Serie A

ANDREA Pirlo could lose his job as Juventus boss if they are beaten by Napoli on Wednesday, according to reports in Italy.The Serie A champions dropped yet more points in the league on Saturday as they were held to a 2-2 draw away at Torino.
Pirlo is under tremendous pressure as Juventus’ season continues to unravelCredit: AFP
The result leaves Juventus, who have won the title in each of the last nine seasons, clinging on to a Champions League qualification place with just ten games remaining.
And in midweek they will travel to fifth place Napoli who are only behind Pirlo’s side on goal difference.
According to Tuttosport ‘alarm bells are ringing’ at Juve and Pirlo could find himself out the door if they lose in Naples.
As well as their domestic struggles, Juve were dumped out of the Champions League last month.
In a quite incredible second leg against Porto, the Italian champions lost on away goals despite beating the Portuguese side 3-2 in Turin.
It is the second successive season that the Old Lady have failed to reach the quarter-finals in Europe.
Pirlo’s win percentage since taking over in July 2020 stands at 63 per cent.
That is lower than the previous three coaches who came before him – Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri and Maurizio Sarri.
CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH

Ronaldo could well leave Juventus at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
Off the field, there is also speculation surrounding the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The ex-Real Madrid man arrived in Italy in 2018 as he looked to win the Champions League with a third club.
But since Ronaldo arrived Juve have not even been able to reach the last four of the competition.
However, Ronaldo could be convinced to stay if, as AS are reporting, his former coach Zinedine Zidane is drafted in to replace Pirlo.
Juventus are also in the midst of a financial crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic, another factor which could come into play when deciding on Ronaldo’s future.
⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
Cristiano Ronaldo ‘available for £21.5million’ with Juventus ready to sell and star, 36, keen on Real Madrid reunion More

PAULO DYBALA is reportedly set to be sold by Juventus following a breach of lockdown rules.Team-mates Arthur Melo and Weston McKennie attended an alleged gathering with the striker after Italy introduced strict coronavirus measures.
Paulo Dybala could be sold by Juventus in the summerCredit: The Mega Agency
Media reports suggest police were called to the dinner, which included several people, and the club has reacted furiously.
The trio are set to be left out of Saturday’s local derby with Torino and have all reportedly been fined.
According to CalcioMercato, the episode has added further fuel to the fire of Dybala’s exit from the team.
It is said that Juventus tried to sell the Argentine in January after he rejected their last contract offer.
And an exit is on the cards once again at the end of the season after the Old Lady’s outrage at the alleged breach.
Dybala’s role as a senior star and vice-captain, as well as a player who wants the team to be built around him, are described as making the episode all the more sour for Juve.
BETTING SPECIAL: 40/1 ON A PENALTY FOR EITHER SIDE IN MAN UTD vs BRIGHTON
Weston McKennie was also involved in the alleged lockdown breachCredit: AP
Arthur Melo (right) will also miss Saturday’s Turin derby after the incidentCredit: AFP
In an apology following the incident, he wrote: “I was wrong to stay out for dinner. It wasn’t a party, but I was wrong anyway and I apologise.”
The 27-year-old’s partner, Oriana Sabatini, has defended him and insisted reports of the gathering are wide of the mark.
She claimed: “It wasn’t a secret party.
“My boyfriend went to a dinner, as happens every Wednesday. Every week there are always the same people, there were not even ten, nor is it true there were 20.
“I think they want to create controversy for everything that happens in the world of football. I don’t even know how they found out they were together to eat.”
Juventus are said to be concerned that Dybala may reject a transfer away in the summer.
With just over a year left to run on his contract, the forward could choose to see out his deal and leave on a free in 2022.
Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been linked with a bid.
Juventus will evaluate every opportunity in the market.Pavel Nedved

