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Mancini wants quick end to Inter´s troubles against Juventus
26 January 2016 16:50
Roberto Mancini wants to bring Inter's mid-season troubles to an end when they face in-form Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday.
Inter have only won three of their last eight games in Serie A to slip down to fourth in the table, while Juve - who are at home for the first leg - are on an astonishing run of 11 consecutive league victories and now sit second.
Mancini admits his team are in a sticky period and wants to see them move through it immediately, starting with a first-leg result that keeps them in with a chance of winning the tie ahead of the second leg at San Siro on March 1.
"Unfortunately there are times when things just don't go your way and that is not because the lads are playing badly," the head coach told Inter Channel.
"We are putting in a lot more running that we did at the start of the season. Some teams struggled early on and we are having a bit of trouble now.
"Let's try and get through this period as quickly as possible and string a run of wins together to get us back up there. We are capable of doing that so we need to keep calm.
"You expect to face a strong team when you reach the semi-final stage. The match is played over 180 minutes so we need to perform well to achieve a good result in the first leg and have a chance of going through in the second."
Mancini does plan to freshen up his selection for the game at Juve, with the winners of the tie going on to meet either AC Milan or third-tier outfit Alessandria in the Coppa Italia final.
He added: "We will certainly make some changes because we are playing every three days at the moment.
"Juventus have recovered so many points in recent weeks and they are definitely in great form. We will need to put the hard work in and fight. As for the playing system, we will see on Wednesday."
Inter have completed the signing of Eder from Sampdoria on a two-year loan deal with an option to make the move permanent.
Roberto Mancini previously already admitted Inter were keen to lure the 29-year-old away from Sampdoria, but claimed at the time a transfer in January could be problematic.
However, the San Siro side have now managed to sign the Italy international after all. Eder has signed a contract with Inter until June 2020, which will become valid once they exercise their option to buy.
"I am very happy to be here," Eder told the official Inter website.
"A lot of sacrifices and hard work have paid off and brought me at a big club like Inter."
Inter CEO Michael Bolingbroke, meanwhile, was quick to voice his delight with the transfer, too.
"We are pleased to have added Eder to our squad," he added.
"He is a player of great quality and with international experience. He will give our team a new dimension and will give Mancini another option."
Eder is the third piece of business between Inter and Sampdoria this month, with Andrea Ranocchia and Dodo previously moving in the opposite direction.
Jonathan de Guzman has swapped Napoli's Serie A title challenge for a relegation battle with Carpi.
Netherlands midfielder De Guzman moved to Stadio San Paolo on a permanent deal ahead of the 2014-15 season, but has yet to make a league appearance for Maurizio Sarri's Serie A leaders this term.
And the 28-year-old has now joined Carpi on loan until the end of the campaign.
Carpi are mired in relegation trouble and sit 18th, five points adrift of safety.
With De Guzman signing, Luca Marrone - who spent the first five months of the campaign at Carpi - has moved to rock-bottom Verona on loan from champions Juventus.
Juventus have confirmed that Mario Mandzukic and Kwadwo Asamoah have suffered muscle tears.
Both players complained of discomfort following the 3-0 Coppa Italia win over Inter on Wednesday and underwent medical tests to determine the damage.
The duo are set for four and three weeks on the sidelines respectively as Juve enter a crucial run of fixtures both domestically and in the Champions League.
Asamoah "has suffered a torn biceps femoris in his right thigh and is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks", a club statement released on Friday confirmed.
"Tests on Mandzukic meanwhile revealed a torn gemellus muscle, with the Croatian forward's rehabilitation process estimated to last a month."
Both players will miss forthcoming league meetings with Chievo, Genoa and Frosinone, though Juve will hope Asamoah has recovered in time for the top-of-the-table clash with Napoli on February 13.
Mandzukic, meanwhile, is likely to miss that encounter with the current league leaders, as well as the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich on February 23
Serie A Review: Juventus, Napoli stay on track at the top
31 January 2016
Juventus enjoyed a brief spell at the top of Serie A thanks to their 4-0 win at Chievo but were quickly replaced by Napoli, who racked up a 5-1 victory against Empoli.
