Serie A

JUVENTUS are reportedly considering a huge top-to-bottom overhaul if they fail to reach next season’s Champions League.Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrea Pirlo and several other key figures could depart if the Old Lady’s financial situation worsens.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Andrea Pirlo are both fighting for their future at JuventusCredit: Reuters
Talks over a fresh wage deferral are underway, according to Corriere dello Sport, to minimise the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The measure would see at least a portion of the squad’s pay for the period from March to June postponed to later in the year, saving up to £76million.
Such an agreement was necessary last year when Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon were said to have played a key role in dressing room talks.
But fresh deferrals may not be enough if Juve finish outside the top four.
A 2-2 draw with Torino on the weekend left Pirlo’s side fourth in Serie A, level on points with Napoli ahead of their showdown on Wednesday.
After winning nine Scudetti in a row, such a failure would further erode the club’s finances.
News emerged last week that a hefty £14.3m was still owed to Maurizio Sarri this season following his summer sacking.
And the situation in the dugout is said to be causing great frustration for club president Andrea Agnelli.
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Managing director Fabio Paratici hired both Sarri and Pirlo and, as reported by the Mail, his job is under serious threat.
Rumours are circulating that midfield legend Pirlo could also be fired if Juventus lose to Napoli.
The Bianconeri have publicly backed the 41-year-old amid criticism of his players.
After Ronaldo’s haul of 24 league goals from 23 starts, the next-best tally of seven, held by Alvaro Morata and Federico Chiesa, is some way behind.
Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot, both Paratici signings, have failed to make a serious impact and could leave in the summer.
Paulo Dybala is also strongly linked with an exit while high-earning defender Matthijs de Ligt is named as another potential sale if Champions League football cannot be secured.
Fabio Paratici could be sacked after overseeing the appointments of Maurizio Sarri and PirloCredit: Getty – Contributor
Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot could be moved on in an overhaulCredit: AFP
Missing out on the top four could herald the departure of Ronaldo, 36, who is set for talks over his future in the summer with just over a year left on his contract.
The upheaval may also guarantee Juve favourites Chiellini and Buffon being moved on, as well as first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
But it is the future of coach Pirlo, 41, that is most up for debate ahead of the run-in.
Some 12 points off leaders Inter Milan and out of Europe, the ex-playmaker has nevertheless been defended by Fabio Cannavaro.
The Italian, 47, has called on the club to show faith having been fully aware of Pirlo’s inexperience when appointing the rookie.
He told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “When Juve chose Andrea, they knew very well that he had no experience.
If Juve don’t give Pirlo a chance, why did they hire him? The club would have been wrong twice if they were to sack him now.Fabio Cannavaro

“And it is logical that he should need time to mature, even his relationship with the team. There are still 30 points at stake so it is right to leave the judgement pending.
“He has done good things, bringing through young players and managing a difficult dressing room of players who have won a lot. Of course, some things don’t work. He is human.
“After all, if Juve don’t give him a chance, why did they choose him last summer? The club would have been wrong twice if they were to sack him now.”
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ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC is set to sign a new contract that will take him into his 40s.The Swede, 39, has defied his age with his heroics for AC Milan this season.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is expected to sign a new one-year contract at AC MilanCredit: Getty
Ibrahimovic turns 40 on October 3 but shows no signs of slowing down just yet.
He has 15 goals in 16 league appearances, firing the Rossoneri to second in the Serie A table, behind rivals Inter.
And according to Sky in Italy, a one-year extension is on the table which he is expected to sign and stay beyond this summer.
The report adds Ibrahimovic should pen the deal within the next seven to ten days.
Zlatan currently earns around £5.94million per season – or £114,000 per week.
And those wages are on course to remain the same into the 2020-21 season.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu are also out of contract at the end of the season and talks continue over new deals.
Ibrahimovic returned to AC Milan in 2020 after a spell in the MLS with LA Galaxy following his exit from Manchester United.
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He joined the San Siro club on loan from Barcelona in 2010-11, a year after leaving Inter Milan, and then made the switch permanent in 2012.
But after just one season – scoring 35 times – the 6ft 5ins striker signed for Paris Saint-Germain and enjoyed four years in Ligue 1.
On the international stage, Zlatan made a dramatic return for the Sweden team in the March break.
And now he is hoping to lead the line for his country at Euro 2020 this summer.