However that is seen as a very expensive option for the Serie A giants and Pavel Nedved recently explained that nothing is off the table.
The vice-president told DAZN: “We’ve missed Dybala. I think he hasn’t played more than 800 minutes with us this season.
“He has one year left in his contract and I have nothing to add to what [Fabio] Paratici and [Andrea] Agnelli already said.
“Juventus will evaluate every opportunity in the market.”
⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
Juventus star Paulo Dybala shows off his football skills while wearing a blindfold More

TWO men have been arrested after police seized packages branded with Cristiano Ronaldo’s logo containing 50kg of cocaine.A United States narcotics investigation found £1.5million worth of the illegal drug stashed in a closet in New York.
A drug bust in New York found 50kg of cocaine this week
The packages were disguised with the CR7 logo used by Cristiano Ronaldo
The cocaine was wrapped in packaging marked with the Juventus star’s ‘CR7’ branding.
Police officers found materials persistent with drug trafficking inside an apartment in Queens, including a loaded firearm, $10,000 in cash, and money counting machines.
An investigation led to 43-year-old Christopher Jones being observed as he entered the apartment on Monday afternoon, as confirmed by a US Justice Department statement.
Jones entered the complex empty handed but left with a suitcase and drove away before being arrested.
The suitcase was found to contain approximately $200,000 in cash.
Another man, Wykim Williams, was also arrested and there is no suggestion of a link between the raid and Ronaldo.
Police officers arrested and charged two men following the raid
Ronaldo’s CR7 logo is often found on his merchandiseCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Jones and Williams have been charged and detained under a six-figure cash bail.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said: “It is shocking to find, in an apartment closet in a large residential development across the street from a public park, a stash of cocaine worth $2million dollars, a handgun and equipment to support large scale narcotics trafficking.”
Cocaine seizures have risen 200 per cent in New York over the early months of 2021, in comparison to last year.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said: “These defendants allegedly brought a massive amount of cocaine into our community while illegally armed.”

This incident is not the first time drug smugglers have used superstar Ronaldo’s likeness to attempt to bypass the law.
In November last year, a Nicaraguan bust uncovered 340 packages of cocaine marked with the CR7 logo.
And a picture of Ronaldo emblazoned £3,500 worth of cannabis blocks seized from a suspected dealer in France in December 2018.
A year earlier, Peruvian authorities busted a haul of cocaine with a street value of £73m in packages which featured Lionel Messi’s face.
⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
Map reveals shocking scale of cocaine as London snorts twice as much as Barcelona and three times more than Amsterdam More

CRISTIANO RONALDO’S mum has revealed her ten-year-old grandson Cristiano Jr begged her: “Grandma don’t die.”Dolores Aveiro also confessed she was so unsure she’d pull through after her stroke the first thing she did when she woke up was telling her eldest daughter Elma the code for the safe where she kept her valuables.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s son begged his grandma not to die when she had her stroke last yearCredit: Instagram
Dolores Aveiro opened up on her experiences during a TV interview in PortugalCredit: Dois às 10
The 66-year-old, who was rushed to hospital in her native island of Madeira on last spring, said in an emotional TV interview in which she broke down in tears: “I got up to go to the bathroom and fainted and fell.
“When I came round I tried to get up but realised the left side of my body was paralysed.
“I called my partner Jose Andrade and told him I wasn’t feeling well and asked him to dial 999.
“I don’t remember getting to the hospital.”
The mum-of-four, who has also battled breast cancer, told interviewer Maria Botelho Moniz on Portuguese TV station TVI: “My children gave me a lot of strength.
“It was hard and I thought it was the end for me.
“When I saw my eldest grandson Cristianinho come into my room to visit me, it was a huge shock for me.
“I begged God not to take me, I want to see my grandchildren grow up and that’s what happened. There was a lot of faith there, but it was hard.”

