Serie A

LAZIO’S home clash with AC Milan ended in farce after they received THREE red cards in the “ugly” showdown.The hosts were reduced to ten men when Luca Pellegrini received his second caution on 57 minutes.Lazio and Milan’s clash ended in a huge confrontation after a chaotic finishCredit: RexEx-Arsenal star Matteo Guendouzi was one of THREE players sent-off for LazioCredit: GettyManagers Stefano Pioli and Maurizio Sarri were even rowing on the touchlineCredit: RexNoah Okafor pounced late on to win it for AC MilanCredit: GettyIt’s all kicking off in Rome as Lazio go down to 8 men! 💥Lazio have two men sent off in two minutes! 🟥They were already down to 10-men… 😳 pic.twitter.com/QmETrOhLUW— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 1, 2024

However, it was in the closing stages when tempers really began to boil over as Lazio lost it in the Serie A showdown.Noah Okafor scored the only goal when breaking the deadlock with only two minutes of normal time remaining.Then, in the 94th-minute, Adam Marusic was given his marching orders for seemingly something he said after a foul went against them.TNT Sports commentary team described the scenes as “getting out of hand” before claiming the referee Marco Di Bello had “lost control” as the chaos continued seconds later.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLMilan’s Rafael Leao went into the book after another foul but it was Lazio who ended the game with only EIGHT men.Former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi was issued a straight red after he reacted to a foul by Christian Pulisic, who was booked, by shoving the American over.Fortunately the final whistle arrived shortly after, but even that led to a huge confrontation on the pitch and some pushing and shoving between both the Lazio and Milan squads.One of the most contentious incidents in the explosive match was the second yellow card for Pellegrini.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSHe was attempting to shepherd the ball out of play while his team-mate Taty Castellanos was down with a facial injury, only for Pulisic to pounce and stop it going out before he was hauled down by the Lazio star.That led to a row between their boss Maurizio Sarri and his counterpart Stefano Pioli.Where are they now: The unusual careers of former footballersThe Milan boss said: “Sarri told me ‘The ball was going out of play’ – but the referee did not blow the whistle.“Pulisic is a fair player, he did what he did. I don’t see why the onus should’ve been on us to put the ball out of play. If that is what they wanted, then why didn’t they do it?”Pioli added: “It was an ugly, tense match. We had a slow tempo in the first half and should’ve moved it around quicker, finding more space.“It was a balanced game with very few chances. We started better after the break and made the most of Lazio’s errors.”The win moved Milan to within a point of third-placed Juventus while Lazio remain ninth following the third loss in four.The sending-off of Lazio’s Luca Pellegrini ignited the bad bloodCredit: RexReferee Marco Di Bello then gave Adam Marusic his marching ordersCredit: Getty More

SERIE A has been rocked by a new “spygate” drama after a coach was found hiding in a tree while taking notes of a rival training session.Jose Mourinho’s former side Roma reportedly caught a member of staff from upcoming opponents Torino spying at their training ground over the weekend.
A Torino staff member was caught spying on Roma’s training session ahead of their Serie A matchCredit: Getty
Il Messaggaro claims Michele Orecchio was found hiding in a tree while taking notes by a security guard.
Roma, now managed by Daniele De Rossi, welcome Torino to the Stadio Olimpico on Monday night.
And Orecchio was thought to be gathering intel for the upcoming tactical battle.
It’s not known how long he was hiding for, or how much information he gathered.
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But De Rossi is said to have immediately halted Roma’s session until the coast was clear
Amazingly, it’s not the first time Orecchio’s been caught spying on the capital club either.
Last season, he was nabbed while in possession of recording equipment outside Roma’s training ground.
Orecchio was reportedly busted by Mourinho’s assistant Nuno Santos.
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But there was no punishment of any kind for the Torino man.
And his mission clearly backfired after Roma downed the Turin side 1-0.
What next for Jose Mourinho? Dave Kidd takes a look at The Special One’s options
De Rossi’s men currently lie sixth in the table after winning four of their last five games.
As for Torino, they are tenth and just one point behind reigning champions Napoli.
Serie A’s “spygate” mission comes five years after the infamous Championship debacle between Leeds and Derby.
Marcelo Bielsa sent a member of staff to watch Frank Lampard’s side before their league meeting.
The Leeds man was caught in the act, but Bielsa insisted he had done nothing “illegal.”
And the now-Uruguay manager proceeded to reveal detailed notes of all Leeds’ opponents to the media in a bid to prove his point. More