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ROMELU LUKAKU surpassed Ronaldo’s Inter Milan goal record – with 13 games to spare.The former Manchester United striker, 27, swapped Old Trafford for the San Siro in 2019 for £73million.
Romelu Lukaku scored the winner against Bologna on Saturday to take his Inter goal tally past Ronaldo’sCredit: AFP
And since then he has been in red-hot form.
In 86 appearances for Inter, Lukaku has a staggering 60 goals.
He managed 34 in 51 last term and his winning goal at Bologna on Saturday took his tally this season to 26 in 35.
And that means the Belgian hitman is more prolific than the Brazilian icon.
The ‘original’ Ronaldo – nicknamed the Phenomenon – moved to Inter in 1997 after one staggering season with Barcelona where he scored 47 goals.
R9 managed 59 goals for the Serie A giants – but did so in 99 matches across five injury-hit years.
Lukaku also has more assists than Ronaldo for Inter, with 13 to 12.
And the former Chelsea hitman’s impact looks set to propel both him and Inter to a first league title since 2010.
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Lukaku vs Ronaldo Inter records
RONALDO (1997-2002)
1997-98 Games: 47 Goals: 34
1998-99 Games: 28 Goals: 15
1999-00 Games: 8 Goals: 3
2000-01 Games: 0 Goals: 0
2001-02 Games: 16 Goals 7
Total Games: 99 Goals 59
ROMELU LUKAKU (2019- )
2019-20 Games: 51 Goals: 34
2020-21 Games: 35 Goals: 26
Total Games: 86 Goals: 60

Lukaku won the Belgian Pro League with Anderlecht in 2009-10, the same year Jose Mourinho led the Italian side to the treble.
Inter currently sit eight points clear at the top of Serie A with ten matches to go.
And Antonio Conte’s men have a game in hand on second-placed rivals AC Milan.
The Nerazzurri have won their last nine in the league.
But Lukaku’s form means they may need to fight hard to keep him beyond the summer.
With some of the European superpowers looking for new No9s when the transfer market reopens, Lukaku was linked with mega moves to Manchester City, Chelsea and Barcelona if they miss out on Erling Haaland.
However, reports in March suggested Inter are trying to tie their forward down to an improved deal with talks over a new contract expected to begin later in the year.
The Brazilian striker scored 59 goals for the club in 99 appearances across five seasonsCredit: Getty

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CRISTIANO RONALDO has bagged more than FOUR TIMES as many goals in Serie A than any of his Juventus team-mates since he joined.The Portuguese superstar, 36, has also scored more goals than any other player in the Italian league since signing from Real Madrid for £99million in 2018.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more than four times the amount of goals of his next best performing team-mateCredit: AP
Ronaldo has netted 76 times in 89 league games for the Bianconeri and also laid on 17 assists.
No other Juventus player has scored more than 18 goals in the same period.
The former Manchester United hero became the fastest player ever to notch a half century with his 50 goals taking just 61 league appearances.
Despite his relentless goalscoring, not everyone is convinced Ronaldo has been a good addition for the Old Lady.
The side are struggling under Andrea Pirlo and look set to have their decade of domestic dominance ended this season.
Fourth-place Juventus are ten points behind leaders Inter Milan with only ten games left in the Serie A season.
And former Italy international Antonio Cassano believes Ronaldo has in fact made the Turin side WORSE since he rocked up.
Cassano also explained away his phenomenal goals tally by suggesting he plays in a selfish way and only cares about scoring and picking up more individual records.

