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Denis hit with five-game ban for dressing-room attack
27 April 2015
Atalanta's attempts to beat the drop in Serie A have taken a blow with top scorer German Denis receiving a five-match ban for attacking an opponent after Sunday's draw with Empoli.
Denis scored a 93rd-minute equaliser on Sunday to preserve Atalanta's seven-point cushion over the bottom three, but his contribution to their run-in will be limited.
A Serie A tribunal found that Denis had reacted furiously to threats from Empoli defender Lorenzo Tonelli, who is alleged to have told the Argentinian: "I'll kill you and your family."
Veteran striker Denis responded by storming the Empoli dressing room post-match and punching Tonelli in the face "with grave consequences" according to a Serie A statement.
Tonelli was given a one-match ban for his part in the fracas.
Denis has eight goals for Atalanta this term. Edy Reja's 17th-placed side face second-bottom Cesena in a potentially crucial clash on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old will be available for selection again ahead of Atalanta's season-ending clash with Milan in Bergamo.
Juventus v Fiorentina: Champions seek derby reaction with title in sight
27 April 2015
Juventus have no time to dwell on a disappointing derby defeat to Torino as they host Fiorentina on Wednesday in the knowledge that a win could secure the Serie A title.
Massimiliano Allegri's men could have wrapped up a fourth consecutive Scudetto had they beaten Torino on Sunday, provided Lazio and Roma had lost to Chievo and Inter respectively.
As it transpired Lazio earned a point against Chievo to ensure that scenario was not a possibility, but despite Torino's 2-1 win - their first derby triumph since 1995 - it remains a matter of when and not if Juve win the title.
Indeed, that could come as early as Wednesday's contest at the Juventus Stadium if Juve win and Lazio fail to beat rock-bottom Parma, with a superior head-to-head record rendering Roma's result an irrelevance.
But Allegri, whose side knocked Fiorentina out of the Coppa Italia earlier this month, says Juve must be more methodical in their play if they are to defeat Vincenzo Montella's team.
"There are certain phases in the game in which you also need to wait and be patient, leaving those who find themselves a goal behind to dictate the play," he said.
"Ending the first half in front [against Torino] would have been important."
Fiorentina travel to the champions in poor domestic form, having lost their last three league matches.
The latest setback came in a 3-1 reverse at home to relegation-threatened Cagliari, which led to the Stadio Artemio Franchi faithful jeering in disapproval.
Montella stated his sympathy for the fans, who have seen Fiorentina seemingly blow their chances of a top-three finish and the UEFA Champions League qualification it would bring.
They remain in with a chance of securing a seat at Europe's top table next term, though, having made the Europa League semi-finals.
However, Montella questioned whether his side could cope with the demands of a hectic schedule.
"When you play every three days you use up a lot of energy, and not everybody is able to reset their batteries and start again," he said.
"Perhaps we're not capable of doing that constantly. The side put the effort in but we deserved to lose [against Cagliari].
"The race for the European places is now getting a lot tighter and we'll fight to the end to qualify."
Milan v Genoa: Off-field problems dominate build-up for Inzaghi´s men
27 April 2015
Milan will be desperate to ease their off-field problems by clinching a much-needed three points at home to Genoa in Serie A on Wednesday.
A dreadful season for Milan hit a new low in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Udinese, which left the club in 10th position and struck a potentially fatal blow to their already slim hopes of playing European football next season.
More worrying for the club's supporters were reports in Italy of a bust-up between head coach Filippo Inzaghi and members of his squad in the aftermath of the Udinese loss.
Inzaghi has endured a torrid debut campaign at San Siro, and there have been persistent rumours that the former striker - who spent 11 years as a player with Milan - will be replaced.
With rumours that Thai businessman Bee Taechaubol is set to enter talks over purchasing the club, Inzaghi's future is shrouded in doubt.
