Category: News

Marino: ‘Atalanta collapse is inexplicable’

May 8, 2022

Atalanta director Umberto Marino admits their collapse in the second half of the season is ‘inexplicable,’ but there are no doubts on Gian Piero Gasperini’s future at the club.

La Dea visit Spezia at 11.30 UK time (10.30 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the LIVEBLOG.

Serie A Liveblog: Verona-Milan, Spezia-Atalanta, Salernitana-Cagliari, Venezia-Bologna

They are currently in eighth place on 56 points, level with Fiorentina, and risk not qualifying for Europe after three consecutive seasons in the Champions League.

“We have three games and will fight to the end,” Marino told Sky Sport Italia.

“It’s difficult to make predictions, as every round seems to have big surprises. All I can say is we’ll play our cards to the very end.”

Atalanta seemed to crumble in the second half of the season, a complete turnaround to their usual routine of surging in Spring.

“We are all asking ourselves the same questions, from the President to the players. It’s fairly inexplicable and can’t be blamed only on fitness, injuries or anything else. There was certainly a drop in form, but we are still in the running and were on the verge of the Europa League semi-finals this season.”

Marino was asked if he was planning a meeting with coach Gasperini to discuss the future, especially now that Atalanta are under new ownership with the investment of American Stephen Pagliuca.

“There’s nothing to clarify. We are in daily contact with the coach, we are in symbiosis and have continual dialogue.”

Marino: ‘Atalanta collapse is inexplicable’

May 8, 2022

Atalanta director Umberto Marino admits their collapse in the second half of the season is ‘inexplicable,’ but there are no doubts on Gian Piero Gasperini’s future at the club.

La Dea visit Spezia at 11.30 UK time (10.30 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the LIVEBLOG.

Serie A Liveblog: Verona-Milan, Spezia-Atalanta, Salernitana-Cagliari, Venezia-Bologna

They are currently in eighth place on 56 points, level with Fiorentina, and risk not qualifying for Europe after three consecutive seasons in the Champions League.

“We have three games and will fight to the end,” Marino told Sky Sport Italia.

“It’s difficult to make predictions, as every round seems to have big surprises. All I can say is we’ll play our cards to the very end.”

Atalanta seemed to crumble in the second half of the season, a complete turnaround to their usual routine of surging in Spring.

“We are all asking ourselves the same questions, from the President to the players. It’s fairly inexplicable and can’t be blamed only on fitness, injuries or anything else. There was certainly a drop in form, but we are still in the running and were on the verge of the Europa League semi-finals this season.”

Marino was asked if he was planning a meeting with coach Gasperini to discuss the future, especially now that Atalanta are under new ownership with the investment of American Stephen Pagliuca.

“There’s nothing to clarify. We are in daily contact with the coach, we are in symbiosis and have continual dialogue.”

Conte praised for Spurs work following Klopp’s frustrations

May 8, 2022

Antonio Conte has received praise and support following Tottenham’s tough 1-1 draw with Liverpool yesterday, a result that frustrated Jurgen Klopp.

The North London side took the lead in the 56th minute after Song Heung-min finished off a nice counter attacking move, but their advantage was short lived as Luis Diaz clawed one back for the home side in the 74th minute. The result was painful for Klopp and his team, who now have given Manchester City the chance to take a commanding lead in the Premier League title race.

Klopp expressed his frustration at Conte’s defensive playstyle when speaking to the press after the game. “For all the praise for Tottenham, a world class opponent, they won against City. The game play works for these games but they are still fifth and for everything they were time wasting, it makes not easier, it’s smart but not easy.” He later stated: “‘I am sorry, I am the wrong person to ask about because I don’t like this kind of football.”

Despite Klopp’s annoyance, many have come out in support of Conte and his tactics, praising his work turning around the North London outfit and highlighting that he did what was required to grind out a result against the title hopefuls. Spurs are still involved in the race for the top four and securing that would be a strong end to his first season with the club.

Conte praised for Spurs work following Klopp’s frustrations

May 8, 2022

Antonio Conte has received praise and support following Tottenham’s tough 1-1 draw with Liverpool yesterday, a result that frustrated Jurgen Klopp.

The North London side took the lead in the 56th minute after Song Heung-min finished off a nice counter attacking move, but their advantage was short lived as Luis Diaz clawed one back for the home side in the 74th minute. The result was painful for Klopp and his team, who now have given Manchester City the chance to take a commanding lead in the Premier League title race.

Klopp expressed his frustration at Conte’s defensive playstyle when speaking to the press after the game. “For all the praise for Tottenham, a world class opponent, they won against City. The game play works for these games but they are still fifth and for everything they were time wasting, it makes not easier, it’s smart but not easy.” He later stated: “‘I am sorry, I am the wrong person to ask about because I don’t like this kind of football.”

Despite Klopp’s annoyance, many have come out in support of Conte and his tactics, praising his work turning around the North London outfit and highlighting that he did what was required to grind out a result against the title hopefuls. Spurs are still involved in the race for the top four and securing that would be a strong end to his first season with the club.