The sides went into Sunday's action separated by two points and both appear certain to go head-to-head for the Scudetto as they secured convincing wins before the Milan derby rounds off the weekend's action.
Juve were in action first and were set on their way to a 12th consecutive Serie A win by Alvaro Morata's first-half brace as Chievo struggled for momentum without Alberto Paloschi, following his move to Swansea City.
Alex Sandro and Paul Pogba made a comfortable win easier with quick-fire strikes after the hour as the champions' mid-season recovery now leaves them just one win shy of matching a club-record run.
Nevertheless, Juve remain off the pace as Napoli matched their nearest challengers.
Empoli midfielder Leandro Paredes opened the scoring and gave those in Turin hope of a slip-up but Gonzalo Higuain's 22nd league goal of the season levelled matters just five minutes later.
Lorenzo Insigne, Michele Camporese's own-goal and a Jose Callejon brace returned Maurizio Sarri's men to top spot in style as they reached the 50-goal mark in Serie A.
Paulo Sousa was sent to the stands late on for kicking a ball that remained in play as Fiorentina were held 0-0 by Genoa while Udinese and Lazio had a man each dismissed in their goalless stalemate.
Rock-bottom Verona remain winless as they failed to find a way past Torino in their 0-0 draw at the Stadio Olimpico although there were goals aplenty at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara as Bologna edged a five-goal thriller against Sampdoria 3-2, Mattia Destro sealing the points from the spot after Ricky Alvarez handled the Italian's goalbound header three minutes from time.
Italy coach Antonio Conte believes Serie A is no longer among the top leagues in Europe owing to a lack of investment from club owners.
Conte won five Scudettos as a player with Juventus between 1995 and 2003, claiming three more as coach of the Bianconeri before taking over from Cesare Prandelli as Italy boss in 2014.
Juve's dominance continued under Conte's successor Massimiliano Allegri last term, while he also guided the Serie A holders to a Champions League final where they were beaten by Barcelona.
That was the first time an Italian side had made the final in five years and, despite a poor start to their Scudetto defence this term, Juve sit just two points off leaders Napoli and stand a good chance of maintaining their domestic dominance.
With questions asked of the quality outside the league's top two, Conte - reportedly a target for Premier League champions Chelsea - told FIFA Magazine: "I think the best football matches are currently being played in England.
"Then there's Spain and Germany, but Serie A comes after. The Italian league is in fourth place and there's no way out of that. It's not an issue of being sad or not, it's simply the truth.
"Before it was different. It [Serie A] was one of the most beautiful championships of the world.
"Everyone wanted to play in Italy. But today the club owners are not willing to invest so much in their teams. There is simply a lack of money.
"But I'm still optimistic for the future, we're on the road back to the top."
Juventus midfielder Khedira suffers thigh tear & could miss Bayern clash
By Alex Fisher
Feb 2, 2016 18:36:07
The 28-year-old is set for a short spell on the sidelines after picking up a problem during the win over Chievo on Sunday
Juventus have confirmed they will be without midfielder Sami Khedira for the next two to three weeks due to a torn thigh muscle.
News of the injury immediately places Khedira's participation in Juve's Champions League last-16 first leg on February 23 against Bayern Munich into doubt.
Khedira's time at Juve has been marred by a series of injury problems. The 28-year-old has only made 15 appearances since arriving from Real Madrid at the start of the campaign.
It had appeared the worst of his issues were behind him after seven starts in Juve's last 10 matches in all competitions, however he will not feature against Genoa on Wednesday.
"Absent from tomorrow's match at Juventus Stadium is Sami Khedira," a statement read.
"After reporting continued discomfort in his right thigh after the game against Chievo, the midfielder underwent a series of medical tests.
"These revealed a torn adductor longus muscle which is expected to keep Khedira sidelined for two to three weeks."