Following the Udinese setback, Inzaghi apologised to the fans for the poor performance and he later revealed he and the team stayed at the club's Milanello training centre on Saturday and would remain there indefinitely.
It remains to be seen if Milan's retreat will pay dividends against a Genoa side that are still well in contention to achieve a UEFA Europa League berth.
Gian Piero Gasperini's side easily dispatched Cesena 3-1 on Sunday to leave them just three points adrift of fifth-placed Sampdoria.
Gasperini believes that Milan's slump this term has been nothing more than a blip, but he wants his team to show no let-up in their quest for Europe.
"Regardless of what the other teams do, it was vital that we got this result [against Cesena]," he told Rai Sport.
"It was another fine performance, an excellent result and our position in the table is good. There are six matches to go and now we have got to this stage, it’s only right we keep pushing.
"Milan remain a top-level team and have played well in fits and starts. It's just an off season."
Milan, who have Stephan El Shaarawy (foot) and Riccardo Montolivo (hamstring) back in training, will need no reminding of the difficulty they face at San Siro having lost 1-0 to Genoa in December's reverse fixture.
Full-back Luca Antonelli scored the winning goal on that occasion, but he could line up against Genoa this time around having returned to Milan - where he began his career - in January.
Juventus fans have been accused of throwing a paper bomb at the Stadio Olimpico that resulted in injuries to 11 Torino fans
The Italian football authorities have deferred a decision on the violence that marred Sunday's Turin derby until further evidence can be obtained.
An investigation was opened after an allegation that Juventus fans threw a paper bomb into the curva at the Stadio Olimpico, resulting in injuries to 11 Torino supporters.
A ruling was expected on Monday but Judge Gianpaolo Tosel, the sporting magistrate charged with leading the enquiry into the crowd trouble, formally requested more time to gather evidence, particularly video footage of the incident.
Torino defeated Juventus 2-1 on the day to end their 20-year wait for a derby win over their city rivals.
However, the game was completely overshadowed by fan violence, with the Juventus team bus also having been attacked by home fans before kick-off.
The trouble comes in the same month that Cagliari players were attacked by their own supporters, Varese's ground was vandalised by disgruntled fans and Roma president James Palotta clashed with his club's ultras after a banner berating the mother of a dead Napoli follower was unveiled during a game at the Stadio Olimpico.
"Unfortunately in Italy we are still behind," Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri said after Sunday's derby. "Until the responsible parties start to take measures this is how it will be.
"That goes for football but also the country as a whole. We need to improve to bring people back to the stadium and kids first of all.
"Only a madman would bring them along with everything that happens today."
'Italy is a Mafia state' – De Laurentiis slams Serie A violence following Torino-Juventus clashes
By Tony Mahoney
Apr 27, 2015 10:44:00
The Napoli president launched a sensational attack on the authorities following further violent episodes on Sunday before and during the Turin derby
Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has hit out at Italy's failure to clamp down on fan violence, labelling the country a "mafia state".
There have been a number of violent episodes in recent weeks, with Roma fans launching an aggressive campaign against president James Pallotta and Cagliari ultras entering a training camp to angrily confront players.
On Sunday, there were more problems as Torino fans smashed Juventus' team bus prior to the Turin derby, while 11 Granata fans were injured during the game by a firework thrown by Bianconeri fans.
"We have a mafia state," De Laurentiis roared to Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli.
"We are the mafia capital, we have the Ndrangheta (the Calabrese mafia), the Camorra (Neapolitan mafia) – is this what we call the bel paese?
"We need Angelino Alfano [Italy's Minister of the Interior] to take a good hard look at himself. I know he is worried about it, but he's far behind, because we already told him to give power to the police in the stands like they do in England. He didn't listen.
"This violence has nothing to do with organised fan groups. Why does Alfano not do something an eight-year-old child could organise?
"We are tired of this apathy that guarantees political votes. In England, the Prime Minister moved to fix violence in stadiums [after the Hillsborough disaster], while here, everyone just stands around."
