Incredible, really incredible. That is how Antonio Nocerino described Gennaro Gattuso s work at AC Milan, though the club s resurgence under the tenacious Italian comes as no surprise to the former midfielder.
Eyebrows were raised when Gattuso was promoted from his role with the Primavera youth team until the end of the season after Vincenzo Montella was sacked by underachieving Milan in November.
Many thought experience was needed at San Siro – where the Scudetto had been absent since 2011 – as Gattuso had only previously worked for Pisa, OFI Crete, Palermo and Sion.
But Gattuso, who was a member of Milan s last triumphant Serie A side seven years ago, has overseen an upturn in fortunes with just one defeat in their past 15 matches across all competitions.<…
Emmanuel Adebayor says he finds the fact Arsenal fans booed him before he came on for Crystal Palace on Sunday funny.
Striker Adebayor has had a fractious relationship with the Emirates Stadium faithful since leaving Arsenal for Manchester City ahead of the 2009-10 season.
The 32-year-old then famously ran the full length of the Etihad Stadium pitch to celebrate in front of the visiting supporters when he scored for City against his former club just a few months later.
Togo international Adebayor has since played for the London club s arch-rivals Tottenham before signing for Palace on a free transfer in January.
Alan Pardew introduced Adebayor from the bench midway through the second half at the Emirates on Sunday and he set up Yannick Bolasie to score …
The tax trial against Lionel Messi got under way in Barcelona on Tuesday.
Messi and his father have been charged with three counts of tax fraud worth €4.1million dating back to a period from 2007 to 2009.
The Barcelona and Argentina star will testify personally on Thursday just four days before his country s opening Copa America fixture against Chile in the United States as he attempts to clear his name, but his lawyer Enrique Bacigalupo was present for the start of proceedings at the Eighth Court of Barcelona.
Messi had been set to avoid a trial on the grounds that his father Jorge Messi was apparently responsible for his son s tax obligations, but the state attorney later opted to overrule the advice of prosecutors and ordered both to take the stan…
Manchester United are interested in signing Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus, according to . The report has claimed that United were keen on securing the services of the striker in the summer of 2023, and that they remain interested in bringing him to the Emirates Stadium.
Juventus were open to letting the Serbia international striker leave in the summer of 2023, but they are now trying to tie him down to a new deal. Head coach Massimiliano Allegri is pleased with how the 23-year-old is doing at the moment, and former Serie A and UEFA Champions League winners Juventus want to keep him for the long term.
Vlahovic has made six starts and four substitute appearances in Serie A for Juventus this season. The striker has scored four goals and given one assist in those games. Th…
Newcastle United have signed winger Christian Atsu from Chelsea on a four-year deal following an impressive spell on loan.
The Ghana international featured 32 times in the Magpies Championship-winning season, scoring five goals to help seal an instant Premier League return.
Rafael Benitez was pleased to secure the 25-year-old s services on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee, subject to a work permit.
We are happy to sign a good player, the Spaniard told the club s official website.
CONFIRMED: has completed a permanent move to St. James Park from . More at .
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC)
He s shown us that he s a good professional and someone who is very keen to learn and improve.
Christian has been a key pa…
Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged patience is key for his next managerial opportunity amid previous links to Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Former Paris Saint-Germain coach Pochettino was dismissed from the French capital in July 2022 after failing to deliver Champions League glory with a squad assembled purely for that goal.
Lionel Messi moved to Paris ahead of the 2021-22 season, along with Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi, though an abundance of world-class talent crashed out in the last 16 to Madrid.
Pochettino has subsequently been linked to a move to Los Blancos, once Carlo Ancelotti departs, or to United, who preferred Erik ten Hag when the pair were both linked to the Old Trafford role.
When asked by Marca about joining eith…
Fernando Santos acknowledged there is still plenty of work for Portugal to do to finish above Spain in their Nations League group but is content with the fact his side are sitting pretty atop the pool.
Portugal, who won the inaugural tournament in 2019, moved two points clear at the top of Group A2 with a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in Lisbon on Thursday.
Spain leapfrogged the Czech Republic into second place courtesy of a 1-0 victory over bottom-placed and pointless Switzerland, coming on the back of successive draws.
The two heavyweights drew 1-1 last week and are due to meet again in the final round of fixtures, but Portugal must first travel to Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
And with only half of the campaign played, Santos is not taking anyt…
Thiago Silva expressed concern about Brazil s form after a 1-1 draw against Senegal on Thursday left them winless in three matches for the first time since 2013.
Copa America champions Brazil took the lead against Senegal through Roberto Firmino after nine minutes in Singapore, but Famara Diedhiou fired home a penalty before half-time following Marquinhos foul on Sadio Mane.
The Selecao, who drew with Colombia and lost to Peru in the previous international break, were unable to find a winner in the friendly international – Neymar seeing Alfred Gomis deny him a goal to mark his 100th cap in first-half stoppage time.
It could have been worse for Brazil had Mane s 20-yard effort with five minutes remaining not been kept out by the post, with Silva frustrated by …
Pep Guardiola is undergoing the biggest facelift of his Manchester City tenure in a bid to freshen up the squad in pursuit of a fifth Premier League title in six years and that elusive first Champions League crown for the Citizens.
Of the 27 players who made a first-team appearance in Guardiola s first season in charge at the Etihad Stadium in 2016-17, just four – Ederson, Ilkay Gundogan, John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne – remain in place.
It is very much a case of out with the old and in with the new in the blue half of Manchester this window, with Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, Oleksandr Zinchenko and long-serving Fernandinho all making way.
The arrivals of Erling Haaland and Kalvin Phillips will arguably make City stronger than they were, while Stefan Orte…
Copa Libertadores final: Back-to-back titles a perfect send-off for ´Barca bound´ River boss Gallard
A shot at the sporting immortality of back-to-back continental titles against a formidable opponent in the form of Flamengo.
River Plate face a Brazil v Argentina blockbuster in the first Copa Libertadores final to be staged as a one-off game – a change now mired in the logistical nightmare of moving the showpiece from Santiago to Lima at short notice.
Yet all of this is nothing to fear when compared to the bigger picture.
All us River fans are scared that Marcelo Gallardo could leave, midfielder Exequiel Palacios told Infobae.
No one wants him to leave. We hope that he ll stay for many more years and keep giving joy to River fans.
Increasingly, for Palacios, his team-mates and a fervent fanbase, this looks like a forlorn hope.
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