto") and last year's signing of global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, have helped grow Juventus' Chinese fanbase exponentially.In 1978 Inter became the first top European...
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Chelsea loanee Bakayoko clashes with manager Gattuso during win over Bologna

Tiemoue Bakayoko clashed with AC Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso on the bench during Monday’s 2-1 win over Bologna.Bakayoko, who is on loan at the San Siro from Chelsea, started the game among the Milan substitutes but was asked to warm-up by Gattuso after Lucas Biglia suffered a first-half injury.A conversation took place between manager and player, before Bakayoko appeared to tell Gattuso to ‘f*** off’. Gattuso brought on Jose Mauri instead and Bakayoko remained on the bench for the remainder of the game.“I told Bakayoko to warm up, he took his time and I chose Mauri,” Gattuso said after the match.“I have 27 players, we wear a glorious shirt and I must be objective and honest in everything I do. I waited seven or eight minutes, he still had not put on his shin pads so I made that choi...
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Ronaldo hits 600th club goal in Juve-inter draw

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 600th goal of his club career to earn Italian champions Juventus a 1-1 draw away to Inter Milan in Serie A on Saturday.The Turin club wrapped up an eighth successive league title last weekend but found themselves behind early on to a wonder-strike from Inter midfielder Radja Nainggolan.However, the Portuguese responded with a powerful finish in the second half to hit 20 league goals for the season, moving within two strikes of Serie A’s leading scorer, Fabio Quagliarella of Sampdoria, in the process.Inter remain in third place on 62 points, four ahead of AS Roma below them, while Juventus, who dropped points for just the sixth time in 34 games this season, move up to 88.
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AC Milan reportedly set to sack Gattuso

Regardless of whether AC Milan end up qualifying for the Champions League or not, the word out of Italy is that head coach Gennaro Gattuso is heading for the sack. With five games to go, Milan may be hanging on to dear life in fourth place at the moment, the last spot to qualify for Europe’s big dance, but the 1-0 home defeat to Lazio on Wednesday in the second leg of the Coppa Italia, which put Lazio and their racist fans into the final, was apparently the last straw as far Gattuso’s prospects are concerned.Reports from both Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttosport agree that the Milan legend will not be retained and will instead be replaced by one of several shortlisted names, including Rudi Garcia, Unai Emery, Gian Piero Gasperini, Antonio Conte, and Maurizio Sarri.Conte is apparently t...
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Lazio stuns Milan to reach Coppa Italia final

Lazio reached the Coppa Italia final and ended AC Milan’s hopes of snapping an eight-year trophy drought when a breakaway goal from Joaquin Correa gave them a 1-0 win at a restless San Siro in the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday.The Argentine struck the only goal of a tense 180 minutes to earn Lazio a place in the final for the third time in five years and heap more pressure on Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso.Milan’s last silverware was the Serie A title in 2011 and they are now under more pressure than ever to finish in the top four of the league and qualify for the Champions League next season.“We’ve beaten Milan and Inter in this stadium and it’s fair that we are in the final,” said Lazio coach Filippo Inzaghi, whose side knocked out Inter on penalties in the quarter-finals and ...
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Napoli boss Ancelotti rules out sale of Man Utd target Kalidou Koulibaly

Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti has described Kalidou Koulibaly as the "best centre-back in the world" and insists that he is not for sale. The Senegal international has been regularly linked with a move away from the Stadio San Paolo in recent times, earning particular interest from Manchester United.With the Red Devils still on the hunt for a new central defender, reports indicate that they may move for Koulibaly in the summer.Ancelotti has categorically ruled out an exit for his prized asset, however, telling reporters: "Koulibaly is the best centre-back in the world, and he has more room for improvement."He is worth €150m and he is non-transferable. Napoli do not need to sell, the president does not want to sell and the question does not arise."Koulibaly has been used 43 times...
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Inter Milan reportedly ready to spend €30 million on Gundogan

     Inter are willing to spend up to €30 million in order to clinch the signing of Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City this Summer according to a report from CalcioMercato.com.The German’s contract with the Premier League outfit is due to expire in just over a year’s time and he is understood to have zero intention of prolonging his stay.For this reason, City are looking to sell him off in order to not lose him for nothing once his deal at the club expires.The report goes on to state that Inter are confident about investing €30 million as it is a sum that they could raise through player sales, potentially through Ivan Perisic alone if Inter’s reported demands for the Croatian winger are met by the trio of Premier League sides keen on him.The next few weeks could prove dec...
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Moise Kean winner put Juventus on brinks of Serie A title

Teenager Moise Kean has left Juventus within one win of retaining its Serie A title.Kean, who was the victim of racist abuse during the week, came off the bench to score what was to prove the winner on Saturday as Juventus came from behind to beat AC Milan 2-1. It was the Italy forward’s fifth goal in as many matches for club and country and has seen him stake a claim for a place in the starting lineup for the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal game at Ajax on Wednesday, especially with Cristiano Ronaldo a doubt for Juventus as he recovers from injury.“We need to let him (Kean) grow,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “We’ll see if he plays on Wednesday, the substitutes are important and we saw that again today.”Paulo Dybala’s penalty canceled out Krzysztof Piatek’s ...
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Roma humiliated by Napoli after 4-1 loss

Napoli humiliated Claudio Ranieri's Roma with a 4-1 win in the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday consolidating second place, 15 points behind runaway leaders Juventus in Serie A.Arkadiusz Milik put the visitors ahead after two minutes with Dries Mertens, Simone Verdi and Amin Younes adding three more in the second half to inflict another blow on the hosts' Champions League ambitions next season.Juventus continued their march towards an eighth consecutive Serie A title with on-form teenager Moise Kean scoring the only goal against Empoli on Saturday.Carlo Ancelotti's Napoli have almost no chance of winning the title with nine games to go, but extended their cushion on third-placed Inter Milan to ten points before Luciano Spalletti's side host Lazio later on Sunday."I expected a performance like thi...
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Serie A: Cagliari thrash Chievo to move away from relegation zone

Cagliari eased their relegation fears in Serie A with a 3-0 win over 10-man Chievo, who remain rock bottom of the table.Fabio Pisacane, Joao Pedro and Artur Ionita scored in the first half to give Cagliari their first away win in the league since September, and any faint hopes of a Chievo comeback were ended in the 52nd minute when Fabio Depaoli was sent off for a second bookable offence.Chievo made the brighter start but it was the visitors who took the lead with their first significant attack after 16 minutes when Pisacane headed home from Luca Pellegrini's cross. The home side rallied and Perparim Hetemaj's shot from the edge of the penalty area was saved by Alessio Cragno, but Cagliari doubled their lead in style in the 33rd minute, Pedro firing home a first-time s...
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Cristiano Ronaldo injury update ahead Juventus Champions league tie against Ajax

Cristiano Ronaldo is a doubt for Juventus' Champions League tie against Ajax, his manager has confirmed.Ronaldo, who is on course to win his fourth Champions League title in succession this season, injured a thigh muscle during Portugal's Euro 2020 qualifier against Serbia in midweek.Although the 34-year-old played down the severity of the injury in a post-match interview, Massimiliano Allegri stated on Friday that he could miss the first leg of the quarter-final against the Dutch club as he recovers."He's already started to move but won't return to training until he feels fit. There is a risk he'll miss the first leg against Ajax," Allegri said."We have to be careful because we're in a tricky period of the season. It's better he misses one match and comes back when he's 100...
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