De Laurentiis has been a vocal critic of fan violence ever since a Napoli fan, Ciro Esposito, was murdered by a Roma Ultra prior to the 2014 Coppa Italia final.
A few weeks ago, a group of Roma fans unveiled a banner inside the Stadio Olimpico mocking Esposito's mother, which prompted widespread condemnation.
Carpi completed a fairytale ascent up the leagues as they clinched promotion to Serie A following a 0-0 draw at home to Bari.
Having languished in the fourth tier of Italian football as recently as 2010, Fabrizio Castori's side played out a goalless draw in front of a capacity crowd of just over 4,000, to prompt wild celebrations across the town in the province of Modena.
Investment will be required to ensure Carpi are ready for the new season – on and off the pitch – with the club said to be seeking assistance from the council to convert the Stadio Sandro Cabassi.
Milan boss Filippo Inzaghi expects to learn his fate on Thursday following a 3-1 Serie A defeat to Genoa.
Inzaghi's men were well beaten by Genoa on Wednesday as the visitors secured a result that sent them sixth in the table and left Milan seven points adrift of a European berth.
The defeat has sparked speculation that Inzaghi will be sacked and replaced by youth team coach Cristian Brocchi.
Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia: "I never give up, as that is how I approached my career as a player too. I walk with my head held high, the club will make its evaluations and I accept any decision they choose. Tomorrow [Thursday] we will know.
"This is football. There are bad nights and this is always the risk for a coach.
"We gave all we had, which ultimately isn't very much right now and certainly isn't enough. We played badly.
"Now we have to try and end this season in a dignified manner. The tactics are fairly irrelevant, as when you struggle like this there are other aspects.
"A light went off inside of us after the derby [against Inter that finished 0-0 on April 19] and we are having trouble finding it again.
"When we meet a team like Genoa that is in better shape and deserves to win, we can only tip our hats to them."
Parma must learn from ´complicated year´ - Donadoni
30 April 2015
Parma coach Roberto Donadoni has called on the Italian club to learn from a "complicated year", after they were officially relegated to Serie B on Wednesday.
Lazio triumphed 4-0 to end Parma's six-season stint in Serie A, after the latter were penalised seven points throughout the course of the campaign for failing to pay their players.
The result left Parma with just 16 points with five matches remaining this season, at the bottom in the Serie A standings and 16 points from safety.
But while the future of the club hangs in the balance - Parma were declared bankrupt in March with debts of €218million and are on the market at €20m - Donadoni remains hopeful that good times will return to the Stadio Ennio Tardini.
"We need to learn from these negative things that happened off the football field, but also of the positive things we have done in recent times," Donadoni said according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, referring to his side's tally of 11 points from their past seven matches.
"It's been a complicated year."
Parma failed to get started against Lazio, conceding three goals in the opening 16 minutes in the Italian capital.
"We were a bit lost and we were quite overwhelmed. We were below our means," Donadoni said.
Sampdoria v Juventus: Win or draw gives visitors fourth straight title
30 April 2015
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon hailed coach Massimiliano Allegri ahead of Saturday's trip to Sampdoria, where they need just a draw to clinch their fourth successive Serie A title.
Allegri - sacked by Milan in January of last year - was given the tough ask of trying to replace Antonio Conte in July when the latter stepped down to coach Italy.
Conte had led Juventus to a hat-trick of Serie A crowns and Allegri's appointment was met with widespread scepticism, as 300 fans protested against the decision at the club's training complex.
But all is forgotten with the club's supporters after another stunning season, which could see Juventus win a historic treble. They open a UEFA Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid on Tuesday and face Lazio in June's Coppa Italia showpiece.
Juve lead second-placed Lazio by 14 points with five games remaining and have a better head-to-head record than their rivals. That means a draw or win would clinch the Scudetto this weekend.