Former Premier League striker M’Baye Niang has been rushed to hospital after wrecking his car.The Senegal international spent the first half of 2017 on loan to Watford from AC Milan.
M’Baye Niang was involved in a horror car crash in ItalyCredit: Getty
Niang made 16 Premier League appearances for WatfordCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
He made 16 top-flight appearances, scoring in the Hornets’ wins over Burnley and West Brom.
France-born Niang joined Italian Serie A club Empoli last month from Turks Adana Demirspor.
But the 29-year-old was rushed to hospital on Tuesday morning after his Mercedes SUV collided with several parked cars in Empoli, near Florence.
Niang has previously figured in a series of motoring mishaps in Italy and France.
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Empoli sporting director Pietro Accardi said: “M’Baye Niang advised us promptly about the accident that took place.
“As a club we know that since the lad’s arrival at Empoli he has usually gone out early each morning, to join a prayer group with others who practise the same faith as him.
“The player then returned home.
“M’Baye is well.  He passed all the normal tests from the competent authorities.”
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Niang trained later in the day, and is expected to be fit for Saturday’s relegation six-pointer at Sassuolo.
He landed a motoring ban in Italy aged just 17 for driving without a licence – and pretending to be an older Milan clubmate – in 2012.
The striker crashed his Ferrari into a tree while with Montpellier in 2014, and received a suspended 18-month jail term for an alleged hit-and-run incident that left 11 people injured.
And two years later the accident-prone attacker suffered ankle and shoulder injuries after another car smash.
Play stopped as Watford player M’Baye Niang carries a baby bird off the pitch More

PAUL POGBA could “return to the pitch tomorrow”, claims his agent Rafaela Pimenta.The former Manchester United star, 30, has been out of action since September after testing positive for banned substance DHEA, a precursor hormone of testosterone.
Paul Pogba has been suspended since SeptemberCredit: Getty
Pogba will have to undergo trial at the National Anti-Doping Tribunal.
Proceedings were initially supposed to get under way on January 18th, but the date was pushed back.
Pimenta has denied that Pogba intended to break the rules, telling Tuttosport last year: “We’re waiting for the counter-analysis and we can’t say anything now.
“For sure, Pogba never wanted to bend the rules — I can guarantee that.”
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The agent has since offered a further update on the Frenchman’s status, telling Calciomercato: “Pogba could return to the pitch tomorrow.
“He is ready for any situation, he is also a champion mentally. He takes a blow, digests it and moves on.
“He didn’t move forward irresponsibly, he trains knowing that he must be ready.”
Still contracted to Juventus, Pogba believes that he has a point to prove in his career.
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Pimenta added: “Sometimes I’ll ask him: ‘Shall we do something else?’. And he’ll get angry, saying to me: ‘Rafa! I have to train.
“You don’t understand, I have to play, I have to win, and I have to finish a journey that I started’.
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“If he were to play tomorrow, he could come on the pitch and play. Obviously, it’s a difficult moment to overcome.”
Pogba rejoined Juve from Man Utd on a free transfer in 2022.
He suffered an injury-hit first campaign back in Turin – only featuring six times in Serie A.
The midfielder came off the bench in two of Juventus’ first three games of this season, prior to being suspended.
Pogba is contracted until 2026, but could face a ban of up to four-years if found guilty of doping intentionally, which he denies. More