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Messi tells me to take penalties but I say no - Mascherano
23 March 2016
Javier Mascherano said Lionel Messi has offered him several chances to take a penalty and score his first goal for Barcelona, though he has declined.
Mascherano has not scored in over 200 competitive appearances since joining Barca from Liverpool in 2010.
The 31-year-old has not found the net in club football since March 2008 when he was playing for the Merseyside club in a 2-1 Premier League win over Reading.
However, Mascherano insisted he is not worried by his goal drought.
"Leo has offered me many times [to take a penalty] and obviously I've said no," the Argentina international told TyC Sports.
"I honestly don't feel like it. I do not like to force things that don't correspond to me.
"The result should not change the obligations you have on the pitch.
"The person who takes penalties should be taking penalties."
Juventus striker Alvaro Morata admits it is possible he may return to Real Madrid during the close-season and is keen for his future to be resolved swiftly.
Spain striker Morata departed the Santiago Bernabeu for Turin in July 2014 and penned a new deal with Juve until 2020 in December.
However, Madrid reportedly have a buy-back option on Morata and speculation is rife that the Liga giants are contemplating bringing him back to the Spanish capital.
Morata insists he is happy in Italy, but concedes his future is not solely dependent on him.
"Of course I'd like to know where I'll be playing next year, mostly so I know where to buy a house," Morata told Cadena Cope. "However, my future doesn't only depend on me.
"I'm happy at Juve, but it isn't up to me and I don't know where I will end up. Going by the contract, returning to Real Madrid is a real possibility and I just hope everything is tied up quickly."
Madrid director Emilio Butragueno stoked the fires of a possible return when he told AS: "The players who have left Real in the past remain part of our family and we are always thinking about them."
And Morata says he remains in regular contact with Butragueno, adding: "I also talk to Butragueno often and about things other than football too. He is a very important figure at Real. He sends me messages when I score or play well."
Morata was a part of a Juve side that reached the Champions League final last season – scoring in both legs in a semi-final win over Madrid – but they were knocked out of the last 16 by Bayern Munich this time around and the forward says it is a defeat he may hold with him throughout his career.
"That elimination still hurts and it is going to hurt me for a lifetime," he said. "I still can't believe it, it is incomprehensible that we were knocked out.
"We were 2-0 up and in the end we somehow lost. I was fine when the coach took me off, but obviously he thought that it was the best thing for the team. It really hurt me to lose that game, though."
Morata has scored 10 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions for Juve this season.
Netherlands legend Johan Cruyff has died at the age of 68 following a battle with cancer.
Cruyff was diagnosed with lung cancer in October, subsequently undergoing a programme of treatment and describing the recovery process as being "all hands on deck".
However, Cruyff passed away in Barcelona on Thursday.
A statement on the World of Johan Cruyff website read: "On March 24 2016 Johan Cruyff (68) died peacefully in Barcelona, surrounded by his family after a hard fought battle with cancer. It's with great sadness that we ask you to respect the family's privacy during their time of grief."
Cruyff is firmly established as one of the greats of the game following an esteemed career with the likes of Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands national team.
The stylish playmaker spent 11 years across two spells with Ajax, winning eight Eredivisie titles as well as the European Cup on three successive occasions in the early 1970s.
Cruyff lifted one La Liga title during a five-year stint at Barca, and, after a spell in charge of Ajax, he returned to Camp Nou to manage the Catalan giants, where he won four successive Liga crowns while also leading what became known as 'The Dream Team' to European glory for the first time in the club's history in 1992.
A World Cup finalist in 1974, Cruyff was the main playing protagonist of the 'Total Football' style employed by both Ajax and the Netherlands national team in their prime in the 1970s.
Cruyff was also a three-time winner of the Ballon d'Or.
Bartomeu leads tributes as Barcelona open Cruyff memorial
By Joe Wright
Mar 26, 2016 11:22:50
The Liga club unveiled a memorial site at Camp Nou on Saturday which will remain open until Tuesday next week, allowing visitors to pay their respects to the legendary Dutchman
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu described Johan Cruyff as having "changed the world of football" as the club opened a memorial to their former player and coach.
Cruyff died on Thursday after a battle with lung cancer and tributes have continued to pour in from across the world, while Netherlands' friendly with France on Friday was halted with 14 minutes on the clock to allow a minute's applause in his honour.
La Liga leaders Barca, with whom Cruyff won historic league and European titles as a coach in the 1990s after inspiring them to domestic glory as a player in 1974, unveiled a memorial site at Camp Nou on Saturday which will remain open until Tuesday next week to allow members of the public to pay their respects.