That is the ideal scenario for Juve, who can then focus all their energies into the clash against Real, and before the road trip, Buffon took time out to praise Allegri.
"We're extremely close to crossing the finish line," he said. "We've done well up until now.
"Allegri's been a big factor behind our season. He guides us, gives us ideas and manages the group.
"He inherited a strong squad, but whoever replaced Conte would have had a tough task ahead of them."
Juventus responded to a shock derby defeat to Torino by coming from behind to see off Fiorentina 3-2 on Wednesday, largely thanks to Carlos Tevez's double.
The Argentina forward now has 20 Serie A goals - two more than any other player.
Juve have failed to win any of their last three away matches in all competitions, with a gutsy goalless draw at Monaco - that secured their progression to the last four of the Champions League - sandwiched by Serie A defeats at Parma and Torino.
Paul Pogba (hamstring) is on the comeback trail but this match will come too soon for the France midfielder.
Sampdoria boss Sinisa Mihajlovic has seen his side enjoy a strong campaign but they have dropped to fifth after a winless run of five.
They threw away a lead in a 4-2 loss at Napoli on Sunday and repeated the dose in a 1-1 stalemate against Hellas Verona on Wednesday.
Mihajlovic could also see a record of his own fall. The Serbian scored 28 Serie A free-kicks during an excellent career at Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter. Juventus' Andrea Pirlo is hot on his heels with 27, though.
Sampdoria did the double over Juventus during the 2012-13 campaign, but have not won since, with the earlier meeting this season ending in a 1-1 draw in Turin. Manolo Gabbiadini's 51st-minute effort cancelled out Patrice Evra's
Inter v Chievo: Felipe calls for fight until the end
1 May 2015
Inter defender Felipe has urged his team-mates to keep working ahead of Sunday's home clash with Chievo, as their late push for a European spot continues.
The San Siro outfit have belatedly hit form with a five-match unbeaten run, highlighted by a win at home to third-placed Roma last weekend, lifting them to eighth in the table.
Roberto Mancini's men have struggled all season but are just two points adrift of a possible UEFA Europa League berth with five matches to play.
Their latest success was a 2-1 win at a nine-man Udinese on Tuesday, with Mauro Icardi and Lukas Podolski netting for the visitors.
Inter had trouble closing the game out, though, and Felipe - who spent more than 10 years at Udinese earlier in his career - hopes his team-mates learn from it.
"We managed the game poorly [against Udinese] and must take responsibility for that," he said. "Let's focus on our next game now.
"We want to qualify for Europe and we'll keep trying until the end. I'll try to be ready when I'm needed."
Icardi's goal took him to 18 for the season, two behind Serie A top scorer Carlos Tevez. Icardi has been a rare shining light for Inter this term and has scored in three of Inter's last four matches.
He could pair up with fellow Argentina forward Paulo Dybala at the Italian giants next season.
Dybala, 21, is enjoying an excellent campaign at Palermo and Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti said in the build-up to this clash that they would make a move to sign the forward in the close-season.
The high-profile acquisitions of Xherdan Shaqiri and Podolski generated plenty of attention at Inter in January, but it is fair to say both have failed to live up to the hype in their short careers at the club so far.
Inter host a Chievo side who are on a four-match unbeaten run and sit 12th in the table. Rolando Maran's men will have their eye on a top-half finish and will take plenty of encouragement from their last away fixture.
That occasion saw Chievo come from behind to earn a point in a 1-1 draw at second-placed Lazio. Chievo beat Inter last season, too, with Victor Obinna's late double giving them a 2-1 home success.
Inter won the earlier meeting this campaign, though, as strikes from Mateo Kovacic and Andrea Ranocchia proved the difference.
Napoli v Milan: Off-field speculation shrouds Inzaghi´s San Paolo trip
1 May 2015
Milan travel to face Napoli at Stadio San Paolo on Sunday with uncertainty looming large for Filippo Inzaghi and the San Siro club.