Juve receive Locatelli boost ahead of Coppa Italia final

May 8, 2022

Manuel Locatelli will be called up for Juventus’ upcoming Coppa Italia final against rivals Inter.

The 24-year-old Italian midfielder, who joined the Bianconeri last summer from Sassuolo, suffered a medial collateral ligament problem in the first half of Juventus’ 1-0 loss to Inter on April 3, forcing him to miss the last five consecutive league outings.

As reported by Calciomercato.com, Locatelli has recovered from his injury and will be called up by Allegri for the Coppa Italia final against Inter on May 11. He has been working hard in training over the last few days and has been desperate to be fit for the match.

It’s hard to imagine Locatelli starting the match, but he could come off the bench in the second half to give Juventus a boost.

Weston McKennie, on the other hand, has not been able to recover from his injury in time and so will not be called up for the final. He’s aiming to be fit in time for the next league game against Lazio.

Manuel Locatelli

‘Let’s see what happens’ Ceferin threats Juve, Real Madrid and Barcelona over Super League sanctions

May 7, 2022

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin confirms that Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid could be sanctioned following their involvement in the Super League: ‘Let’s see what happens…’

The three European giants are the only ones not to have formally withdrawn from the breakaway competition that was launched one year ago by 12 elite clubs. However, it collapsed within 48 hours with a decisive push from England. Premier League clubs were the first ones to leave the competition and return to ECA, followed by Atletico Madrid, Inter and Milan.

Juve, Real Madrid and Barcelona are still out of ECA and could face sanctions for still being involved in the competition after that the Madrid Commercial Court lifted the injunction imposed on UEFA at the end of April.

Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid risk Champions League exclusion in 2023-24

Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid could receive fines or even be excluded from European competitions from 2023-24. UEFA President Ceferin confirms that these three clubs could face sanctions in the future.

“Yes, of course. It’s possible. But let’s see what happens,” he told AS.

“We just got the decision. We are glad that it finally came. I was shocked by the behaviour of the previous judge – we were not even offered a hearing; we just received the decision with precautionary measures. Now, finally, we had a proper hearing, and these measures are lifted in their entirety. I trust the Spanish authorities and courts. Let’s see what happens.

“Look, this project – which I am quite fed up with talking about because it doesn’t exist anymore – would absolutely ruin football,” he continued.

“When I saw the reaction of English fans, I was impressed. Fans in France and Germany didn’t have to do anything because their clubs didn’t participate. And I was a bit surprised by the fans’ soft reaction in Spain and Italy, although I do understand it. Sometimes these things go a bit slower in some countries, and since the Italian teams and Atletico Madrid quickly abandoned the project, there was not enough time to have a stronger reaction from the fans. I was surprised by the lack of reaction from Barcelona’s fans, as I always considered it a people’s club.”

Ceferin also confirms that the clubs didn’t inform him before launching the project in April 2021.

“They didn’t. When you do something like this, it makes more sense for them to approach us than the other way around. But they never did. The only ‘greetings’ UEFA got from them came from courts, as they tried to challenge us everywhere. We never said they could not play in their own competition, because they can if they want.

“It’s funny that these were the clubs who applied first for a place in the Champions League. If they play something else, they cannot play in our competitions. That is not a monopoly. They can create their own UEFA and do whatever they think is right. You know, I showed them a lot of respect in the past. I don’t want to speak about the chairman of Juventus, but in my relationship with him, I was very open and honest. I never said this before, but I also invited the President of Real [Madrid], Florentino Pérez, to Nyon before any of this happen to speak about the future competitions. He cancelled the meeting with a text message just 24 hours before because of what he called ‘an event related to basketball.’

“With Bartomeu, I never spoke. In a way, he was already on his way out of the club. So they all had a chance to speak, and we have never been aggressive or arrogant. The announcement of that project was an act of unbelievable arrogance from their side, which is probably why they don’t want to communicate with UEFA. But that never influenced how we treated them in our competitions. You can see from their success – Real Madrid will play the Champions League final and Barcelona Women’s Champions League final. That is a clear signal that our competitions are healthy, fair and correct.”

Aleksander Ceferin

Inter: Lautaro doesn’t miss Lukaku

May 7, 2022

Inter star Lautaro Martinez has scored more goals than in 2020-21, proving that he doesn’t miss last season’s strike partnership with Romelu Lukaku.

El Toro netted a decisive brace against Empoli yesterday, helping Inter to secure a 4-2 win and leapfrog Milan on top of the Serie A table. The Rossoneri have a game in hand and will face Verona at the Stadio Bentegodi tomorrow.

Lautaro has scored 23 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions, 19 in Serie A. He has netted one goal every 132 minutes. It’s his most prolific season at Inter, even better than 2020-21 when he formed one of the best strike partnerships in Europe with Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgian returned to Chelsea in the summer but is having a disappointing spell at Stamford Bridge. The striker misses the good old days in a Nerazzurri shirt, but Lautaro has become even more consistent without ‘Big Rom’ close to him. The Argentinean star had scored 19 goals in 48 games last season, 17 in Serie A.

