Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Juventus' XI for the side's opener in the Serie A match of the 2021-22 season, raising speculations about his future. Since then, reports have emerged out stating that Manchester City is in-line to bid for the Juventus superstar, who is certain to part ways with the Italian club despite less than 12 months still left in his contract.

Thus, Ronaldo's&nbsp;potential return to the Premier League looks on cards even though Cityzens are yet to table a formal bid. However, as per a report in The Guardian, the Premier League champions are expected to submit one in the coming hours after Ronaldo has stated that he wants to leave Juventus and won't be a part of the side's clash versus Empoli, on Saturday (August 29).&nbsp;

For the unversed, Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, was in Turin on Wednesday (August 25) to discuss the former Manchester United forward’s future after weeks of speculation, with Juventus understood to want a fee of between €25 and €30m. While the negotiations are still on and nothing has been finalised yet, talks remain on the positive note as the former Man United recruit may well feature for his old Premier League club's arch-rival in the near future.

Should Ronaldo arrive in Man City, the club can see Raheem Stirling leave the Etihad Stadium while Portugal's Bernando Silva is another candidate who could part ways with the club, if suitable bids are received.&nbsp;

Earlier in the week, England captain Harry Kane also broke his silence on speculations regarding his transfer to Man City. The 28-year-old stated that he remains committed to Tottenham Hotspur and helping them achieve success.

Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Juventus' XI for the side's opener in the Serie A match of the 2021-22 season, raising speculations about his future. Since then, reports have emerged out stating that Manchester City is in-line to bid for the Juventus superstar, who is certain to part ways with the Italian club despite less than 12 months still left in his contract.

Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Juventus' XI for the side's opener in the Serie A match of the 2021-22 season, raising speculations about his future. Since then, reports have emerged out stating that Manchester City is in-line to bid for the Juventus superstar, who is certain to part ways with the Italian club despite less than 12 months still left in his contract. Thus, Ronaldo's potential return to the Premier League looks on cards even though Cityzens are yet to table a formal bid. However, as per a report in The Guardian, the Premier League champions are expected to submit one in the coming hours after Ronaldo has stated that he wants to leave Juventus and won't be a part of the side's clash versus Empoli, on Saturday (August 29). For the unversed, Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, was in Turin on Wednesday (August 25) to discuss the former Manchester United forward’s future after weeks of speculation, with Juventus understood to want a fee of between €25 and €30m. While the negotiations are still on and nothing has been finalised yet, talks remain on the positive note as the former Man United recruit may well feature for his old Premier League club's arch-rival in the near future. Should Ronaldo arrive in Man City, the club can see Raheem Stirling leave the Etihad Stadium while Portugal's Bernando Silva is another candidate who could part ways with the club, if suitable bids are received. Earlier in the week, England captain Harry Kane also broke his silence on speculations regarding his transfer to Man City. The 28-year-old stated that he remains committed to Tottenham Hotspur and helping them achieve success.

Manchester City likely to submit bid for Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo: Reports

Talks for Cristiano Ronaldo to join Manchester City and return to the Premier League has intensified in the last few days. Speculations began as soon as the superstar footballer wasn't part of Juventus in the club's Serie A match of the 2021-22 opener. While everything remains verbal as yet, Ronaldo has reportedly bid goodbye to his teammates in Juventus, where he had less than 12 months still left as per his contract.

As per a report in Sky Sports Football, Ronaldo has said goodbye to his teammates in the Italian club, emptied his locker after spending just an hour and a half on the training ground. Ever since Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes revealed that the 36-year-old isn't willing to continue with Juventus, Manchester City's name has cropped up as his next potential club.

For the unversed, the Italian giants Juventus is asking any suitor to pay&nbsp;€25m transfer fee. On the other hand, Sky in Italy have reported that Ronaldo is on the verge of signing a two-year deal with Man City, the Premier League champions, with a salary of&nbsp;€15m per season.

While there is still time for the deal to be finalised, it seems that Ronaldo has already moved a step closer to enter the Etihad Stadium. On the other hand, Cityzens' Raheem Stirling and Portugal's Bernando Silva are likely to part ways with the elite club.

Being a former Manchester United recruit, it will be interesting to see how Ronaldo's loyal fans in the red half of the city react to him likely to don the blue jersey of the Cityzens.&nbsp;

Talks for Cristiano Ronaldo to join Manchester City and return to the Premier League has intensified in the last few days. Speculations began as soon as the superstar footballer wasn't part of Juventus in the club's Serie A match of the 2021-22 opener.

Talks for Cristiano Ronaldo to join Manchester City and return to the Premier League has intensified in the last few days. Speculations began as soon as the superstar footballer wasn't part of Juventus in the club's Serie A match of the 2021-22 opener. While everything remains verbal as yet, Ronaldo has reportedly bid goodbye to his teammates in Juventus, where he had less than 12 months still left as per his contract. As per a report in Sky Sports Football, Ronaldo has said goodbye to his teammates in the Italian club, emptied his locker after spending just an hour and a half on the training ground. Ever since Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes revealed that the 36-year-old isn't willing to continue with Juventus, Manchester City's name has cropped up as his next potential club. For the unversed, the Italian giants Juventus is asking any suitor to pay €25m transfer fee. On the other hand, Sky in Italy have reported that Ronaldo is on the verge of signing a two-year deal with Man City, the Premier League champions, with a salary of €15m per season. While there is still time for the deal to be finalised, it seems that Ronaldo has already moved a step closer to enter the Etihad Stadium. On the other hand, Cityzens' Raheem Stirling and Portugal's Bernando Silva are likely to part ways with the elite club. Being a former Manchester United recruit, it will be interesting to see how Ronaldo's loyal fans in the red half of the city react to him likely to don the blue jersey of the Cityzens.

Cristiano Ronaldo bids goodbye to Juventus teammates as transfer talk with Man City intensifies: Reports

After Lionel Messi made heads turn by shifting from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, it seems another big summer transfer is set to take place in the near future. As per reports, Juventus superstar and Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is mulling a transfer to Manchester City.

Ronaldo, who remains a legend of Manchester United and has a huge fanbase in the red half of the city, is keen to move from Juventus despite a year still being left in his contract -- as per a report&nbsp;in&nbsp;L'Equipe. For the unversed, Ronaldo had also kept PSG as a likely option, however, there doesn't seem to be any other alternative for the superstar footballer other than the Cityzens.&nbsp;

It is to be believed that the deal for Man City was offered to Ronaldo by none other than his agent, Jorge Mendis. After the conclusion of the initial talks that took place recently, the Juventus a whopping transfer feel of 25 million euros, though the Cityzens, in return,&nbsp;want a swap deal. While the talks are still in the initial rounds, Ronaldo's transfer to Man City can be whopping deal if materalised.

Speculations regarding Ronaldo's transfer became rife after he was named on the bench by Juventus in the opener of the Serie A season. Hence, reports soon came out stating that the superstar athlete had himself asked the club to keep him on the bench so that he can&nbsp;clear out things for his future. There are still some days remaining before the transfer window gets shut, however, Ronaldo's talks with Man City has caught everyone by surprise.&nbsp;

Considering Ronaldo was a huge star in Man United, if he goes onto don the blue jersey of the Cityzens, it will be interesting to see how his fans react to the development.

&nbsp;

After Lionel Messi made heads turn by shifting from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, it seems another big summer transfer is set to take place in the near future.

After Lionel Messi made heads turn by shifting from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, it seems another big summer transfer is set to take place in the near future. As per reports, Juventus superstar and Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is mulling a transfer to Manchester City. Ronaldo, who remains a legend of Manchester United and has a huge fanbase in the red half of the city, is keen to move from Juventus despite a year still being left in his contract -- as per a report in L'Equipe. For the unversed, Ronaldo had also kept PSG as a likely option, however, there doesn't seem to be any other alternative for the superstar footballer other than the Cityzens. It is to be believed that the deal for Man City was offered to Ronaldo by none other than his agent, Jorge Mendis. After the conclusion of the initial talks that took place recently, the Juventus a whopping transfer feel of 25 million euros, though the Cityzens, in return, want a swap deal. While the talks are still in the initial rounds, Ronaldo's transfer to Man City can be whopping deal if materalised. Speculations regarding Ronaldo's transfer became rife after he was named on the bench by Juventus in the opener of the Serie A season. Hence, reports soon came out stating that the superstar athlete had himself asked the club to keep him on the bench so that he can clear out things for his future. There are still some days remaining before the transfer window gets shut, however, Ronaldo's talks with Man City has caught everyone by surprise. Considering Ronaldo was a huge star in Man United, if he goes onto don the blue jersey of the Cityzens, it will be interesting to see how his fans react to the development.

Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo mulling transfer to Manchester City: Reports

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said Cristiano Ronaldo has told him that he will stay at the club this season, something the new boss believes guarantees goals for the Serie A giants. 
 
Ronaldo has been linked with a move to a host of clubs this summer, with reports in Spain suggesting he could return to Real Madrid, while the Italian media speculated the 36-year-old has been offered to Premier League champions Manchester City. 
 
"He has always trained well, I just read the gossip in the papers. He never told us he wanted to leave," Allegri told a news conference ahead of his side`s season opener at Udinese on Sunday. 
 
"Ronaldo told me that he is staying at Juventus. 
 
"He is an added bonus for us, because he guarantees a large number of goals. Obviously, we also have to work as a team to get the best out of an individual." 
 
Allegri is back at Juventus for a second spell having taken over from Andrea Pirlo, who disappointed in his only season in charge of the Turin side, steering the club to a fourth-placed finish in Serie A last term. 
 
The Italian tactician`s five seasons at the helm from 2014 to 2019 brought five league titles, four Coppa Italia wins and two runners-up finishes in the Champions League. 
 
"There must be doubts and uncertainties about me and that creates more attention and concentration, even when things go well," Allegri added. 
 
"This year will be like every year - Juve aims to win all competitions. It will be a balanced championship, to win you have to be consistent. 
 
"We must realise that in order to win the Scudetto, we need daily work that is physical, technical and mental. If we are still in the running for the title in March, that means the team has found its balance." 
&nbsp;

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said Cristiano Ronaldo has told him that he will stay at the club this season, something the new boss believes guarantees goals for the Serie A giants.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said Cristiano Ronaldo has told him that he will stay at the club this season, something the new boss believes guarantees goals for the Serie A giants. Ronaldo has been linked with a move to a host of clubs this summer, with reports in Spain suggesting he could return to Real Madrid, while the Italian media speculated the 36-year-old has been offered to Premier League champions Manchester City. "He has always trained well, I just read the gossip in the papers. He never told us he wanted to leave," Allegri told a news conference ahead of his side`s season opener at Udinese on Sunday. "Ronaldo told me that he is staying at Juventus. "He is an added bonus for us, because he guarantees a large number of goals. Obviously, we also have to work as a team to get the best out of an individual." Allegri is back at Juventus for a second spell having taken over from Andrea Pirlo, who disappointed in his only season in charge of the Turin side, steering the club to a fourth-placed finish in Serie A last term. The Italian tactician`s five seasons at the helm from 2014 to 2019 brought five league titles, four Coppa Italia wins and two runners-up finishes in the Champions League. "There must be doubts and uncertainties about me and that creates more attention and concentration, even when things go well," Allegri added. "This year will be like every year - Juve aims to win all competitions. It will be a balanced championship, to win you have to be consistent. "We must realise that in order to win the Scudetto, we need daily work that is physical, technical and mental. If we are still in the running for the title in March, that means the team has found its balance."

Cristiano Ronaldo staying at Juventus to guarantee goals, says coach Allergi

Cristiano Ronaldo has responded to the media reports and rumours that he was looking forward to returning to the La Liga club Real Madrid. Taking to his official Instagram, the Juventus star wrote that his "story at Real Madrid has been written".&nbsp;

He also added that such talks are "disrespectful" to both him and "to all the clubs involved in these rumours, as well as to their players and staff". The Portuguese star said that he is "breaking" his silence as he can't allow people to "keep playing around with my name".&nbsp;

"I'm breaking my silence now to say that I can’t allow people to keep playing around with my name. I remain focused on my career and in my work, committed and prepared for all the challenges that I have to face. Everything else? Everything else is just talk," said Ronaldo.&nbsp;

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It is imperative to note that Ronaldo has been the subject of a series of rumours about his future this summer. One of the Italian paper said that Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes had offered the 36-year-old to Manchester City.&nbsp;

Another outlet wrote that Paris Saint-Germain were also interested but stepped back once they pulled off the signing of the close season, bringing free agent Lionel Messi to the French capital.&nbsp;

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In his statement, Ronaldo wrote, "Anyone who knows me is aware of how focused I am on my work. Less talk and more action, this has been my guiding motto since the start of my career. However, in view of everything that’s been said and written recently, I have to set out my position."&nbsp;

"More than the disrespect for me as a man and as a player, the frivolous way that my future is covered in the media is disrespectful to all the clubs involved in these rumours, as well as to their players and staff.&nbsp;

"My story at Real Madrid has been written. It’s been recorded. In words and numbers, in trophies and titles, in records and in headlines. It’s in the Museum at the Bernabeu Stadium and it’s also in the minds of every fan of the club. And beyond what I achieved, I remember that in those nine years I had a relationship of deep affection and respect for “merengue afición”, an affection and respect that I retain to this day, and that I will always cherish. I know that the true Real Madrid fans will continue to have me in their hearts, and I will have them in mine," he added.&nbsp;

"As well as this most recent episode in Spain, there have been frequent news and stories associating me with a number of clubs in many different Leagues, with nobody ever being concerned about trying to find out the actual truth," he wrote.&nbsp;

Before Ronaldo's social media statement, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti also said he was not going to take the Juventus forward back to Spain.&nbsp;

<img alt="Carlo Ancelotti" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1c9f8a60-4063-4325-932b-859e7da09fcf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/ronaldo.PNG" />

Ancelotti said that Real Madrid were not interested in the return of the man who fired the club to four Champions League triumphs.&nbsp;

"Cristiano is a Real Madrid legend and he has all my love and respect. I have never considered signing him. We look forward," Ancelotti said on Twitter.&nbsp;

Since moving to Juve in 2018, Ronaldo has won two Serie A titles and one Italian Cup, but has not brought the European glory the Italian club craves.

Cristiano Ronaldo has responded to the media reports and rumours that he was looking forward to returning to the La Liga club Real Madrid. Taking to his official Instagram, the Juventus star wrote that his "story at Real Madrid has been written".

Cristiano Ronaldo has responded to the media reports and rumours that he was looking forward to returning to the La Liga club Real Madrid. Taking to his official Instagram, the Juventus star wrote that his "story at Real Madrid has been written". He also added that such talks are "disrespectful" to both him and "to all the clubs involved in these rumours, as well as to their players and staff". The Portuguese star said that he is "breaking" his silence as he can't allow people to "keep playing around with my name". "I'm breaking my silence now to say that I can’t allow people to keep playing around with my name. I remain focused on my career and in my work, committed and prepared for all the challenges that I have to face. Everything else? Everything else is just talk," said Ronaldo. ALSO READ | Zakia Khudadadi's dream of becoming first Afghan female Paralympian shattered due to Taliban takeover chaos It is imperative to note that Ronaldo has been the subject of a series of rumours about his future this summer. One of the Italian paper said that Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes had offered the 36-year-old to Manchester City. Another outlet wrote that Paris Saint-Germain were also interested but stepped back once they pulled off the signing of the close season, bringing free agent Lionel Messi to the French capital. ALSO READ | Tokyo Paralympics will be held behind closed doors due to COVID-19 fears: Organisers View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) × In his statement, Ronaldo wrote, "Anyone who knows me is aware of how focused I am on my work. Less talk and more action, this has been my guiding motto since the start of my career. However, in view of everything that’s been said and written recently, I have to set out my position." "More than the disrespect for me as a man and as a player, the frivolous way that my future is covered in the media is disrespectful to all the clubs involved in these rumours, as well as to their players and staff. "My story at Real Madrid has been written. It’s been recorded. In words and numbers, in trophies and titles, in records and in headlines. It’s in the Museum at the Bernabeu Stadium and it’s also in the minds of every fan of the club. And beyond what I achieved, I remember that in those nine years I had a relationship of deep affection and respect for “merengue afición”, an affection and respect that I retain to this day, and that I will always cherish. I know that the true Real Madrid fans will continue to have me in their hearts, and I will have them in mine," he added. "As well as this most recent episode in Spain, there have been frequent news and stories associating me with a number of clubs in many different Leagues, with nobody ever being concerned about trying to find out the actual truth," he wrote. Before Ronaldo's social media statement, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti also said he was not going to take the Juventus forward back to Spain. Ancelotti said that Real Madrid were not interested in the return of the man who fired the club to four Champions League triumphs. "Cristiano is a Real Madrid legend and he has all my love and respect. I have never considered signing him. We look forward," Ancelotti said on Twitter. Since moving to Juve in 2018, Ronaldo has won two Serie A titles and one Italian Cup, but has not brought the European glory the Italian club craves.