Inzaghi's side have taken just two points from their last four outings and the Milan coach recently acknowledged that his days may be numbered in charge of the club he spent 11 years at as a player.
Back-to-back defeats against Udinese and Genoa saw Inzaghi suggest a decision would be made on his future on Thursday.
Highlighting the level of unhappiness at Milan's form, the defeat to Udinese at the weekend led to Inzaghi's players staying at the club's Milanello training complex for a training retreat.
"I have an idea and I will share it with the club. When you hit the bottom you need to reflect. It isn't a retreat of one or two days that changes things," explained the Milan boss.
However, with Silvio Berlusconi rumoured to be close to selling the club to Thai investor Bee Taechaubol, Inzaghi appears to have been given a stay of execution due to the circumstances.
Despite boasting just one away win in Serie A since October's victory at Verona, Milan won the reverse fixture 2-0 against Napoli at San Siro.
Giacomo Bonaventura was on target along with Jeremy Menez, although the latter will miss Sunday's return clash due to suspension.
The Frenchman was banned for four games due to a tirade aimed at referee Piero Giacomelli following his second-half dismissal against Genoa.
Napoli also have a degree of uncertainty overshadowing the business end of their season, with the future of Rafael Benitez far from certain.
The Spaniard is strongly linked with a move away from the club and, despite remaining in contention for UEFA Europa League success, Napoli look set to miss out on a top-three spot.
Following wins over Fiorentina, Cagliari and Sampdoria, Napoli were undone 4-2 at Empoli as own goals from Miguel Britos and Raul Albiol hampered their cause.
That defeat leaves Benitez's men five points off Roma in third, although the Stadio Olimpico outfit continue to stutter towards the finish line.
Rudi Garcia's side have been inconsistent of late and, if Napoli can extend their unbeaten run at home in the league to eight matches, they could yet secure a Champions League qualification berth.
Injured trio Juan Zuniga, Ivan Strinic and Jonathan de Guzman look set to miss out again for Napoli.
Paul Scholes does not believe Manchester United should make a move to bring Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford.
Pogba left United in July 2012 after opting against signing a new contract, allowing him to move to a Juventus team with whom he now enjoys a starring role
The France international has been strongly linked with a switch away from the Serie A champions, with United among the clubs linked with the midfielder.
Paris Saint-Germain are reported to have agreed an €80million fee for Pogba, and Scholes feels that fee is too steep for United to consider signing him.
"I don't feel they should go back to sign Pogba for the sums being talked about having lost him for the compensation payment," Scholes wrote in his column for The Independent.
"I understand that Chelsea did the same when they bought back Nemanja Matic from Benfica, but his fee was nothing like the numbers quoted for Pogba. It would feel wrong to me."
Scholes feels his decision to come out of retirement was partly responsible for Pogba's United exit.
"I think my return to the team, and the game time Paul got, was a small part of it," he added.
"As I recall, the home game to Blackburn Rovers on 31 December 2011, a surprise defeat for United as it turned out, had been a key moment in Paul's thinking.
"Paul was on the bench and very frustrated that he had not started the match. So by the time I came back into the side in January he might well have made up his mind that he was leaving.
"But I don't suppose it helped having an old boy come back into the team in front of him.
"The reality was that he had not played well enough to deserve a regular place before then because, if that had been the case, our manager would undoubtedly have selected him.
"Although I never spoke to Sir Alex [Ferguson] about the details, the understanding in the dressing room was that Paul's advisers just asked for too much money for his next professional deal.
"They wanted first-team money for a player who was not in the first team at that stage. United felt that was not right and stuck to their principles.
"He left that summer and very quickly established himself at Juventus, which can happen. You have to give Juventus credit for giving him the opportunity."
Menez handed four-match suspension after dismissal
1 May 2015
Jeremy Menez will miss four of Milan's final five Serie A games this season after being handed a suspension following his red card against Genoa.