President of the Catalan Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont, was also in attendance as dignitaries and supporters were invited to leave tributes and sign a book of condolences.
"These are sad days for Barcelona and football. But the show of support at Camp Nou and around the world is welcome," Bartomeu said.
"Johan changed the world of football and Barca, in the way he expressed himself, too. It's impossible to understand the current situation without him.
"He is and will continue being a great reference for the fans."
Thank you Johan for your genius and your leadership (1/2) pic.twitter.com/5jzoHNz4H3
— Josep Maria Bartomeu (@jmbartomeu) March 26, 2016
Former president Joan Laporta, who was present alongside long-term rival and successor Bartomeu, added: "He was always grateful to the club. He was kind, he revolutionised football with his way of understanding football and life.
"Barcelona and Catalonia have been privileged to be linked with him."
Former Spain international Salvador Sadurni, a team-mate of Cruyff at Barca, recalled an experience in which the man widely regarded as Europe's greatest footballing figure showed his genial human side.
"We were champions five games before the end of La Liga. He was an amazing team-mate," he said. "I took part in a tribute to a boy who had had an accident and Cruyff appeared at my house to take part."
Marc-Andre ter Stegen has suggested he could be forced to leave Barcelona if he is not given the consistent first-team football he desires.
The Germany international is used predominantly in the Copa del Rey and Champions League by Luis Enrique, with Claudio Bravo preferred for La Liga matches.
Ter Stegen was linked with a move to Liverpool during the most recent transfer window, but said earlier this month that he was in no rush to make a decision over his future.
However, the 23-year-old has given a strong indication that he could consider leaving Camp Nou should the current rotation policy continue.
"I want to take the next step and to play more. So the situation is clear: if nothing changes, we have to talk," he told TZ.
"In football, sometimes things go very quickly.
"At the end of the season I'll have played about 25 games. This is not a little, but when I return from the national team, I'll probably be back on the bench in La Liga, for the Clasico against Real Madrid [on April 2].
"In the long run, these 25 games per season are not enough for me.
"The decision is made by the coach. I hope that the quality I've shown recently is rewarded."
Ter Stegen, currently on international duty with Germany, joined Barca from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014.
Zidane ready to resume Luis Enrique scrap as Real Madrid fight for Clasico vengeance
30 March 2016 11:23
If there is anything that can spike Clasico tension levels beyond their traditionally dangerous highs, it is Luis Enrique meeting Zinedine Zidane.
The former France great will take charge of Real Madrid against eternal rivals Barcelona for the first time on Saturday with something of a score to settle against his opposite number.
In April 2003, with the game level at 1-1, Zidane sparked a huge on-field shoving match at the Santiago Bernabeu after catching Carles Puyol with a flailing arm. Luis Enrique, incensed, was the first to confront him, and got a push in the face for his efforts. Zidane was booked; the Barca captain, already on a yellow card, escaped unpunished.
"Everyone defends their own team and I don't have a good or bad memory of anything," was Luis Enrique's equivocal response when asked for his recollections in January this year.
"I haven't seen the images and I don't remember any exchange with Zidane, but for sure we were defending our teams. I respect him as a colleague."
34 - @FCBarcelona have equaled the longest unbeaten run of La Liga team in all competitions (Real Madrid in 88/89). Unstoppable.
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) February 28, 2016
Zidane had the last laugh when Madrid went on to win the title that year, but Luis Enrique certainly holds the edge in Europe's biggest club showdown. As a player, after swapping the Bernabeu for Camp Nou, he won half of his 16 Clasicos. Zidane just enjoyed three wins out of 11; in his last in 2005, he suffered the ignominy of watching Ronaldinho applauded off the pitch after the Brazilian left the Galacticos spellbound in the capital.
Former Barca midfielder Jordi Cruyff believes comparing the two as coaches is still far too premature, but, perhaps surprisingly, his personal preference in the head-to-head sees him lean towards the Frenchman.
"Zidane has only been coaching for two or three months at the highest level," he told Omnisport. "I think it's a bit too early to give that kind of comparison, but I think it's always special to be coached by a player you've always admired.
"And, in terms of admiration for a player, I would say Zidane is on top. He's an amazing player, so elegant on the field. It's unbelievable."