Football - 'I'm breaking my silence...': Cristiano Ronaldo reacts on Real Madrid 'return' rumours

In the 21st century, it does not matter if you are a public speaker, politician, sportsperson or just a neighbour, one wrong social media post can affect your life badly.

A footballer learned this very quickly when a picture of her posing in the 'slant-eyed' gesture was posted on Twitter, which was understood to be highly racist.

Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/from-ravi-kumar-to-pv-sindhu-indian-athletes-with-mind-boggling-cash-rewards-after-winning-medals-in-tokyo-olympics-india-403367" hreflang="en">From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics</a>

Italian defender Cecilia Salvai was seen posing with a training cone on her head and her eyes squeezed to the sides with her finger. This 'slant-eyed' gesture is a racist way of depicting Asian people and is highly frowned upon.

The picture was posted on the account of Juventus Women’s Twitter account and it stayed there for nearly 20 minutes, before the football club realised their mistake and deleted the tweet.

Soon after, an apology was tweeted from the same account. "We sincerely apologise that our tweet, which was not meant to cause controversy or have any racial undertones, may have offended anyone. Juventus has always been against racism and discrimination," the tweet read.

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We sincerely apologise that our tweet, which was not meant to cause controversy or have any racial undertones, may have offended anyone. Juventus has always been against racism and discrimination. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DifferencesMakeTheDifference?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DifferencesMakeTheDifference</a>
— Juventus Women (@JuventusFCWomen) <a href="https://twitter.com/JuventusFCWomen/status/1423370664778600450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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However, the damage was already done. Twitter users lashed out at the football club for not noticing the inappropriate nature of the tweet and the photo.

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what was this meant to cause then lmao <a href="https://t.co/dkcTVmsnmk">pic.twitter.com/dkcTVmsnmk</a>
— Bris Angel (@Cryptoterra) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cryptoterra/status/1423370825214742528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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that's right, no racial undertones — just explicitly racist <a href="https://t.co/mEwCCv6D78">https://t.co/mEwCCv6D78</a> <a href="https://t.co/93AoQmn2bp">pic.twitter.com/93AoQmn2bp</a>
— jlp (@jailpee) <a href="https://twitter.com/jailpee/status/1423525460781244416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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It was “not meant to cause controversy”. Whew. What a fail—by the social media team. By the athlete, by the photog, by anyone who saw this and thought this was ok <a href="https://t.co/ePMQgPR4BM">https://t.co/ePMQgPR4BM</a>
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) <a href="https://twitter.com/soledadobrien/status/1423455471017644036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH THIS WAS NOT MEANT TO HAVE "RACIAL UNDERTONES"?!?!?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 
 
fck uuuuuuuuuuu <a href="https://t.co/P3qJ76YOcf">https://t.co/P3qJ76YOcf</a> <a href="https://t.co/upv7JWIRHL">pic.twitter.com/upv7JWIRHL</a>
— Jenny Yang (@jennyyangtv) <a href="https://twitter.com/jennyyangtv/status/1423420060496846848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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So what exactly was the intention? The social media team for <a href="https://twitter.com/JuventusFCWomen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JuventusFCWomen</a> really approved a highly offensive tweet and didn’t think for once that it screams racism? The clue is in the pose, use of props and caption! What an utter disgrace. <a href="https://t.co/AcC9GCOKyg">https://t.co/AcC9GCOKyg</a>
— Pooj (@Pooj__10) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pooj__10/status/1423589398965260293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

In the 21st century, it does not matter if you are a public speaker, politician, sportsperson or just a neighbour, one wrong social media post can affect your life badly.

In the 21st century, it does not matter if you are a public speaker, politician, sportsperson or just a neighbour, one wrong social media post can affect your life badly. A footballer learned this very quickly when a picture of her posing in the 'slant-eyed' gesture was posted on Twitter, which was understood to be highly racist. Have a look | From Ravi Kumar to PV Sindhu: Indian Athletes get mind-boggling cash rewards after winning medals in Tokyo Olympics Italian defender Cecilia Salvai was seen posing with a training cone on her head and her eyes squeezed to the sides with her finger. This 'slant-eyed' gesture is a racist way of depicting Asian people and is highly frowned upon. The picture was posted on the account of Juventus Women’s Twitter account and it stayed there for nearly 20 minutes, before the football club realised their mistake and deleted the tweet. Soon after, an apology was tweeted from the same account. "We sincerely apologise that our tweet, which was not meant to cause controversy or have any racial undertones, may have offended anyone. Juventus has always been against racism and discrimination," the tweet read. We sincerely apologise that our tweet, which was not meant to cause controversy or have any racial undertones, may have offended anyone. Juventus has always been against racism and discrimination. #DifferencesMakeTheDifference — Juventus Women (@JuventusFCWomen) August 5, 2021 × However, the damage was already done. Twitter users lashed out at the football club for not noticing the inappropriate nature of the tweet and the photo. what was this meant to cause then lmao pic.twitter.com/dkcTVmsnmk — Bris Angel (@Cryptoterra) August 5, 2021 × that's right, no racial undertones — just explicitly racist https://t.co/mEwCCv6D78 pic.twitter.com/93AoQmn2bp — jlp (@jailpee) August 6, 2021 × It was “not meant to cause controversy”. Whew. What a fail—by the social media team. By the athlete, by the photog, by anyone who saw this and thought this was ok https://t.co/ePMQgPR4BM — Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) August 6, 2021 × HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH THIS WAS NOT MEANT TO HAVE "RACIAL UNDERTONES"?!?!?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 fck uuuuuuuuuuu https://t.co/P3qJ76YOcf pic.twitter.com/upv7JWIRHL — Jenny Yang (@jennyyangtv) August 5, 2021 × So what exactly was the intention? The social media team for @JuventusFCWomen really approved a highly offensive tweet and didn’t think for once that it screams racism? The clue is in the pose, use of props and caption! What an utter disgrace. https://t.co/AcC9GCOKyg — Pooj (@Pooj__10) August 6, 2021 ×

'Blatantly racist': Twitter slams Juventus FC for posting racist picture of Cecilia Salvai

Former Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri has revealed that Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was difficult to manage during his time with the Italian side as he had to consider the “personal interests” of the Portugal striker.&nbsp;

The 62-year-old, who was appointed as Lazio's head coach last month, was sacked by Juventus last year despite taking them to a Serie A win.&nbsp;

“Ronaldo is not easy to manage, he is a multinational company with personal interests that must be combined with those of the team. I consider myself to be better at being a coach than a manager,” Sarri told Sport Italia.

“There are also a lot of positive aspects, because Ronaldo will bring results home in the end, and they are important results.

“He represents something that goes beyond the club, with more than 200 million followers on social media, but this is a problem in our society. Unfortunately, there is too much talk about players and little about teams.”

Sarri felt that his efforts in Juventus were underappreciated.&nbsp;

“We won the Scudetto without even celebrating it, everyone just went to dinner on their own,” Sarri said.

“The league title was taken for granted, inside and outside the club. But this year I saw them celebrating finishing fourth, so maybe those were the ideal conditions for going to Juve.”

Former Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri has revealed that Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was difficult to manage during his time with the Italian side as he had to consider the “personal interests” of the Portugal striker.

Former Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri has revealed that Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was difficult to manage during his time with the Italian side as he had to consider the “personal interests” of the Portugal striker. The 62-year-old, who was appointed as Lazio's head coach last month, was sacked by Juventus last year despite taking them to a Serie A win. “Ronaldo is not easy to manage, he is a multinational company with personal interests that must be combined with those of the team. I consider myself to be better at being a coach than a manager,” Sarri told Sport Italia. “There are also a lot of positive aspects, because Ronaldo will bring results home in the end, and they are important results. “He represents something that goes beyond the club, with more than 200 million followers on social media, but this is a problem in our society. Unfortunately, there is too much talk about players and little about teams.” Sarri felt that his efforts in Juventus were underappreciated. “We won the Scudetto without even celebrating it, everyone just went to dinner on their own,” Sarri said. “The league title was taken for granted, inside and outside the club. But this year I saw them celebrating finishing fourth, so maybe those were the ideal conditions for going to Juve.”

Football- 'Ronaldo is not easy to manage', reveals Maurizio Sarri

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin opened up on a joint statement conveyed by Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona following the European Super League catastrophe.

In a&nbsp;statement, the three groups who are yet part&nbsp;of the ESL have come out and talked about their aims to play in the Champions League.&nbsp;

As indicated by Aleksander Ceferin, it is an abnormal choice to play in the two competitions without a moment's delay. Addressing Sky Sports Italia, Aleksander Ceferin said:&nbsp;

"For me what is strange is that you publish you are still part of the Super League and then you send a letter applying to play in the Champions League. So you are in Super League but play Champions League. It's quite hard to understand what they mean."

Ceferin has proposed that these groups look for a gathering with UEFA first.&nbsp;

"They should call us, send us a letter, ask for a meeting. They just sent some press releases saying they want to have a dialogue. It's quite a strange approach."

Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona are the lone 3 sides to in any case be a piece of the European Super League. The best six Premier League sides, alongside Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Atletico Madrid, pulled out of the competition following a reaction from fans and media the same.&nbsp;

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has affirmed that Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus will all face disciplinary action in the event that they actually persevere with the possibility of the European Super League. In any case, in an interview with Sky Sports Italia, he didn't make reference to what disciplinary activity the clubs would confront.

Ceferin added:&nbsp;"Our disciplinary committee is independent so the moment they start to work on a case, I don't have a reach or information there. I don't know when, if or how the sanctions would be."

Ceferin has additionally demanded that they are not hesitant to prosecute the matter.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/football-chelsea-fans-in-porto-overjoyed-after-club-crowned-as-european-champions-388341" hreflang="en">Football: Chelsea fans in Porto overjoyed after club crowned as European champions!</a>

"We are not afraid of those things. If the courts decide one way or another we have to be honest and work for football, which those clubs are not."

He believes that Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus are contending in the European Super League for their own advantage and it won't improve football in any capacity. Aleksander Ceferin has blamed the three clubs for 'paralyzing' European football because of their eagerness.&nbsp;

Notwithstanding, Real Madrid, alongside Juventus and Barcelona, delivered a joint explanation blaming UEFA for 'flagrant breach of the decision of the courts of justice'.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is a major promoter of the European Super League, which implies that the discussion encompassing the breakaway group isn't kicking the bucket at any point in the near future. 
&nbsp;

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin opened up on a joint statement conveyed by Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona following the European Super League catastrophe.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin opened up on a joint statement conveyed by Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona following the European Super League catastrophe. In a statement, the three groups who are yet part of the ESL have come out and talked about their aims to play in the Champions League. As indicated by Aleksander Ceferin, it is an abnormal choice to play in the two competitions without a moment's delay. Addressing Sky Sports Italia, Aleksander Ceferin said: "For me what is strange is that you publish you are still part of the Super League and then you send a letter applying to play in the Champions League. So you are in Super League but play Champions League. It's quite hard to understand what they mean." Ceferin has proposed that these groups look for a gathering with UEFA first. "They should call us, send us a letter, ask for a meeting. They just sent some press releases saying they want to have a dialogue. It's quite a strange approach." Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona are the lone 3 sides to in any case be a piece of the European Super League. The best six Premier League sides, alongside Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Atletico Madrid, pulled out of the competition following a reaction from fans and media the same. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has affirmed that Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus will all face disciplinary action in the event that they actually persevere with the possibility of the European Super League. In any case, in an interview with Sky Sports Italia, he didn't make reference to what disciplinary activity the clubs would confront. Ceferin added: "Our disciplinary committee is independent so the moment they start to work on a case, I don't have a reach or information there. I don't know when, if or how the sanctions would be." Ceferin has additionally demanded that they are not hesitant to prosecute the matter. ALSO READ: Football: Chelsea fans in Porto overjoyed after club crowned as European champions! "We are not afraid of those things. If the courts decide one way or another we have to be honest and work for football, which those clubs are not." He believes that Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus are contending in the European Super League for their own advantage and it won't improve football in any capacity. Aleksander Ceferin has blamed the three clubs for 'paralyzing' European football because of their eagerness. Notwithstanding, Real Madrid, alongside Juventus and Barcelona, delivered a joint explanation blaming UEFA for 'flagrant breach of the decision of the courts of justice'. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is a major promoter of the European Super League, which implies that the discussion encompassing the breakaway group isn't kicking the bucket at any point in the near future.

Football: Barcelona, Juventus, and Real Madrid have 'paralysed themselves' - Aleksander Ceferin

Serie A giants Juventus have brought back Massimiliano Allegri as their new manager just few hours after bidding goodbye to Andrea Pirlo.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;&nbsp;'<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/grazie-andrea-juventus-bid-adieu-to-coach-andrea-pirlo-after-just-one-season-388009" hreflang="en">Grazie Andrea': Juventus bid adieu to coach Andrea Pirlo after just one season</a>

Allegri had a great run with Juventus and have won five Serie A titles in his previous spell with the club (2014-2019). He has reportedly signed a 3-year deal.&nbsp;

"Allegri returns to a bench that he knows very well, a club that he loves and that loves him back, to begin today a new journey together, toward new goals,” Juventus said in a statement.&nbsp;

"What he achieved in his first adventure at Juventus are engraved in the club’s history: five Scudetti, four-consecutive doubles, coupled with the Coppa Italia and to the two Super Cups, reaching two Champions League finals in just three seasons, in what were epic feats both in Italy and in Europe.

"We said goodbye two years ago with the message, 'History Alone', the message on the back of the shirt given to Massimiliano Allegri by president Andrea Agnelli with an embrace and a shirt, on which in just two words encapsulated Allegri's experience at Juve.

"The beauty of the story, however, is that it never stops. In football, this means a concept that we have ingrained in our DNA: the best victory is the next one. Always.

"Now we are ready to begin again with Allegri, to build our future together; with his enormous professionalism, his moral strength, with the brilliant ideas of a coach capable of shuffling the cards, both on and off the pitch.

"With his smile, a sort of 'signature'. With his way of understanding football and life with simplicity, with his desire to play things down and with the commitment to enjoy every beautiful moment that being at Juventus can give and will give."

Serie A giants Juventus have bid adieu to Andrea Pirlo, who was the head coach for just one season. A win in Coppa Italia and a top-four finish were not enough to keep Pirlo with the Italian giants.

Serie A giants Juventus have brought back Massimiliano Allegri as their new manager just few hours after bidding goodbye to Andrea Pirlo. ALSO READ: 'Grazie Andrea': Juventus bid adieu to coach Andrea Pirlo after just one season Allegri had a great run with Juventus and have won five Serie A titles in his previous spell with the club (2014-2019).