The forward was dismissed during the second half of another disappointing Milan display on Wednesday, Filippo Inzaghi's side losing 3-1 to Genoa without their talisman.
Menez – who has 16 league goals this season – received a second yellow card with 18 minutes to play in the match which would normally incur a one-game ban, but governing body Lega Serie A has extended his punishment due to a tirade aimed towards the referee in the aftermath.
In a statement released on Friday, Serie A confirmed Menez's "outrageous" and "blasphemous" behaviour forced them to take further action.
As a result Menez will not be eligible until the final match against Atalanta on May 31, plunging Milan into further turmoil.
His absence will be a huge blow to Inzaghi, who continues to come under intense pressure regarding his own future at the fallen giants.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is hoping that clinching the Serie A title against Sampdoria will provide a boost ahead of his side's UEFA Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid.
Allegri's team head to Genoa on Saturday knowing that a point will secure their fourth successive Scudetto before they host Real in the first leg of their last-four tie on Tuesday.
And Allegri is determined to wrap up the title before the visit of the reigning European champions.
"It's important to go into it [the Real Madrid match] as Italian champions. The squad is fit so the best team will play [at Sampdoria]," he said.
"We're calm. We know we have the chance to reach the historic milestone of four consecutive Scudetti; four for the players, the club and the fans, and my first as coach of Juventus.
"Sampdoria will be aggressive and alert. It'll be tough for us because they're very strong at home. It was 1-1 in the reverse game, but we dominated, particularly the first half.
"That teaches us that games are never over until they're over. We've reached the finishing line and now it's time to cross it."
The former Manchester City boss insists new club president Erick Thohir will invest in a side that can break the Serie A dominance of Juventus
Inter coach Roberto Mancini says the club need time to rebuild if they are to become title-contenders once again.
The Nerazzuri, without a Scudetto since 2010, have endured a frustrating campaign, with Mancini installed in November after previous coach Walter Mazzarri managed just 16 points from their first 11 matches of the season.
Though they are set to miss out on Champions League football once again, Mancini says he is convinced president Erick Thohir will eventually put together a side that can end the dominance of Juventus, who are set to claim their fourth consecutive Serie A crown - but he warns it will take time.
"We have to grow. I have seen a lot of improvement,” Mancini told La Repubblica.
"The president is driven and positive. He is well aware that it takes time to build a team and that difficult times are part of [the process].
"He is not like us Italians, who only think about winning the Scudetto tomorrow. Our objective must be to start something that can lead to winning the Scudetto. Everybody must get this into their heads.”
Inter come into the weekend ninth in Serie A, thee points behind fifth-placed Sampdoria and Italy’s final Europa League slot.
Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon admits he had "a few doubts" about his team's ability to win the Serie A title when Antonio Conte left as coach last year.
Conte stood down in July after leading Juve to three straight league titles, before he took on the role as Italy coach.
Massimiliano Allegri replaced Conte, and led his side to title success once more after a 1-0 win at Sampdoria on Saturday.
Buffon admitted there were question marks after Conte's departure.
"The Scudetti become even better as the years pass. You never get tired of winning. In fact, the older you get, the more you enjoy these triumphs," he told reporters.
"We had a few doubts when there was change in the dugout back in July, but we've demonstrated both our technical and moral merit.
"We're a group who possess a strong mentality, spirit of self-sacrifice and a will to always want more."
Buffon said the biggest challenge for his dominant team was maintaining their motivation at the top of the table.
"The 2013-14 season was close right until the end, but it was a different story this time around," he said.
"There have been some bumps along the way, that happens in years like this one and it does you some good.
"When you know you're the best, you run the risk of slacking off. Sometimes you need a kick up the backside to bring the best out of you."
Serie A Review: Roma move back into second, Di Natale overtakes Baggio
3 May 2015
Roma took advantage of a slip from Lazio to move back into second place in Serie A with a 2-0 win over Genoa.