0 - Barcelona have never won a Clasico while topping the table and leading Real Madrid by at least ten points (2L 1D). Overconfidence
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) March 21, 2016
Regardless, Zidane will feel the heat on Saturday. His early coaching record betters that of his counterpart - both won nine of their first 12 games in charge, though Zidane suffered just one defeat compared to Luis Enrique's two and his side have scored nine more goals - but it is undeniably unlucky that his 13th match should come against the league leaders. With Madrid 10 points adrift in the table and facing another year in Barca's shadow, there is a growing consensus that Zidane's first Clasico as a coach could be his last.
The man himself offered little assurances this month. "I can't know what role I'm going to have if I don't know if I'm going to be here. We'll see what happens at the end of the season," was his response to questions on Madrid's proposed summer recruitment drive aimed at levelling the playing field.
Yet even with the title gone, Madrid have plenty to play for. Victory would be their first at Camp Nou in the league since Cristiano Ronaldo's winner in a 2-1 triumph in April 2012 helped Jose Mourinho wrestle the domestic crown from Pep Guardiola. It would also end Barca's unbeaten run, which currently stands at 39 matches in all competitions, and help to banish memories of their total surrender to an Andres Iniesta masterclass in the 4-0 hammering in November.
More pertinent, however, is what a win could mean for the future of the coach. Florentino Perez hailed the prospect of appointing a bona fide emblem of Madrid success after he elbowed Rafael Benitez out of the exit door, and only three points will see the president's faith justified. Confirmation of a huge lift in commitment and morale within the squad, and a warning ahead of a potential Champions League semi-final meeting with Barca, would be welcome bonuses.
Confident, rapacious in attack and determined to win in style - Madrid have embraced some of the qualities which made Zidane the best player of his generation. If they are to stop the Luis Enrique winning machine, they could use a little of his fight, too.
Los Che have named Pako Ayestaran, who returned to the club as an assistant coach in February, as their interim boss until the end of the season
Valencia have sacked Gary Neville and named Pako Ayestaran as their new head coach until the end of the season.
Neville was appointed on December 2 but failed to win any of his first nine matches in charge in La Liga and also suffered elimination from the Copa del Rey and Europa League.
Valencia have lost their last three matches in the league after a brief upturn in form in February and sit in 14th place in the Spanish top flight, six points clear of the relegation zone.
"After carefully analysing the sporting situation, the Club has decided to make this change in the best interests of Valencia ahead of the end of the current season," a club statement reads.
"The Club is grateful for Gary Neville's work and wish him the best of luck for the future."
The job at Mestalla was Neville's first in management, with the former Manchester United right-back also occupying a role as an England assistant coach.
He has most prominently worked as a pundit on Sky Sports following his retirement and is a co-owner of English non-league side Salford City, along with Valencia owner Peter Lim.
"I would like to thank Valencia Football Club, the fans, staff and the players," Neville said in a statement.
"I would have liked to have continued the work I started but understand that we are in a results business and in the 28 games they have not been to my standards or to those which are required by this club."
Ayestaran returned to Valencia to assist Neville in February having previously worked at the club under Rafael Benitez and now takes over until the end of the season.
The 53-year-old helped to guide Los Che to two league titles and the Uefa Cup between 2001 and 2004 before joining Benitez at Liverpool, where they won the Champions League together.
Rayo Vallecano 2 Getafe 0: Guerra and Miku secure huge win in survival scrap
1 April 2016 22:22
Goals from Javi Guerra and Miku earned Rayo Vallecano a massive three points in the fight for La Liga survival as they overcame fellow strugglers Getafe 2-0.
Rayo came into Friday's clash at Vallecas in 16th, two places above their opponents and level on points, but goals in each half gave them a measure of breathing space and ended a seven-match winless run.
Guerra bundled the ball home from close range in the 15th minute, although Rayo saw substitute goalkeeper Yoel sent off following the celebrations.
With 19 minutes remaining, Miku swept in from Pablo Hernandez's pass to seal the points and extend Getafe's winless sequence to 11 games.
Any result in El Clasico helps Atletico Madrid - Simeone
1 April 2016 14:33
Diego Simeone has urged Atletico Madrid to win at home to Real Betis on Saturday and capitalise on the Clasico clash between their two closest La Liga rivals.
Atletico are second in the table, nine points behind Barcelona and one clear of city rivals Real Madrid.
Those two sides meet after Atletico's match with Betis, meaning a victory for Simeone's men would put pressue on both to produce a result.
Asked if he would watch the Clasico, Simeone said: "Yes, it is at half past eight, a schedule that means it can be viewed calmly!
"The result? We just want to beat Betis. El Clasico does not depend on us and, when it does not depend on you, you just have to sit, wait and watch. If we do things right, any result will favour us."