Serie A giants Juventus have brought back Massimiliano Allegri as their new manager just few hours after bidding goodbye to Andrea Pirlo. ALSO READ: 'Grazie Andrea': Juventus bid adieu to coach Andrea Pirlo after just one season Allegri had a great run with Juventus and have won five Serie A titles in his previous spell with the club (2014-2019). He has reportedly signed a 3-year deal. "Allegri returns to a bench that he knows very well, a club that he loves and that loves him back, to begin today a new journey together, toward new goals,” Juventus said in a statement. "What he achieved in his first adventure at Juventus are engraved in the club’s history: five Scudetti, four-consecutive doubles, coupled with the Coppa Italia and to the two Super Cups, reaching two Champions League finals in just three seasons, in what were epic feats both in Italy and in Europe. "We said goodbye two years ago with the message, 'History Alone', the message on the back of the shirt given to Massimiliano Allegri by president Andrea Agnelli with an embrace and a shirt, on which in just two words encapsulated Allegri's experience at Juve. "The beauty of the story, however, is that it never stops. In football, this means a concept that we have ingrained in our DNA: the best victory is the next one. Always. "Now we are ready to begin again with Allegri, to build our future together; with his enormous professionalism, his moral strength, with the brilliant ideas of a coach capable of shuffling the cards, both on and off the pitch. "With his smile, a sort of 'signature'. With his way of understanding football and life with simplicity, with his desire to play things down and with the commitment to enjoy every beautiful moment that being at Juventus can give and will give." Serie A giants Juventus have bid adieu to Andrea Pirlo, who was the head coach for just one season. A win in Coppa Italia and a top-four finish were not enough to keep Pirlo with the Italian giants.

Football: Massimiliano Allegri returns to Juventus after Pirlo departs

Serie A giants Juventus have bid adieu to Andrea Pirlo, who was the head coach for just one season. A win in Coppa Italia and a top-four finish were not enough to keep Pirlo with the Italian giants.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-tottenham-hotspur-hold-talks-with-mauricio-pochettino-as-psg-boss-eyes-premier-league-return-387795" hreflang="en">Football: Tottenham Hotspur hold talks with Mauricio Pochettino as PSG boss eyes Premier League return</a>

Juventus issued a statement on their official website that read: "Thank you, Andrea. These are the first words that all of us need to say at the end of this special experience together.

"A few months ago, Andrea Pirlo, an icon of world football, began his new adventure, his first as a coach.

"To do this, first of all, it takes courage, as well as awareness of one's own means, especially in a period marked by thousands of difficulties, with the world forced by the pandemic to reinvent its own rules day after day.

"Pirlo has just begun the first steps of what will no doubt become a brilliant career as a coach. An adventure of transformation, seeking, and often managing, to bring his ideas and his experience as a champion on the pitch from the 'other side' of the fence.

"Since in football, what counts are the victories, let's remember them. In the space of a few short months Pirlo's Juve has raised two trophies: the Italian Supercup and the Coppa Italia. He, as coach, brought home brilliant victories on the most prestigious of fields, from San Siro to Camp Nou.

"For all this, for the courage, the dedication, the passion with which he demonstrated every day, our thanks go to the Maestro, the Coach and to Andrea, that really comes from the heart. As well as our good luck for the future that will surely be a wonderful one."

Massimiliano Allegri, who won five Serie A titles, is expected to take charge of the club after Pirlo's departure.&nbsp;

Serie A giants Juventus have bid adieu to Andrea Pirlo, who was the head coach for just one season. A win in Coppa Italia and a top-four finish were not enough to keep Pirlo with the Italian giants.

Serie A giants Juventus have bid adieu to Andrea Pirlo, who was the head coach for just one season. A win in Coppa Italia and a top-four finish were not enough to keep Pirlo with the Italian giants. ALSO READ: Football: Tottenham Hotspur hold talks with Mauricio Pochettino as PSG boss eyes Premier League return Juventus issued a statement on their official website that read: "Thank you, Andrea. These are the first words that all of us need to say at the end of this special experience together. "A few months ago, Andrea Pirlo, an icon of world football, began his new adventure, his first as a coach. "To do this, first of all, it takes courage, as well as awareness of one's own means, especially in a period marked by thousands of difficulties, with the world forced by the pandemic to reinvent its own rules day after day. "Pirlo has just begun the first steps of what will no doubt become a brilliant career as a coach. An adventure of transformation, seeking, and often managing, to bring his ideas and his experience as a champion on the pitch from the 'other side' of the fence. "Since in football, what counts are the victories, let's remember them. In the space of a few short months Pirlo's Juve has raised two trophies: the Italian Supercup and the Coppa Italia. He, as coach, brought home brilliant victories on the most prestigious of fields, from San Siro to Camp Nou. "For all this, for the courage, the dedication, the passion with which he demonstrated every day, our thanks go to the Maestro, the Coach and to Andrea, that really comes from the heart. As well as our good luck for the future that will surely be a wonderful one." Massimiliano Allegri, who won five Serie A titles, is expected to take charge of the club after Pirlo's departure.

'Grazie Andrea': Juventus bid adieu to coach Andrea Pirlo after just one season

Cristiano Ronaldo said he has realised one of the goals he set for himself when he joined Juventus in 2018 and valued everything the club had achieved this season despite their run of nine straight Serie A title coming to an end.

Ronaldo, 36, has one year remaining on his contract at Juventus but there has been a flurry of media speculation that the Portuguese forward could be leaving in the summer.

Juventus were deposed as champions by Inter Milan and only climbed into the top four on the final day of the campaign on Sunday (May 23) to secure Champions League qualification.

"This year we couldn't win Serie A, congratulations to Inter for the well-deserved title. However, I have to value everything that we achieved this season at Juventus, both in collective and individual terms," Ronaldo wrote in an Instagram post on Monday, May 24.

"The Italian Super Cup, Italian Cup and Serie A top scorer trophy fill me with happiness, mainly due to the difficulty they carry with them, in a country where nothing is easy to win.

"With these achievements, I reached a goal I had set myself since the first day I arrived in Italy: to win the championship, the Cup and the Super Cup, and also to be Best Player and Top Scorer in this great&nbsp;football&nbsp;country filled with tremendous players, giant clubs and a very own&nbsp;football&nbsp;culture."

The 36-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid player said he was delighted to have won major individual and team honors with clubs in three different countries.

"This is what I work for, this is what moves me and this is what I'll always keep chasing for until the last day," added Ronaldo, who did not play in their 4-1 win over Bologna on the final day.

"Thanks to everyone who took part in this journey. We stand together."

The club declined to comment on the post.

Cristiano Ronaldo said he has realised one of the goals he set for himself when he joined Juventus in 2018 and valued everything the club had achieved this season despite their run of nine straight Serie A title coming to an end.

Cristiano Ronaldo said he has realised one of the goals he set for himself when he joined Juventus in 2018 and valued everything the club had achieved this season despite their run of nine straight Serie A title coming to an end. Ronaldo, 36, has one year remaining on his contract at Juventus but there has been a flurry of media speculation that the Portuguese forward could be leaving in the summer. Juventus were deposed as champions by Inter Milan and only climbed into the top four on the final day of the campaign on Sunday (May 23) to secure Champions League qualification. "This year we couldn't win Serie A, congratulations to Inter for the well-deserved title. However, I have to value everything that we achieved this season at Juventus, both in collective and individual terms," Ronaldo wrote in an Instagram post on Monday, May 24. "The Italian Super Cup, Italian Cup and Serie A top scorer trophy fill me with happiness, mainly due to the difficulty they carry with them, in a country where nothing is easy to win. "With these achievements, I reached a goal I had set myself since the first day I arrived in Italy: to win the championship, the Cup and the Super Cup, and also to be Best Player and Top Scorer in this great football country filled with tremendous players, giant clubs and a very own football culture." The 36-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid player said he was delighted to have won major individual and team honors with clubs in three different countries. "This is what I work for, this is what moves me and this is what I'll always keep chasing for until the last day," added Ronaldo, who did not play in their 4-1 win over Bologna on the final day. "Thanks to everyone who took part in this journey. We stand together." The club declined to comment on the post.

Football: Cristiano Ronaldo says achieved his goal at Juventus

Juventus qualified for the Champions League on the final day of the season on Sunday with a 4-1 win at Bologna and were joined by AC Milan who beat Atalanta 2-0.

Napoli had to settle for a Europa League spot, finishing fifth, one point behind Juventus, after a 1-1 draw at home against Hellas Verona.

A pair of Franck Kessie penalities at the end of either half ensured AC Milan finished the season second -- 12 points behind city rivals Inter Milan -- and return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-2014 season.

"We deserved the Champions League as well as second place," said Milan coach Stefano Pioli whose side had missed the chance to seal their berth last weekend against Cagliari.

"We went through the whole championship at the top, unfortunately we had thrown away the match point last Sunday.

"I'm really excited, happy, I have to thank the club because they made us work in a spectacular way."

Atalanta had already ensured a third consecutive season of Champions League football but missed out on a first second-place Serie A finish days after losing out in the Coppa Italia final to Juventus.

Cristiano Ronaldo was left on the bench by Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo who opted for an attacking line-up of Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata flanked by Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski.

"It was a shared choice, Ronaldo was tired after the fatigue on Wednesday," said Pirlo.&nbsp;

"He made himself available to the team but I chose to have another player named Morata play, who is not the latest arrival. I have a quality team, with many choices available."

A Morata brace along with goals from Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot prevented Juventus missing out on the elite European competition for the first time since 2012.

In Naples, Amir Rrahmani scored for Napoli after an hour against his former club, which would have been enough to secure a berth at the top table but Davide Faraoni pulled one back for the visitors nine minutes.

Gennaro Gattuso's side were denied a return to elite European action after also missing out last season.

In a tense game in Bergamo, Milan held on despite playing without injured star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Kessie proved solid in front of goal taking the first penalty three minutes before the break and the second deep into injury time.

Lazio join Napoli in the Europa League despite a 2-0 loss at Sassuolo with Roma finishing seventh after coming from two goals down to hold Spezia 2-2.

In Bologna, Italy forward Chiesa, who scored the Coppa Italia winner midweek, finishing off a Kulusevski cross into the box from close range after six minutes for his 15th goal in all competitions this season.

Dybala set up Morata to nod in the second before the half-hour mark with Rabiot adding a third before the break at the Stadio Dall'Ara.

Morata got the second just after the interval latching onto a ball Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny blasted up the pitch.

The Spaniard controlled the ball and raced forward to finish off.

Riccardo Orsolini pulled a goal back for Bologna past Juve's third-choice goalkeeper Carlo Pinsoglio who got his first outing this season coming on for Szczesny for the final quarter of an hour.

Earlier Inter Milan were presented with their first trophy in 11 years after a 5-1 win over Udinese in their final game in the San Siro.

Antonio Conte's side had sealed their 19th 'Scudetto' with four games to spare and were able to play their final game of the season with 1,000 celebrating supporters.

Outside more than 4,000 had gathered from early in the morning with fireworks and flares, greeting the team bus with chants and cheers.

Ashley Young struck after eight minutes with Christian Eriksen, Lautaro Martinez, Ivan Perisic and Romelu Lukaku also all on target.

Juventus qualified for the Champions League on the final day of the season on Sunday with a 4-1 win at Bologna and were joined by AC Milan who beat Atalanta 2-0.

Juventus qualified for the Champions League on the final day of the season on Sunday with a 4-1 win at Bologna and were joined by AC Milan who beat Atalanta 2-0. Napoli had to settle for a Europa League spot, finishing fifth, one point behind Juventus, after a 1-1 draw at home against Hellas Verona. A pair of Franck Kessie penalities at the end of either half ensured AC Milan finished the season second -- 12 points behind city rivals Inter Milan -- and return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-2014 season. "We deserved the Champions League as well as second place," said Milan coach Stefano Pioli whose side had missed the chance to seal their berth last weekend against Cagliari. "We went through the whole championship at the top, unfortunately we had thrown away the match point last Sunday. "I'm really excited, happy, I have to thank the club because they made us work in a spectacular way." Atalanta had already ensured a third consecutive season of Champions League football but missed out on a first second-place Serie A finish days after losing out in the Coppa Italia final to Juventus. Cristiano Ronaldo was left on the bench by Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo who opted for an attacking line-up of Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata flanked by Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski. "It was a shared choice, Ronaldo was tired after the fatigue on Wednesday," said Pirlo. "He made himself available to the team but I chose to have another player named Morata play, who is not the latest arrival. I have a quality team, with many choices available." A Morata brace along with goals from Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot prevented Juventus missing out on the elite European competition for the first time since 2012. In Naples, Amir Rrahmani scored for Napoli after an hour against his former club, which would have been enough to secure a berth at the top table but Davide Faraoni pulled one back for the visitors nine minutes. Gennaro Gattuso's side were denied a return to elite European action after also missing out last season. In a tense game in Bergamo, Milan held on despite playing without injured star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Kessie proved solid in front of goal taking the first penalty three minutes before the break and the second deep into injury time. Lazio join Napoli in the Europa League despite a 2-0 loss at Sassuolo with Roma finishing seventh after coming from two goals down to hold Spezia 2-2. In Bologna, Italy forward Chiesa, who scored the Coppa Italia winner midweek, finishing off a Kulusevski cross into the box from close range after six minutes for his 15th goal in all competitions this season. Dybala set up Morata to nod in the second before the half-hour mark with Rabiot adding a third before the break at the Stadio Dall'Ara. Morata got the second just after the interval latching onto a ball Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny blasted up the pitch. The Spaniard controlled the ball and raced forward to finish off. Riccardo Orsolini pulled a goal back for Bologna past Juve's third-choice goalkeeper Carlo Pinsoglio who got his first outing this season coming on for Szczesny for the final quarter of an hour. Earlier Inter Milan were presented with their first trophy in 11 years after a 5-1 win over Udinese in their final game in the San Siro. Antonio Conte's side had sealed their 19th 'Scudetto' with four games to spare and were able to play their final game of the season with 1,000 celebrating supporters. Outside more than 4,000 had gathered from early in the morning with fireworks and flares, greeting the team bus with chants and cheers. Ashley Young struck after eight minutes with Christian Eriksen, Lautaro Martinez, Ivan Perisic and Romelu Lukaku also all on target.

Football: Juventus and AC Milan qualify for Champions League, Napoli miss out

Andrea Pirlo has revealed the reason behind Cristiano Ronaldo's exclusion from their starting XI in the 4-1 win over Bologna. Talking after the game, Andrea Pirlo was asked about Cristiano Ronaldo's surprising exit from the playing XI as the Portuguese star warmed the bench for the entire 90 minutes.&nbsp;

The Juventus manager uncovered the choice not to pick Cristiano Ronaldo was a mutual one between the player and the club's staff. In such a manner, Andrea Pirlo said:

“It was a shared decision, Ronaldo was tired after Wednesday’s game, so I decided to start Morata, another great player. Ronaldo was available, I have a deep squad, and I can pick many different players.”

The choice to leave out Cristiano Ronaldo in ostensibly Juventus' most significant game this season was a strange one. With Champions League qualification on the line, Andrea Pirlo's call additionally brought up issue stamps over Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Juventus.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus future has been the subject of discussion since the time the Old Lady hit a fix of helpless form. Many anticipated the Portuguese star would move to greener fields if Juventus neglected to meet all requirements for next season's Champions League.&nbsp;

In any case, with Champions League capability tied down because of Hellas Verona's 1-1 draw against Napoli, the Juventus chain of importance will trust Cristiano Ronaldo stays in Turin for at any rate another season.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-who-will-challenge-for-man-citys-premier-league-crown-next-season-387037" hreflang="en">Football: Who will challenge for Man City's Premier League crown next season?</a>

Andrea Pirlo was justifiably satisfied with Juventus' qualification for the Champions League.&nbsp;

“For me, it was important to finish the job, winning the Coppa Italia and qualifying for the Champions League, which was a very important target," Pirlo said. &nbsp;

The 42-year-old Italian manager is positive he will get another season at Juventus following a Coppa Italia title and a top-four finish in Serie A.“I’ve always put in the total commitment, and this is the result. Those who must decide about my future will do it. I see myself on the Juve bench next season, I would confirm myself, but now we must enjoy what we have achieved," he added.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-juventus-and-ac-milan-qualify-for-champions-league-napoli-miss-out-387023" hreflang="en">Football: Juventus and AC Milan qualify for Champions League, Napoli miss out</a>

Indeed, even with a UCL spot on the line, Cristiano Ronaldo was the idea all through Juventus' clash with Bologna. Andrea Pirlo additionally ruled against utilizing him as a substitute.&nbsp;

Alvaro Morata, who began instead of Cristiano Ronaldo, scored two goals as Juventus easily crushed Bologna.&nbsp;

Regardless of Andrea Pirlo's idea that the choice to drop Cristiano Ronaldo was mutual, there are continually going to be tales encompassing the Portuguese's future. The 36-year-old has been connected with his previous sides Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon. 
&nbsp;

Andrea Pirlo has revealed the reason behind Cristiano Ronaldo's exclusion from their starting XI in the 4-1 win over Bologna. Talking after the game, Andrea Pirlo was asked about Cristiano Ronaldo's surprising exit from the playing XI as the Portuguese star warmed the bench for the entire 90 minutes.

