Serie A

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

Manager Andrea Pirlo only pockets £1.6million-per-year after taking charge of the club
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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