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Francesco Totti is considering his Roma future after starting just two Serie A games this season and has stated: "I demand more respect for all I've done here."
Totti has made over 700 appearances for the Serie A side and is club captain, but has been restricted to the role of squad player, best illustrated by the fact he came off the bench for the last three minutes of his side's 2-0 Champions League defeat against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Coach Luciano Spalletti said in his pre-match news conference that Totti could be in the Roma team for the Serie A game against Palermo on Sunday, but the 39-year-old forward remains frustrated at his first-team prospects.
"I can't stay at Roma like this," Totti told TG1.
"I still feel like a player who is physically in good shape and I want to play.
"The [thigh] injury [that he sustained in September] is behind me now and if I don't play it is purely down to a tactical decision.
"It hurts to be on the bench. I understand at my age that I play less, but ending my career like this is bad for me as a man and what I've given to Roma. I demand more respect for all I've done here.
"What is my rapport like with Spalletti? We say 'good morning' and 'good evening'. That's it.
"He said such nice things in the papers, but not to my face. I respect him as a coach and think he has what it takes to remain at Roma."
Totti added: "My contract expires in June, I await news from [president James] Pallotta and will evaluate the situation.
"I expect the fairness of people telling me the reality of the situation and how things really are."
Balotelli an Italian who´s had ´too much sun´ - Berlusconi
21 February 2016
Outspoken AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has sparked controversy once again after referring to Mario Balotelli as an Italian who has had a "bit too much sun".
The former Italy prime minister was celebrating his 30th anniversary as the head of Milan on Saturday.
When asked about the club's chances of success this season, Berlusconi responded: "We have a rich bed of talent, such as [Jeremy] Menez and Mario Balotelli, who is Italian even if he has had a bit too much sun."
The 79-year-old then went on to praise Balotelli's talents following his gaffe.
"Mario has exceptional athletic attributes. I see him in training almost breaking the net with his shots, he has brilliant ball control," he told Sky Italia.
"On the field I see him out of position, and I say to him, 'Mario, do you want to win? We need to score to win and to score you need to be in front of goal.'"
It is not the first time Berlusconi has been accused of racially insensitive comments, after calling United States President Barack Obama a "beautiful, talented, tanned young man" back in 2008.
Berlusconi was also quizzed about the future of coach Sinisa Mihajlovic and what the Serbian must do to keep his job.
"What does Mihajlovic have to do to convince me? He has to win every single game," he claimed.
Milan are sixth in the Serie A standings, 15 points behind league-leaders Juventus and six outside of the top three.
Roma president James Pallotta has backed Luciano Spalletti's handling of the Francesco Totti row and said he will speak with the club captain about his future.
Totti caused a storm in the Italian capital over the weekend after he criticised his lack of playing time under the coach, who promptly dropped him from the squad ahead of the Serie A clash with Palermo.
Spalletti attempted to draw a line under the issue following the 5-0 victory on Sunday and Totti has since returned to training with the rest of the first-team squad.
And Pallotta insists the coach's conduct has been correct throughout, telling Corriere dello Sport: "Since he arrived, a lot of things have changed for the better, and I'm not only talking about the team on the pitch.
"I was surprised by Francesco's reaction. I didn't expect it, but I do partly understand: he's a great player, he has made Roma history, he loves to compete, he's a superstar.
"But what the coach did was dictated by a fundamental principle: that the team comes before any player.
"It's absolutely not true that Luciano disrespected Francesco, that's just speculation."
With Totti's contract due to expire at the end of the season, Pallotta has promised to hold further talks with the 39-year-old about his future at the club.
"Francesco and I will sit at a table, I'll speak with him but also with the others," he said. "In December, when we met the last time, he told me that he wanted to continue playing. Now we will see.
"When you're the owner of a team you must respect every one of your players. In Totti's case, I have great respect towards him, and he can stay at Roma as a player or director."
Pallotta also insisted that Spalletti will not be leaving the club despite the dispute, which has seen a number of supporters side with Totti.
"In any case, Luciano is and will remain the coach of Roma," he added.