Andrea Pirlo has revealed the reason behind Cristiano Ronaldo's exclusion from their starting XI in the 4-1 win over Bologna. Talking after the game, Andrea Pirlo was asked about Cristiano Ronaldo's surprising exit from the playing XI as the Portuguese star warmed the bench for the entire 90 minutes. The Juventus manager uncovered the choice not to pick Cristiano Ronaldo was a mutual one between the player and the club's staff. In such a manner, Andrea Pirlo said: “It was a shared decision, Ronaldo was tired after Wednesday’s game, so I decided to start Morata, another great player. Ronaldo was available, I have a deep squad, and I can pick many different players.” The choice to leave out Cristiano Ronaldo in ostensibly Juventus' most significant game this season was a strange one. With Champions League qualification on the line, Andrea Pirlo's call additionally brought up issue stamps over Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Juventus. Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus future has been the subject of discussion since the time the Old Lady hit a fix of helpless form. Many anticipated the Portuguese star would move to greener fields if Juventus neglected to meet all requirements for next season's Champions League. In any case, with Champions League capability tied down because of Hellas Verona's 1-1 draw against Napoli, the Juventus chain of importance will trust Cristiano Ronaldo stays in Turin for at any rate another season. ALSO READ: Football: Who will challenge for Man City's Premier League crown next season? Andrea Pirlo was justifiably satisfied with Juventus' qualification for the Champions League. “For me, it was important to finish the job, winning the Coppa Italia and qualifying for the Champions League, which was a very important target," Pirlo said. The 42-year-old Italian manager is positive he will get another season at Juventus following a Coppa Italia title and a top-four finish in Serie A.“I’ve always put in the total commitment, and this is the result. Those who must decide about my future will do it. I see myself on the Juve bench next season, I would confirm myself, but now we must enjoy what we have achieved," he added. ALSO READ: Football: Juventus and AC Milan qualify for Champions League, Napoli miss out Indeed, even with a UCL spot on the line, Cristiano Ronaldo was the idea all through Juventus' clash with Bologna. Andrea Pirlo additionally ruled against utilizing him as a substitute. Alvaro Morata, who began instead of Cristiano Ronaldo, scored two goals as Juventus easily crushed Bologna. Regardless of Andrea Pirlo's idea that the choice to drop Cristiano Ronaldo was mutual, there are continually going to be tales encompassing the Portuguese's future. The 36-year-old has been connected with his previous sides Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon.

Football: Andrea Pirlo explains Cristiano Ronaldo omission against Bologna

Andrea Pirlo believes Champions League qualification will not be the decisive factor in whether Juventus decide to keep him on as coach for next season.

To clinch a top-four finish, the Turin club must win their final game in Bologna on Sunday and hope AC Milan or Napoli drop points in their games against Atalanta and Hellas Verona.

Failure to reach European soccer’s top club competition would be an enormous disappointment for Juve, winners of nine consecutive league titles before this season, and the situation has resulted in speculation that Pirlo will be replaced.

"I do not think the club will decide based on what happens tomorrow. I think they have an idea of what has been done over the season, what went well and badly," Pirlo told a news conference on Saturday.

"They do not take decisions based on the last match or on one result. It is up to them to decide we will see what happens.

"I like doing this job, it is normal that I would reconfirm my position because I like having this adrenaline and pressure.

"You need to feel the blood running through your veins and I want to continue working with this squad and this club."

Juventus travel to Bologna in a confident mood after beating Atalanta on Wednesday in the Coppa Italia final.

It marked a third consecutive win for Pirlo’s side since a 3-0 defeat by AC Milan earlier in May threatened to derail their top-four hopes.

"We believe. We were dead and buried after the Milan game, but picked ourselves up again. We did that on our own, but the results of other teams also brought us back to life,” Pirlo said.

"We must think first of all about ourselves, looking to play a great game and win, and then see what the others do."

Pirlo also addressed media speculation that Cristiano Ronaldo could depart Juventus if they fail to reach the Champions League.

"I see him still in a black and white shirt and focused," he said.

"He showed that the other night by making sacrifices and chasing because he wanted to win the cup."

Andrea Pirlo believes Champions League qualification will not be the decisive factor in whether Juventus decide to keep him on as coach for next season. To clinch a top-four finish, the Turin club must win their final game in Bologna on Sunday and hope AC Milan or Napoli drop points in their games against Atalanta and Hellas Verona.

Andrea Pirlo believes Champions League qualification will not be the decisive factor in whether Juventus decide to keep him on as coach for next season. To clinch a top-four finish, the Turin club must win their final game in Bologna on Sunday and hope AC Milan or Napoli drop points in their games against Atalanta and Hellas Verona. Failure to reach European soccer’s top club competition would be an enormous disappointment for Juve, winners of nine consecutive league titles before this season, and the situation has resulted in speculation that Pirlo will be replaced. "I do not think the club will decide based on what happens tomorrow. I think they have an idea of what has been done over the season, what went well and badly," Pirlo told a news conference on Saturday. "They do not take decisions based on the last match or on one result. It is up to them to decide we will see what happens. "I like doing this job, it is normal that I would reconfirm my position because I like having this adrenaline and pressure. "You need to feel the blood running through your veins and I want to continue working with this squad and this club." Juventus travel to Bologna in a confident mood after beating Atalanta on Wednesday in the Coppa Italia final. It marked a third consecutive win for Pirlo’s side since a 3-0 defeat by AC Milan earlier in May threatened to derail their top-four hopes. "We believe. We were dead and buried after the Milan game, but picked ourselves up again. We did that on our own, but the results of other teams also brought us back to life,” Pirlo said. "We must think first of all about ourselves, looking to play a great game and win, and then see what the others do." Pirlo also addressed media speculation that Cristiano Ronaldo could depart Juventus if they fail to reach the Champions League. "I see him still in a black and white shirt and focused," he said. "He showed that the other night by making sacrifices and chasing because he wanted to win the cup."

Football: Andrea Pirlo says his Juventus future does not depend on top-four finish

Andrea Pirlo's hopes of convincing Juventus bosses he deserves another season as coach will be under scrutiny on Sunday as his side look to snatch a Champions League spot on the final day of the Serie A season.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-steven-gerrard-david-beckham-complete-premier-league-hall-of-fame-2021-inductees-list-386307" hreflang="en">Football: Steven Gerrard, David Beckham complete Premier League Hall of Fame 2021 inductees list</a>

Juventus are in a three-team race with AC Milan and Napoli for the final two places behind champions Inter Milan and Atalanta.

AC Milan and Napoli, both on 76 points, are a point clear of Juve, who travel to 11th-placed Bologna hoping to avoid missing out on the Champions League for the first time since 2011-12.

Despite being denied a 10th consecutive Serie A title, the Turin giants have won two trophies in Pirlo's debut season, the Italian Cup and Italian Super Cup, and he wants to continue in the hotseat.

"There is still a crucial game and it will be a battle, then we will take stock," said the 42-year-old.

"The victories do not cancel out the difficulties, but in my first year I have learned a lot.

"Now we head into Sunday, when our future will be decided, even if it's not all in our hands."

Juve's European hopes depend on beaten cup finalists Atalanta's match against AC Milan in Bergamo, and Napoli's game at home against midtable Hellas Verona.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta are focused on achieving their first Serie A runners-up finish, four days after losing out in their bid for a first trophy since 1963.

"We are not responsible for the fate of others even if they all try to pull us by the jacket for this match," said Gasperini. "Everyone is responsible for their own destiny.

"We have scored the points and we will play to finish in second place, knowing however that we have already reached our target."

Milan have only managed one win in their last 11 Serie A matches against Atalanta, with the Bergamo side winning their last home game against Milan 5-0.

Atalanta could exceed their best-ever points tally, already equalled with 78. In addition, they could claim a club record number of league games won in a season, now equalled with 23, and have the top attack in the league for a third straight campaign with 90 goals scored.

Champions Inter Milan will get to celebrate their first league title since 2010 in front of 1,000 supporters in their final game at the San Siro against Udinese on Sunday.

According to reports, they will not be paying fans, but 'Nerazzurri' guests, including employees, staff, families of the players and sponsors.

At the end of the match, Antonio Conte's side will receive the league trophy.

Key stats:

90 goals: Atalanta are the top scorers in the league for a third consecutive season.

28 goals: Ronaldo is set to finish the season as top scorer.

15: AC Milan's wins away from home this season

1: Point between Juve and Champions League rivals AC Milan and Napoli.

Fixtures (all times GMT):

Saturday

Cagliari v Genoa, Crotone v Fiorentina, Sampdoria v Parma (all 1845)

Sunday

Inter Milan v Udinese (1300), Atalanta v AC Milan, Bologna v Juventus, Napoli v Hellas Verona, Sassuolo v Lazio, Spezia v Roma, Torino v Benevento (all 1845)

Andrea Pirlo's hopes of convincing Juventus bosses he deserves another season as coach will be under scrutiny on Sunday as his side look to snatch a Champions League spot on the final day of the Serie A season.

Andrea Pirlo's hopes of convincing Juventus bosses he deserves another season as coach will be under scrutiny on Sunday as his side look to snatch a Champions League spot on the final day of the Serie A season. ALSO READ: Football: Steven Gerrard, David Beckham complete Premier League Hall of Fame 2021 inductees list Juventus are in a three-team race with AC Milan and Napoli for the final two places behind champions Inter Milan and Atalanta. AC Milan and Napoli, both on 76 points, are a point clear of Juve, who travel to 11th-placed Bologna hoping to avoid missing out on the Champions League for the first time since 2011-12. Despite being denied a 10th consecutive Serie A title, the Turin giants have won two trophies in Pirlo's debut season, the Italian Cup and Italian Super Cup, and he wants to continue in the hotseat. "There is still a crucial game and it will be a battle, then we will take stock," said the 42-year-old. "The victories do not cancel out the difficulties, but in my first year I have learned a lot. "Now we head into Sunday, when our future will be decided, even if it's not all in our hands." Juve's European hopes depend on beaten cup finalists Atalanta's match against AC Milan in Bergamo, and Napoli's game at home against midtable Hellas Verona. Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta are focused on achieving their first Serie A runners-up finish, four days after losing out in their bid for a first trophy since 1963. "We are not responsible for the fate of others even if they all try to pull us by the jacket for this match," said Gasperini. "Everyone is responsible for their own destiny. "We have scored the points and we will play to finish in second place, knowing however that we have already reached our target." Milan have only managed one win in their last 11 Serie A matches against Atalanta, with the Bergamo side winning their last home game against Milan 5-0. Atalanta could exceed their best-ever points tally, already equalled with 78. In addition, they could claim a club record number of league games won in a season, now equalled with 23, and have the top attack in the league for a third straight campaign with 90 goals scored. Champions Inter Milan will get to celebrate their first league title since 2010 in front of 1,000 supporters in their final game at the San Siro against Udinese on Sunday. According to reports, they will not be paying fans, but 'Nerazzurri' guests, including employees, staff, families of the players and sponsors. At the end of the match, Antonio Conte's side will receive the league trophy. Key stats: 90 goals: Atalanta are the top scorers in the league for a third consecutive season. 28 goals: Ronaldo is set to finish the season as top scorer. 15: AC Milan's wins away from home this season 1: Point between Juve and Champions League rivals AC Milan and Napoli. Fixtures (all times GMT): Saturday Cagliari v Genoa, Crotone v Fiorentina, Sampdoria v Parma (all 1845) Sunday Inter Milan v Udinese (1300), Atalanta v AC Milan, Bologna v Juventus, Napoli v Hellas Verona, Sassuolo v Lazio, Spezia v Roma, Torino v Benevento (all 1845)

Football: Pirlo's Juve future under microscope in three-team Champions League race

Juventus’ 3-2 win over champions Inter Milan in the 'Derby of Italy' kept their Champions League qualification hopes alive, but the game was overshadowed by a string of contentious refereeing decisions.

Referee Gianpaolo Calvarese awarded two penalties to Juventus and one to Inter and sent off players from both teams, Rodrigo Bentancur and Marcelo Brozovic.

Tensions ran high at the end of the match, when Inter’s 83rd-minute equalizer was ruled out for a foul before the decision was overturned following a VAR review, only for Juve to almost immediately regain the lead when they were awarded and converted a penalty.

The various decisions sparked a huge debate in the media, while Brozovic reacted on social media by calling it a “scandalous match”.

Juve captain Chiellini was later fined 1,500 euros for his protests to Calvarese during the game, while Inter assistant manager Cristian Stellini said at full-time: “the episodes are so clear and evident that it is useless to even comment on them”.

Juventus remain fifth, one point behind Milan in third and Napoli in fourth ahead of the final round.

Milan squandered the chance to book a place in the Champions League for the first time since 2013-14 as they stuttered to a 0-0 draw at home to Cagliari.

They face a tricky trip to Atalanta on the final day, while Napoli host Hellas Verona and Juve go to Bologna.

ATALANTA SECURE TOP-FOUR SPOT

Atalanta became the first club to join Inter in the Champions League next season after a typically entertaining 4-3 win over Genoa made it impossible for fifth-placed Juventus to catch them due to the Turin club’s worse head-to-head record.

It was another remarkable achievement for the small Bergamo club, who will grace the competition for a third consecutive season despite having the 11th-highest wage budget in the division.

“It was difficult to think that we would reach the Champions League three years in a row, especially this season, because repeating the feat is never easy,” coach Gian Piero Gasperini told Sky Italia.

“The team had a great reaction from December onwards, despite very tough competition. This year feels even better than the others because it was the most difficult.”

INZAGHI NEEDS BROTHERLY LOVE

Filippo Inzaghi’s Benevento is perilously close to being relegated after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer to draw 1-1 against already-demoted Crotone.

Spezia and Cagliari’s top-flight security is now safe ahead of the final day of the season, but Inzaghi needs help from his brother Simone, coach of Lazio, to keep Benevento’s hopes of overtaking Torino alive.

Torino, in 17th, are three points ahead of Benevento below them but have a game in hand to come away to Lazio on Tuesday, where a draw would be enough for them to stay up.

If they lose, it will come down to a final-day clash between Torino and Benevento in Turin.

“Lazio will play their game, as Crotone did today despite being relegated. Unfortunately, it is no longer up to us,” Inzaghi said.

Juventus’ 3-2 win over champions Inter Milan in the 'Derby of Italy' kept their Champions League qualification hopes alive, but the game was overshadowed by a string of contentious refereeing decisions.