Simeone insisted he was not concerned about Zinedine Zidane publicly targeting a second-place finish as the latter stages of the Champions League become the priority for Madrid.
He added: "Any coach's opinion is respected, but we always look at ourselves and do not think about what others do.
"The only thing that really depends on us is trying to do things well. We will go with hope and enthusiasm to a stadium which I imagine will be full
"We will have to produce a performance with great intensity from the beginning."
Zinedine Zidane has challenged Real Madrid's forward trio Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema to turn around their poor record against Clasico rivals Barcelona.
Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema are all in line to play in Saturday's showdown at Camp Nou, although Madrid have lost each of the three previous matches against Barca when they have been able to field their star triumvirate.
While impressive, their on-field exploits have generally paled in comparison to Barcelona's formidable combination of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez over the past 18 months.
When told at his pre-match news conference of his forwards' 0-3 record against Barca, Zidane said: "Tomorrow is the day to change that and we will try."
Ronaldo got on the scoresheet in the 4-0 win over Sevilla before the international break after firing a penalty over the bar, but Zidane was heartened to see the player end four international matches without a goal when Portugal beat Belgium 2-1 in midweek.
"No I don't worry about Cristiano's recent penalties," the Madrid coach said.
"Sometimes you miss, it is part of football. It can happen from time to time. He answered everyone versus Belgium.
"He has come back well after the break and I am happy with him."
Benzema was absent from the final France squad to be selected ahead of Euro 2016 as an ongoing consequence of his involvement in the ongoing Mathieu Valbuena sex tape blackmail investigation.
Zidane was eager to focus on El Clasico and offered backing to his centre-forward.
"I don’t want to avoid the question but now I don't think about Benzema with the French national team," he added. "Only about him versus Barca.
"You know what I think about Karim and what he can do for Real Madrid."
Zidane's first Clasico as a coach comes with Luis Enrique in the opposite dugout, with a heated on-field confrontation from the duo's playing days on either side of Spanish football's most bitter divide garnering plenty of pre-match attention.
"What do you mean?" Zidane joked. "Sometimes things happen on the pitch, what happened with Luis Enrique on the pitch is forgotten."
La Liga Review: Madrid stun Barca in Clasico, Atletico close gap
2 April 2016
A 10-man Real Madrid came from behind to pull off a stunning 2-1 win against rivals and La Liga leaders Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Saturday.
After a scoreless first half, it was Barca's Gerard Pique who opened the scoring in the Clasico courtesy of a 56th-minute header.
Barca's lead did not last long, however, with Karim Benzema's stunning overhead kick levelling proceedings just six minutes later.
Gareth Bale had what appeared to be a legitimate goal controversially ruled out, before Madrid were reduced to 10 men following Sergio Ramos' second bookable offence.
But just two minutes later Cristiano Ronaldo stunned the hosts after bringing the ball down on his chest and firing home from close range to complete the victory.
The win moved Madrid to within seven points of Barca with seven games left to play.
Barca's slip-up meant second-placed Atletico Madrid moved to within six points of the Catalan club thanks to their 5-1 thumping of Real Betis.
A pair of goals from Fernando Torres and Antoine Griezmann late in the first half saw Atletico take a comfortable lead into the break, before Juanfran extender their advantage in the 65th minute.
Ruben Castro pulled one back for Betis with 11 minutes remaining but Griezmann scored his second to restore Atletico's three-goal lead, and Thomas Partey capped off the big win in the closing stages.
Valencia's first game since Gary Neville's sacking as head coach ended in a 2-1 defeat away to Las Palmas.
Rodrigo needed just three minutes to give Valencia the lead but they were pegged back five minutes into the second half after Javi Fuego fouled Tana in the box, with Jonathan Viera converting the resulting spot-kick.
Things went from bad to worse for Valencia just eight minutes later when Shkodran Mustafi's comical own goal condemned Valencia to a 13th loss in 31 league games.
Celta Vigo missed out on the chance to keep pace with fourth-placed Villarreal after being held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Deportivo La Coruna.
Villas-Boas scotches Valencia rumours with sabbatical plans
4 April 2016
Andre Villas-Boas has claimed he will take a year out of football when he leaves Zenit at the end of the season, despite being linked with Valencia.
The Portuguese coach confirmed in September last year that he would depart Zenit at the end of the Russian Premier League season, having grown frustrated after a government-led change in squad regulations forced the sale of star striker Salomon Rondon to West Brom.
