Former soccer striker Gianluca Vialli, who earned 59 caps for Italy and enjoyed a stellar club career with Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea, has died from cancer at the age of 58. Vialli was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017. He was given the all-clear a year later only for the illness to return.

Sampdoria confirmed on Friday that he had died.

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Goodbye, Luca. <a href="https://t.co/npEOq6CanR">pic.twitter.com/npEOq6CanR</a>
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"I know that I probably will not die of old age, I hope to live as long as possible, but I feel much more fragile than before," Vialli had said in a Netflix documentary aired in March 2022.

He described cancer as "a travel companion" that he hoped would eventually leave him in peace, after testing his mettle. "Illness can teach a lot about who you are, and can push you to go beyond the superficial way in which we live," he said.

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Vialli was however forced to step aside from his role as head of a delegation with the Italian national team last month, saying he needed to focus on overcoming a new phase of his disease.

Working with the Italy squad, Vialli had been reunited with national coach Roberto Mancini, a lifelong friend and strike partner when they both played for Sampdoria, where they were known as "the goal twins."

Mancini and Vialli led the Italians to the Euro 2020 tournament, which was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lifting the trophy in Wembley Stadium.

They celebrated with a tearful embrace that "was more beautiful than the hugs we used to give each other when I passed him the ball and he scored goals," Vialli said in a TV interview with Italy's RAI in November.

Their Sampdoria team had lost the European Cup final to Barcelona at the same venue 29 years earlier.

Former soccer striker Gianluca Vialli, who earned 59 caps for Italy and enjoyed a stellar club career with Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea, has died from cancer at the age of 58.

Former soccer striker Gianluca Vialli, who earned 59 caps for Italy and enjoyed a stellar club career with Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea, has died from cancer at the age of 58. Vialli was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017. He was given the all-clear a year later only for the illness to return. Sampdoria confirmed on Friday that he had died. 💔 Goodbye, Luca. pic.twitter.com/npEOq6CanR — Sampdoria English (@sampdoria_en) January 6, 2023 × "I know that I probably will not die of old age, I hope to live as long as possible, but I feel much more fragile than before," Vialli had said in a Netflix documentary aired in March 2022. He described cancer as "a travel companion" that he hoped would eventually leave him in peace, after testing his mettle. "Illness can teach a lot about who you are, and can push you to go beyond the superficial way in which we live," he said. ALSO READ: Chess: Tamil Nadu's Pranesh M becomes India's 79th Grandmaster after winning Rilton Cup Vialli was however forced to step aside from his role as head of a delegation with the Italian national team last month, saying he needed to focus on overcoming a new phase of his disease. Working with the Italy squad, Vialli had been reunited with national coach Roberto Mancini, a lifelong friend and strike partner when they both played for Sampdoria, where they were known as "the goal twins." Mancini and Vialli led the Italians to the Euro 2020 tournament, which was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lifting the trophy in Wembley Stadium. They celebrated with a tearful embrace that "was more beautiful than the hugs we used to give each other when I passed him the ball and he scored goals," Vialli said in a TV interview with Italy's RAI in November. Their Sampdoria team had lost the European Cup final to Barcelona at the same venue 29 years earlier.

Former Italy striker Gianluca Vialli loses battle to cancer, dies at 58, Sampdoria club confirmed

Juventus on Tuesday thrashed Sampdoria to reach the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup while Lazio booked a clash with AC Milan by defeating Udinese. Juventus outplayed Sampdoria from the first minute as they fired four past the visitors at the Allianz Stadium.

With 15 shots on target from a total of 26 efforts on goal, the Bianconeri oozed confidence which set them well for Sunday`s Serie A encounter with Milan at San Siro.

Juan Cuadrado wasn`t denied for long in the match as a powerful free-kick from the edge of the penalty area gave the keeper no chance and Juve were in front after 25 minutes. One minute later, the Bianconeri had the ball in the net again.

Cuadrado set up Alvaro Morata, who swept the ball home, but after consulting VAR, the match official disallowed the goal for a foul in midfield by Adrien Rabiot.

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Juve started the second half on the front foot and quickly found a deserved second goal. Arthur`s corner kick was met majestically by Rugani, whose header looped beyond Falcone. On the hour mark, Sampdoria had found a way back into the game.

