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    Juventus stars ‘confused’ by Pirlo’s tactics with new boss struggling to win without Cristiano Ronaldo in team

    JUVENTUS stars are “confused” by Andrea Pirlo’s tactics with the team struggling to win without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, according to reports.
    According to Italian publication Corriere, club legend Pirlo’s “honeymoon period” is over and the team are not responding to the manager’s tactics.

    Andrea Pirlo’s tactics are reportedly confusing Juventus starsCredit: Getty Images

    And in the absence of Ronaldo in particular, Juventus tend to struggle.
    The latest example is Saturday’s 1-1 draw away to newly-promoted Benevento, a game which saw goal-scorer Alvaro Morata sent off after the final whistle.
    After the game, Pirlo confirmed that Ronaldo was rested as a precaution and urged his team to play their game in his absence.
    Pirlo said: “Already Wednesday in the Champions League he had a problem, but he had decided to play, It’s normal for someone to get tired and rest. 

    “This time it was Ronaldo’s turn, others next. Ronaldo is an added value, but when he’s not there we have to play our game.
    “He was tired, he needed to rest. When you play so many close matches it happens.
    “Real Madrid was dependent on him, Juventus was, He is a catalyst, when there is a such a strong player, it’s normal for the game to develop on him.
    “It’s not just us addicted to Ronaldo, but it happens sometimes that he’s not there and we need to improve in these matches.”

    Juventus are struggling to see off games without Cristiano RonaldoCredit: Getty Images
    Pirlo’s assessment rings true, Juventus appear to be overly reliant on five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo.
    In the seven games played across all competitions this season with Ronaldo present, Juventus have gone on to win five and draw two.

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

    However, in the five games without him they only managed to win once, draw three, and lost the other to Barcelona.
    Juventus have picked up 17 points from an available 27 in the Serie A this season, and they sit 4th in the table, six points behind league leaders AC Milan.
    The Old Lady have also dropped points away at Crotone, Roma and Lazio, as well as a 1-1 draw at home to Verona – they are however, yet to be beaten in the league.

    Man Utd ‘in talks over sensational Cristiano Ronaldo transfer return next season as Juventus look to offload superstar’ More

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    Inter Milan offered Barcelona £225m for Lionel Messi in 2006 – more than QUADRUPLE the world-record transfer fee at time

    BARCELONA turned down a £225million Inter Milan bid for Lionel Messi in 2006, according to their former club president Joan Laporta.
    The Catalan politician served as the club’s chief between 2003 and 2010, and is currently in the running to return to the position following Josep Maria Bartomeu’s resignation.

    Messi was already hot property back in 2006Credit: AFP – Getty

    Former chief Joan Laporta served as Barcelona’s president between 2003 and 2010Credit: EPA

    And as Laporta, 58, steps up his campaign to return, he has inevitably been asked about the future of unhappy talisman Lionel Messi – leading to a stunning admission.
    He told Radio Onda Cero: “Nobody who loves Barcelona can have doubts about Messi.
    “I hope I can be named president and then I’ll speak with him.
    “We rejected a €250m (£225m) offer coming from Inter in 2006. [Massimo] Moratti wanted to bring him to his club.”

    The offer dwarfed what was the transfer world-record at the time, which was then the £46.6m that Real Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.
    At the time, inspired by the likes of Javier Zanetti, Adriano and Luis Figo, Inter had just won Serie A – while Messi had picked up his first Champions League medal with Barca.
    The Argentine, now 33, has gone on to pick up three more – but not since 2015.
    And Laporta has outlined his plan to return the club to former glories, starting by sorting out their ailing finances.

    The transfer record was previously held by Zinedine Zidane at £46.6mCredit: AFP

    He continued: “We have a plan to recover the dramatic economic situation of the club.
    “We can’t fix the world but we can make it a better place and we want to do it through hard work, passion and love.
    “We want to bring happiness to people, it’s not an electoral promise. It’s an ethical, civic, moral commitment.”
    Key to restoring the feel-good factor at Barca will be getting Messi back onside, with the frustrated six-time Ballon d’Or winner out of contract in the summer, having tried to leave this year.
    Fans have picked up on the superstar’s ‘lonely’ body language – while Manchester City privately believe that they are in pole position to reunite Pep Guardiola with his best-ever player next season.

