Serie A

INTER MILAN are reportedly chasing a £146MILLION cash injection to ensure they can compete next season.
A raft of expensive transfers and the coronavirus pandemic have combined to create a financial black hole at the Italian club.

Nico Barella and Romelu Lukaku are just two of Inter Milan’s expensive purchasesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

According to the Financial Times, majority shareholders Suning Holdings have so far unsuccessfully negotiated a possible investment with a number of firms.
Private equity group BC Partners are said to have ended talks with Inter’s Chinese owners after failing to agree on the price of an investment.
Suning have reportedly discussed either selling a portion of their stake in the club, potentially at a loss, or a full takeover with a number of firms.
The Serie A side are thought to be valued at around £785m by the group with BC Partners leaning closer to £650m.

Should a deal fail to be agreed, the cash injection is reported as vital to Inter’s ability to compete after the summer.
Chinese giant Suning are said to be experiencing mounting debt problems back home amid political pressure on companies directing capital out of the country to foreign businesses.
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Inter’s Chinese president Steven Zhang is facing pressure at home and abroadCredit: Getty – Pool
Since buying the Milan club for £235m in 2016, Inter president Steven Zhang, son of Suning founder Zhang Jindong, has pledged millions to the transfer market.

Achraf Hakimi, Romelu Lukaku and Nico Barella have all arrived for big fees.
While the likes of Stefano Sensi, Valentino Lazaro and Ionat Radu have so far failed to live up to their large price tags.
And veteran stars Christian Eriksen, Alexis Sanchez, Ashley Young, Aleksandar Kolarov and Arturo Vidal are all expected to be on considerable wage packets.

In reply, only Mauro Icardi and Gabriel Barbosa have been sold for large fees.
Inter suffered a further financial blow when missing out on a place in this season’s Champions League last-16, even dropping out of Europe altogether after finishing bottom of their group.
Antonio Conte will hope to justify the spending and tempt in new money with the Biscione’s title push.
The team currently sat two points behind leaders and neighbours AC Milan.

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AARON RAMSEY will return to Arsenal in a ‘few years’, according to club legend Robert Pires.
The Welsh international ended his 11-year stint with the Gunners back in 2019 to seal a free transfer to Juventus.

Aaron Ramsey has been tipped to return to Arsenal by Robert PiresCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Since moving to Italy, the 30-year-old has struggled with injury problems and has been linked with a return to the Premier League.
Arsenal legend Pires believes Ramsey should see out his contract in Turin having recently enjoyed an upturn in form.
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The Frenchman did insist that he sees the midfielder returning to the Emirates in a few years.

He told TuttoJuve: “He is doing well, so I am satisfied.
“The competition in Juventus is strong because there are very strong players in every department, but every time he plays he is very consistent, has excellent technique and is often well positioned to score, as he did on Saturday against Sampdoria. He made an excellent choice.
“I maintain that he is making a difference here too, because it is not easy to play in such a qualitative midfield. I think he can help the team and be decisive like Arsenal.
“He is very intelligent and knows how to adapt everywhere, Juve is a very big club and Serie A is improving him even more.

“He needs to stay a few more years and then he will return to Arsenal. It is my belief, I am not a fortune teller.”

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Ramsey, who has made 14 Serie A appearances for Andrea Pirlo this season, remains under contract at Juve until 2023.
That would mean Ramsey will be 33 by the time his deal with the Old Lady expires and could rule out any return to north London.
Th ex-Cardiff star is still a fan favourite at Arsenal after scoring two FA Cup-winning goals on route winning the competition three times with the club.

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ANTONIO CONTE has publicly criticised forward Alexis Sanchez, insisting that the Inter star ‘must be better’.
Sanchez, 32, was handed a start for the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Juventus on Tuesday night, with regular No9 Romelu Lukaku missing out through suspension.

Sanchez squandered chances against JuventusCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Conte, 51, was left frustratedCredit: AFP or licensors

But the Chilean struggled to fill his former Manchester United team-mate’s boots, squandering chances as his side fell to a 2-1 defeat at San Siro.
His performance continued a worrying trend of being wasteful in front of goal that has festered since his January 2018 move to Old Trafford from Arsenal.
And Conte, 51, appears to have had enough.
The former Chelsea boss huffed after the game: “I don’t know if he was tired, of course he tried to give his best in the game, but he has to be more clinical when it comes to scoring goals.