After dropping to third a month ago, Rudi Garcia's men have waited patiently for their opportunity to move back into the automatic UEFA Champions League places and got their reward on Sunday.
Goals from Seydou Doumbia and Alessandro Florenzi were enough to seal all three points at the Stadio Olimpico, with Lazio subsequently drawing against relegation-threatened Atalanta.
Giuseppe Biava shocked Stefano Pioli's side as he opened the scoring four minutes after the break with a close-range header against his former employers, just reward for Atalanta after dominating the first half.
Felipe Anderson and the fit-again Filip Djordevic led Lazio's fightback, but it was Marco Parolo who rescued the point with an acrobatic volley 13 minutes from time.
Fiorentina moved above Sampdoria – who lost to Juventus on Saturday – after ending their four-game losing streak in the league with a 3-1 win over Cesena.
Alberto Gilardino and a double from Josip Ilicic were enough to seal the win and push Cesena closer to relegation. Domenico Di Carlo's side are now nine points from safety with four to play.
Antonio Di Natale became the sixth highest goalscorer of all time in Serie A with his 206th goal in Udinese's 1-0 win over nine-man Verona - the veteran overtaking Roberto Baggio with a deft back heel from six yards.
And Inter were held to a goalless draw by Chievo in a blow to Roberto Mancini's hopes of securing a UEFA Europa League spot.
Stefano Pioli insists Lazio will not allow their derby with Roma on May 24 to distract them in the race for second place in Serie A.
Roma moved back ahead of Lazio on Sunday after a 2-0 win over Genoa, while Pioli's side were held 1-1 by relegation-threatened Atalanta.
The two Rome-based clubs are separated by just one point with four games remaining and meet at the Stadio Olimpico in the penultimate round of fixtures – a match that is likely to go a long way to deciding who claims automatic qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
"We have games before the derby and must try to win them too," he told Sky Sport Italia. "Nobody expected us to be here at this stage, so we'll take it one game at a time.
"I got very positive signals from this performance [against Atalanta], as even without being at 100 per cent we still got a precious point and are still up there.
"It was clear we weren't sharp today, but we still had very clear scoring opportunities and ran a few too many risks, as we struggled to break clear.
"We had difficulties because Atalanta attacked us in a very aggressive way and we didn't move enough.
"It was a great performance in terms of character and a point that shows our maturity, as we were not in good shape physically today and still fought to the end for victory."
Inzaghi to blood youth after third straight Milan defeat
3 May 2015
Filippo Inzaghi has vowed to unleash Milan's youngsters in the final weeks of the Serie A season as he looks to build for a future at San Siro.
The under-fire head coach had been reportedly close to the sack earlier this week and a 3-0 loss to Napoli was Milan's third in a row, leaves them in 10th.
Inzaghi insists he will remain with the fallen giants despite failing to reignite their fortunes since replacing Clarence Seedorf, and will look to blood some youngsters.
"People have been talking about my future since the first day, so nothing changes," he told Sky Sport Italia. "I have a contract and will continue to go forward as long as I'm given the chance, because Milan means a lot to me.
"I ask my team to have the same spirit they had tonight and to end the season in a dignified manner. We’ll have to chance to try out a few young players, who I know well.
"Now we have four games to let the youth team players have an opportunity."
The 41-year-old bemoaned Mattia De Sciglio's first-minute red card in their defeat at Stadio San Paolo, but praised his side's efforts in keeping Napoli quiet until the 70th minute - when they scored three goals in six minutes.
He added: "I am sorry for my team, as we gave it our all for 70 minutes and were too heavily affected by that red card straight away.
"I cannot say anything about my team’s attitude for most of the game. Conceding the first goal was a heavy blow and from there on, our heads dropped.
"De Sciglio is an international, he knows the situation. It's a shame, as it was too damaging to have a penalty and red card in the opening minute. It could've been a yellow."