A cross from Tommaso Augello found Andrea Conti inside the penalty area. The new signing took one touch before rifling his shot in off the post. Juventus kept their composure and concentration, and five minutes later restored their two-goal advantage.

Manuel Locatelli pounced on a loose ball at the edge of penalty area, where Dybala was on hand to drill the ball into the net. Marley Ake blistering pace proved too much for Augello as the referee awarded a penalty for the foul in the box.

The resulting penalty kick was converted by Morata.In Rome, Ciro Immobile struck the only goal in an extra-time win over Udinese as Lazio will now clash with AC Milan in the next round.

Immobile in the 106th minute met Danilo Cataldi`s chipped through ball with a perfectly placed lob.

Juventus on Tuesday thrashed Sampdoria to reach the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup while Lazio booked a clash with AC Milan by defeating Udinese. Juventus outplayed Sampdoria from the first minute as they fired four past the visitors at the Allianz Stadium.

Juventus on Tuesday thrashed Sampdoria to reach the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup while Lazio booked a clash with AC Milan by defeating Udinese. Juventus outplayed Sampdoria from the first minute as they fired four past the visitors at the Allianz Stadium. With 15 shots on target from a total of 26 efforts on goal, the Bianconeri oozed confidence which set them well for Sunday`s Serie A encounter with Milan at San Siro. Juan Cuadrado wasn`t denied for long in the match as a powerful free-kick from the edge of the penalty area gave the keeper no chance and Juve were in front after 25 minutes. One minute later, the Bianconeri had the ball in the net again. Cuadrado set up Alvaro Morata, who swept the ball home, but after consulting VAR, the match official disallowed the goal for a foul in midfield by Adrien Rabiot. Read Also | Referee Salima Mukansanga creates history, becomes first woman to take charge of AFCON match Juve started the second half on the front foot and quickly found a deserved second goal. Arthur`s corner kick was met majestically by Rugani, whose header looped beyond Falcone. On the hour mark, Sampdoria had found a way back into the game. A cross from Tommaso Augello found Andrea Conti inside the penalty area. The new signing took one touch before rifling his shot in off the post. Juventus kept their composure and concentration, and five minutes later restored their two-goal advantage. Manuel Locatelli pounced on a loose ball at the edge of penalty area, where Dybala was on hand to drill the ball into the net. Marley Ake blistering pace proved too much for Augello as the referee awarded a penalty for the foul in the box. The resulting penalty kick was converted by Morata.In Rome, Ciro Immobile struck the only goal in an extra-time win over Udinese as Lazio will now clash with AC Milan in the next round. Immobile in the 106th minute met Danilo Cataldi`s chipped through ball with a perfectly placed lob.

Juventus beat Sampdoria to reach Italian Cup quarterfinals, Ivan Immobile sets Lazio against Milan

Inter Milan`s eight-match winning run in Serie A came to an end as two of their former players, Antonio Candreva and Keita Balde Diao, struck to give Sampdoria a shock 2-1 win in Genoa on Wednesday. 
 
Candreva converted from the penalty spot before Keita guided home a finish to give the hosts a two-goal lead at the interval, and a Stefan De Vrij header was all Inter could muster in response. 
 
Alexis Sanchez had a penalty saved by Emil Audero early on but Inter struggled to threaten in the absence of striker Romelu Lukaku, who was only fit enough to feature for the final half hour and couldn`t inspire a comeback. 
 
It meant Antonio Conte’s side squandered the chance to go top of the table ahead of AC Milan, who play Juventus later on Wednesday. 
 
Inter remain in second place on 36 points, one behind their city rivals, while Sampdoria are 11th on 20 points.

Inter Milan`s eight-match winning run in Serie A came to an end as two of their former players, Antonio Candreva and Keita Balde Diao, struck to give Sampdoria a shock 2-1 win in Genoa on Wednesday.

Inter Milan`s eight-match winning run in Serie A came to an end as two of their former players, Antonio Candreva and Keita Balde Diao, struck to give Sampdoria a shock 2-1 win in Genoa on Wednesday. Candreva converted from the penalty spot before Keita guided home a finish to give the hosts a two-goal lead at the interval, and a Stefan De Vrij header was all Inter could muster in response. Alexis Sanchez had a penalty saved by Emil Audero early on but Inter struggled to threaten in the absence of striker Romelu Lukaku, who was only fit enough to feature for the final half hour and couldn`t inspire a comeback. It meant Antonio Conte’s side squandered the chance to go top of the table ahead of AC Milan, who play Juventus later on Wednesday. Inter remain in second place on 36 points, one behind their city rivals, while Sampdoria are 11th on 20 points.