“Numbers for [judging] the strikers are merciless, and his numbers must be better.”
And Sanchez’s numbers don’t make for pretty reading.
For all the good of his 15 assists, Sanchez has managed only six goals in 53 appearances since joining the Italian giants.
And it wasn’t any better at United, where he mustered five in 45.

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Inter will now have to produce something special in Turin if they are to go through to the showpiece final.
Lautaro Martinez had actually given them the perfect start in the ninth minute, when he notched his 12th goal of the campaign.
But it quickly became the Cristiano Ronaldo show, as the 35-year-old bagged a brace to give his side the advantage.

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CRISTIANO RONALDO bagged a brace in Juventus’ win over Inter Milan – leaving son Cristiano Jr wildly celebrating at home.
In footage posted online by the Portuguese superstar’s partner, Georgina Rodriguez, the youngster can be seen on the edge of his seat during Tuesday night’s clash.

Georgina Rodriguez posted a video of Cristiano Jr watching the Juventus gameCredit: Instagram / @georginagio

Cristiano Ronaldo’s equalising penalty delighted his sonCredit: Instagram / @georginagio

Inter took the lead early on in the Derby d’Italia before Ronaldo struck twice to secure a first-half turnaround.
Juan Cuadrado was felled in the penalty box by Ashley Young to provide the veteran with a chance to level from the spot.
Ronaldo slammed the ball into the roof of the net, prompting Cristiano Jr to celebrate with a knee slide back home in their living room.
The youngster could be seen on the edge of his seat as he took in the action.

And Juve took the lead ten minutes later when Ronaldo punished an Inter defensive mix-up to roll the ball into an empty net from 20 yards.
Georgina once again posted a clip of her and Cristiano Jr watching the goal to her Instagram and its 23.4million followers.

Cristiano Jr was on the edge of his seat as the game unfoldedCredit: Instagram / @georginagio

Ronaldo scored twice to put Juventus in control of the Coppa Italia tieCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Accompanying the footage was the Italian theme tune to the Lupin III animated series.
The win put Juventus on course to a sixth Coppa Italia final in seven years, with the second leg in Turin scheduled for next week.

Cristiano Jr signed for the Serie A giants’ academy in August 2018, soon after his father joined the club.
The pair often post videos of their training together in the back garden.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star has admitted he would like to see his eldest follow in his footsteps, so long as he keeps the cheeky snacks to a minimum.
He said last year: “We’ll see if my son will become a great footballer.
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“Sometimes he drinks coke and eats crisps and it irritates me, he knows that.
“Sometimes I tell my son to take a dip in cold water to recover after a run on the treadmill and he says, ‘Dad, it’s so cold there’.
“That’s fine, he is only 10 years old.”

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MUSSOLINI’S great-grandson has signed a professional contract at Serie A side Lazio.
Romano Floriani Mussolini, 18, has joined the club’s youth team while he completes his education at an English language private school, according to The Times.

Mussolini’s great-grandson has signed pro with Serie A side LazioCredit: Getty

Romano Floriani Mussolini, pictured with mum Alessandra, will play for the club’s youth teamCredit: Instagram

The imposing 6ft 1in right-back has been a commanding presence throughout his time in their junior ranks.
And Lazio’s youth coach Mauro Bianchessi believes the teen’s pro deal is just reward for his hard work over the past two years.
He said:”Now the fruits of that hard work are paying off.”
Benito Mussolini was an Italian politician who founded and led the National Fascist Party and was the country’s Prime Minister from 1922 until his deposition in 1943 and he was executed two years later during the civil war.

As dictator of Italy and the founder of the fascist movement, Mussolini inspired other totalitarian rulers such as Francisco Franco and Adolf Hitler.
Romano’s mother, Alessandra, was also a former right-wing MP who has expressed pride in her grandfather.
When Alessandra was asked about the prospect of a Mussolini playing in Serie A, she said it was a topic she ‘would rather stay away from’.
Lazio still have a large neo-fascist fan base that have been caught giving stiff-arm salutes in the past.