The campaign has seen Villas-Boas hit with a six-game touchline ban for confronting an official and Zenit slip to fourth in the table, facing uncertainty over Champions League qualification as a result.
Valencia will be on the look for a new coach for next season after Gary Neville was sacked last week and his former assistant Pako Ayestaran was placed in charge until the end of the campaign.
Paco Jemez and Rudi Garcia have been linked to the job, as well as Villas-Boas, who has appeared to rule himself out.
When asked if he would reconsider his plans to leave Zenit, he told the club's official website: "No, my decision is taken for the end of the season, I've booked my vacation.
"It was wonderful to be here, I'll always consider Russia my home, Zenit have been wonderful, the board and the president, Mr Miller have been wonderful to me and I can only thank them and I'm very grateful to them and the club.
"I will go back to my family in Portugal and mostly likely stop coaching for one year, this is a decision I have taken with my family and nothing will change it."
Diego Costa is unlikely to return to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea, according to the Liga club's president Enrique Cerezo.
Costa, who is currently serving a three-match suspension, has been linked with a move back to Atletico over recent weeks amid speculation that he is unsettled at Stamford Bridge.
The Spain international scored 64 times in 133 games for Atletico, helping the club to the 2013-14 La Liga title before joining Chelsea, but Cerezo is not optimistic of a deal being struck with the Premier League side.
"He has a contract with Chelsea," Cerezo told Al Primer Toque Onda Cero. "There are many times when, as much as a I want a player, there is a contract.
"To negotiate with Chelsea can be really tough, almost impossible."
Costa, who was dropped by Spain for their recent international friendlies against Italy and Romania, is at Chelsea alongside another former Atletico fans' favourite in Radamel Falcao.
The Colombia international's loan spells in England from Monaco with Manchester United and Chelsea have failed to take off due to form and fitness woes.
Falcao was an unused substitute for Saturday's 4-0 win over Aston Villa, having scored once in 11 competitive appearances for Chelsea – the last of which came last October.
"Radamel Falcao? He’s been injured and we don't know the extent," Cerezo added.
"Nobody has offered Falcao to us. If his agents have been in contact with the club, I don't know about it."
Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu insists the Catalans have no intention of selling Neymar and will not allow any club to open talks with the Brazil international.
The 24-year-old has been linked with fierce rivals Real Madrid, and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in recent months as talks over a new and improved contract remain on-going.
Barca are confident that Neymar - whose current deal expires in 2018 - will sign a renewal at Camp Nou sooner rather than later, but his agent hinted earlier this week that the former Santos forward would be interested in a move to PSG.
Bartomeu is adamant Barcelona will not sell their prized asset, though, meaning any interested clubs would have to meet his €193 million buyout clause.
"If someone wants to negotiate with Neymar, we will not give them permission," Bartomeu told Globo Esporte.
"Neymar will stay at Barcelona."
Neymar has been in sublime form this campaign, scoring 27 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona.
Zidane appointment has been bad for James, says father
8 April 2016
James Rodriguez's father believes Zinedine Zidane's appointment as Real Madrid coach is hurting his son's career in the Spanish capital.
James arrived at Real Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti in 2014 and enjoyed a fine first season, but his form has dipped as of late and has become the subject of boos from the stands in the Santiago Bernabeu.
However his father, Wilson Rodriguez, says form is always going to fluctuate.
"I think it is normal, football's like this," he said.
"Injuries play a big part, and make it harder for a footballer to maintain his level."
Despite that, he does not think Zidane has helped his son's cause.
"[Ancelotti and Zidane] are two very different managers and the fact that he isn't playing at the moment doesn't mean anything, but it's obvious that change of manager was bad for him," he said.
Wilson was a professional footballer himself and while he never hit the heights his son has been able to reach, he was renowned for scoring goals from distance.
"I was able to score many goals thanks to this skill," he said.
"The best goal I ever scored was almost from the halfway line against Navarro Montaya, when I was playing for Deportes Tolima.
"It's genetic. Even though you must practice a lot, you are born with this ability.
"You must start with something. James' shot isn't so bad.
"Although it's true that he has achieved much more in his career then I was able to.
"When I was playing there weren't businessmen who could just relocate you from your country and everything was more difficult than it is now.
"He is a symbol of how much things have changed, athletes are much more athletic now than when I was playing."
Simeone promises Torres future update ´in the coming days´
8 April 2016
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has promised there will be an announcement soon on the future of Fernando Torres.