"If until now there was a decision that wasn't a mistake, it was definitely that of hiring Spalletti."
Napoli 1 AC Milan 1: Sarri dismissed as hosts let Juve off the hook
22 February 2016 22:56
Napoli missed the chance to return to the top of Serie A as they were held to a 1-1 draw by AC Milan at Stadio San Paolo on Monday.
Having beaten Napoli last weekend, leaders Juventus dropped points at Bologna on Friday, but Maurizio Sarri's men failed to make the champions pay as Sinisa Mihajlovic's in-form Milan demonstrated their recent improvement with a dogged display.
Napoli - who welcomed back Gonzalo Higuain and Lorenzo Insigne after being rested for the Europa League - enjoyed plenty of possession throughout and were on course for victory when Insigne opened the scoring 39 minutes in.
However, a rare lapse in concentration from Napoli's defence allowed Milan to level through Giacomo Bonaventura just before the interval.
Napoli again enjoyed plenty of the ball in the second half and Milan - unbeaten in Serie A since early January - survived a number of scares, including Dries Mertens hitting the post after the hour.
Mihajlovic's side were dispatched 4-0 in October's reverse fixture but demonstrated their improvement to claim an impressive point, while Sarri's frustrations got the better of him as he was sent to the stands by referee Luca Banti late on.
Having strengthened their line-up from the Europa League defeat to Villarreal, Napoli were on top in the early stages, although the pacy Carlos Bacca twice had sights on goal.
While Jorginho and Insigne fired over from distance, clear-cut chances proved few and far between until Cristian Zapata got a crucial block on Higuain's shot to send it wide 19 minutes in.
As Napoli piled on the pressure, Jose Callejon and Higuain went close before the hosts deservedly took the lead.
Insigne's low drive from outside the area deflected off Ignazio Abate before finding its way past Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the far corner of Milan's net.
However, the visitors levelled just five minutes later as Napoli switched off, allowing Bonaventura to convert Keisuke Honda's deep delivery at the far post on the stroke of half-time.
Sarri's men were on top after the restart but again struggled to convert possession into chances - Elseid Hysaj frustrating his team-mates by sending a shot high and wide as Napoli struggled for cohesion in the final third.
Donnarumma was required to deny Higuain what would likely have been a certain goal when he cut out Callejon's cross and, when the Spaniard was replaced by Mertens, the substitute went closest to a winner as he stroked Insigne's cross onto the post.
Sarri missed the final stages after being sent to the stands following a heated touchline discussion with the officials and, in his absence, Napoli threw everything at Milan, Higuain's shot deflected wide by Zapata, before substitute Omar El Kaddouri saw a late attempt saved by Donnarumma from close range.
Those final attacks were to no avail, however, as the Scudetto hopefuls were left to rue an opportunity missed against a tenacious and improving Milan side.
AC Milan could splash cash on Balotelli - Berlusconi
25 February 2016
AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi revealed the club are willing to make "a financial sacrifice" to keep Mario Balotelli permanently, but wants to see an improvement from the player before doing so.
The 25-year-old striker has been restricted to only two Serie A starts in an injury-interrupted season having joined from Liverpool on a one-year loan deal last August.
But Berlusconi confirmed Milan are interested in keeping Balotelli at San Siro beyond this campaign, even though that may require a significant cash outlay.
"Will we sign him outright? It depends on him," Berlusconi told Italia 7 Gold.
"He has extraordinary technical and physical qualities, especially if he can really show maturity in terms of his behaviour in his life and his position on the pitch – he does drift out to the wings too much.
"If he were to do these things we would be very happy to make a financial sacrifice and keep him here with us."
Milan are on an impressive run of 10 matches without defeat in all competitions and Berlusconi has his sights set on Coppa Italia glory and Champions League qualification.
The former prime minister of Italy added: "It depends on how much the squad believes.
"We really want the Coppa Italia, it would give meaning to our season and allow us to return to Europe.
"The second objective is to finish third. In Naples [Monday's 1-1 draw with Napoli] we saw that the players want to give their all. I think the Milan squad is good enough.
