Football news

The president of Milan’s Inter, Beppe Marotta, is satisfied with his decision to appoint former 'Nerazzurri' player Cristian Chivu as the head coach.

’I’m surprised that people didn’t expect how good Chivu would be. We chose him for the values he represents. We had the courage to go against the tide at a media level.

Some people mentioned Mourinho. With all respect to him, if I didn’t have the courage to invite Chivu, I would regret it,' Marotta is quoted as saying by Tuttomercatoweb.

Footballer Gleison Bremer, who plays for the Italian club Juventus and the Brazilian national team, attended the ATP Finals in Turin and shared his views on the difference between football and tennis and what impresses him about tennis players.

«Their mindset impresses me the most. In tennis, you’re on your own, you have no excuses, you have to take all the responsibility. In football, you can afford to not play at full strength if your teammates are helping you.

João Fonseca is still young, but he’s starting to rise to the top now. I think he has the potential to reach the same level as world-class champions in the future. We’ve been lacking great athletes in recent years. We used to have Pelé, Ayrton Senna, Gustavo Kuerten,» Bremer’s words are cited by the official ATP website.

London «Arsenal» is negotiating to invite the head of the scouting department of the Italian «Napoli», Maurizio Micheli, reports Football Italia.

According to the source, based on the available information, the EPL club is interested in offering the 57-year-old Italian specialist a managerial position in their recruitment department. It is noted that the negotiation process between the parties is at its final stage.

Maurizio Micheli is known for his successes in discovering young talents. He is credited with finding such famous footballers as Marek Hamšík, Kim Min-jae, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Previously, this specialist had experience working as a scout at «Udinese», and also held the position of sports director at the «Brescia» club.

AC Milan forward Rafael Leao may continue his career in the English Premier League. Two leading London clubs are showing interest in the Portuguese footballer, according to Caught Offside.

London’s «Arsenal» is ready to initiate a transfer offer for the Portuguese player amounting to 85 million euros. «Chelsea»'s offer for the winter transfer window has not yet been formed, but it is known that last summer the club offered Leao a sum of 113 million.

The «Napoli» president Aurelio De Laurentiis reacted to reports about the possible resignation of the team’s head coach Antonio Conte after the loss to «Bologna» (0:2) in the 11th round of the Italian championship.

«I read fairy tales about Conte’s resignation on the internet. I love social media because it’s a modern way to quickly share thoughts. But, you know, these thoughts aren’t always right, and not everyone agrees with them.

Antonio and I have a special bond, united by the same values — heart, strength, and courage. I am proud that alongside me, „Napoli“, and its players, there is such a genuine man as Antonio Conte — a person ready to dedicate every second of his life to the profession with exceptional generosity and dedication.

This is the best guarantee for the club, the team, and our demanding fans,» De Laurentiis wrote on his Twitter page.

The legendary Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić could continue his career at «Milan» at least until the summer of 2027.

As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the management of the «Rossoneri» has decided to activate the extension option in the 40-year-old footballer’s contract. It is expected that the new contract will be finalized in the near future.

This season, Modrić has played 12 matches for «Milan» in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

’Atalanta' has officially announced the appointment of 41-year-old Raffaele Palladino as the head coach of the first team.

The specialist, who previously led 'Monza' and 'Fiorentina', has signed a contract until June 30, 2027.

Last season, Palladino led 'Fiorentina' to sixth place in Serie A and to the semifinals of the 2024/2025 Conference League. Part of the coaching staff, including Stefano Chitterio, Federico Peluso, and Fabio Corabi, will join the Bergamo club with him.

Forward Artem Dovbyk will not help the Ukrainian national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against France and Iceland, reports the UAF press service.

«Ukrainian national team and „Roma“ forward Artem Dovbyk, due to an injury he sustained in the 11th round of the Italian Serie A against „Udinese“, will not play for the national team in the November 2026 World Cup qualifying matches,» the statement reads.

Let us remind you that on November 13, the France vs Ukraine match will take place in Paris at the «Parc des Princes» stadium. The match will start at 21:45 Kyiv time.

Napoli coach Antonio Conte was quite self-critical at a meeting with journalists after the defeat in the 11th round match of the Italian Championship against Bologna (0:2).

«We needed more energy in everything. It’s frustrating that they showed more positivity and will than us. This has to make us reflect. This is our fifth loss this season. It means we need to think.

Three or four months have passed, and there’s no chemistry, no desire to fight together. I don’t know if we can turn the situation around. I don’t want to be with a dead person; everyone has to take responsibility. I am the first to take responsibility. A heart transplant is not an option. Each of us must rediscover our spirit and resilience.

We often think that changes can happen overnight. What we’ve done shouldn’t be forgotten, but we must keep working. We need to ask ourselves if we’re doing it right and with the same desire for revenge as last season. I’m disappointed because I still don’t find energy in the guys; it means I’m not doing my job well,» Football Italia quotes Conte as saying.

The head coach of «Roma,» Gian Piero Gasperini, commented on the victory in the 11th round match of the Italian Championship against «Udinese» (2:0).

«In the end, we were very tired, which led to some unnecessary mistakes, but otherwise, we played a great match, as „Udinese“ was difficult to play against.

This is a good moment for us, even though a break is coming. I think it will benefit us: on the one hand, because we can stay high in the table for another two weeks, and on the other hand, because we need to get back a few injured players.

The fans have the right to dream; you should never take away their dreams in a moment of happiness. We go into the break as the leader — it is a source of pride. Chances at the Scudetto? We’ll talk about that later, as a long season is ahead,» — cited Gasperini by Roma Press.

Atalanta head coach Ivan Juric may leave his position in the coming days.

As insider Fabrizio Romano writes on Twitter, Atalanta has already decided on a potential successor. If Juric is dismissed, the team from Bergamo will be headed by former Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino.

In the 11th round of the Italian championship, Atalanta suffered a defeat from Sassuolo (0:3). After 11 rounds of Serie A, Ivan Juric’s team is in 13th place in the standings with 13 points.

Napoli’s footballer Scott McTominay advised the team’s head coach Antonio Conte to sign Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, reports The Sun.

According to sources, the Scottish player had a meeting with Conte during which he discussed Mainoo’s strengths. McTominay believes that the 20-year-old midfielder can strengthen Napoli, whether he is loaned or transferred on a permanent basis.

Mainoo and McTominay are graduates of the Red Devils' academy. The Scottish player left Manchester United in the summer of 2024. This season, Mainoo has participated in eight matches across all competitions, where he marked himself with an assist.