Inter Milan winning run ends with shock Sampdoria defeat

Defending Champions Juventus will begin their 2020/21 Serie A campaign hoping for a 10th consecutive league win on the weekend of September 19-20, according to the calendar unveiled on Wednesday.

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They will be hosting Sampdoria.&nbsp;

Juventus will be the only Italian club involved in the Champions League to play in the opening round of fixtures.

League runners-up Inter Milan travel to promoted Benevento while Atalanta, who finished third, is away at fourth-placed Lazio, those two matches a week later because of their European involvement.

The opening weekend will also witness Zlatan Ibrahimovic's AC Milan hosting Bologna and Napoli making the trip to Palermo. Roma will play an away game Hellas Verona.&nbsp;

Heavyweights Juventus and Inter Milan will face each other in 2021. The teams will play each other on January 17 in Milan and May 16 in Turin.&nbsp;

Defending Champions Juventus will begin their 2020/21 Serie A campaign hoping for a 10th consecutive league win on the weekend of September 19-20, according to the calendar unveiled on Wednesday.

Defending Champions Juventus will begin their 2020/21 Serie A campaign hoping for a 10th consecutive league win on the weekend of September 19-20, according to the calendar unveiled on Wednesday. Also read: From El Clasicos to Madrid Derbies: La Liga schedule announced! They will be hosting Sampdoria. Juventus will be the only Italian club involved in the Champions League to play in the opening round of fixtures. League runners-up Inter Milan travel to promoted Benevento while Atalanta, who finished third, is away at fourth-placed Lazio, those two matches a week later because of their European involvement. The opening weekend will also witness Zlatan Ibrahimovic's AC Milan hosting Bologna and Napoli making the trip to Palermo. Roma will play an away game Hellas Verona. Heavyweights Juventus and Inter Milan will face each other in 2021. The teams will play each other on January 17 in Milan and May 16 in Turin.

Defending champs Juventus to begin Serie A season against Sampdoria

Juventus won&nbsp;Serie&nbsp;A for the ninth season in a row when Cristiano Ronaldo set them on the way to a 2-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday although the Portuguese veteran missed a late penalty.

The 35-year-old broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time with his 31st league goal of the season and Federico Bernardeschi added the second as Juve moved seven points clear of Inter Milan.

Juve, in their first season under coach Maurizio Sarri, clinched the title with two games to spare despite a stuttering run in which they won only one out of five matches before Sunday.

Sarri, who claimed the first major Italian title of his career, blamed their problems on the unique situation caused by the three-month coronavirus stoppage which led to the championship race finishing in a hectic six weeks played at the height of summer.

Juventus have 83 points while Inter, whose coach Antonio Conte led the Turin side to the first three titles of their present run, are on 76 and Atalanta and Lazio have 75 each.

Samp, who have climbed away from the relegation zone in the last few rounds and are 15th, had Morten Thorsby sent off for second bookable offence in the 76th minute.

Juventus lost two players to injury in the first half as defender Danilo had to go of after colliding with Gaston Ramriez and Paulo Dybala suffered a muscular injury to his left leg.

Fabio Quagliarella had Samp's best first-half chance when the ball was pulled back to him but his left-foot shot was weak and easily stopped by Wojciech Szczesny.

Juve went ahead from a free kick when Miralem Pjanic rolled the ball to Ronaldo and the Portuguese swept the ball home.

Sampdoria had a flurry of chances early in the second half.

Mehdi Leris sidefooted wide, Szczesny had to turn a looping Ramirez free kick around his post and Lorenzo Tonelli sent a powerful header narrowly wide from the resulting corner.

After those let-offs, Juve doubled their lead in 67th minute. Sampdoria goalkeeper Emil Audero could not hold Ronaldo's shot and Bernardeschi, who had replaced Danilo, snapped up the rebound.

Ronaldo's evening ended on a sour note when he smashed a penalty against the crossbar after Alex Sandro was fouled.

Juventus won Serie A for the ninth season in a row when Cristiano Ronaldo set them on the way to a 2-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday although the Portuguese veteran missed a late penalty.