"We have had too many injuries this season, but we have quality players like [Jeremy] Menez, Balotelli and [Kevin-Prince] Boateng coming back, three champions Milan could not count on until now."
Milan are back in action when they host Torino in Serie A on Saturday.
Inter have denied reports president Erick Thohir is looking to sell his majority stake in the Serie A club.
An Indonesian consortium led by Thohir acquired 70 per cent of the Nerazzurri in October 2015 with the objective of arresting Inter's declining status domestically and in Europe.
But reports in Italy on Thursday suggested Thohir and his business partners were already becoming frustrated at the rate of progress with Inter fifth in Serie A despite a strong start to the season under coach Roberto Mancini.
Inter have rubbished those claims but did reveal the club are looking to expand their commercial activity in Asia.
A club statement read: "FC Internazionale categorically denies that the President and majority shareholder, Erick Thohir, is looking to sell any part of his 70% majority stake in the Italian Club.
"As part of a well-planned mid- to long-term business strategy, the club has asked Goldman Sachs to explore the possibility of identifying potential future commercial partners in Asia. This is a normal procedure given the huge growth of investment in sports, and football in particular, in Asia and China specifically.
"The club remains firmly on track with both its commercial and sporting plans. It is also working closely with UEFA in order to respect the financial fair play regulations. The club remains committed to a return to Europe - a clear target to compete at the highest levels of club competitions."
Juventus v Inter: Hernanes wary of opening title race up to chasing pack
26 February 2016
Hernanes has warned Juventus to be wary of their Serie A rivals matching the champions' stellar run of form as they attempt to keep it a two-way race for the title with Napoli by winning Sunday's derby d'Italia against Inter.
Leaders Juve recovered from a slow start in the top flight to put together a 15-match winning league streak that only ended with a disappointing 0-0 draw at Bologna last weekend, Napoli's failure to beat Milan keeping them top.
Massimiliano Allegri's men, who fought back from two down to draw 2-2 with Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday, next face an Inter side whose title challenge has apparently derailed in 2016.
Roberto Mancini's men were top at the mid-season break, but three losses and three draws in eight league games since the turn of the year has left them 10-points off the pace in fifth.
However, midfielder Hernanes – who swapped Inter for Juve in the close-season – warned any complacency will open the door to the chasing pack.
"We've produced an extraordinary reaction to falling off the pace early on, but we can't rest on our laurels," he told Juve's official website.
"We are competing with Napoli for the Scudetto, but who is to say that another team won't put together another run like ours and place themselves in the title picture?"
This weekend's contest at Juventus Stadium is the first of a double-header, with Juve travelling to San Siro for the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals on Wednesday.
Juve have a commanding 3-0 lead in that tie and Inter's last win in the derby d'Italia came back in November 2012.
But Hernanes is expecting a sterner test this time around.
"It's a massive game not only for us, but also for Inter," he added. "After our last meeting they will play more carefully and keep things tighter so we're all expecting a tough 90 minutes."
Inter's inconsistency over the past two months has seen the pressure grow on Mancini.
Rumours have also persisted that president Erick Thohir is looking to sell his majority stake in the club, something Inter and the man himself denied.
Inter, who beat struggling Sampdoria 3-1 last week, may be the unfancied side heading into the game, but Mauro Icardi insists they can cause an upset.
"We have to give it our best shot," he said. "We always set out to win and anything can happen once you get out there but you need the right mentality."
Inter can welcome back Geoffrey Kondogbia after his two-match ban for a sending off against Fiorentina this month was shortened to one, while Claudio Marchisio (thigh) is not available for Juve.
Key Opta Stats:
- This will be the 166th Serie A meeting between these two sides – Juventus lead by 78 wins to 45, with 42 draws.
- Inter were the first side to win at the Juventus Stadium in Serie A (1-3 in November 2012) – however, the Nerazzurri have won only 11 of the 82 league meetings against Juve in Turin (D15, L56).
- Juventus have found the net in each of their last nine home games against Inter in Serie A.