    Watch Messi and Maradona’s eerily similar goals for Barcelona and Newell’s Old Boys as Barcelona star honours icon More

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    Bailey denies naming baby after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and says son’s name ‘nothing to do with football’

    BAYER LEVERKUSEN winger Leon Bailey says his new son Leo Cristiano is not named after Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo
    The Jamaican claims the baby’s name is ‘nothing to do with football’ despite the obvious similarities.

    Leon Bailey says his and partner Stephanie’s son Leo Cristiano is not named after Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi

    The winger has faced questions because of the obvious similarity between the namesCredit: AP:Associated Press

    Leon and long-term partner Stephanie celebrated the birth of their first child in June.
    And having called the little lad Leo Cristiano, he has obviously faced a lot of questions.
    But the 23-year-old has quashed such suggestions, insisting it was a personal choice.
    He told German outlet Bild: “It has nothing to do with football, but with me and my name. 

    “Leo is an abbreviation of Leon. And Leo is the lion – I am a lion. 
    “I believe that my son will also grow up with the mentality of being a fighter and a leader. 
    “And Cristiano is a lovely name that goes well with Leo.”
    Jamaica international Bailey is also close friends with Raheem Sterling and Usain Bolt.

    The forward attended Manchester City ace Sterling’s Great Gatsby themed 25th birthday last December.
    And he was also at Bolt’s surprise birthday bash in August which drew criticism in Germany because the sprint legend was forced to isolate the day afterwards.
    But Bailey does not regret the decision to celebrate with his good pal.
    He added: “Usain has been a very good and close friend of mine for years.
    “When in Jamaica I would never turn down an invitation from him.
    “He’s a kind of mentor for me, was always there for me in good and bad days.”

    Heartbreaking moment Maradona’s daughter Dalma breaks down in tears after touching Boca Juniors tribute More

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    Sami Khedira eyes Prem transfer and admits he’s in touch with Tottenham and Everton bosses Mourinho and Ancelotti

    SAMI KHEDIRA revealed he is contact with Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti as he admitted the Premier League is ‘an option’.
    The midfielder looks set to leave Juventus next summer after falling out of favour under the management of Andrea Pirlo.

    Sami Khedira has won five Serie A titles since he arrived at Juventus Credit: Getty – Contributor

    The 33-year-old has not made a single appearance for the Italian giants this season after being frozen out of the squad.
    But he has been in touch with Tottenham boss Mourinho and Everton manager Ancelotti – who both managed him at Real Madrid.
    Khedira told German TV channel ZDF: “When I leave, I want the Juve fans to remember me as a great player.
    “The current situation is not because of Andrea Pirlo, and I am not angry about it.

    “I understand the way he wants to play football.
    “A January exit will certainly not happen. I aim to respect my contract to the summer of 2021.
    “If the opportunity arises, the Premier League could be an option. I am a big fan of the Premier League.
    “There is dialogue with Ancelotti and Mourinho, as we never really lost contact after our time together at Real Madrid.”

    Jose Mourinho worked with Sami Khedira at the Bernabeu Credit: Getty Images – Getty

    It has been reported that the Toffees are leading the race for Khedira’s signature.
    But a number of other clubs including Manchester United and West Ham are said to be monitoring his situation in Turin.
    Speaking about his ties to Mourinho and Ancelotti, Khedira told told Sky Germany: “I really enjoyed working with Jose Mourinho but there are many coaches who I would like to work with.
    “I would never say no again to Mourinho but he is not the only guy who I would say I would like to work with again.
    “There are many coaches, even in the Premier League that I respect a lot.

    Carlo Ancelotti’s side are seventh in the Premier League table this seasonCredit: EPA
    “Ancelotti is doing a great job at the moment and is a great personality. He is one of the coaches who impressed me as well.”
    The midfielder has helped Juve to win five Serie A titles since he arrived in 2015 from Real Madrid.
    As well as enjoying an illustrious club career, Khedira was part of the Germany team that won the World Cup in 2014.

    Sami Khedira’s incredible career

    Here’s what the midfielder has won throughout his career so far…

    World Cup – 2014
    Champions League – 2013-14
    Spanish Cup – 2010-11, 2013-14
    Spanish Super Cup – 2012-13
    Bundesliga – 2006-07
    Serie A – 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20
    Italian Cup – 2015-16, 2016-27, 2017-18
    Italian Super Cup – 2018-19
    Fifa Club World Cup – 2014, 2015

    Sami Khedira shows off his goal scoring skills in Juventus training More

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    Georgina Rodriguez sets pulses racing with cheeky twerking video as Cristiano Ronaldo misses Juventus’ draw at Benevento

    GEORGINA RODRIGUEZ has yet again treated her fans to a saucy upload after sharing a clip of herself twerking.
    The 26-year-old – who recently posed in a skimpy one-piece on board her and boyfriend Cristiano Ronaldo’s yacht – shared the clip to her 21.9 Instagram followers.