Juventus won Serie A for the ninth season in a row when Cristiano Ronaldo set them on the way to a 2-0 win over Sampdoria on Sunday although the Portuguese veteran missed a late penalty. The 35-year-old broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time with his 31st league goal of the season and Federico Bernardeschi added the second as Juve moved seven points clear of Inter Milan. Juve, in their first season under coach Maurizio Sarri, clinched the title with two games to spare despite a stuttering run in which they won only one out of five matches before Sunday. Sarri, who claimed the first major Italian title of his career, blamed their problems on the unique situation caused by the three-month coronavirus stoppage which led to the championship race finishing in a hectic six weeks played at the height of summer. Juventus have 83 points while Inter, whose coach Antonio Conte led the Turin side to the first three titles of their present run, are on 76 and Atalanta and Lazio have 75 each. Samp, who have climbed away from the relegation zone in the last few rounds and are 15th, had Morten Thorsby sent off for second bookable offence in the 76th minute. Juventus lost two players to injury in the first half as defender Danilo had to go of after colliding with Gaston Ramriez and Paulo Dybala suffered a muscular injury to his left leg. Fabio Quagliarella had Samp's best first-half chance when the ball was pulled back to him but his left-foot shot was weak and easily stopped by Wojciech Szczesny. Juve went ahead from a free kick when Miralem Pjanic rolled the ball to Ronaldo and the Portuguese swept the ball home. Sampdoria had a flurry of chances early in the second half. Mehdi Leris sidefooted wide, Szczesny had to turn a looping Ramirez free kick around his post and Lorenzo Tonelli sent a powerful header narrowly wide from the resulting corner. After those let-offs, Juve doubled their lead in 67th minute. Sampdoria goalkeeper Emil Audero could not hold Ronaldo's shot and Bernardeschi, who had replaced Danilo, snapped up the rebound. Ronaldo's evening ended on a sour note when he smashed a penalty against the crossbar after Alex Sandro was fouled.

Juventus wins ninth straight Serie A title after beating Sampdoria

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ibrahimovic-statue-vandalised-again-272452">Zlatan Ibrahimovic</a>'s return failed to inspire <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-ibrahimovic-set-for-ac-milan-return-reports-270530">AC Milan</a> as the fallen giants of Italian&nbsp;soccer&nbsp;were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Sampdoria in Serie A on Monday, failing to score for the third league game in a row.

The 38-year-old Swede, who helped Milan win their last major title - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/five-players-to-watch-in-serie-a-245166">Serie A</a> in 2011 - before leaving the following year, was brought on to a rousing reception from the San Siro crowd in the 55th minute.

But Milan could still not find a way past their opponents, who are hovering just above the relegation zone, and the match ended amid the familiar sound of jeers from their supporters.

Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-atalanta-fight-back-to-draw-with-manchester-city-260410">Atalanta</a>, who handed Milan a 5-0 thrashing in their previous game, repeated the scoreline at home to Parma as they closed the gap on fourth-placed AS Roma to one point.

Milan were left 12th in the Serie A standings, below Verona on goal difference.

"We played nearly all of the match in their half of the pitch but we lacked quality and, without that, it's difficult to win," said Milan coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/five-talking-points-in-european-football-this-weekend-257356#pioli-sees-positives-for-milan-257352">Stefano Pioli</a>. "We kept getting into their penalty area but didn't make the right choices."

He said that Ibrahimovic, who has signed a six-month contract, made a positive impact.

"He brought character but the team are not used to having someone with that physical presence in the area and did not provide enough crosses."

It could have been worse for Milan as 16th-placed Sampdoria missed several good chances in the second half.

Manolo Gabbiadini was denied by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma following a mistake by Ismael Bennacer and had an even better chance after pouncing on a poor Davide Calabria pass, but fired over the top of the goal.

"It was almost a perfect performance, we were just missing a goal," said Sampdoria coach Claudio Ranieri. "The team expressed themselves well, I am satisfied."

Atalanta had no such scoring trouble as they took their tally to 48 goals in 18 games - exactly three times Milan's total.

Alejandro Gomez fired them ahead with a long-range effort, Remo Freuler completed a one-two with Gomez for the second and a half-volley from Robin Gosens made it 3-0 before halftime.