- Juventus have kept a clean sheet in their last seven Serie A games. The last time they went eight consecutive games in a single season was in December 2013 (Juventus’ record is nine matches and dates back to 1972-73).
- Mauro Icardi has scored six goals in six Serie A games against Juve. However, he failed to find the net in the reverse fixture for the first time versus the Bianconeri.
AC Milan striker M'Baye Niang suffered ankle ligament damage and a bruised shoulder when he was involved in a car accident on Saturday.
The 21-year-old, who played for Milan in the 1-0 win over Torino earlier that day, is reportedly set to be out for around two months with the injuries.
Niang confirmed via his Twitter account that he and his driver were not hurt when the vehicle in question aquaplaned, with the club set to reveal a target for his return over the new few days.
"M'Baye Niang has sustained a capsular ligament injury in his left ankle and a bruised left shoulder following a road accident," read a Milan statement.
"His course of treatment will be decided in the coming days."
Niang has impressed since the turn of the year, scoring four times in all competitions to keep Milan on track in the Coppa Italia and in with a chance of European qualification in Serie A.
The former Caen striker wrote in a message on Twitter: "I wanted to tell you that me and my driver are in good health.
"The car was aquaplaning, we were more frightened than hurt. [I will be] ready for the end of the season with Milan."
Chiellini, Evra, Mandzukic and Marchisio miss Inter clash
2 March 2016
Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has been left out of the squad for the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against Inter at San Siro through injury.
The centre-back returned after three matches out with a calf issue in Sunday's Serie A win over the same opponents, but lasted just 36 minutes before being replaced by Daniele Rugani in the 2-0 victory.
Juve have now confirmed he suffered an overload in his calf muscle, but avoided a tear so should be fit for the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich on March 16.
Chiellini's defensive colleague Patrice Evra is also absent from the club's 21-man squad despite Massimiliano Allegri predicting he would return for the clash after personal problems kept him out of the Inter league fixture.
Striker Mario Mandzukic is rested and Claudio Marchisio has been left in Turin to continue his recovery from an abductor problem, but Kwadwo Asamoah does return.
For Inter, Roberto Mancini is without suspended defenders Jeison Murillo and Miranda, while injured striker Stevan Jovetic (calf) is ruled out.
Juve lead the tie 3-0 on aggregate after the first leg and the winners will progress to Rome and meet AC Milan in May's final.
Massimo Moratti has slammed Inter's players, claiming they are giving up far too easily and leaving head coach Roberto Mancini with a big task on his hands to turn the situation around.
The club's honorary president has been unimpressed by a dreadful run of form that has seen them win only three of 11 Serie A matches and slide down to fifth in the table having still sat top as recently as January 9.
Inter also lost 3-0 to Juventus in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final, a tie which concludes at San Siro on Wednesday.
An angry Moratti feels the players are not putting in sufficient effort and does not believe there has been enough of a reaction to the poor run of performances.
Asked about the most recent league defeat, a 2-0 loss at Juve on Sunday, Moratti told Gazzetta dello Sport: "I don't know if it was down to tactics, as we didn't have too many shots on goal.
"But players should leave the field after a match with Juventus full of bruises. We gave up on the match at a certain point. It seems as though something always happens that forces us to give up mentally, but we don't know what it is.
"There has not been a reaction, or at least I don't think there has been, as the entire side appears to be depressed.
"I hope things are resolved. It is all very strange because Mancini has the quality needed find a solution. I don't want to put everything on his shoulders, but the fightback is up to him."
Moratti does not want to see Mancini pay the price with his job as some sections of the Italian media are speculating, but concedes that is no longer his call.
He added: "That decision isn't something I will be making. That is something the club will decide, but I hope he bounces back as he has the necessary quality.
"Has he lost the players? I don't believe that is the case. Although there has not been much in terms of a reaction from the players, I think it is just due to overall poor morale.
"Mancini is the right person. He is close to the players and if some calm were to return to the club then things will improve, even though the fixture list doesn't allow for much preparation.