Serie A Review: Napoli win but Juve remain two points behind
4 February 2016
Napoli remain two points clear of Juventus atop Serie A after Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon scored in a 2-0 win at Lazio.
Higuain opened Napoli's account in the 24th minute, from Callejon's assist, before the Spaniard turned goalscorer three minutes later to secure all three points for the visitors.
The match was suspended during the second half after alleged racist chanting by Lazio supporters directed at Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, before the referee decided to continue the game soon after.
Juve are still hot on the leaders' heels after completing an 11th consecutive victory in all competitions, with Genoa their latest victims.
Sebastian De Maio put Juan Cuadrado's cross into his own net on the half-hour to settle the match 1-0 in the home side's favour.
Juve finished with 10 men after Simone Zaza was dismissed in the 91st minute following a tackle on Armando Izzo.
Elsewhere, Mauro Zarate scored in second-half stoppage time to help Fiorentina to a 2-1 success at home to lowly Carpi.
Inter bounced back from a 3-0 defeat to AC Milan on Sunday by seeing off Chievo 1-0 at San Siro, where Mario Icardi bundled home from a corner just after half-time.
Milan were also victorious, beating Palermo 2-0 away from home for their third successive victory in all competitions.
Carlos Bacca turned home Ignazio Abate's cross in the 19th minute to put Milan in front before M'Baye Niang added a second from the penalty spot.
Meanwhile, it was a night to cherish for fans of rock-bottom Hellas Verona, who picked up their first Serie A win of the season with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Atalanta.
Sampdoria increased the gap between themselves and the bottom three to five points with a 2-2 draw against Torino.
Empoli and Udinese played out a 1-1 draw at Stadio Carlo Castellani, while Federico Dionisi's second-half penalty handed Frosinone their first league win since November, as Bologna were beaten 1-0 at Stadio Comunale Matusa.
LA Galaxy have completed the capture of Nigel De Jong following his release from AC Milan.
De Jong made 79 Serie A appearances for Milan but had his contract terminated on Monday, having featured just five times in the league under coach Sinisa Mihajlovic this season.
The 31-year-old Netherlands international is the latest high-profile signing by the MLS club, who recruited former England international Ashley Cole in January.
LA Galaxy used Targeted Allocation Money to sign Dutchman De Jong, with head coach Bruce Arena looking forward to the impact he can have on the team's forwards.
"Nigel is an experienced midfielder who will help the players around him get better," Arena said in a statement.
"He's an outstanding defensive midfielder, has great mobility, can win tackles and distribute the ball quickly so I think he's really going to compliment the players in front of him.
"He will add qualities on the field that can strengthen our team in all areas. We look forward to Nigel coming to Los Angeles and joining our club."
Steven Gerrard is excited by the prospect of De Jong joining the club, lauding his physicality in midfield.
"He's been around Europe and played in big World Cups and he's a quality footballer. I'm looking forward to meeting him, and I've heard good things from Dirk Kuyt," he said.
"He'll make our squad stronger because he's one of the best at what he does which is the holding midfield position.
"He's one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced. Defensively, he covers the ground very well, he's very physical."
Roma coach Luciano Spalletti wants his side to show more concentration after almost throwing away their lead on Sunday.
Spalletti's Roma made it three wins from as many Serie A game with a 2-1 victory over Sampdoria, but were made to sweat in the final stages as the visitors searched for an equaliser.
Roma were up 2-0 thanks to goals from Alessandro Florenzi and Diego Perotti, before a Miralem Pjanic own goal brought Sampdoria back into the game, though the hosts held on for the win.
The Italian capital club have only managed to keep four clean sheets in their 12 league victories this season, and Spalletti has warned his players they must cut out their lapses.
"Roma have to explain what we want to do, because lately when we are convinced that we're taking the right path, we do a sudden U-turn," he told Mediaset Premium.
"Today we had settled into a game that was fairly comfortable to control, we just had to keep the ball. Then there was a moment of confusion and all the initial good work almost went up in smoke.