    Georgina Rodriguez uploaded a video of her twerking much to the delight of her Instagram followers

    Spanish model Rodriguez regularly treats her fans to saucy snaps of herself

    Dressed in a red sports bra and matching sweatpants, the Spanish model told her followers of a sale clothing brand Aloyoga are having.
    She said: “@aloyogo NEVER has a sale and everything sitewide is now 20% off!!!”
    Rodriguez’s post – released on Saturday – has incredibly been watched over almost five million times already.
    Commenting on the upload, one user quipped: “I’m glad that I lived to see this.”

    Another messaged: “Now I understand why CR7 is the best in the world.”
    A third added: “Ronaldo is the GOAT.”
    One simply stated: “Lucky Cristiano.”
    However Ronaldo’s Juventus side wasn’t lucky on Saturday as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Benevento.

    The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was rested for the clash ahead of the Old Lady’s Champions League clash against Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday.
    Juventus now languish in fifth spot following the draw, as they sit three points behind AC Milan who have a game in hand.
    Boss Andrea Pirlo has defended his decision not to include Ronaldo in the squad that faced Benevento.
    He told Sky Italia: “He had a slight problem midweek and wanted to play in the Champions League anyway.
    “After international duty, it was natural he’d need some rest. Ronaldo is an added value, but we must try to play our game even in his absence.
    “It happens when you have a lot of players on international duty and also play the Champions League. We’re hardly the only club in this situation.”

    Georgina Rodriguez stays fit in home gym workout as she posts loved-up snap of her and Cristiano Ronaldo More

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    Lautaro Martinez demands Inter Milan QUADRUPLE his wages to £150k-a-week as Man City eye record £98m transfer

    INTER MILAN will have to quadruple Lautaro Martinez’s wages to kill off interest from Manchester City.
    The crack Argentine striker is on Pep Guardiola’s hit list as he seeks a long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero, despite a £98million release clause.

    Lautaro Martinez wants Inter Milan hike his wages if they want to keep himCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    He still has three years on his contract, yet Inter want to tie him to two more on top – and have already offered to double his £38,000-a-week salary.
    But Martinez, 23, wants over four times his current terms before he will commit to staying at the San Siro.
    And Guardiola is keeping a close eye on the situation, as he has been tracking the highly-rated hitman for the best part of a year.
    Spanish duo Real Madrid and Barcelona are also keen, yet will struggle to outbid City in the present climate.

    Talks between Martinez and Inter have so far hit a stalemate, but further meetings are planned over the next month.
    Although the forward, who averages better than a goal every other start for Inter, is happy at the club, he is unhappy at being one of the lower paid senior stars at Milan.
    Martinez is ironically now Argentina’s spearhead striker – ahead of Aguero – with 11 goals in 21 internationals.
    Now he could find himself doing the same at the Etihad, even though City’s all-time leading scorer has been told he will get an extension beyond next summer if his fitness holds up.

    Martinez is a target for Manchester City despite his £98million price tagCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Martinez has been in fine form for Inter so far this term netting five goals in nine Serie A appearances. 
    And the striker’s team, who are second behind rivals AC Milan, will take on Bologna in Italy’s top tier.
    Their tenth Serie A game will follow after their Champions League clash with Monchengladbach.

    Christian Eriksen shows off his goal scoring skills in Inter Milan training More

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    Georgina Rodriguez sets pulses racing with cheeky twerking clip as Cristiano Ronaldo misses Juventus’ draw at Benevento

    GEORGINA RODRIGUEZ has yet again treated her fans to a saucy upload after sharing a clip of herself twerking.
    The 26-year-old – who recently posed in a skimpy one-piece on board her and boyfriend Cristiano Ronaldo’s yacht – shared the clip to her 21.9 Instagram followers.