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He told Bobo TV: “He’s a brake on [Andrea] Pirlo. Cristiano only thinks about his goals and records.
“If you’re president and you want to start a new cycle, you cannot give a rookie coach the responsibility of coaching someone like Ronaldo.”
And the former striker previously raged to Corriere dello Sport, saying: “Juventus signed him to win the Champions League, but they’ve done worse with him than they’ve done before.
“They’d also won the Scudetto [Serie A title] without him. I think he’s been a failure.
I think Cristiano has done terribly over the last three years.”Antonio Cassano
“They’ve tried to improve their style of play rather than win. Cristiano just doesn’t work in the same way as Andrea.
“Pirlo wants to build the play, pressure the opposition and play between the lines, and this means Cristiano doesn’t participate much.
“I think Cristiano has done terribly over the last three years.”
Ronaldo has been linked with a move away from his cash-strapped employers and could even return to the Bernabeu with reports suggesting he may be available for as little as £21.5m.
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CRISTIANO RONALDO left Atalanta star Robin Gosens feeling ‘ashamed’ by refusing to swap shirts with him.The Germany international added it was ’embarrassing’ for him as he saw his ‘dream’ crushed.
Cristiano Ronaldo left Robin Gosens crushed after refusing to swap shirts with the Atalanta playerCredit: Rex
The German left-back idolised Ronaldo but was left feeling ‘small and embarrassed’ by the encounterCredit: Getty
Gosens, 26, idolised Ronaldo so was desperate to get his iconic No7 top when he finally had the chance to go up against the five-time Ballon d’Or winner after he signed for Juventus in 2018.
But what was supposed to be a career highlight suddenly turned into a nightmare moment that still haunts the left-back to this day.
Writing in his biography Dreams Are Worthwhile, the Atalanta player wrote: “After the game against Juventus, I tried to fulfil my dream of having Ronaldo’s jersey.
“After the final whistle I went to him, having not even gone public to celebrate.
“But Ronaldo did not accept.
“I asked, ‘Cristiano, can I have your shirt?’
“He didn’t even look at me, he just said, ‘No!'”
“I was completely blushed and ashamed. I went away and felt small.

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“You know that moment when something embarrassing happens and you look around to see if anyone noticed it? That’s what I felt and tried to hide it.”
Incredibly, in the four matches where Gosens and Ronaldo have been on the field together, the German remains unbeaten.
Atalanta won the Coppa Italia quarter-final 3-0 in January 2019 while their three Serie A meetings have all ended in draws.
And five-cap international Gosens will no doubt be determined to help Atalanta finish above Juventus in the league this season to exact some sort of revenge for the way Ronaldo treated him.
Andrea Pirlo’s Old Lady sit fourth as things stand, two points behind third-placed Atalanta but with a game in hand, and had to settle for a point away at Torino this weekend.
Inter Milan took another giant step towards the title with a 1-0 away with at Bologna as closest rivals AC Milan only managed a draw with ten-man Sampdoria.
Gosens has an unbeaten head-to-head record against Ronaldo with one win and three drawsCredit: Getty

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MANCHESTER UNITED star Juan Mata is set to be given a new one-year deal at the club, according to reports.The 32-year-old hasn’t featured much under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season but is believed to be still in his plans.
It is believed Mata, 32, will be given a new contract at Old TraffordCredit: EPA
According to the Daily Star, United will activate a one-year extension in Mata’s contract.
Rumours of a new deal are a surprise as he’s made just seven Premier League appearances this season.
Reports in February suggested that his contract wouldn’t be extended beyond the summer.
Mata is said to be keen on staying at Old Trafford, though, with business interests in the area – including owning a restaurant.
He is also a well-respected and popular figure in the United dressing room – and will be an excellent reserve for Solskjaer, should he be happy sitting on the bench.
But the former Spain international may still leave the club even if his contract is extended.
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Man Utd’s biggest transfers ever, both in and out, including Ronaldo
The Red Devils may add a further year to his deal just to command a transfer fee this summer.
They are reported to want around £5million for the player.
Many clubs have been linked with Mata in recent weeks, including Italian trio Juventus, Roma and Inter Milan.

And it is hard to imagine such a small transfer fee being a stumbling block in modern football.
The World Cup winner has enjoyed a decent career at Old Trafford since joining from Chelsea in January 2014, winning the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League.
United could save nearly £1m a WEEK by offloading him and four other stars this summer.
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