"Fortunately we won, because we could so easily have been caught at the end. To be honest, the team did deserve victory because we wasted a lot of chances to add more goals, but we can't have these lapses during a single game. That's a sign we have a lot more work to do psychologically.
"Sampdoria improved as the game wore on, because they have some talented players on the ball, but we should've been tighter and protected the defence with the midfield."
Roma are fifth in the league table, 12 points behind leaders Napoli, but sit just two outside of the Champions League places.
"We gladly take these three points home," Spalletti added. "Seeing that we’re up there so close can give a bit more spark."
Former coach Giovanni Galeone expects Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri to fill the void left by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.
Two-time Serie A-winning coach Allegri is reportedly the frontrunner to manage Chelsea next season after Mourinho departed by mutual consent in December.
Allegri has continued to play down a move to Stamford Bridge and the Premier League with his contract at Juventus not due to expire until 2017.
But Galeone, who coached Allegri during his playing career, believes the 48-year-old Italian is well equipped to succeed in England.
"I think Max will go to Chelsea and will do very well," the 75-year-old told Radio Radio.
"Allegri is doing incredible things, even if the club failed to buy the players he requested last summer: from Mario Gotze, to Isco.
"For me, he will leave Italy, and I see him going to England because the deal [Chelsea owner Roman] Abramovich has offered is really fantastic.
"As one of the five best coaches in the world, he has to leave Juventus, it makes no sense for him to stay in Italy."
Juventus are flying high this term and on track for a fifth Scudetto amid their 14-game winning streak in Serie A.
Inter striker Mauro Icardi has made it clear that he is not interested in a transfer to Manchester United amid speculation linking him with a move to Old Trafford.
The Premier League side are supposedly keen to add some more firepower to their squad at the end of the season and reports from Italy suggest they have earmarked Icardi as the ideal addition to strengthen their attack.
Nevertheless, the 22-year-old has stressed that he is happy with life at Inter and would reject an offer from United.
"I am feeling very well in Milan. I want to stay here for a long time," Icardi told Corriere dello Sport.
"I received a number of offers when we were discussing my contract renewal with the club, but I had already taken my decision.
"I would also turn down Manchester United. Inter are working on a great project and I want to play my part in it.
"People say I am worth €40million, but it is up to me to prove I am worth that much money.
"I am committed to this team and happy to be part of it."
Icardi, who has a contract with Inter until June 2019, has netted 10 goals in 21 Serie A appearances this campaign.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has suggested Sami Khedira could make the squad for Saturday's game against Napoli.
The Germany international midfielder missed wins over Genoa and Frosinone due to muscular problems and the Serie A champions initially feared he could be out for the remainder of February.
However, Khedira resumes squad training on Friday and could make his comeback in the top-of-the-table clash versus Napoli.
"This week's been useful to recover both physically and psychologically after an energy-sapping chase to the top," Allegri said at a media conference.
"Khedira will be back with the group on Friday. We'll see if he's fit enough to make the matchday squad.
"[Mario] Mandzukic and [Giorgio] Chiellini will both miss out.
"[Simone] Zaza? He'll be back in the squad. Either he or [Alvaro] Morata will partner [Paulo] Dybala.
"[Roberto] Pereyra is important for us, but he doesn't have 90 mins in him yet. I was happy with how he did in Frosinone."
Juventus trail Napoli by two points heading into the encounter in Turin and will go top with a win.
Giuseppe Marotta has made it clear Juventus have no intention of selling Paulo Dybala or Paul Pogba.
Dybala has developed into one of the Serie A champions' undisputed stars since joining from Palermo at the start of the season and has recently been linked with a move to Barcelona.
Pogba, meanwhile, has also caught the attention of the Catalans, while Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are also keeping a close eye on his situation.
Nevertheless, Juve are determined to hold on to their star players.
"Juventus are in a position where we can reject all approaches for Paulo – and we have already done that," director Marotta said.