The striker, on loan from AC Milan, stated at the end of last month that there was "nothing new" on talks over a new contract, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.
It was reported earlier this year that Simeone was not prepared to sanction an extension to Torres' stay, but five goals in eight appearances from the 32-year-old has prompted speculation that a new deal has indeed been agreed.
And Simeone said on Friday that Atletico would confirm their decision soon, telling a media conference: "Torres did a very good job [against Barcelona], he will play as a starter again. Over the coming days the club will inform on what the decision is in this regard."
Torres scored but was later sent off in the 2-1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona this week, an incident which has caused huge consternation among Atleti players.
Defender Filipe Luis claimed after the match that Barca are "protected" by UEFA, while Simeone claimed he could not risk voicing his true opinion on the matter.
However, the Argentine insists his side's sole focus is on their La Liga trip to Espanyol this weekend before they turn their attentions to the second leg with Barca at the Vicente Calderon.
"I don't feel like there is tension, I see it as an important game, a beautiful one, nothing more," he said.
"We said after the encounter what we thought of the game. The team showed the same strength, the bravery to play, and now we have a very tough opponent in Espanyol.
"We'll have to play in a different way than we did on Tuesday. It will be four days between the games, we have been able to recover and we haven't decided who will start. The priority is the game against Espanyol.
"We have to worry about doing well ourselves, and then, whatever happens [in the title race], so be it.
"Espanyol have a great counter-attack, they have great solidarity with the coach, they've become internally strong. I'm worried about Espanyol. Nothing else matters."
Juan Esnaider has been appointed Getafe coach until the end of the season.
The Liga strugglers parted company with Fran Escriba on Monday with the club mired in relegation trouble.
Esnaider - a former Real Madrid and Juventus striker who won three caps for Argentina - previously served as Getafe assistant under Michel during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.
The 43-year-old's last coaching role came at Cordoba in 2013.
Getafe's 2-0 loss to Villarreal on Sunday left them second from bottom in La Liga, with just two points taken from a possible 36 since their last win against Espanyol on January 17.
Sampdoria v AC Milan: Brocchi tenure begins after Mihajlovic dismissal
15 April 2016 18:27
Cristian Brocchi's impact on AC Milan may not be evident in Sunday's visit to Sampdoria, but Christian Abbiati is confident his long-time friend will ultimately make his mark.
After Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked on Tuesday, Brocchi was promoted from the role of Under-19s coach until the end of the season and he takes charge of a side who are without a win in five Serie A matches.
That run has scuppered long-standing hopes of securing Champions League football, but a Europa League berth is still up for grabs under Brocchi's guidance.
Veteran Abbiati told Milan Channel: "It's 20 years that I've known him now. There's always been a strong bond between us. Brocchi came to Milan in 2001 and for years we shared a room together along with [Gennaro] Gattuso.
"A lot of people came to talk in our room and went away uplifted. Milan was really the strongest team in the world at the time.
"Cristian puts passion into everything he does, he has so much humility and he was a rock on the pitch.
"The experience will be positive for him, even if it won't be easy. He's someone who takes on any challenge and hopes to win.
"The coach is starting to work on his ideas of the game. It won't be easy to see his ideas on the pitch as soon as Sunday, but I hope they'll come through as soon as possible."
Milan were competitive in each of the five winless matches that preceded Mihajlovic's dismissal after 10 months at the helm, even leading against champions and table toppers Juventus before falling to a 2-1 loss last time out.
Recent history is on their side against this weekend's opponents, though, with Milan having beaten Sampdoria 4-1 in the league and 2-0 in the Coppa Italia already this season, the latter fixture played at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Those results came amid the first of two eight-match winless streaks that have seriously hampered Sampdoria's progress this season.
Vincenzo Montella's men sit 14th, having achieved seventh last term under Mihajlovic, and there is pressure on the former Italy striker to deliver some consolation with a strong finish.
The visitors could face a Milan side deprived of the services of a flu-stricken Luiz Adriano, while Brazilian midfielder Fernando will hope to be given a start by Montella after he came off the bench to score in the 2-0 victory over Udinese on Sunday.
Key Opta Stats:
- Milan are unbeaten against Sampdoria in the last six league meetings between these two sides (W3, D3).
- Sampdoria have lost only one of the last six home league games against Milan (W2, D3).
- Sampdoria have lost only one of their last six league games, while in the previous eight they lost six times.
- Sampdoria have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four Serie A home games – they only kept two clean sheets in the previous 12.
- Milan have gained only two points in their last five league games: their last six game winless run was back in February 2002.