Juventus’ 3-2 win over champions Inter Milan in the 'Derby of Italy' kept their Champions League qualification hopes alive, but the game was overshadowed by a string of contentious refereeing decisions. Referee Gianpaolo Calvarese awarded two penalties to Juventus and one to Inter and sent off players from both teams, Rodrigo Bentancur and Marcelo Brozovic. Tensions ran high at the end of the match, when Inter’s 83rd-minute equalizer was ruled out for a foul before the decision was overturned following a VAR review, only for Juve to almost immediately regain the lead when they were awarded and converted a penalty. The various decisions sparked a huge debate in the media, while Brozovic reacted on social media by calling it a “scandalous match”. Juve captain Chiellini was later fined 1,500 euros for his protests to Calvarese during the game, while Inter assistant manager Cristian Stellini said at full-time: “the episodes are so clear and evident that it is useless to even comment on them”. Juventus remain fifth, one point behind Milan in third and Napoli in fourth ahead of the final round. Milan squandered the chance to book a place in the Champions League for the first time since 2013-14 as they stuttered to a 0-0 draw at home to Cagliari. They face a tricky trip to Atalanta on the final day, while Napoli host Hellas Verona and Juve go to Bologna. ATALANTA SECURE TOP-FOUR SPOT Atalanta became the first club to join Inter in the Champions League next season after a typically entertaining 4-3 win over Genoa made it impossible for fifth-placed Juventus to catch them due to the Turin club’s worse head-to-head record. It was another remarkable achievement for the small Bergamo club, who will grace the competition for a third consecutive season despite having the 11th-highest wage budget in the division. “It was difficult to think that we would reach the Champions League three years in a row, especially this season, because repeating the feat is never easy,” coach Gian Piero Gasperini told Sky Italia. “The team had a great reaction from December onwards, despite very tough competition. This year feels even better than the others because it was the most difficult.” INZAGHI NEEDS BROTHERLY LOVE Filippo Inzaghi’s Benevento is perilously close to being relegated after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer to draw 1-1 against already-demoted Crotone. Spezia and Cagliari’s top-flight security is now safe ahead of the final day of the season, but Inzaghi needs help from his brother Simone, coach of Lazio, to keep Benevento’s hopes of overtaking Torino alive. Torino, in 17th, are three points ahead of Benevento below them but have a game in hand to come away to Lazio on Tuesday, where a draw would be enough for them to stay up. If they lose, it will come down to a final-day clash between Torino and Benevento in Turin. “Lazio will play their game, as Crotone did today despite being relegated. Unfortunately, it is no longer up to us,” Inzaghi said.

Talking points from the weekend in Serie A

Juventus are keen on bringing Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona this mid-year, as indicated by Fichajes.net via Juve.com. The 2018 World Cup champion has had a stop-start life at the Nou Camp since joining Borussia Dortmund in 2017.

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Barcelona had marked Dembele from Dortmund for a club record of €135 million. Notwithstanding, he neglected to satisfy the expectations just as the sticker price because of an absence of form and repeating injuries.

With his agreement lapsing the following summer, Juventus are hoping to sign the winger at an extensively less expensive cost.

Barcelona followed through on a heavy cost to carry Ousmane Dembele to the Nou Camp in 2017. Nonetheless, the Frenchman neglected to supplant the active Neymar at the club. With just a year left on his Blaugrana contract, Barcelona are in danger of losing him free of charge in the coming months.

Juventus are hoping to exploit this agreement circumstance. They are hoping to offer €40 million for Dembele. This could end up being an extreme choice for Barcelona. On the off chance that they don't acknowledge the Juventus offer, they could lose the 23-year old on a free exchange the following summer.

Barcelona are reputed to have enormous freedom this mid-year, with upwards of 14 players in danger of being sold. This is to create assets for new and better players and furthermore to diminish the club's pay spending plan in these troublesome monetary occasions for clubs across Europe.

Barcelona are without a doubt to acknowledge any proposal from Juventus in the event that they can acquire an appropriate substitution at the club. They have been connected with different attacking players, including Erling Haaland, Sergio Agüero, and Memphis Depay.

Ousmane Dembele has been a baffling signing for Barcelona. He has neglected to play for a long length because of his physical issue inconveniences. In the four seasons, he has been at the club, Ousmane Dembele has played multiple times for Barcelona and has scored just 30 goals.

Notwithstanding having a superior season this time around, it would appear that his time at Barcelona is everything except over. Maybe a transition to Juventus will launch Ousmane&nbsp; Dembele's profession and assist him with satisfying his potential in a group that is much slower contrasted with La Liga.

Juventus are keen on bringing Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona this mid-year, as indicated by Fichajes.net via Juve.com. The 2018 World Cup champion has had a stop-start life at the Nou Camp since joining Borussia Dortmund in 2017.

Juventus are keen on bringing Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona this mid-year, as indicated by Fichajes.net via Juve.com. The 2018 World Cup champion has had a stop-start life at the Nou Camp since joining Borussia Dortmund in 2017. ALSO READ: Leicester City players express support for Palestine after FA Cup win Barcelona had marked Dembele from Dortmund for a club record of €135 million. Notwithstanding, he neglected to satisfy the expectations just as the sticker price because of an absence of form and repeating injuries. With his agreement lapsing the following summer, Juventus are hoping to sign the winger at an extensively less expensive cost. Barcelona followed through on a heavy cost to carry Ousmane Dembele to the Nou Camp in 2017. Nonetheless, the Frenchman neglected to supplant the active Neymar at the club. With just a year left on his Blaugrana contract, Barcelona are in danger of losing him free of charge in the coming months. Juventus are hoping to exploit this agreement circumstance. They are hoping to offer €40 million for Dembele. This could end up being an extreme choice for Barcelona. On the off chance that they don't acknowledge the Juventus offer, they could lose the 23-year old on a free exchange the following summer. Barcelona are reputed to have enormous freedom this mid-year, with upwards of 14 players in danger of being sold. This is to create assets for new and better players and furthermore to diminish the club's pay spending plan in these troublesome monetary occasions for clubs across Europe. Barcelona are without a doubt to acknowledge any proposal from Juventus in the event that they can acquire an appropriate substitution at the club. They have been connected with different attacking players, including Erling Haaland, Sergio Agüero, and Memphis Depay. Ousmane Dembele has been a baffling signing for Barcelona. He has neglected to play for a long length because of his physical issue inconveniences. In the four seasons, he has been at the club, Ousmane Dembele has played multiple times for Barcelona and has scored just 30 goals. Notwithstanding having a superior season this time around, it would appear that his time at Barcelona is everything except over. Maybe a transition to Juventus will launch Ousmane Dembele's profession and assist him with satisfying his potential in a group that is much slower contrasted with La Liga.

Juventus are set to bid for Ousmane Dembele: Reports

Juventus are gearing up to face Serie A champions Inter Milan in the penultimate game of their season.

The Bianconeri cannot afford to drop any more points if they want to finish in the top four and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Andrea Pirlo's men are currently 5th in the league, one point behind Napoli in 4th place. The Italian manager knows his future depends on Juventus' rivals dropping points in their next two games. However, he will have to make sure that the Bianconeri win both their games to avoid a disastrous end to the season.

With all that in mind, here is the latest&nbsp;news on Juventus.

Andrea Pirlo has expressed that he was satisfied with Juventus' presentation in the 3-1 win against Sassuolo in midweek and has called for business as usual when they take on Inter Milan.&nbsp;

Tending to the media in front of the Bianconeri's match against the Nerazzurri on Saturday, the Italian said:

“I liked the attitude on Wednesday, we needed to regroup after the match against Milan and we were compact. Having seen the performance on Wednesday suggests that we are sorry, we could have had more points by always remaining as focused as in - Reggio Emilia."

“At the end of the year, we will review the whole season, analyzing the mistakes to not commit them again. When you train, you have to measure your own idea of the game with the players, adapting to their characteristics and understanding how to put them on the pitch, in the positions where they can perform more" - he added

"Alex Sandro plays tomorrow because he’s disqualified for the Coppa Italia Final. For the others, we will see, we must recover energy. Federico Chiesa is getting better and better, I think he’ll be available tomorrow night. Merih Demiral is available, he could start the match."

Juventus are purportedly near agreeing to sign AC Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu this mid-year as Andrea Pirlo hopes to upgrade his midfield. The 27-year-old midfielder will turn into a free agent in June and presently can't seem to go to an understanding over an agreement expansion at Milan. 
&nbsp;

Juventus are gearing up to face Serie A champions Inter Milan in the penultimate game of their season. The Bianconeri cannot afford to drop any more points if they want to finish in the top four and qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Juventus are gearing up to face Serie A champions Inter Milan in the penultimate game of their season. The Bianconeri cannot afford to drop any more points if they want to finish in the top four and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Andrea Pirlo's men are currently 5th in the league, one point behind Napoli in 4th place. The Italian manager knows his future depends on Juventus' rivals dropping points in their next two games. However, he will have to make sure that the Bianconeri win both their games to avoid a disastrous end to the season. With all that in mind, here is the latest news on Juventus. Andrea Pirlo has expressed that he was satisfied with Juventus' presentation in the 3-1 win against Sassuolo in midweek and has called for business as usual when they take on Inter Milan. Tending to the media in front of the Bianconeri's match against the Nerazzurri on Saturday, the Italian said: “I liked the attitude on Wednesday, we needed to regroup after the match against Milan and we were compact. Having seen the performance on Wednesday suggests that we are sorry, we could have had more points by always remaining as focused as in - Reggio Emilia." “At the end of the year, we will review the whole season, analyzing the mistakes to not commit them again. When you train, you have to measure your own idea of the game with the players, adapting to their characteristics and understanding how to put them on the pitch, in the positions where they can perform more" - he added "Alex Sandro plays tomorrow because he’s disqualified for the Coppa Italia Final. For the others, we will see, we must recover energy. Federico Chiesa is getting better and better, I think he’ll be available tomorrow night. Merih Demiral is available, he could start the match." Juventus are purportedly near agreeing to sign AC Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu this mid-year as Andrea Pirlo hopes to upgrade his midfield. The 27-year-old midfielder will turn into a free agent in June and presently can't seem to go to an understanding over an agreement expansion at Milan.

Andrea Pirlo speaks ahead of the penultimate game against Inter Milan

Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo did not have a great first season with the club as the Turin side are struggling to secure even a Champions League spot. However, former Juve star feels that his side can redeem the title loss to Inter by securing the top four spot.&nbsp;

Pirlo's side are fifth in the league table after securing just five wins in the last 10 matches. The only hope left for the team is to secure 3 points against Inter in the upcoming clash.&nbsp;

"Congratulations to Inter for the Scudetto, but we could have done more," Pirlo told a news conference on Friday.

"Inter have done better, have been more consistent and hungrier than us. There are some regrets for the players I didn't have available, but regret is part of the ambition.

"To see our opponents as Italian champions tomorrow must give us more motivation. Let's also not forget that we have a chance to qualify for the Champions League."

Juve lost 3-0 to AC Milan, however, they bounced back to winning ways after beating Sassuolo (on Wednesday) by 3-1.&nbsp;

"The performance suggests we could have had more points by always remaining as focused as we did at Sassuolo," Pirlo said.

"At the end of the year, we will review the whole season, analysing the mistakes to not commit them again."

(Inputs from Reuters)

Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo did not have a great first season with the club as the Turin side are struggling to secure even a Champions League spot. However, former Juve star feels that his side can redeem the title loss to Inter by securing the top four spot.

Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo did not have a great first season with the club as the Turin side are struggling to secure even a Champions League spot. However, former Juve star feels that his side can redeem the title loss to Inter by securing the top four spot. Pirlo's side are fifth in the league table after securing just five wins in the last 10 matches. The only hope left for the team is to secure 3 points against Inter in the upcoming clash. "Congratulations to Inter for the Scudetto, but we could have done more," Pirlo told a news conference on Friday. "Inter have done better, have been more consistent and hungrier than us. There are some regrets for the players I didn't have available, but regret is part of the ambition. "To see our opponents as Italian champions tomorrow must give us more motivation. Let's also not forget that we have a chance to qualify for the Champions League." Juve lost 3-0 to AC Milan, however, they bounced back to winning ways after beating Sassuolo (on Wednesday) by 3-1. "The performance suggests we could have had more points by always remaining as focused as we did at Sassuolo," Pirlo said. "At the end of the year, we will review the whole season, analysing the mistakes to not commit them again." (Inputs from Reuters)

'We could have done more': Andrea Pirlo feels Juve can redeem themselves by securing CL spot

Gianluigi Buffon said Tuesday that he will bring the curtain down on his time at Juventus after nearly two decades at the end of the season, but will look to prolong his trophy-filled career elsewhere at the age of 43.

Former Italy captain Buffon is an iconic figure in Italian football, one of the stars of the Azzurri's 2006 World Cup triumph who racked up a record 176 caps for his country.

However he has been behind Wojciech Szczesny&nbsp;in the goalkeeping pecking order since returning to Juve from a short spell at Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 and has made just 12 appearances in all competitions this season.

"My future is clear, at the end of the season I'm leaving Juve, and then I will either find something that stimulates me or I will quit the game," he said in an interview with BeIN Sport.

"I have both given and received everything at Juventus, but we have come to the end of a cycle and it's only right that I put an end to any confusion (over his future)."

Buffon, who holds the record for Serie A appearances, has won 10 Serie A titles with Juventus since joining in 2001, as well as five Italian Cups and second-tier Serie B in 2007 after they were relegated in the aftermath of the 'Calciopoli' match-fixing scandal.

He also won Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain in 2018-2019 before returning to the Turin giants, and the UEFA Cup back in 1999 with Parma, where he began his career as a teenager in 1995.

However he has never won the Champions League after losing finals with Juve in 2003, 2015 and 2017.

Gianluigi Buffon said Tuesday that he will bring the curtain down on his time at Juventus after nearly two decades at the end of the season, but will look to prolong his trophy-filled career elsewhere at the age of 43.

Gianluigi Buffon said Tuesday that he will bring the curtain down on his time at Juventus after nearly two decades at the end of the season, but will look to prolong his trophy-filled career elsewhere at the age of 43. Former Italy captain Buffon is an iconic figure in Italian football, one of the stars of the Azzurri's 2006 World Cup triumph who racked up a record 176 caps for his country. However he has been behind Wojciech Szczesny in the goalkeeping pecking order since returning to Juve from a short spell at Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 and has made just 12 appearances in all competitions this season. "My future is clear, at the end of the season I'm leaving Juve, and then I will either find something that stimulates me or I will quit the game," he said in an interview with BeIN Sport. "I have both given and received everything at Juventus, but we have come to the end of a cycle and it's only right that I put an end to any confusion (over his future)." Buffon, who holds the record for Serie A appearances, has won 10 Serie A titles with Juventus since joining in 2001, as well as five Italian Cups and second-tier Serie B in 2007 after they were relegated in the aftermath of the 'Calciopoli' match-fixing scandal. He also won Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain in 2018-2019 before returning to the Turin giants, and the UEFA Cup back in 1999 with Parma, where he began his career as a teenager in 1995. However he has never won the Champions League after losing finals with Juve in 2003, 2015 and 2017.

Buffon to quit Juventus at end of season

Italian footballing giants Juventus face being kicked out of Serie A if the club do not withdraw from the controversial European Super League, Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina has said.<o:p></o:p>

While AC Milan and Inter pulled out of the breakaway competition along with English Premier League clubs, Juventus continue to persist with the plans of ESL.<o:p></o:p>

"The rules are clear. If Juventus is still part of the Super League when it enters next season, it can't participate in Serie A," Gravina told Naples radio station Kiss Kiss.

"I would be sorry for the fans but rules are rules and they apply to everyone. I hope this holdout ends."

<o:p></o:p>

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On Saturday, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – three clubs still part of ESL – lashed out at the “intolerable” pressure and threats to abandon the ESL but vowed to stay with the idea despite its rejection from the fans and stakeholders. <o:p></o:p>

Three ESL clubs of the original 12 issued a joint statement on the weekend while defending their move to create the ESL and expressed “regret” at seeing others recommit to the UEFA on Friday.<o:p></o:p>

The three clubs – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – are also set to face “appropriate action” by UEFA for their role in the ESL.<o:p></o:p>

Their statement read: "The founding clubs have suffered, and continue to suffer, unacceptable third-party pressures, threats, and offenses to abandon the project and therefore desist from their right and duty to provide solutions to the football ecosystem via concrete proposals and constructive dialogue.<o:p></o:p>

"This is intolerable under the rule of law and tribunals have already ruled in favour of the Super League proposal, ordering FIFA and UEFA to, either directly or through their affiliated bodies, refrain from taking any action which may hinder this initiative in any way while court proceedings are pending.<o:p></o:p>

"The Super League project was designed jointly by its 12 founding clubs with the aim of providing solutions to the current unsustainable situation in the football industry. The 12 founding clubs shared the same concerns as other stakeholders in European football do, particularly under the current socio-economic context, that structural reforms are indispensable to ensure our sport stays appealing and survives in the long-term.<o:p></o:p>

"(The Super League project was designed jointly by its 12 founding clubs also) with the utmost respect for the current football structures and ecosystem. The founding clubs expressly agreed that the Super League would only take place if such a competition was recognised by UEFA and/or FIFA or if, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, it was deemed to be a competition duly compatible for all purposes with the continuity of the founding clubs in their respective domestic competitions.” <o:p></o:p>

Italian footballing giants Juventus face being kicked out of Serie A if the club do not withdraw from the controversial European Super League, Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina has said.

