Serie A

THE Serie A clash between Atalanta and Fiorentina has been postponed after a club chief was rushed to hospital.Fiorentina director Joe Barone fell ill earlier today and was rushed to hospital.Joe Barone was rushed to hospital earlier todayCredit: RexA statement from Fiorentina said: “We inform you that the ATALANTA-FIORENTINA match, scheduled for today, 17 March 2024 starting at 6.00pm, and valid for the 29th day of the Serie A TIM Championship, has been postponed to a later date.”The game was due to kick-off at 5pm GMT at the Gewiss Stadium.However, at 4.13pm Serie A released a statement confirming the game had been called off. Sky Sport Italia report that some of the players were with Barone when he was taken ill and were too worried about him to concentrate on the match.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBarone’s 58th birthday is on Wednesday.He has been a director at Viola since November 2019.Barone was born in Italy but raised in the United States. The incident comes almost two weeks after the anniversary for the tragic death of former club captain Davide Astori.Most read in FootballAstori died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 31 on March 4, 2018 while sleeping before Fiorentina’s match against Udinese.Atalanta currently sit 6th in the Serie A table, while Fiorentina are in 9th. More

STEPHY MAVIDIDI will not be overawed at the prospect of facing Chelsea’s billion-pound squad at Stamford Bridge.The Leicester winger grew used to rubbing shoulders with football royalty when he was a team-mate of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus.Stephy Mavididi and Cristiano Ronaldo were team-mates at JuventusCredit: GettyRonaldo’s car collection blew Mavididi away during their time as team-matesCredit: GettyAlthough he made only one Serie A appearance for Juve, during their title winning season in 2018-19, he would not have swapped his two years with the Italian giants for the world.Derby-born Mavididi, 25, learned his trade working alongside the Turin superstars in training.He said: “It was a really good experience, sharing a changing room with all these world-class players.“It wasn’t a bad group — we had Cristiano Ronaldo, Douglas Costa, Joao Cancelo, Leonardo Bonucci, Miralem Pjanic — I could be here all day naming all the great players.READ MORE ON CRISTIANO RONALDO“They were hard workers as well  and seeing how they conducted themselves in training, travelling to games, in hotels, was an education.“It made me grow in confidence, knowing I was competing alongside and against these world-class players, it was really enjoyable.”Mavididi might have made more first-team appearances for Juventus if he did not have to compete with a five-times Ballon d’Or winner playing in his position.He said: “Cristiano invented his own position, he played wherever he wanted to play.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS“It was crazy having him as a team-mate. When he’s on your team in training you’re going to win — whether it’s a small-sided game or crossing and finishing.“But when you play against him it’s a nightmare because he’s just so good in every aspect of the game.Cristiano Ronaldo caught in huge bust-up after Al-Nassr lose to Al-Ain on penalties“You can’t just look at a world-class player and say, ‘I’ll copy him’. Everyone’s different and you have got to discover what works best for you.”Ronaldo’s raw  talent got him to  the pinnacle of world football — but away from the pitch it was a different kind of ‘roar’ that made him stand out from other superstar footballers.Mavididi revealed: “Every day he’d turn up for training in a different car — cars we’d never seen in our life.“They were all spectacular sports cars, top of the range. I remember once he went to Monaco for the grand prix.“The next day he turned up in this unbelievable McLaren sports car, we hadn’t seen anything like it.“I think people used to give him cars to sample and he had an incredible collection of his own.”But at the end of the day, he’s just a normal guy when you get to know him. I used to see him at work, in a professional environment, just a guy turning up for work and doing his job!”Mavididi seized the opportunity to sign for Juve after kicking off his senior career with Arsenal as a kid.Mavididi spent two years in Italy with JuventusCredit: GettyHe added: “It was kinda bitter-sweet because I’d been at Arsenal for eight years, they were my club.”But my agent said, ‘It’s not everyday you get an opportunity like this — you don’t want to look back one day and have any regrets’.”I took Italian lessons and got used to the culture — the different times of day they eat — but my main focus was to do well on the pitch.”It was that desire to prove himself that took Mavididi on loan to Dijon in France, before making a permanent move to Montpellier where he was a huge hit.So much so that he beat Chris Waddle’s record to become the Englishman with the most Ligue 1 appearances. The Foxes ace said: “I played a lot of games there, more than the 107 Chris Waddle played, which was nice.”France was a great experience until my third year when I began to get really homesick.”You know that feeling when you feel like you’ve just been on holiday that bit too long and you want to get home?”I had a daughter during that time and I wanted to come home for her too. It was the right time.The 25-year-old is now starring in the Championship with LeicesterCredit: Getty”My aim now is to play in the Premier League with Leicester.”First, the Foxes have today’s crucial quarter-final with Chelsea and Mavididi admits it is crazy that this will be his first ever FA Cup tie — and a win would see him play in a Wembley semi-final.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe added: “I’ve never played at Wembley, I’ve never even been for a cup final or England international.”Playing there would mean a lot to me, I won’t lie. Now it’s one win away and I want to make it happen.” More

LAZIO striker Ciro Immobile was “physically and verbally attacked” in front of his wife and four-year-old son outside a school on Friday, according to reports.The incident is said to have occurred outside the footballer’s son’s school building.Ciro Immobile was attacked in front of his wife and sonCredit: RexAccording to journalist Zach Lowy, Immobile is considering legal action.His agency are also said to be alleging “the Italian press instigated this attack by spreading false and malicious rumours that he played a key role in the sacking of Maurizio Sarri”.Lazio released a statement on Friday evening as they addressed the incident regarding their captain.It read: “The entire SS Lazio expresses full solidarity with its captain Ciro Immobile and his family for the disturbing and unacceptable attacks suffered in recent days. “Sport, and consequently its ethical value, must remain as such: any act of verbal or physical violence must receive unanimous condemnation, firmly and without justification.”But club president, Claudio Lotito, issued a bizarre statement to the media.He said: “It happens to me every day, I have lived under guard for 20 years. Daily death threats to me and my family.”What is the theme? I’m the president of a company with 8,000 employees, yet I don’t make all this fuss, period. And that’s all I’ll say.”Most read in FootballFormer Chelsea manager Sarri, 65, resigned as Lazio boss on Wednesday.He spent nearly three years at the club, guiding them to second-place in Serie A last season – their highest finish since 2000 when they won the title.Serie A top-scorer Ciro Immobile scores beautiful second goal of hat-trick versus Verona to become favourite for European golden bootBut five defeats in six games in all competitions spelled an end to Sarri’s reign.They are languishing down in ninth place in the Serie A table, seven points adrift of European qualification.Lazio were also knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich last week, losing 3-1 on aggregate in their last-16 tie.Immobile, who won the Euros with Italy in 2021, has been with Lazio since 2016, racking up 331 appearances for the club, scoring 206 goals and providing 54 assists.He is Lazio’s all-time leading scorer.But he has struggled so far this season, netting just six times in 24 Serie A matches. More