She added: “I saw all my children cry, although they didn’t want to worry me.
“I’ve been operated on both breasts and that was never as hard as this has been.
“When Cristianinho saw me cry so much, he told me, ‘Grandma don’t die.’
“It moved me. When he phones he always asks me if I’m better. I live for my family, especially my grandchildren.”
Dolores was rushed to Madeira’s Nelio Mendonca Hospital on March 3 last year after suffering an ischemic stroke, caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain.
She was later transferred to a private hospital on the island.
Ronaldo flew from his home in Italy to be by her side.
Revealing her memory was not affected by her health scare but she was worried she would not not survive, Dolores admitted: “When I opened my eyes and saw my eldest daughter by her side, I didn’t know what might happen to me and and said, ‘Elma, I haven’t given you the code for my safe.’
Life is taking one day at a timeDolores Aveiro
“I gave her the number, just like that, despite her telling me: ‘Mum, I don’t want to know the number.’
“When she tried it, the safe opened and that made me sure my memory was as good as ever.”
Dolores, who is still recovering, stressed the importance of an early diagnosis for health problems.
And she also gave credit to her superstar son and Juventus forward Cristiano for helping.
She added: “It’s so important to alert people who feel something’s wrong to get to the nearest hospital as soon as possible.
“In my case it was five minutes. Cristiano phoned the doctor from Italy, then I was operated on, thanks God. Many people don’t have the same luck as me.
“My recovery is gradual. I have physiotherapy, I walk, I had a few months of discomfort.
“I left hospital walking but I was affected on my left side, my mouth, my leg, my speech.

“Now I’m feeling good and bit by bit I’ll get back to being 100 per cent.
“I have to be careful about what I eat and I can’t wear high heels. I use simpler clothes, things without buttons.
“Life is taking one day at a time.”
Dolores spoke on the anniversary of her near-death experience and stressed the magnitude of the scare.
She said: “A year ago today I saw my life almost running between my fingers.
“And luckily I managed to hold on to a light, a light that pulled me up, a light that stubbornly insisted that it was just another obstacle to be overcome and another story of overcoming to tell.
“I never spoke openly about what actually happened, just because I recovered to almost 100 per cent people think that nothing happened or that the scare I gave my children and those who really love me was small.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s beloved mum Dolores rushed to hospital after suffering suspected stroke at 5am More

ROMA could be about to hand Maurizio Sarri a return to management following reports of talks between the two parties.Paulo Fonseca is set to leave the Serie A club following a disappointing season, and discussions with Sarri began some time ago.
Maurizio Sarri has reportedly rebuffed an approach from Serie A side FiorentinaCredit: Getty
According to Leggo, the 62-year-old was contacted by Roma earlier this year and talks have since accelerated.
Negotiations are described as going well with the ex-Chelsea and Juventus boss said to like the prospect of coaching the Giallorossi.
He reportedly sees Roma as a good fit for his 4-3-3 formation with the potential to build the team into a real force over the medium-term.
Alternative offers to coach in Turkey, France, and with Fiorentina are thought to be of less interest to Sarri.
However, the Friedkin Group in charge at Roma may yet be tempted by Massimiliano Allegri if he throws his hat into the ring.
With four defeats and a draw in their last eight league games, the club’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s Champions League are fading.
Former Shakhtar Donetsk coach Fonseca guided the side to fifth in Serie A last season while falling early in both cup competitions.
A humiliating Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Spezia almost led to his sacking in January and even a strong run in the Europa League, with Ajax up in the quarter-finals, will reportedly not be enough to save his job.
CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH
Fellow former Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is also wanted by RomaCredit: EPA

Sarri has been out of work since leaving Juventus last summer, despite winning the club’s ninth consecutive Scudetto.
He had previously won the Europa League in a single season at Chelsea.
Should the Italian make the move to Roma, there is every chance he will be linked with a return to Stamford Bridge to sign long-time midfield general Jorginho.
⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
Inside Juventus’ title celebrations as Sarri smokes a cigarette and swigs magnum of champagne while Ronaldo and Co party More