Italian footballing giants Juventus face being kicked out of Serie A if the club do not withdraw from the controversial European Super League, Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina has said. While AC Milan and Inter pulled out of the breakaway competition along with English Premier League clubs, Juventus continue to persist with the plans of ESL. "The rules are clear. If Juventus is still part of the Super League when it enters next season, it can't participate in Serie A," Gravina told Naples radio station Kiss Kiss. "I would be sorry for the fans but rules are rules and they apply to everyone. I hope this holdout ends." × On Saturday, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – three clubs still part of ESL – lashed out at the “intolerable” pressure and threats to abandon the ESL but vowed to stay with the idea despite its rejection from the fans and stakeholders. Three ESL clubs of the original 12 issued a joint statement on the weekend while defending their move to create the ESL and expressed “regret” at seeing others recommit to the UEFA on Friday. The three clubs – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – are also set to face “appropriate action” by UEFA for their role in the ESL. Their statement read: "The founding clubs have suffered, and continue to suffer, unacceptable third-party pressures, threats, and offenses to abandon the project and therefore desist from their right and duty to provide solutions to the football ecosystem via concrete proposals and constructive dialogue. "This is intolerable under the rule of law and tribunals have already ruled in favour of the Super League proposal, ordering FIFA and UEFA to, either directly or through their affiliated bodies, refrain from taking any action which may hinder this initiative in any way while court proceedings are pending. "The Super League project was designed jointly by its 12 founding clubs with the aim of providing solutions to the current unsustainable situation in the football industry. The 12 founding clubs shared the same concerns as other stakeholders in European football do, particularly under the current socio-economic context, that structural reforms are indispensable to ensure our sport stays appealing and survives in the long-term. "(The Super League project was designed jointly by its 12 founding clubs also) with the utmost respect for the current football structures and ecosystem. The founding clubs expressly agreed that the Super League would only take place if such a competition was recognised by UEFA and/or FIFA or if, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, it was deemed to be a competition duly compatible for all purposes with the continuity of the founding clubs in their respective domestic competitions.”

Juventus face Serie A omission if ESL plans persist: Italian FA president

Juventus started the season looking to win a 10th straight Serie A title but instead find themselves in danger of missing out on a Champions League spot after a 3-0 home defeat by top-four rivals AC Milan on Sunday left them fifth with three games left.

Goals from Brahim Diaz, Ante Rebic, and Fikayo Tomori secured the win and sent Milan up to third on 72 points from 35 matches, leaving Juve a point behind fourth-placed Napoli and needing teams to drop points as they battle for a top-four finish.

Brahim curled home a stunning opener just before the break to give the visitors the halftime lead and they had a chance to extend the advantage in the 56th minute only for Franck Kessie's penalty to be saved by Wojciech Szczesny.

That miss did not prove costly, however, as substitute Rebic arrowed a fine strike into the net 12 minutes from time before defender Tomori, on loan from Chelsea, headed the third goal to seal a crucial win for Milan four minutes later.

"It was a very special night for us," Tomori told Sky Sport Italia. "This result and my goal made the night special.

"This victory gives us an advantage but nothing has been decided yet in the top-four race. Now we have to continue like this and stay focused for the next match against Torino."

Used to battling it out for the Scudetto in the past, Juve and Milan looked like two teams who were unsure of a top-four finish in a nervous first half.

Other than a header from Giorgio Chiellini, Juve struggled to create anything, with Cristiano Ronaldo unusually quiet.

Brahim lit up a poor first half after Szczesny did not get enough on a punch, with the Real Madrid loanee finding the top corner on his first start for Milan since March.

After the break, Juve did improve, with Ronaldo finally getting a shot away, but he could not find the target with his left foot, while Milan had to withdraw their top goalscorer this season, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, due to an injury.

Chiellini's clumsy handball gifted Milan the chance to extend their lead, after a lengthy VAR review. However, Szczesny came to the rescue - the Pole's third penalty save from the last four spot-kicks he has faced in Serie A against Milan.

It was Ibrahimovic's replacement Rebic who effectively ended Juve's hopes of getting something from the match before Tomori picked an opportune moment to score his first goal for Milan.

The final whistle was greeted with wild scenes of celebration from Milan staff and players, with their first away league win at Juve since March 2011 putting them in a strong position to return to the Champions League, potentially at their opponent's expense.

Juventus started the season looking to win a 10th straight Serie A title but instead find themselves in danger of missing out on a Champions League spot after a 3-0 home defeat by top-four rivals AC Milan on Sunday left them fifth with three games left.

Juventus started the season looking to win a 10th straight Serie A title but instead find themselves in danger of missing out on a Champions League spot after a 3-0 home defeat by top-four rivals AC Milan on Sunday left them fifth with three games left. Goals from Brahim Diaz, Ante Rebic, and Fikayo Tomori secured the win and sent Milan up to third on 72 points from 35 matches, leaving Juve a point behind fourth-placed Napoli and needing teams to drop points as they battle for a top-four finish. Brahim curled home a stunning opener just before the break to give the visitors the halftime lead and they had a chance to extend the advantage in the 56th minute only for Franck Kessie's penalty to be saved by Wojciech Szczesny. That miss did not prove costly, however, as substitute Rebic arrowed a fine strike into the net 12 minutes from time before defender Tomori, on loan from Chelsea, headed the third goal to seal a crucial win for Milan four minutes later. "It was a very special night for us," Tomori told Sky Sport Italia. "This result and my goal made the night special. "This victory gives us an advantage but nothing has been decided yet in the top-four race. Now we have to continue like this and stay focused for the next match against Torino." Used to battling it out for the Scudetto in the past, Juve and Milan looked like two teams who were unsure of a top-four finish in a nervous first half. Other than a header from Giorgio Chiellini, Juve struggled to create anything, with Cristiano Ronaldo unusually quiet. Brahim lit up a poor first half after Szczesny did not get enough on a punch, with the Real Madrid loanee finding the top corner on his first start for Milan since March. After the break, Juve did improve, with Ronaldo finally getting a shot away, but he could not find the target with his left foot, while Milan had to withdraw their top goalscorer this season, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, due to an injury. Chiellini's clumsy handball gifted Milan the chance to extend their lead, after a lengthy VAR review. However, Szczesny came to the rescue - the Pole's third penalty save from the last four spot-kicks he has faced in Serie A against Milan. It was Ibrahimovic's replacement Rebic who effectively ended Juve's hopes of getting something from the match before Tomori picked an opportune moment to score his first goal for Milan. The final whistle was greeted with wild scenes of celebration from Milan staff and players, with their first away league win at Juve since March 2011 putting them in a strong position to return to the Champions League, potentially at their opponent's expense.

Juventus in danger of missing out on top four after loss to Milan

Andrea Pirlo conceded Juventas missed Cristiano Ronaldo's "killer instinct" as the Italian champions fell to their first league defeat in two decades to Atalanta on Sunday leaving their participation in next season's Champions League at risk.

Leaders Inter Milan edged towards the Serie A title despite a 1-1 draw at Napoli, to pull 13 points ahead of Juventus who dropped to fourth place.

Christian Eriksen snatched a point for Inter whose 11-match winning streak ended but who hold a nine-point advantage on AC Milan as they target a first league title since 2010.&nbsp;

Milan earlier got back winning in the San Siro after two months 2-1 against Genoa.

Juve's nine-year reign as champions looks set to end with nine games left, and their European hopes are also at risk.

Substitute Ruslan Malinovskyi struck three minutes from time in Bergamo with a shot that took a deflection off Alex Sandro as Atalanta won 1-0 to move third.

Juventus were playing without injured Ronaldo, the top scorer in Serie A with 25 goals this campaign.&nbsp;

"We knew it would be tough against Atalanta," said Juve coach Andrea Pirlo.

"Ronaldo is our finisher, he adapts to these matches, because he's a champion.

"He's a penalty area killer. Today we had our chances, we didn't use them and we were punished by an episode."

Juve have failed to win any of the four matches they have played this season without 36-year-old Ronaldo.

But they held fourth spot two points ahead of Napoli whose six-match winning streak at home was stopped by Inter.

In Naples, top Inter scorer Romelu Lukaku rattled the woodwork either side of Napoli's opener, an own-goal following a blunder from visiting goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

Lorenzo Insigne tried to connect with Victor Osimhen to finish off with Handanovic intercepting the ball only to lose control after colliding with Stefan de Vrij sending into his own net.

Eriksen pulled Inter level 10 minutes after the break rifling in from just outside the penalty area.

"I'm very happy and proud of this group of guys who have grown significantly in many ways," said Inter coach Antonio Conte.&nbsp;

"On other occasions we would have lost the game, we would have fallen on that goal conceded. Instead the team reacted, they know what they are capable of and want to fight for something important."

<h2>- Milan back winning in San Siro -</h2>

In Milan, Gianluca Scamacca's 68th-minute own goal kept the seven-time European champions on course for a return to Champions League football next season.

Stefano Pioli's side had not won their last six games in the San Siro in all competitions and were playing without suspended forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"We wasted a lot, we could have finished it earlier, but the important thing is the spirit to stay in the game until the very end," said Pioli, who has given up on catching Inter.

"Inter have taken too many points to think that we can still fight for the Scudetto (league title).

"Winning was important. We will have to face important teams, Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, from here to the end they will all be difficult."

Ante Rebic put Milan ahead in the 13th minute with Rafael Leao, taking the place of Ibrahimovic, missing a chance for a second minutes later.

A Mattia Destro header against his former club pulled 14th-placed Genoa level eight minutes before the break.

Mario Mandzukic came off the bench for his first appearance in over two months just after the hour and had a role in the winning goal, which Scamacca guided past his own goalkeeper from a Hakan Calhanoglu corner.

In Rome, Lazio beat Benevento 5-4 in a match between coaching brothers Simone and Filippo Inzaghi to stay in the chase for the Champions League.

Ciro Immobile scored twice for the hosts and also missed a penalty as sixth-placed Lazio are four points behind Juventus having played a game less.

Roma's Champions League ambitions took a knock with a 3-1 defeat at Torino, who boosted their chances of top-flight survival.

Roma have taken four points from the last five games, and are stuck in seventh position, eight points off the Champions League berths.

Andrea Pirlo conceded Juventas missed Cristiano Ronaldo's "killer instinct" as the Italian champions fell to their first league defeat in two decades to Atalanta on Sunday leaving their participation in next season's Champions League at risk.

Andrea Pirlo conceded Juventas missed Cristiano Ronaldo's "killer instinct" as the Italian champions fell to their first league defeat in two decades to Atalanta on Sunday leaving their participation in next season's Champions League at risk. Leaders Inter Milan edged towards the Serie A title despite a 1-1 draw at Napoli, to pull 13 points ahead of Juventus who dropped to fourth place. Christian Eriksen snatched a point for Inter whose 11-match winning streak ended but who hold a nine-point advantage on AC Milan as they target a first league title since 2010. Milan earlier got back winning in the San Siro after two months 2-1 against Genoa. Juve's nine-year reign as champions looks set to end with nine games left, and their European hopes are also at risk. Substitute Ruslan Malinovskyi struck three minutes from time in Bergamo with a shot that took a deflection off Alex Sandro as Atalanta won 1-0 to move third. Juventus were playing without injured Ronaldo, the top scorer in Serie A with 25 goals this campaign. "We knew it would be tough against Atalanta," said Juve coach Andrea Pirlo. "Ronaldo is our finisher, he adapts to these matches, because he's a champion. "He's a penalty area killer. Today we had our chances, we didn't use them and we were punished by an episode." Juve have failed to win any of the four matches they have played this season without 36-year-old Ronaldo. But they held fourth spot two points ahead of Napoli whose six-match winning streak at home was stopped by Inter. In Naples, top Inter scorer Romelu Lukaku rattled the woodwork either side of Napoli's opener, an own-goal following a blunder from visiting goalkeeper Samir Handanovic. Lorenzo Insigne tried to connect with Victor Osimhen to finish off with Handanovic intercepting the ball only to lose control after colliding with Stefan de Vrij sending into his own net. Eriksen pulled Inter level 10 minutes after the break rifling in from just outside the penalty area. "I'm very happy and proud of this group of guys who have grown significantly in many ways," said Inter coach Antonio Conte. "On other occasions we would have lost the game, we would have fallen on that goal conceded. Instead the team reacted, they know what they are capable of and want to fight for something important." - Milan back winning in San Siro - In Milan, Gianluca Scamacca's 68th-minute own goal kept the seven-time European champions on course for a return to Champions League football next season. Stefano Pioli's side had not won their last six games in the San Siro in all competitions and were playing without suspended forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. "We wasted a lot, we could have finished it earlier, but the important thing is the spirit to stay in the game until the very end," said Pioli, who has given up on catching Inter. "Inter have taken too many points to think that we can still fight for the Scudetto (league title). "Winning was important. We will have to face important teams, Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, from here to the end they will all be difficult." Ante Rebic put Milan ahead in the 13th minute with Rafael Leao, taking the place of Ibrahimovic, missing a chance for a second minutes later. A Mattia Destro header against his former club pulled 14th-placed Genoa level eight minutes before the break. Mario Mandzukic came off the bench for his first appearance in over two months just after the hour and had a role in the winning goal, which Scamacca guided past his own goalkeeper from a Hakan Calhanoglu corner. In Rome, Lazio beat Benevento 5-4 in a match between coaching brothers Simone and Filippo Inzaghi to stay in the chase for the Champions League. Ciro Immobile scored twice for the hosts and also missed a penalty as sixth-placed Lazio are four points behind Juventus having played a game less. Roma's Champions League ambitions took a knock with a 3-1 defeat at Torino, who boosted their chances of top-flight survival. Roma have taken four points from the last five games, and are stuck in seventh position, eight points off the Champions League berths.

Juve's Champions League at risk, Inter edge towards title despite Napoli draw

Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey will miss Wales` 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Belgium and Czech Republic this month due to injury, the Welsh FA said on Sunday. 
 
Ramsey was named in the squad last week despite concerns about a thigh injury he picked up when playing for Juventus. The Italian champions earlier said the 30-year-old had sustained a "low-grade lesion" in his left thigh. 
 
Wales are scheduled to travel to Belgium for a qualifier on Wednesday before playing a friendly against Mexico on Saturday in Cardiff. They host Czech Republic in a qualifier on March 30. 
 
Assistant coach Robert Page will lead Wales in the absence of Ryan Giggs, who was arrested in November on suspicion of assault following a disturbance at his home. Giggs has denied the allegations.

Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey will miss Wales` 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Belgium and Czech Republic this month due to injury, the Welsh FA said on Sunday.

Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey will miss Wales` 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Belgium and Czech Republic this month due to injury, the Welsh FA said on Sunday. Ramsey was named in the squad last week despite concerns about a thigh injury he picked up when playing for Juventus. The Italian champions earlier said the 30-year-old had sustained a "low-grade lesion" in his left thigh. Wales are scheduled to travel to Belgium for a qualifier on Wednesday before playing a friendly against Mexico on Saturday in Cardiff. They host Czech Republic in a qualifier on March 30. Assistant coach Robert Page will lead Wales in the absence of Ryan Giggs, who was arrested in November on suspicion of assault following a disturbance at his home. Giggs has denied the allegations.

Injured Ramsey to miss Wales' World Cup qualifiers

Juventus' hopes of winning a 10th consecutive Serie A title took another blow on Sunday with a 1-0 home loss to lowly Benevento as AC Milan closed the gap on leaders Inter Milan with a hard-fought 3-2 win at Fiorentina.