"He will become even better when he gains more experience, but he is already a top player right now. Selling him is not even an option for Juventus.
"And the same goes for Pogba. He is an important player for us.
"We want to keep winning in Italy and also make an impact in Europe."
Marotta also had his say on the future of Massimiliano Allegri, who has been linked with the Chelsea job, and stressed that he expects the coach to stay put for many more years.
"There are many reasons why we want Allegri to remain in charge for many more years," he added.
"He is a great leader and Juventus are a great club. It is never easy to find someone that important and his cycle at Juventus is not over yet.
"His winning cycle can still continue and I think that is what he wants as well."
AC Milan have confirmed that Antonio Nocerino has left the club as he draws closer to completing a move to Orlando City.
CEO Adriano Galliani confirmed on Monday that the 30-year-old's contract would be cancelled in order to allow him to move to MLS.
The Italy international's switch to Orlando is expected to be announced later on Tuesday after Milan confirmed his departure from San Siro.
"AC Milan communicates that it has today settled, by mutual agreement, the contract with Antonio Nocerino," read a club statement.
"The club wishes to thank Nocerino for the commitment, loyalty and professionalism he displayed in wearing the Milan shirt and defending the Rossoneri colours, and wishes him every success for the rest of his playing career."
Nocerino, who has made three appearances in all competitions this season, has spent time on loan with West Ham, Torino and Parma in the past two years after falling out of favour at Milan.
He will link up with former Milan team-mate Kaka at the Florida outfit.
AC Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani has revealed that striker Carlos Bacca would have signed for Real Madrid had Carlo Ancelotti not been sacked by the La Liga club.
Bacca signed for Milan from Sevilla during the off-season and has scored 13 goals in 25 league appearances, including during Saturday's 2-1 win over Genoa.
But he could just as easily have been wearing the white of Real Madrid had the club hierarchy not chosen to replace Ancelotti, who 12 months earlier had led Madrid to the club's 10th Champions League triumph, with Rafa Benitez.
"[Luca] Antonelli was fantastic while Bacca has a real eye for goal," he said.
"I had been following him in the past two years. I liked the look of him and I also like his former coach, [Unai] Emery, who I feel is a top coach.
"But he [told me Bacca] won’t be coming to Milan though. Bacca is a fantastic player.
"Even Ancelotti spoke to me about him. Had Ancelotti stayed at Real Madrid, Bacca would have probably moved there."
Galliani was also keen to praise former Chelsea defender Alex, adding that Milan should finish no lower than third this season.
"Alex is a top defender. His quality is there to see and his career speaks for itself. His performances lately aren’t by chance," he said.
"We have a good team and we are now having our say. This is a team that has to fight for third place. We are in no way inferior to the other teams battling for that goal."
Inter ´a few years behind´ Scudetto rivals, admits Mancini
17 February 2016
Inter coach Roberto Mancini has conceded his side remain years off being able to mount a concerted Serie A title fight, after slipping well off the pace in 2016.
Just two wins since the turn of the year has seen inter drop from top spot in Serie A to fifth in the table.
Now 12 points behind leaders Juventus, Inter now face a tough task to even snatch the third place and final Champions league qualification spot.
Despite their plight, Mancini has refused to give up hope of getting back into contention, but has called for more focus from his squad if they are to do so.
"We're not giving up, nothing is over and there's still a long way to go," he told the Inter Channel.
"It takes time to build a winning team, and I think Inter are a few years behind. We know it'll take a bit of time and we'll have to go through difficult spells.
"We did well up until December, but difficult times will come during the season. That's where you have to be strong, stand up and not give up, even though disappointments can sometimes be bitter.
"Now we have to continue to work, we need more concentration and calmness."
Massimiliano Allegri will rest Paulo Dybala when Juventus take on Bologna on Friday with one eye on next week's Champions League clash Bayern Munich.
Allegri is adamant Juventus cannot afford to underestimate Bologna as he expects Roberto Donadoni's men to pose a serious threat, but he is nonetheless ready to leave out his star man up front.