Lautaro is Inter’s best scorer this season and one of Simone Inzaghi’s key men. He has recently extended his contract until 2026, but his future at the club remains in doubt as the Benamata may need to sell another star in the summer to balance the books.

Juventus: Vlahovic’s reaction to being subbed off sparks debate

May 7, 2022

Pressure mounts on Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic with fans and media discussing his reaction to being subbed off against Genoa yesterday.

The Serbia international hasn’t scored in the last three Serie A games and was quite disappointed when Max Allegri subbed him off against Genoa yesterday.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Vlahovic was unhappy with his performance rather than Allegri’s decision to replace him. The Italian tactician defended the striker after the match, saying he had put in a good performance.

The striker’s goal-per-minute ratio has risen since his move to Juventus, where he has managed one goal every 207 minutes. During the first part of the season at Fiorentina, he had netted once every 102 minutes.

“This was one of Vlahovic’s best games on a technical level. I am very pleased with the way he played with his technique,” he told DAZN.

Allegri stands up for Juventus, Vlahovic and Kean

“I tried to explain it before, but I was attacked as if I was the one ruining Vlahovic. He hasn’t played that many Serie A games and we need to find a balance here.

“Maybe he didn’t realise it was a good performance, I think next season we will see a definite improvement in terms of how he balances out the tempo of his performance, learning that he hasn’t failed if he doesn’t score a goal, there’s more to it.”

The Serbia international was replaced after 75 minutes to let him rest ahead of Wednesday’s Coppa Italia Final.

“I don’t agree with his reaction,” Former Serie A and Italy goalkeeper Luca Marchegiani told Sky Sport Italia after the game.

“It’s normal to score sometimes, he is taking it personally and this frustration is reflected in the way he plays. He must remain calm because Juventus need him to win the Coppa Italia.”

Fans on social media are also discussing Vlahovic’s performance and overall impact at Juventus. Contrary to Marchegiani, most fans blame Allegri and his defensive tactics for the striker’s drop. The 22-year-old has scored seven goals in 18 games since his move to the Allianz Stadium in January.

Serie A Highlights: Genoa 2-1 Juventus

May 6, 2022

Watch as Paulo Dybala puts Juventus in front with a quality strike, but Genoa turn it around in the most dramatic of circumstances, Domenico Criscito with tears of joy after last week’s trauma.

Dybala had curled in with his weaker right foot and come close to a second that thumped the upright, while the Bianconeri saw a penalty revoked after a VAR on-field review on Albert Gudmundsson’s tackle.

Serie A | Genoa 2-1 Juventus: Criscito revives the Grifone

It was Gudmundsson who equalised moments later on a splendid Nadiem Amiri assist, but with Moise Kean missing a sitter, Genoa received a spot-kick.

With the last kick of the game, Criscito set aside last week’s traumatic miss against Sampdoria by converting to keep the Grifone’s Serie A hopes alive.

Blessin: ‘You can’t write this screenplay, I feel 30 years older’

May 6, 2022

Genoa coach Alexander Blessin ‘feels 30 years older’ after the incredible comeback win over Juventus and admits you ‘can’t write this screenplay’ with the Domenico Criscito penalty.

It was a remarkable game at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Paulo Dybala putting Juve in front at the dawn of the second half and then hitting the woodwork, while a penalty was awarded to Juve and then revoked following a VAR on-field review.

“It’s really difficult to describe the feelings,” an emotional Blessin told Sky Sport Italia in English.

“We started not good, the first 20 minutes we dropped too deep, we got better, but we needed the players to believe. We made changes, I wanted more of a box-to-box player with deep movements.

Serie A | Genoa 2-1 Juventus: Criscito revives the Grifone

“After three minutes of the second half, you concede this goal and you think oh f***. You made a mistake. At this moment you have real problems, think ok, perhaps it wasn’t the best decision, but the players believe in the way we play and showed a great mentality.”

The extraordinary turnaround was enacted by Albert Gudmundsson and above all Criscito converting a last-gasp penalty, just days after the same Genoa legend saw his spot-kick saved in a 1-0 defeat to Sampdoria.

“The last 15 minutes was really unbelievable. You cannot write this screenplay, when you think we equalised 1-1, they had a big chance with Kean, we got the penalty. This is football, full of emotions.

“You see last week Mimmo not scoring the penalty, now he has the responsibility and it is unbelievable how much pressure is on his shoulders at this moment. Winning this game, you cannot say it’s not deserved. We tried everything, showed a really great mentality.

“For sure, we are still in this position, but we are close to the other teams and we are back on track.”

Criscito was utterly distraught after last week’s penalty save against Sampdoria, so how did Blessin help him through the week?

“You saw this week his training, his performance. I talked to him, told him head up, the next chance will come. Usually when you talk to the players, they don’t believe you, but I felt the sensation we can still reach this. He has this experience, this really great left foot and it was nice to see his performance today after last week.

“This is why we love football! Mind you, I feel 30 years older now…”