Josip Ilicic volleyed the fourth on the hour and weaved his way through the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/flying-cristiano-ronaldo-fires-juventus-top-as-buffon-equals-maldinis-serie-a-record-269078">Parma</a> defence to complete the rout 11 minutes later.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's return failed to inspire AC Milan as the fallen giants of Italian soccer were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Sampdoria in Serie A on Monday, failing to score for the third league game in a row.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's return failed to inspire AC Milan as the fallen giants of Italian soccer were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Sampdoria in Serie A on Monday, failing to score for the third league game in a row. The 38-year-old Swede, who helped Milan win their last major title - Serie A in 2011 - before leaving the following year, was brought on to a rousing reception from the San Siro crowd in the 55th minute. But Milan could still not find a way past their opponents, who are hovering just above the relegation zone, and the match ended amid the familiar sound of jeers from their supporters. Meanwhile, Atalanta, who handed Milan a 5-0 thrashing in their previous game, repeated the scoreline at home to Parma as they closed the gap on fourth-placed AS Roma to one point. Milan were left 12th in the Serie A standings, below Verona on goal difference. "We played nearly all of the match in their half of the pitch but we lacked quality and, without that, it's difficult to win," said Milan coach Stefano Pioli. "We kept getting into their penalty area but didn't make the right choices." He said that Ibrahimovic, who has signed a six-month contract, made a positive impact. "He brought character but the team are not used to having someone with that physical presence in the area and did not provide enough crosses." It could have been worse for Milan as 16th-placed Sampdoria missed several good chances in the second half. Manolo Gabbiadini was denied by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma following a mistake by Ismael Bennacer and had an even better chance after pouncing on a poor Davide Calabria pass, but fired over the top of the goal. "It was almost a perfect performance, we were just missing a goal," said Sampdoria coach Claudio Ranieri. "The team expressed themselves well, I am satisfied." Atalanta had no such scoring trouble as they took their tally to 48 goals in 18 games - exactly three times Milan's total. Alejandro Gomez fired them ahead with a long-range effort, Remo Freuler completed a one-two with Gomez for the second and a half-volley from Robin Gosens made it 3-0 before halftime. Josip Ilicic volleyed the fourth on the hour and weaved his way through the Parma defence to complete the rout 11 minutes later.

AC Milan's old canon Ibrahimovic leaves match untouched

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/cristiano-ronaldo-hits-milestone-with-700th-career-goal-256054">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> continued his hot streak as his towering header gave Juventus a 2-1 win at Parma to put Juventus top of the table as Gianluigi Buffon equalled Paolo Maldini's Serie A appearance record.

Ronaldo met Alex Sandro's looping cross with an incredible leap and header just before half-time to put Juve on 42 points, three ahead of Inter ahead of their match with struggling Genoa on Saturday.

"I'm really happy with the result... It was a really good goal also because it was the one that won the three points," said Ronaldo, who earlier in the season was off-form amid injury concerns.

"Like I said before I'd had pain in my knee for around a month, but now I'm OK and now I want to help Juventus win trophies."&nbsp;

His 10th league goal of the season came after Samp's Gianluca Caprari had levelled Paulo Dybala's superb volleyed opener.

The Argentine met Alex Sandro's raking cross in the 19th minute with the most delicate of volleys, caressing the ball past Emil Audero from the edge of the box.

Maurizio Sarri's side had so much of the ball they already looked home and dry but they failed to capitalise on their possession and were punished by Gianluca Caprari 10 minutes before the break, the Italian pouncing after Sandro was caught on the ball to crash his finish past Buffon.

However Ronaldo soon sparked into action, first fizzing in a cross that both Gonzalo Higuain and Dybala just only just failed to get contact on.

The Portugal forward then put the away side back in front in the final minute of the half with his sixth goal in five matches in all competitions, a hanging header from another pinpoint Sandro cross.

The 34-year-old twice came close to a second in the dying seconds, first when he was ruled to be in an offside position after latching on to Aaron Ramsey's through ball and tapping past an onrushing Audero.

He then flashed a curling shot just wide in added time as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-last-16-fixtures-liverpool-to-clash-with-atletico-madrid-city-to-face-real-madrid-268559">Juventus</a> closed out what was a tight match against Claudio Ranieri's side, who sit just two points above the relegation zone.

Buffon landmark&nbsp;

The win, gained early in the week ahead of Sunday's Italian Super Cup clash with Lazio in Riyadh, was a further source of happiness for Buffon, who made his 647th Serie A appearance in place of the injured Wojciech Szczesny.