Dybala has had a hand in 15 goals in his last 15 Serie A games (nine goals, six assists), as Juve have racked up a winning run that has launched them to pole position in the Scudetto race.
"Dybala may not start against Bologna. He has played more than anyone so far. I could go with [Alvaro] Morata and [Simone] Zaza up front," Allegri said at a news conference.
"We're not thinking about Bayern, that will come on Saturday morning. Friday's game is crucial for us. We're duty bound to come away with three points. Napoli won't give us an inch and we need to stay out in front.
"It will be a difficult game. Bologna have nothing to lose, they're in a good position in the league. Bologna are doing well, they've beaten Napoli and Milan. We need to play with intelligence. We cannot afford to get our approach wrong."
Allegri also had his say on the fitness of Leonardo Bonucci, Sami Khedira, Mario Mandzukic and Giorgio Chiellini ahead of the games against Bologna and Bayern and stressed he will not take any risks.
"Bonucci will be in the squad for the game against Bologna and will start," he added.
"We'll ensure Khedira's involvement is managed in games and training. Mandzukic will be with us from Saturday. We'll have a look at Chiellini for Tuesday, I don't want to take risks.
"Tuesday's match is only the first of two legs. Qualification will be reached if we do our job in Munich."
Bologna v Juventus: Marchisio warns against Bayern Munich distractions
17 February 2016
Claudio Marchisio has warned Juventus not to become distracted by their looming Champions League last-16 tie when they face Bologna in Serie A on Friday.
The champions' stunning run of 15 consecutive wins, which culminated in a 1-0 victory over title rivals Napoli last week, has seen them soar to the top of Serie A with 25 matches played.
Juve face a pivotal few weeks in their season, with league and cup games against Roberto Mancini's Inter and both legs of the European tie with Pep Guardiola's Bayern over the next month.
But Marchisio insists they cannot turn their focus towards facing the German champions yet as they aim to take maximum points against a Bologna side resurgent under Roberto Donadoni.
"We can't afford to risk thinking about the Champions League. We have to concentrate on the league because we've made a huge effort to reach first and it'll take an even bigger one to stay there," he told Sky Italia.
"Donadoni is doing a great job, as he had been doing with Parma in recent years. He's completely changed the way Bologna play but, above all, he's changed the motivations of the players.
"So he's definitely put his stamp on this good Bologna side, who cause problems for everyone and will make things difficult for us."
Only Juve, Napoli and Fiorentina have taken more than the 27 points Bologna have managed over the last 15 Serie A matches, with their latest 1-0 win away to Udinese moving them to within three points of the top seven.
Donadoni believes his players are beginning to develop a real resilience and insists they are capable of ending their long wait for a home league win against Massimiliano Allegri's side.
"It was hard to get the three points [in Udine]. The attitude is the right one but all the lads can and should grow," he said this week.
"If we don't do anything wrong, and we give 110 per cent, we'll give Juventus a hard time as well."
Juve are without Alex Sandro (hamstring), Giorgio Chiellini (calf) and Martin Caceres (Achilles), while Mario Mandzukic (hip) and Kwadwo Asamoah (thigh) are unlikely to be risked.
Luca Rossettini (back) is set to miss out for Bologna as they look to make it four home league games in a row without defeat.
Key Opta Stats:
- Juventus have won each of their last five Serie A clashes vs Bologna, keeping three clean sheets and scoring an average of two goals per game.
- Juventus are unbeaten in 12 Serie A games at the Dall'Ara (8W, 4D): the last time Bologna defeated Juventus at home was back in November 1998 (3-0).
- Juventus have conceded only six shots on target over the last five Serie A match-days, at least four fewer than any other side.
- Only Gonzalo Higuain (16) and Paulo Dybala (9) have scored more goals than Mattia Destro (8) over the last 15 Serie A matchdays.
- Gianluigi Buffon has kept a clean sheet seven times since the start of 2016, more than any other keeper across the top five European leagues.