    Georgina Rodriguez uploaded a video of her twerking much to the delight of her Instagram followers

    Spanish model Rodriguez regularly treats her fans to saucy snaps of herself

    Dressed in a red sports bra and matching sweatpants, the Spanish model told her followers of a sale clothing brand Aloyoga are having.
    She said: “@aloyogo NEVER has a sale and everything sitewide is now 20% off!!!”
    Rodriguez’s post – released on Saturday – has incredibly been watched over almost five million times already.
    Commenting on the upload, one user quipped: “I’m glad that I lived to see this.”

    Another messaged: “Now I understand why CR7 is the best in the world.”
    A third added: “Ronaldo is the GOAT.”
    One simply stated: “Lucky Cristiano.”
    However Ronaldo’s Juventus side wasn’t lucky on Saturday as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Benevento.

    The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was rested for the clash ahead of the Old Lady’s Champions League clash against Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday.
    Juventus now languish in fifth spot following the draw, as they sit three points behind AC Milan who have a game in hand.
    Boss Andrea Pirlo has defended his decision not to include Ronaldo in the squad that faced Benevento.
    He told Sky Italia: “He had a slight problem midweek and wanted to play in the Champions League anyway.
    “After international duty, it was natural he’d need some rest. Ronaldo is an added value, but we must try to play our game even in his absence.
    “It happens when you have a lot of players on international duty and also play the Champions League. We’re hardly the only club in this situation.”

    Georgina Rodriguez stays fit in home gym workout as she posts loved-up snap of her and Cristiano Ronaldo More

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    Benevento 1 Juventus 1 LIVE REACTION: Alvaro Morata’s early goal cancelled out by equaliser – latest updates

    JUVENTUS drew 1-1 with Benevento and missed the chance to close the gap on AC Milan at the top of Serie A.
    Score: Benevento 1-1 Juventus
    TV/Live stream: LiveScore
    Benevento XI: Montipo, Letizia, Gilk, Caldirola, Barba, Hetemaj, Schiattarella, Improta, Ionita, Caprari, Lapadula
    Juventus XI: Szczesny, Frabotta, De Ligt, Danilo, Cuadrado, Athur, Rabiot, Chiesa, Ramsey, Dybala, Morata
    Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…

    THAT’S ALL FROM BENEVENTO
    Juventus struggled without Cristiano Ronaldo against Filippo Inzaghi’s minnows Benevento.
    The hosts’ spirited performance led to a famous point at the Ciro Vigorito.
    Alvaro Morata put the visitors in front with a beautiful finish following a brilliant assist by Federico Chiesa.
    But Gaetano Letizia equalised with a wonderful finish just before half-time.
    Juventus weren’t clinical in the second half and will have to show more in the next few weeks if they wish to avoid a tough title defence.

    INZ-TANT SUCCESS
    Benevento manager Filippo Inzaghi is pleased with the result as well as his players’ performance against his former club.
    Inzaghi even believes his team deserved more and would be worthy winners against Juventus.
    He said: “In a year and a half they have given me things that I have no more words for.
    “Today I put [Riccardo] Improta, a striker, as a full-back. This tells you the spirit, the desire.
    ” I think that even if we were better at restarting we could have won it. . It’s a business, I’m happy for them.
    “They deserve to live these evenings “.

    FT: BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    Juventus have picked their fifth Serie A draw of the season and dropped to fifth place behind AC Milan, Inter Milan, Sassulo and Roma.
    A marvellous result for Filippo Inzaghi’s Benevento, which put together a spirited performance against a depleted Juve.

    FT: BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    A depleted Juventus drop some important points at Benevento with a 1-1 draw.
    Juve opened the scoring with Alvaro Morata following a marvellous cross by Federico Chiesa after 21 minutes.
    But a vibrant Benevento managed to equalise just before half-time with Gaetano Letizia.
    Juventus failed to inspire dominance in the second half and saw Morata getting sent off at the end.
    One must wonder whether Andrea Pirlo is willing to rest Cristiano Ronaldo against Dynamo Kiev next week

    FULL TIME
    And the referee blows for full-time!

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    90+7. And it’s a red card for Alvaro Morata at the closing stages of the match!
    Juventus have failed to score a winner and are dropping points at Benevento as the referee is getting ready to blow his whistle one last time

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    90+5. Riccardo Improta becomes the fourth player to be booked following a hard challenge.
    Tensions are running high, will Juventus or Benevento manage to score the winner?

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    90+5. Gianluca Frabotta comes close for Juventus shortly after Dejan Kulusevski.
    Frabotta gets the ball in the centre of the box but his shot is once against saved by Lorenzo Montipo.
    Juve are pushing for a late goal!