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Several success stories have come from January transfers

Before a clash with Milan in 2019, they hung a banner reading ‘Honour to Benito Mussolini’ and gave fascist salutes near the piazza where the former dictator’s corpse was strung up in 1945.
Lazio ‘Ultras’ caused further controversy in 2017 when they photoshopped the face of Holocaust victim Anne Frank above the shirt of rivals Roma.
They plastered the image around the Stadio Olimpico that the two clubs share, mocking their fan base.
Former West Ham Premier League star Paolo Di Canio is also revered by the ‘Ultras’ from his time playing for the club.
He has a Mussolini tattoo and performed fascist salutes to fans on match days.
Jewish MP, Emanuele Fiano, a fighter against neo-fascism, says he has no issues regarding Mussolini playing for Lazio.
He said: “I won’t judge a person on their surname.”

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CRISTIANO RONALDO netted twice as Juventus came back from a goal down to win their Coppa Italia semi-final clash against rivals Inter Milan.
The Portuguese superstar, 35, scored for the first time after a four-game drought to put the Old Lady in charge of the tie ahead of next week’s second leg.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored from an acute angle to win the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finalCredit: AFP or licensors

Goalkeepers, look away! 😬Cristiano Ronaldo takes advantage of some poor positioning from Samir Handanovic to give Juventus the lead vs. Inter! 💥 pic.twitter.com/PBNt7IqpTV
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 2, 2021

Lautaro Martinez had opened the scoring inside ten minutes for title-chasing Inter.
But Ronaldo hit back from the spot, to score his first goal since January 10.
He slammed his brilliant spot-kick straight down the middle into the roof of the net – no blame attached to Handanovic for that one.
Then, with the score tied at 1-1 ten minutes before half-time at the San Siro, Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic made a major error to hand Juventus a second.

The Slovenian came rushing out of his area to try and claim a loose ball.
A lack of communication saw Alessandro Bastoni also go for it – and the defender tried to sweep up by taking a touch.
But his attempt at controlling the situation backfired spectacularly when Ronaldo arrived on the scene to pick his pocket.
And despite the narrowing angle, the Portuguese star made no mistake on the left edge of the box with his so-called ‘weaker’ foot, the ball clipping the far post on its way into the unguarded net.

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One fan wrote: “Great example of why to always chase down the ball as a striker.”
Handanovic’s moment of madness later in the first half means it is advantage Juve ahead of next Tuesday’s second leg in Turin.
Defending champions Napoli take on Atalanta in the other semi-final.
Juventus are looking to win the competition for the first time since 2018, while Inter have not lifted silverware since winning the Coppa Italia in 2011.

Handanovic could only watch on as the ball rolled into the netCredit: AP:Associated Press

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CRISTIANO RONALDO scored twice as Juventus came back from a goal down to win their Coppa Italia semi-final clash against rivals Inter Milan.
The Portuguese superstar, 35, scored for the first time after a four-game drought to put the Old Lady in charge of the tie ahead of next week’s second leg.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored from an acute angle to win the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finalCredit: AFP or licensors

Goalkeepers, look away! 😬Cristiano Ronaldo takes advantage of some poor positioning from Samir Handanovic to give Juventus the lead vs. Inter! 💥 pic.twitter.com/PBNt7IqpTV
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 2, 2021

Lautaro Martinez had opened the scoring inside ten minutes for title-chasing Inter.
But Ronaldo hit back from the spot, to score his first goal since January 10.
He slammed his brilliant spot-kick straight down the middle into the roof of the net – no blame attached to Handanovic for that one.
Then, with the score tied at 1-1 ten minutes before half-time at the San Siro, Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic made a major error to hand Juventus a second.

The Slovenian came rushing out of his area to try and claim a loose ball.
A lack of communication saw Alessandro Bastoni also go for it – and the defender tried to sweep up by taking a touch.
But his attempt at controlling the situation backfired spectacularly when Ronaldo arrived on the scene to pick his pocket.
And despite the narrowing angle, the Portuguese star made no mistake on the left edge of the box with his so-called ‘weaker’ foot, the ball clipping the far post on its way into the unguarded net.

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One fan wrote: “Great example of why to always chase down the ball as a striker.”
Handanovic’s moment of madness later in the first half means it is advantage Juve ahead of next Tuesday’s second leg in Turin.
Defending champions Napoli take on Atalanta in the other semi-final.
Juventus are looking to win the competition for the first time since 2018, while Inter have not lifted silverware since winning the Coppa Italia in 2011.

Handanovic could only watch on as the ball rolled into the netCredit: AP:Associated Press

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