"It certainly is annoying to have to play Juventus again - unless we win 5-0! Though we can only improve. It is not easy for Mancini to prepare for the match and I certainly don't envy him at this time."
Luciano Spalletti has called for another step up from his Roma players as they prepare to face Fiorentina in Serie A on Friday.
Roma have won six games in a row under Spalletti since January 30 to force themselves back into the Champions League picture, their run seeing them climb above Fiorentina into third place.
With 11 games remaining, claiming a top-two place is still a realistic ambition for the capital club given Napoli are only five points ahead after three without a win.
Spalletti hopes to reduce that deficit even further at Stadio Olimpico, but has warned his players they need to raise their level if they are to maintain their winning streak.
"Fiorentina are good at anticipating the way the opposition play and tweaking their approach accordingly," he said. "We'll need to be better than ever against them, but I have faith in the players.
"The lads have been brilliant in our last few games. They have grown in mental strength to be able to fight for the position we currently occupy in the league table from now until the end of the season.
"We are now on the right track. We have to give 100 per cent and always try to improve. That goes for me too.
"Everyone who works here are professionals in their area of expertise. Everyone works well and you need to be brave enough to try things.
"Everyone needs to reach for the stars and try to stay there – that way we won't stay rooted to the spot and we can aim high."
Roma won at Fiorentina in October and have not lost to them in the league since 2012.
Allegri does not have a Real Madrid secret, insists Marotta
3 March 2016
Juventus director Giuseppe Marotta insists Massimiliano Allegri is not secretly plotting a move to Real Madrid.
According to reports in Italy, the Santiago Bernabeu are side eyeing the 48-year-old as their next head coach, with Zinedine Zidane's long-term future uncertain.
Allegri is only under contract with Juve for one more season after this campaign is over, but Marotta does not foresee there being any issues with a new deal – even though discussions are yet to begin.
"There is plenty of affection and respect in our relationship with Allegri," Marotta told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"No secrets are being kept between us and nothing is secret even between Real Madrid and Juventus.
"In terms of a renewal, no negotiations have been initiated at this moment. We haven't been available to talk about figures yet. Therefore, Allegri is unable to refuse anything or take time to decide on anything.
"There has been no offer from our side to date. Either way, as I have often said, our objective is to continue with Allegri as he has only just begun [here] – the contract is just a formality."
Allegri had previously been linked with the manager's position at Chelsea, which former Juve boss Antonio Conte is now a leading contender for.
Serie A Review: Juventus win to go clear at the top
7 March 2016 00:00
Juventus battled to a 2-0 win at Atalanta to restore their three-point lead at the top of Serie A on Sunday.
Andrea Barzagli put the champions ahead with his first goal since May 2012 by sweeping in a Mario Mandzukic knockdown, but a spirited Atalanta caused problems for Juventus on the break.
Mario Lemina made sure of the points with just five minutes to play, the substitute beating two defenders before finding the bottom corner with a great finish.
Gianluigi Buffon was largely untroubled in collecting a ninth straight Serie A clean sheet and it is now 836 minutes since the veteran conceded a goal, the third longest run in the league's history.
Juventus have now won 17 of their last 18 Serie A matches as Massimiliano Allegri's men close in on their fifth successive league title.
Inter bounced back from midweek Coppa Italia semi-final penalty heartbreak with a 3-1 victory against Palermo to seal their third home league win in a row.
Adem Ljajic hit a peach of an opener from 25 yards and captain Mauro Icardi added a quick second before Franco Vazquez volleyed in a cross for Palermo on the stroke of half-time.
Ivan Perisic scored a diving header early in the second half to put Roberto Mancini's men back in control, but they are still five points behind Roma, who occupy Serie A's final Champions League qualification place, while Palermo are a point above the relegation zone.
AC Milan's Mapei Stadium curse continued as they lost for the third year in a row at Sassuolo.
Sinisa Mihajlovic was dismissed for dissent as his Milan side lost their 12-match unbeaten streak by going down to goals by Alfred Duncan and Nicola Sansone.