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    90+2. Dejan Kulusevski’s shot is saved by Lorenzo Montipo as we come close to full time.
    Kulusevski fires the ball from outside the box in what seems like an easy save for Montipo.

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    90. Referee gives six minutes of stoppage time following seven substitutions.
    Plenty of time for Juventus to pick up a late winner, just like they did against Ferencvaros.
    But plenty of time for Benevento to steal one…

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    89. Juventus are besting Benevento in every way possible on the pitch.
    Juve dominate possession, shots, passes, accuracy and aerial duels.
    But the visitors have been unable to produce enough, Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence is very evident.
    Will Andrea Pirlo also rest him against Dynamo Kiev after today’s performance?

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    86. Benevento’s Federico Barba is the next to see a yellow card following a bad foul.
    The hosts continue to press and find spaces to shock Juventus and pick up a famous point.

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    86. So close for Juventus!
    Juve find themselves just a whisker away from scoring the winner with Paulo Dybala.
    Federico Bernardeschi runs from the left and produces a beautiful pass that finds Dybala.
    The Argentine’s shot is then barely saved by Lorenzo Montipo who keeps Benevento alive

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    84. Benevento miss another chance!
    Benevento move the ball with such ease in Juventus’ half and Roberto Insigne finds Marco Sau.
    Sau shoots immediately with plenty of space at his disposal but Matthijs de Ligt blocks it.
    The hosts are still finding plenty of space

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    82. Pasqualle Schiattarella follows suit following Juan Cuadrado’s booking.
    Schiattarella also sees yellow after a hard challenge on Paulo Dybala with his elbow.
    Dybala claims his opponent’s elbow was too high when he hit him in the face.
    Referee shows him a yellow card and the midfielder is set to miss the next game.

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    80. Juan Cuadrado is booked with a yellow card following a small altercation with Gaetano Letizia.
    Frustrations are starting to run high as both teams are looking for an opening to win the game.
    10 minutes to go

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    78. Juventus are struggling to find their footing on the pitch.
    Even Wojciech Szczesny challenges his luck with a clumsy dribble at the back that almost saw him losing the ball.
    Juve haven’t managed to be creative enough on the pitch and are making it easy for Benevento, who would be happy with a draw

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    74. Juventus have had 12 shots, three on target, throughout today’s outing.
    However, Juve haven’t been able to be clinical enough against Benevento, whose primary goal is to avoid relegation this season.
    Can we see something different as we approach full-time?

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    72. Benevento manager Filippo Inzaghi shakes things up with a triple substitution.
    Andres Tello replaces Artur Ionita because of an injury he suffered earlier on.
    Alessandro Tuia takes Gianluca Caprari’s place and Marco Sau replaces Gianluca Lapadula

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    69. Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo opts for another substitution as he brings Federico Bernardeschi into the fold.
    Bernardeschi replaces the impressive Federico Chiesa, whose incredible cross led to the visitors’ first goal.
    Can Bernardeschi make the difference?

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    66. Juventus barely hold on to possession but there are gaps within the lines which allow Benevento to push forward.
    That is why Andrea Pirlo opted for Arthur and Aaron Ramsey to come off but Juve will still have to do better.
    As time goes by Benevento’s confidence rises.

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    62. Andrea Pirlo makes a double substitution for Juventus, who are pushing for a second goal.
    Rodrigo Bentancur replaces Arthur and Dejan Kulusevski takes Aaron Ramsey’s place.
    Arthur and Ramsey haven’t managed to leave their mark throughout the match.

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    61. Alvaro Morata comes close to a second goal but his right-footed shot doesn’t hit the mark.
    Morata picked up a pass by Aaron Ramsey just outside the box but his shot goes out for a goal kick

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    58. Benevento’s Christian Maggio picks up the first yellow card of the match following a poor challenge on Alvaro Morata.
    Maggio then is immediately substituted for Roberto Insigne.
    Reminding that Maggio came in during the first half to replace the injured captain Luca Caldirola

    BENEVENTO 1-1 JUVENTUS
    54. A sense of urgency emerges from the Juventus camp as the fans need a second goal in the second half to climb up the Serie A table.
    Juve have struggled to dominate much of the game without their star man Cristiano Ronaldo, who is being rested.
    The Italian champions are also missing key defenders and thus Benevento are able to create chances.

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