The 41-year-old also became Juve's all-time record appearance maker on 479 matches, one ahead of Alessandro Del Piero.

Buffon began his professional career as a teenager in 1995 at Parma, where he won the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia in 1999 before moving to Juve two years later.

He has won nine <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/serie-a-chief-apologises-for-anti-racism-ape-artwork-268895">Serie A</a> titles and the Coppa Italia four times in Turin but has failed to conquer Europe despite reaching two Champions League finals under previous coach Massimiliano Allegri.

However he will have another chance at winning Europe's top club competition after returning to Juve in the summer following a disappointing season at Paris Saint-Germain.

His team cruised into the last 16 after qualifying from Group D unbeaten, six points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid.

The former Italy captain also holds the appearance record for his national team, with 176 caps between 1997-2018, winning the 2006 World Cup.

Later on Wednesday, Brescia missed out on a chance to escape the relegation zone when they lost 2-0 at home to Sassuolo.

The game was a rescheduled week seven fixture that was postponed following the death of Sassuolo president Giorgio Squinzi.

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his hot streak as his towering header gave Juventus a 2-1 win at Parma to put Juventus top of the table as Gianluigi Buffon equalled Paolo Maldini's Serie A appearance record.

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his hot streak as his towering header gave Juventus a 2-1 win at Parma to put Juventus top of the table as Gianluigi Buffon equalled Paolo Maldini's Serie A appearance record. Ronaldo met Alex Sandro's looping cross with an incredible leap and header just before half-time to put Juve on 42 points, three ahead of Inter ahead of their match with struggling Genoa on Saturday. "I'm really happy with the result... It was a really good goal also because it was the one that won the three points," said Ronaldo, who earlier in the season was off-form amid injury concerns. "Like I said before I'd had pain in my knee for around a month, but now I'm OK and now I want to help Juventus win trophies." His 10th league goal of the season came after Samp's Gianluca Caprari had levelled Paulo Dybala's superb volleyed opener. The Argentine met Alex Sandro's raking cross in the 19th minute with the most delicate of volleys, caressing the ball past Emil Audero from the edge of the box. Maurizio Sarri's side had so much of the ball they already looked home and dry but they failed to capitalise on their possession and were punished by Gianluca Caprari 10 minutes before the break, the Italian pouncing after Sandro was caught on the ball to crash his finish past Buffon. However Ronaldo soon sparked into action, first fizzing in a cross that both Gonzalo Higuain and Dybala just only just failed to get contact on. The Portugal forward then put the away side back in front in the final minute of the half with his sixth goal in five matches in all competitions, a hanging header from another pinpoint Sandro cross. The 34-year-old twice came close to a second in the dying seconds, first when he was ruled to be in an offside position after latching on to Aaron Ramsey's through ball and tapping past an onrushing Audero. He then flashed a curling shot just wide in added time as Juventus closed out what was a tight match against Claudio Ranieri's side, who sit just two points above the relegation zone. Buffon landmark The win, gained early in the week ahead of Sunday's Italian Super Cup clash with Lazio in Riyadh, was a further source of happiness for Buffon, who made his 647th Serie A appearance in place of the injured Wojciech Szczesny. The 41-year-old also became Juve's all-time record appearance maker on 479 matches, one ahead of Alessandro Del Piero. Buffon began his professional career as a teenager in 1995 at Parma, where he won the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia in 1999 before moving to Juve two years later. He has won nine Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia four times in Turin but has failed to conquer Europe despite reaching two Champions League finals under previous coach Massimiliano Allegri. However he will have another chance at winning Europe's top club competition after returning to Juve in the summer following a disappointing season at Paris Saint-Germain. His team cruised into the last 16 after qualifying from Group D unbeaten, six points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid. The former Italy captain also holds the appearance record for his national team, with 176 caps between 1997-2018, winning the 2006 World Cup. Later on Wednesday, Brescia missed out on a chance to escape the relegation zone when they lost 2-0 at home to Sassuolo. The game was a rescheduled week seven fixture that was postponed following the death of Sassuolo president Giorgio Squinzi.

Flying Cristiano Ronaldo fires Juventus top as Buffon equals Maldini's Serie A record

Inter Milan ended a turbulent week by beating Sampdoria 2-1 in Serie A on Sunday under the gaze of injured top scorer Mauro Icardi.