Sassuolo held on for their third successive league win despite Gregoire Defrel being sent off with 13 minutes to go.
Luca Rigoni's goal gave Genoa a 1-0 win at home to Empoli, Gian Piero Gasperini's side moving away from the Serie A relegation places thanks to their second victory in three matches.
Frosinone's second win in their last four league games boosted their survival hopes after a 2-0 victory over Udinese at Stadio Matusa, with Daniel Ciofani and Leonardo Blanchard on the scoresheet.
Lucas Biglia's penalty earned Lazio a point with a 1-1 draw at Torino, who could have gone 2-0 up if Ciro Immobile had converted his own spot-kick.
Bologna and Carpi played out a goalless draw at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
I´m asking my team to do the impossible, claims Spalletti
7 March 2016 18:47
Luciano Spalletti has challenged Roma to seize the initiative as they look to overturn a 2-0 deficit in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie against Real Madrid.
The Serie A side conceded twice in the second half at the Stadio Olimpico on February 17, leaving them facing a tall order in the return fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.
However, Spalletti – who has revitalised the team's fortunes since starting his second spell in charge in January – feels the score in Rome was not a fair reflection on the home team's display.
"I'm asking my team to do the impossible," he conceded. "The way they are training allows me to ask that question.
"We must not be weak mentally and play to lose. If anyone thinks like that with me, they won't even train.
"The result from the first leg was harsh on us seeing how we performed. We were unlucky in individual moments.
"Tomorrow we must be able to choose when to attack or hold off. We must be convinced when taking the initiative."
The need for goals could see Edin Dzeko handed a rare start for Roma.
The forward, signed on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City with a view to a permanent move, began the first leg against Madrid on the bench.
He did score twice when selected from the start in the next match, a 5-0 league win over Palermo, but has found himself back among the substitutes for Roma's last two domestic fixtures.
“He's doing his work in the right way," Spalletti added. "I made some choices and they were down to me, not his performances. The team played good football, so the choices weren't totally wrong.
"He has different characteristics from the recent tactical choices. Thinking about this match and the advantage that Real Madrid have, Dzeko has more chance of helping us given what our approach will be."
Massimiliano Allegri has vowed to stay at Juventus for at least another year despite reports linking him with a move away from Turin.
The former AC Milan boss has been linked with Chelsea and Real Madrid, though he last week denied having contact with any other club.
Speaking after he was awarded the Panchina d'Oro for being voted Serie A's best coach for 2014-15, he told Sky Sport Italia: "Next year, I will still be the coach of Juventus because I have another year on my contract. There's never been anything [with other clubs].
"I'm fine here and there are no problems. Now we're thinking of a fifth Scudetto in a row and the Coppa Italia. We work to improve every year."
Allegri picked up the prize, which is voted for by coaching staff from within Italy's top flight, after guiding Juve to the domestic double and the Champions League final last season.
But the 48-year-old denied that winning Europe's top prize has become an "obsession" for the Old Lady as they prepare for next week's last-16 second leg with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
"Bayern are one of the favourites for the Champions League. I don't count the fact that they haven't won their last couple of matches," he said.
"The Champions League is a dream, but not an obsession."
Juve came from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 first-leg draw against the German champions.
FIFA has extended worldwide bans issued to a number of individuals in relation to match-fixing and illegal betting in Italy.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Olympic committee had already ordered suspensions of up to five years at a national level.
Following investigations in Catanzaro and Catania, FIFA has confirmed that "several officials and players have been banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activities", with bans ranging from one to five years.
"In some cases, individuals have received permanent bans from holding any kind of position within the Italian Football Association," a statement released on Tuesday also said.
The individuals concerned, who were involved in matches in 2014 and 2015, were not named by FIFA.
In June last year, former Catania president Antonino Pulvirenti admitted to attempting to fix five Serie B matches in order to prevent the club's relegation.
Francesco Totti admitted he regrets never joining Real Madrid after receiving a warm welcome at the Santiago Bernabeu in Roma's Champions League defeat.
Legendary playmaker Totti came off the bench late as Roma exited the Champions League to Madrid, and the Bernabeu faithful gave him a standing ovation.