Adolfo Gaich scored the only goal in the 69th minute at Juve's Allianz Stadium following a bad pass across his own penalty area by midfielder Arthur.

Andrea Pirlo's side stay third, 10 points behind Inter whose match against Sassuolo was postponed because of a Covid-19 outbreak at the league leaders.

Second-placed Milan are four points ahead of the reigning champions after they recovered from their Europa League exit to Manchester United by cutting the deficit to Inter to six points with a 3-2 win over Fiorentina.

For Juve, who have 11 games left to play this season, it was another blow after being dumped out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage by Porto earlier this month.

"We performed poorly, in every aspect," said Pirlo.&nbsp;

"We have to continue to believe in the title. The objective does not change, it's the mindset which must."

Serie A top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, who has netted 23 times in the league this season, drew a blank in Turin a week after reaching 770 goals to beat Pele's all-time mark of 767, with Benevento goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo pulling off a string of fine saves.

<h2>- Zlatan hails 'important' win -</h2>

Benevento broke the deadlock following Arthur's horrendous pass across the face of goal towards Danilo, which allowed Gaich to pounce and score his second goal in five games since arriving on loan from CSKA Moscow.

Montipo denied Ronaldo twice late on as Juve pushed for a leveller, first from close range with 10 minutes to go and again in the final minute, with Danilo sending the subsequent rebound over the bar.

Benevento now sit seven points away from the drop zone in 16th.

In Florence, Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to the starting line-up for Milan for the first time in over three weeks and scored after nine minutes following Simon Kjaer's ball over the top.

But Milan needed Brahim Diaz's 57th-minute strike and a Hakan Calhanoglu winner with quarter of an hour to go to snatch victory.

A curling Erick Pulgar free-kick had pulled Fiorentina level with Franck Ribery then putting the hosts ahead six minutes after the break.

"It was very important to win like this after the defeat against Manchester United," said Ibrahimovic, who at 39 became the oldest player to score 15 goals in a single Serie A season.&nbsp;

<h2>- Mertens century -</h2>

Atalanta bounced back after their Champions League exit to Real Madrid with a 2-0 win at Hellas Verona to consolidate fourth place, equal on points with Juventus.

Ruslan Malinovskyi scored the first from the penalty spot after a Federico Dimarco handball in the 33rd minute in Verona.

Duvan Zapata added a second before the break, after an earlier effort hit the post, the Colombian sweeping the ball past Marco Silvestri into an empty net, as Verona fell to a third successive defeat to stay ninth.

Atalanta are two points ahead of Napoli who beat Champions League rivals Roma 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to a Dries Mertens brace.

Mertens curled in the opener from a free-kick in the 27th minute and nodded in a Matteo Politano cross seven minutes later to bring his tally to 100 Serie A goals since joining Napoli in 2013.

Roma are the only Italian side left in Europe and showed signs of fatigue after their Europa League trip to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday.

"Perhaps we don't have the mentality required to compete against these sort of teams," said Roma coach Paulo Fonseca, whose side have struggled for results against Serie A's top teams.&nbsp;

"In the first half the team looked to be without courage ... When we are afraid of losing, or afraid of playing, it all becomes a lot harder."

Lazio recovered from their Champions League elimination to Bayern Munich with a 1-0 win at Udinese thanks to an Adam Marusic goal.

Simone Inzaghi's side are seventh but now just one point behind their city rivals with a game in hand.

Juventus' hopes of winning a 10th consecutive Serie A title took another blow on Sunday with a 1-0 home loss to lowly Benevento as AC Milan closed the gap on leaders Inter Milan with a hard-fought 3-2 win at Fiorentina.

Juventus' hopes of winning a 10th consecutive Serie A title took another blow on Sunday with a 1-0 home loss to lowly Benevento as AC Milan closed the gap on leaders Inter Milan with a hard-fought 3-2 win at Fiorentina. Adolfo Gaich scored the only goal in the 69th minute at Juve's Allianz Stadium following a bad pass across his own penalty area by midfielder Arthur. Andrea Pirlo's side stay third, 10 points behind Inter whose match against Sassuolo was postponed because of a Covid-19 outbreak at the league leaders. Second-placed Milan are four points ahead of the reigning champions after they recovered from their Europa League exit to Manchester United by cutting the deficit to Inter to six points with a 3-2 win over Fiorentina. For Juve, who have 11 games left to play this season, it was another blow after being dumped out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage by Porto earlier this month. "We performed poorly, in every aspect," said Pirlo. "We have to continue to believe in the title. The objective does not change, it's the mindset which must." Serie A top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, who has netted 23 times in the league this season, drew a blank in Turin a week after reaching 770 goals to beat Pele's all-time mark of 767, with Benevento goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo pulling off a string of fine saves. - Zlatan hails 'important' win - Benevento broke the deadlock following Arthur's horrendous pass across the face of goal towards Danilo, which allowed Gaich to pounce and score his second goal in five games since arriving on loan from CSKA Moscow. Montipo denied Ronaldo twice late on as Juve pushed for a leveller, first from close range with 10 minutes to go and again in the final minute, with Danilo sending the subsequent rebound over the bar. Benevento now sit seven points away from the drop zone in 16th. In Florence, Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to the starting line-up for Milan for the first time in over three weeks and scored after nine minutes following Simon Kjaer's ball over the top. But Milan needed Brahim Diaz's 57th-minute strike and a Hakan Calhanoglu winner with quarter of an hour to go to snatch victory. A curling Erick Pulgar free-kick had pulled Fiorentina level with Franck Ribery then putting the hosts ahead six minutes after the break. "It was very important to win like this after the defeat against Manchester United," said Ibrahimovic, who at 39 became the oldest player to score 15 goals in a single Serie A season. - Mertens century - Atalanta bounced back after their Champions League exit to Real Madrid with a 2-0 win at Hellas Verona to consolidate fourth place, equal on points with Juventus. Ruslan Malinovskyi scored the first from the penalty spot after a Federico Dimarco handball in the 33rd minute in Verona. Duvan Zapata added a second before the break, after an earlier effort hit the post, the Colombian sweeping the ball past Marco Silvestri into an empty net, as Verona fell to a third successive defeat to stay ninth. Atalanta are two points ahead of Napoli who beat Champions League rivals Roma 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to a Dries Mertens brace. Mertens curled in the opener from a free-kick in the 27th minute and nodded in a Matteo Politano cross seven minutes later to bring his tally to 100 Serie A goals since joining Napoli in 2013. Roma are the only Italian side left in Europe and showed signs of fatigue after their Europa League trip to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday. "Perhaps we don't have the mentality required to compete against these sort of teams," said Roma coach Paulo Fonseca, whose side have struggled for results against Serie A's top teams. "In the first half the team looked to be without courage ... When we are afraid of losing, or afraid of playing, it all becomes a lot harder." Lazio recovered from their Champions League elimination to Bayern Munich with a 1-0 win at Udinese thanks to an Adam Marusic goal. Simone Inzaghi's side are seventh but now just one point behind their city rivals with a game in hand.

Juve's title hopes rocked as Milan keep pressure on Inter

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named Serie A Player of the Year for his performance in the 2019-2020 season at the Gran Gala del Calcio on Friday.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/man-utd-to-face-granada-in-europa-league-quarter-finals-371778" hreflang="en">Man Utd to face Granada in Europa League quarter-finals</a>

The Portuguese legend won the award given by the Italian Footballers' Association, after helping Juventus to a ninth successive Serie A title last season

"It was a strange year, a year that no one would have wanted, but on a personal and team level, it was positive, because we won the championship," Ronaldo told Sky Sport Italia.

"At the beginning, it was difficult to play in empty stadiums, but our goal was to win the championship and we did it. We missed the Champions League but that's how football is."

His goal against Sampdoria in December 2019 was also voted Goal of the Season.

"It was my best goal, I’m very sure of it," Ronaldo added. "I want to thank my teammates because without them it wouldn’t have been possible to receive this prize.

"Thanks to the players who voted for me, I feel very lucky. I think the trust, the endurance and passion are the secrets to continuing to enjoy football.

"I feel motivated and this must be the case, as otherwise, it's not possible to play at this level when you are 35, 36, 37 or 40."

Coach of the Year award was won by Atlanta's Gian Piero Gasperini.&nbsp;

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named Serie A Player of the Year for his performance in the 2019-2020 season at the Gran Gala del Calcio on Friday. ALSO READ: Man Utd to face Granada in Europa League quarter-finals The Portuguese legend won the award given by the Italian Footballers' Association, after helping Juventus to a ninth successive Serie A title last season "It was a strange year, a year that no one would have wanted, but on a personal and team level, it was positive, because we won the championship," Ronaldo told Sky Sport Italia.

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named Serie A Player of the Year for his performance in the 2019-2020 season at the Gran Gala del Calcio on Friday. ALSO READ: Man Utd to face Granada in Europa League quarter-finals The Portuguese legend won the award given by the Italian Footballers' Association, after helping Juventus to a ninth successive Serie A title last season "It was a strange year, a year that no one would have wanted, but on a personal and team level, it was positive, because we won the championship," Ronaldo told Sky Sport Italia. "At the beginning, it was difficult to play in empty stadiums, but our goal was to win the championship and we did it. We missed the Champions League but that's how football is." His goal against Sampdoria in December 2019 was also voted Goal of the Season. "It was my best goal, I’m very sure of it," Ronaldo added. "I want to thank my teammates because without them it wouldn’t have been possible to receive this prize. "Thanks to the players who voted for me, I feel very lucky. I think the trust, the endurance and passion are the secrets to continuing to enjoy football. "I feel motivated and this must be the case, as otherwise, it's not possible to play at this level when you are 35, 36, 37 or 40." Coach of the Year award was won by Atlanta's Gian Piero Gasperini.

Juve star Cristiano Ronaldo named Serie A's Player of the Year

Cristiano Ronaldo hit back at his critics with a quick-fire hat-trick as Juventus brushed aside Cagliari 3-1 on Sunday, five days after their Champions League elimination, while Inter Milan moved nine points clear at the Serie A summit.

Portuguese star Ronaldo bore the brunt of the criticism for Juve's latest European flop after failing to score in either leg of the last-16 defeat by Porto, while also being partly at fault for what proved to be the winning goal.

But the 36-year-old scored a header after less than nine minutes at the Sardegna Arena, added a second from the penalty spot, and completed a 'perfect' treble on 32 minutes with a fine left-footed strike.

Defending champions Juventus are 10 points behind Inter Milan, who beat Torino 2-1 earlier Sunday, but with a game in hand.

Andrea Pirlo's side pulled just one point behind second-placed AC Milan, who host Napoli later Sunday, as they try to keep their push for a 10th consecutive Scudetto alive.

Ronaldo broke the deadlock early on, rising high to nod in a Juan Cuadrado corner.

But he could have been sent off after a quarter of an hour, receiving only a yellow card for dangerous play as his boot struck Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno in the face while attempting to meet a Federico Chiesa cross.

Ronaldo's second came from the penalty spot in the 24th minute after being brought down by Cragno.

He completed the 57th treble of his career when he collected Chiesa's pass and blasted a left-footed strike into the Cagliari net, at the only stadium in the Italian top flight where he had not previously scored.

Ronaldo is the leading scorer in Serie A with 23 goals this season, ahead of Inter's Romelu Lukaku, who has 19.

It was his third hat-trick for Juventus since joining in 2018, after also putting three past Cagliari in the league last season and in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid in 2019.

Before kick-off, Juventus chief football officer Fabio Paratici dismissed talk about Ronaldo's future.

"It makes me laugh. I would never have imagined discussing the value of Cristiano Ronaldo," said Paratici.

"It's a privilege to have him with us, he's part of our future."

Cagliari, two points above the relegation zone, pulled a goal back through Giovanni Simeone in the 61st minute.

<h2>- Martinez pulls Inter clear -</h2>

Lautaro Martinez scored a brilliant 85th-minute winner for Inter in a tight game against 18th-placed Torino.

Antonio Conte's Inter once again needed their strike duo of Lukaku and Martinez to find a way to win in Turin.

Christian Eriksen came off the bench on 56 minutes and had an immediate impact, playing a part in the move which resulted in Torino defender Armando Izzo fouling Martinez in the penalty area.

Lukaku fired home the resulting spot-kick in the 62nd minute.

Inter looked to be wobbling when Antonio Sanabria pulled Torino level eight minutes later, finishing off goalmouth scramble.

But Martinez snatched the victory by getting his head to an Alexis Sanchez cross for his 14th league goal this term.

Inter stretched their winning run to eight matches to move further ahead of AC Milan.

"Victories like these are crucial," said Inter assistant coach Cristian Stellini, with Antonio Conte serving a touchline ban.

"The three points were also vital for Torino who gave little away."

Injury-hit Roma dropped to fifth, two points behind Atalanta and the Champions League berths after falling 2-0 at 19th-placed Parma who earned their first win since November 30.

Valentin Mihaila opened the scoring on nine minutes following a cross from fellow Romanian Dennis Man.

Hernani added a second from the spot in the second half to secure a valuable win which moves Parma a point behind Torino, who have played two games fewer because of a coronavirus outbreak, and three from safety.

Cristiano Ronaldo hit back at his critics with a quick-fire hat-trick as Juventus brushed aside Cagliari 3-1 on Sunday, five days after their Champions League elimination, while Inter Milan moved nine points clear at the Serie A summit.

Cristiano Ronaldo hit back at his critics with a quick-fire hat-trick as Juventus brushed aside Cagliari 3-1 on Sunday, five days after their Champions League elimination, while Inter Milan moved nine points clear at the Serie A summit. Portuguese star Ronaldo bore the brunt of the criticism for Juve's latest European flop after failing to score in either leg of the last-16 defeat by Porto, while also being partly at fault for what proved to be the winning goal. But the 36-year-old scored a header after less than nine minutes at the Sardegna Arena, added a second from the penalty spot, and completed a 'perfect' treble on 32 minutes with a fine left-footed strike. Defending champions Juventus are 10 points behind Inter Milan, who beat Torino 2-1 earlier Sunday, but with a game in hand. Andrea Pirlo's side pulled just one point behind second-placed AC Milan, who host Napoli later Sunday, as they try to keep their push for a 10th consecutive Scudetto alive. Ronaldo broke the deadlock early on, rising high to nod in a Juan Cuadrado corner. But he could have been sent off after a quarter of an hour, receiving only a yellow card for dangerous play as his boot struck Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno in the face while attempting to meet a Federico Chiesa cross. Ronaldo's second came from the penalty spot in the 24th minute after being brought down by Cragno. He completed the 57th treble of his career when he collected Chiesa's pass and blasted a left-footed strike into the Cagliari net, at the only stadium in the Italian top flight where he had not previously scored. Ronaldo is the leading scorer in Serie A with 23 goals this season, ahead of Inter's Romelu Lukaku, who has 19. It was his third hat-trick for Juventus since joining in 2018, after also putting three past Cagliari in the league last season and in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid in 2019. Before kick-off, Juventus chief football officer Fabio Paratici dismissed talk about Ronaldo's future. "It makes me laugh. I would never have imagined discussing the value of Cristiano Ronaldo," said Paratici. "It's a privilege to have him with us, he's part of our future." Cagliari, two points above the relegation zone, pulled a goal back through Giovanni Simeone in the 61st minute. - Martinez pulls Inter clear - Lautaro Martinez scored a brilliant 85th-minute winner for Inter in a tight game against 18th-placed Torino. Antonio Conte's Inter once again needed their strike duo of Lukaku and Martinez to find a way to win in Turin. Christian Eriksen came off the bench on 56 minutes and had an immediate impact, playing a part in the move which resulted in Torino defender Armando Izzo fouling Martinez in the penalty area. Lukaku fired home the resulting spot-kick in the 62nd minute. Inter looked to be wobbling when Antonio Sanabria pulled Torino level eight minutes later, finishing off goalmouth scramble. But Martinez snatched the victory by getting his head to an Alexis Sanchez cross for his 14th league goal this term. Inter stretched their winning run to eight matches to move further ahead of AC Milan. "Victories like these are crucial," said Inter assistant coach Cristian Stellini, with Antonio Conte serving a touchline ban. "The three points were also vital for Torino who gave little away." Injury-hit Roma dropped to fifth, two points behind Atalanta and the Champions League berths after falling 2-0 at 19th-placed Parma who earned their first win since November 30. Valentin Mihaila opened the scoring on nine minutes following a cross from fellow Romanian Dennis Man. Hernani added a second from the spot in the second half to secure a valuable win which moves Parma a point behind Torino, who have played two games fewer because of a coronavirus outbreak, and three from safety.