And the 39-year-old told Mediaset after the game: "The Santiago Bernabeu is an amazing stadium. Real Madrid are my only regret.
"It was very emotional to get such a warm welcome. This is a great memory for me."
Totti was recently dropped from the Roma squad for the win over Palermo after criticising head coach Luciano Spalletti, but is eager to look forward.
"I have missed some things in recent weeks, but I want to enjoy this great moment for now," he added.
Palermo have confirmed the appointment of Walter Novellino as their new head coach, making the 62-year-old Italian the seventh different man to take charge of the Serie A club this season.
The experienced Novellino replaces Beppe Iachini, who lasted just three weeks in the role after agreeing to return for a second spell at the helm during the current campaign.
Iachini, who steered Palermo to promotion from Serie B in 2014, initially departed Stadio Renzo Barbera in November 2015 before agreeing to return in February.
Davide Ballardini, Fabio Viviani, Giovanni Tedesco, Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Giovanni Bosi have also held the position of head coach during what has been a turbulent 2015-16 season.
"Palermo confirms that Walter Alfredo Novellino is the new coach of the first team," the club announced in a statement on their website.
Novellino arrives with Palermo sitting in 17th place in the table, just one point above the relegation zone.
He took the first-team squad for training on Thursday ahead of the league game against Napoli on Sunday.
Roberto Mancini is happy at Inter and believes their recent slump in form is natural given the number of young players within his team.
Inter were the early leaders in Serie A, but have fallen away and now sit 13 points behind leaders Juventus in fifth position.
The Milan club have won just three of their past 10 top-flight matches, but followed up a 3-0 victory over Juve in their Coppa Italia semi-final second leg – a result which was not enough to secure a place in the final – with a 3-1 triumph over Palermo last weekend.
Questions over Mancini's future at San Siro remain, but he is unconcerned by his side's situation and views it as part of the natural progression of a youthful, developing team.
"I always have incentives here because I like this job," the coach said.
"Everyone can do well or do poorly. We want the best for Inter, but of course the result ends up affecting all decisions.
"We were in the lead for many months. There was a peak in the first few months and then a drop in results due to errors that are part of the growth of a young team; [Jeison] Murillo, [Mauro] Icardi, [Jonathan] Biabiany, [Marcelo] Brozovic, [Geoffrey] Kondogbia are all very young players."
Mancini confirmed Brazil coach Dunga will be in attendance for Saturday's meeting with Bologna and they will discuss the availability of Miranda for the Copa America Centenario and Olympic Games this year.
"Dunga is coming here and we will have a chat. I don't know what Brazil's plans are, I'll speak with Miranda about his international call-up," he said.
"I think it's unlikely that Joao [Miranda] can play in both, he needs some holiday before the new season."
Mancini warned against complacency against Roberto Donadoni's team, who are unbeaten in five matches.
"We will have to be careful, Bologna will be a difficult game," he added. "We cannot think already to [the match against] Roma [on March 19]. Donadoni has done a great job and is a good coach."
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been released from hospital after suffering a head injury during AC Milan's 0-0 Serie A draw at Chievo on Sunday.
The 17-year-old goalkeeper was replaced by veteran Christian Abbiati in the 19th minute of the draw after suffering a knock to the head.
Milan sent Donnarumma for tests on the injury to ensure there was no serious damage and have now confirmed he has been discharged, although he will continue to be under review.
The club's statement read: "Gianluigi Donnarumma has been discharged from the Borgo Trento Hospital in Verona following his knock to the head in today’s match with Chievo and his situation will be monitored over the coming days."
Abbiati himself said after the match: "I am sorry for Gigio, but I have been told he is fine and that he will be training with us on Monday."
Sixth-placed Milan had lost their previous Serie A game to Sassuolo and now sit 11 points behind Roma in third with nine matches remaining.
Abbiati added: "There is still a long way to go this season and we have to give our all and try and catch up with the sides above us in the table.
"But I am not happy with the past two results and they are hard to take."