Ronaldo hits back with hat-trick, Inter extend lead

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates 600th league game with special goal for Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 19th goal this campaign but champions Juventus had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday.

The draw gives leaders Inter Milan the chance to pull 10 points clear of Juventus when they play mid-table Genoa at the San Siro on Sunday.

Juventus are third and three points adrift of second-placed AC Milan who travel to Roma, two points behind the champions in fourth, on Sunday.

"We managed to take the lead, which was the hardest part, it's a pity not being able to hold it," said Juve coach Andrea Pirlo.

Pirlo's side paid for their many absences and a redesigned defence with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini out injured and Danilo suspended.

Also missing were Juan Cuadrado, Arthur and Paulo Dybala to injury with Alvaro Morata recovering from a viral infection.

"We lacked experienced players, we had many youngsters on the pitch and there are details that they don't understand," continued Pirlo.

"I asked Ronaldo and Alex Sandro to make their voices heard, but it wasn't enough."

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and the post saved Juventus just minutes into the game at the Stadio Bentegodi following a Davide Faraoni header.

Ronaldo broke through four minutes after the break connecting with a perfect lay-off from Federico Chiesa to fire in.

Aaron Ramsey missed a chance for a second before the hour mark after a Dejan Kulusevski pull-back which the Verona defence closed down.

Antonin Barak headed in an equaliser with quarter of an hour to go and the hosts were denied a late winner with Szczesny deflecting a Darko Lazovic effort onto the crossbar.

<h2>- Immobile penalty miss -</h2>

Lazio's European ambitions took a knock with a 2-0 loss at Bologna, days after a heavy defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Ciro Immobile missed a penalty with goals in either half from Ibrahima Mbaye and Nicola Sansone sealing all three points for Bologna who snapped their 15-match winless league run against the Romans.

"The missed penalty set the tone for the game," said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi.

Inzaghi's side showed signs of fatigue as they came off a 4-1 Champions League last 16, first leg loss to holders Bayern Munich.

"We must forget about these two defeats which hurt. An ambitious team like ours needs to roll up our sleeves and do better."

Lazio have lost momentum since losing to Inter Milan in the league two weeks ago, and next host Torino before travelling to Juventus.

Last season's European golden shoe winner Immobile had a chance to score from the spot after Joaquin Correa was tripped in the box with goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski easily holding the striker's weak effort.

And 11th-placed Bologna got the breakthrough two minutes later when Mbaye tapped in a rebound after Pepe Reina parried a Riccardo Orsolini volley.

Musa Barrow set up Sansone for the second after 64 minutes as Lazio's 19-game league scoring streak ended, two short of their record run in 1956.

Lazio stay sixth on 43 points and could also be overtaken by Napoli on Sunday, while European rivals Atalanta travel to Sampdoria.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 19th goal this campaign but champions Juventus had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday. The draw gives leaders Inter Milan the chance to pull 10 points clear of Juventus when they play mid-table Genoa at the San Siro on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 19th goal this campaign but champions Juventus had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday. The draw gives leaders Inter Milan the chance to pull 10 points clear of Juventus when they play mid-table Genoa at the San Siro on Sunday. Juventus are third and three points adrift of second-placed AC Milan who travel to Roma, two points behind the champions in fourth, on Sunday. "We managed to take the lead, which was the hardest part, it's a pity not being able to hold it," said Juve coach Andrea Pirlo. Pirlo's side paid for their many absences and a redesigned defence with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini out injured and Danilo suspended. Also missing were Juan Cuadrado, Arthur and Paulo Dybala to injury with Alvaro Morata recovering from a viral infection. "We lacked experienced players, we had many youngsters on the pitch and there are details that they don't understand," continued Pirlo. "I asked Ronaldo and Alex Sandro to make their voices heard, but it wasn't enough." Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and the post saved Juventus just minutes into the game at the Stadio Bentegodi following a Davide Faraoni header. Ronaldo broke through four minutes after the break connecting with a perfect lay-off from Federico Chiesa to fire in. Aaron Ramsey missed a chance for a second before the hour mark after a Dejan Kulusevski pull-back which the Verona defence closed down. Antonin Barak headed in an equaliser with quarter of an hour to go and the hosts were denied a late winner with Szczesny deflecting a Darko Lazovic effort onto the crossbar. - Immobile penalty miss - Lazio's European ambitions took a knock with a 2-0 loss at Bologna, days after a heavy defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Ciro Immobile missed a penalty with goals in either half from Ibrahima Mbaye and Nicola Sansone sealing all three points for Bologna who snapped their 15-match winless league run against the Romans. "The missed penalty set the tone for the game," said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi. Inzaghi's side showed signs of fatigue as they came off a 4-1 Champions League last 16, first leg loss to holders Bayern Munich. "We must forget about these two defeats which hurt. An ambitious team like ours needs to roll up our sleeves and do better." Lazio have lost momentum since losing to Inter Milan in the league two weeks ago, and next host Torino before travelling to Juventus. Last season's European golden shoe winner Immobile had a chance to score from the spot after Joaquin Correa was tripped in the box with goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski easily holding the striker's weak effort. And 11th-placed Bologna got the breakthrough two minutes later when Mbaye tapped in a rebound after Pepe Reina parried a Riccardo Orsolini volley. Musa Barrow set up Sansone for the second after 64 minutes as Lazio's 19-game league scoring streak ended, two short of their record run in 1956. Lazio stay sixth on 43 points and could also be overtaken by Napoli on Sunday, while European rivals Atalanta travel to Sampdoria.

Ronaldo scores as Juventus held in Verona

Cristiano Ronaldo's first game for Juventus in his native Portugal ended in 2-1 defeat as FC Porto out-played the Italians for much of Wednesday's Champions League last-16, first leg tie.

Such was Juve's lacklustre performance that coach Andrea Pirlo claimed his team handed victory to their hosts on "a silver platter".

Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi put Porto ahead after just a minute at Estadio do Dragao following a Rodrigo Bentancur error.

And Mali striker Moussa Marega added a second straight after the break.

But Federico Chiesa pulled a goal back with eight minutes to go to keep Juventus afloat with the second leg in Turin on March 9.

"The approach was wrong from the first minute," said Pirlo.&nbsp;

"When you concede a goal like this it's normal that fear sets in, you lack a bit of certainty.&nbsp;

"Porto are good at closing down and after that goal it was much more difficult. We served them the match they wanted on a silver platter.

"Fortunately we scored an important goal through Chiesa and now we will focus on the return leg."

It was a below-par performance by Juventus,chasing their third Champions League title and first in 25 years.

Record Champions League goal scorer Ronaldo, 36, drew a blank against a side captained by his Portuguese international teammate Pepe, as the visitors struggled to recover from their early blunder.

"We studied Juventus well," said defender Pepe who won three Champions League titles with Ronaldo at Real Madrid.&nbsp;

"We knew that we had to press hard to keep Juventus from playing.&nbsp;In these type of games it's difficult to concede goals at home, but we played a great game."

It was a shocking start for Juventus, with Wojciech Szczesny sending the ball out to Bentancur, who passed back to the Polish goalkeeper despite Taremi being just on front of goal.

The Iranian quickly pounced to prod past Szczesny for his first Champions League goal.

Porto pressed forward with Juventus almost conceding a second on 23 minutes as Szczesny cleared straight to Sergio Oliveira whose shot was deflected away from goal.

To add to Andrea Pirlo's woes captain Giorgio Chiellini limped off 10 minutes later with defender Merih Demiral coming off the bench.

Pirlo had juggled Juve's defence with Leonardo Bonucci out injured with Alex Sandro returning, playing alongside veteran Chiellini, Matthijs de Ligt and Danilo.

Juve had to wait until four minutes before the break for their first shot on goal with an Adrien Rabiot overhead kick cleared by Porto 'keeper Agustin Marchesin, but the offside flag had already been raised.

The Italians suffered another terrible start to the second half with Marega picking up a Wilson Manafa cross to finish low past&nbsp;Szczęsny.

Ronaldo had to wait until five minutes after the break to have a shot on goal. Weston McKennie nodded the ball into the path of the Portuguese star, whose weak effort was blocked.

However, Chiesa pulled Juventus back into the tie following a Rabiot run down the right with a pull back for the Italian to finish off into the corner of the net.

"The goal will give us strength for the second leg, and it will certainly be another game," said Chiesa.&nbsp;

It was the first goal conceded by Porto in the competition at home this season for the former two-time winners.

Ronaldo had penalty appeals waved away after going down under a Sanusi Zaidu challenge late as the hosts held on for their first win over Juventus in five meetings.

Cristiano Ronaldo's first game for Juventus in his native Portugal ended in 2-1 defeat as FC Porto out-played the Italians for much of Wednesday's Champions League last-16, first leg tie.

Cristiano Ronaldo's first game for Juventus in his native Portugal ended in 2-1 defeat as FC Porto out-played the Italians for much of Wednesday's Champions League last-16, first leg tie. Such was Juve's lacklustre performance that coach Andrea Pirlo claimed his team handed victory to their hosts on "a silver platter". Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi put Porto ahead after just a minute at Estadio do Dragao following a Rodrigo Bentancur error. And Mali striker Moussa Marega added a second straight after the break. But Federico Chiesa pulled a goal back with eight minutes to go to keep Juventus afloat with the second leg in Turin on March 9. "The approach was wrong from the first minute," said Pirlo. "When you concede a goal like this it's normal that fear sets in, you lack a bit of certainty. "Porto are good at closing down and after that goal it was much more difficult. We served them the match they wanted on a silver platter. "Fortunately we scored an important goal through Chiesa and now we will focus on the return leg." It was a below-par performance by Juventus,chasing their third Champions League title and first in 25 years. Record Champions League goal scorer Ronaldo, 36, drew a blank against a side captained by his Portuguese international teammate Pepe, as the visitors struggled to recover from their early blunder. "We studied Juventus well," said defender Pepe who won three Champions League titles with Ronaldo at Real Madrid. "We knew that we had to press hard to keep Juventus from playing. In these type of games it's difficult to concede goals at home, but we played a great game." It was a shocking start for Juventus, with Wojciech Szczesny sending the ball out to Bentancur, who passed back to the Polish goalkeeper despite Taremi being just on front of goal. The Iranian quickly pounced to prod past Szczesny for his first Champions League goal. Porto pressed forward with Juventus almost conceding a second on 23 minutes as Szczesny cleared straight to Sergio Oliveira whose shot was deflected away from goal. To add to Andrea Pirlo's woes captain Giorgio Chiellini limped off 10 minutes later with defender Merih Demiral coming off the bench. Pirlo had juggled Juve's defence with Leonardo Bonucci out injured with Alex Sandro returning, playing alongside veteran Chiellini, Matthijs de Ligt and Danilo. Juve had to wait until four minutes before the break for their first shot on goal with an Adrien Rabiot overhead kick cleared by Porto 'keeper Agustin Marchesin, but the offside flag had already been raised. The Italians suffered another terrible start to the second half with Marega picking up a Wilson Manafa cross to finish low past Szczęsny. Ronaldo had to wait until five minutes after the break to have a shot on goal. Weston McKennie nodded the ball into the path of the Portuguese star, whose weak effort was blocked. However, Chiesa pulled Juventus back into the tie following a Rabiot run down the right with a pull back for the Italian to finish off into the corner of the net. "The goal will give us strength for the second leg, and it will certainly be another game," said Chiesa. It was the first goal conceded by Porto in the competition at home this season for the former two-time winners. Ronaldo had penalty appeals waved away after going down under a Sanusi Zaidu challenge late as the hosts held on for their first win over Juventus in five meetings.

Pirlo says lacklustre Juventus handed Porto victory 'on silver platter'

Juventus booked a place in the Coppa Italia final after holding visitors Inter Milan to a 0-0 draw in their semi-final, second leg on Tuesday, sealing a date with either Napoli or Atalanta with a 2-1 success on aggregate.

Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez had chances to get Inter back in the tie in the first half, while Cristiano Ronaldo came closest to adding to Juve's aggregate advantage in the opening period, having scored both of their goals in the first leg.

After the break, Ronaldo turned on the style and was only denied another goal in the tie by two fine saves from Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

Inter threw everything at Juve late on but veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon and his defence stood firm to secure a spot in the showpiece match against the winners of Wednesday's semi, with Atalanta hosting Napoli after a 0-0 draw in the first leg.

"We deserved it having taken on a great team like Inter," Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo said.

"In such important matches our team is unlikely to make mistakes, they all played a great match. We changed something on a tactical level and they did well, we had the clearest opportunities."

With the away goals rule in place, Inter had to go for it and with Martinez and Lukaku in the starting lineup Antonio Conte’s side certainly had the firepower to trouble the hosts.

But 43-year-old Buffon, used only sparingly by Pirlo this season, was rarely tested, despite Christian Eriksen putting plenty of dangerous crosses into the box.

Inter committed more players forward as the match wore on, but the pressure was soaked up by the home defence as the visitors finished the match without scoring for the seventh successive trip to Juventus in all competitions.

"I think Inter tonight showed we have narrowed the gap to Juventus," Conte said.

"The ambition must be high, then the reality is something else and reality says that we are out. We have been knocked out of the cup against the team that has been winning (Serie A titles) for nine years and I think we deserved more."

The result booked the Turin side a 20th Coppa Italia final appearance on May 19, with a re-run of last season’s showpiece -- when Napoli beat Juve on penalties -- still possible.

Juventus booked a place in the Coppa Italia final after holding visitors Inter Milan to a 0-0 draw in their semi-final, second leg on Tuesday, sealing a date with either Napoli or Atalanta with a 2-1 success on aggregate.

Juventus booked a place in the Coppa Italia final after holding visitors Inter Milan to a 0-0 draw in their semi-final, second leg on Tuesday, sealing a date with either Napoli or Atalanta with a 2-1 success on aggregate. Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez had chances to get Inter back in the tie in the first half, while Cristiano Ronaldo came closest to adding to Juve's aggregate advantage in the opening period, having scored both of their goals in the first leg. After the break, Ronaldo turned on the style and was only denied another goal in the tie by two fine saves from Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic. Inter threw everything at Juve late on but veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon and his defence stood firm to secure a spot in the showpiece match against the winners of Wednesday's semi, with Atalanta hosting Napoli after a 0-0 draw in the first leg. "We deserved it having taken on a great team like Inter," Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo said. "In such important matches our team is unlikely to make mistakes, they all played a great match. We changed something on a tactical level and they did well, we had the clearest opportunities." With the away goals rule in place, Inter had to go for it and with Martinez and Lukaku in the starting lineup Antonio Conte’s side certainly had the firepower to trouble the hosts. But 43-year-old Buffon, used only sparingly by Pirlo this season, was rarely tested, despite Christian Eriksen putting plenty of dangerous crosses into the box. Inter committed more players forward as the match wore on, but the pressure was soaked up by the home defence as the visitors finished the match without scoring for the seventh successive trip to Juventus in all competitions. "I think Inter tonight showed we have narrowed the gap to Juventus," Conte said. "The ambition must be high, then the reality is something else and reality says that we are out. We have been knocked out of the cup against the team that has been winning (Serie A titles) for nine years and I think we deserved more." The result booked the Turin side a 20th Coppa Italia final appearance on May 19, with a re-run of last season’s showpiece -- when Napoli beat Juve on penalties -- still possible.

Juventus hold Inter to book spot in Coppa Italia final

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