The Argentine striker was stripped of the captaincy on Wednesday amid protracted negotiations over a new contract and he refused to travel for their Europa League fixture against Rapid Vienna the following day.

The club subsequently announced Icardi would miss the visit of Sampdoria through injury and the 25-year-old watched from the stands at San Siro as new captain Samir Handanovic led out the team.

Danilo D’Ambrosio and Radja Nainggolan struck for the Nerazzurri either side of Samp substitute Manolo Gabbiadini’s goal in the space of five second-half minutes.

The victory relieved the pressure on coach Luciano Spalletti as Inter restored a four-point cushion over rivals AC Milan in third place with their second consecutive league win.

Spalletti had a message for his star striker after the game.

“I very much appreciated that he was in the stadium and I would’ve appreciated it even more if he had come into the dressing room afterwards to celebrate with us as it was a very important victory for the team and he is part of this group,” he told Italian broadcasters.

“There are more steps to be made, which are for him to come to the dressing room, to enjoy being a part of this very good group, to relish wearing the glorious jersey of a club like Inter, that sort of thing.”

It took 73 minutes for the first goal to be scored and it came from an unlikely source as fullback D’Ambrosio poked in Ivan Perisic’s low cross to score his first goal of the season.

The lead lasted three minutes before substitute Gabbiadini scored with his first touch, the striker profiting from some hesitant defending to finish into the corner.

Nainggolan restored Inter’s lead two minutes later with a well-taken finish from the edge of the area.

Inter remain in third place on 46 points, while Sampdoria are 10th on 33 points having won just one of their last six Serie A matches.

Inter Milan ended a turbulent week by beating Sampdoria 2-1 in Serie A on Sunday under the gaze of injured top scorer Mauro Icardi. The Argentine striker was stripped of the captaincy on Wednesday amid protracted negotiations over a new contract and he refused to travel for their Europa League fixture against Rapid Vienna the following day.

Inter Milan ended a turbulent week by beating Sampdoria 2-1 in Serie A on Sunday under the gaze of injured top scorer Mauro Icardi. The Argentine striker was stripped of the captaincy on Wednesday amid protracted negotiations over a new contract and he refused to travel for their Europa League fixture against Rapid Vienna the following day. The club subsequently announced Icardi would miss the visit of Sampdoria through injury and the 25-year-old watched from the stands at San Siro as new captain Samir Handanovic led out the team. Danilo D’Ambrosio and Radja Nainggolan struck for the Nerazzurri either side of Samp substitute Manolo Gabbiadini’s goal in the space of five second-half minutes. The victory relieved the pressure on coach Luciano Spalletti as Inter restored a four-point cushion over rivals AC Milan in third place with their second consecutive league win. Spalletti had a message for his star striker after the game. “I very much appreciated that he was in the stadium and I would’ve appreciated it even more if he had come into the dressing room afterwards to celebrate with us as it was a very important victory for the team and he is part of this group,” he told Italian broadcasters. “There are more steps to be made, which are for him to come to the dressing room, to enjoy being a part of this very good group, to relish wearing the glorious jersey of a club like Inter, that sort of thing.” It took 73 minutes for the first goal to be scored and it came from an unlikely source as fullback D’Ambrosio poked in Ivan Perisic’s low cross to score his first goal of the season. The lead lasted three minutes before substitute Gabbiadini scored with his first touch, the striker profiting from some hesitant defending to finish into the corner. Nainggolan restored Inter’s lead two minutes later with a well-taken finish from the edge of the area. Inter remain in third place on 46 points, while Sampdoria are 10th on 33 points having won just one of their last six Serie A matches.

Inter Milan edge past Sampdoria as Icardi watches from stand

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace, the second goal a contentious penalty, to give Juventus a dramatic 2-1 win over Sampdoria who had a stoppage-time equaliser chalked off following a long VAR review in Serie A on Saturday.

Riccardo Saponara thought he had given Sampdoria a point when he curled a delightful shot past Mattia Perin and was booked for throwing off his shirt as he celebrated.

But, after a delay of nearly three minutes, referee Paolo Valeri ruled that there had been an offside in the buildup.

It was one of three VAR decisions in a game which also saw Sampdoria's 35-year-old forward Fabio Quagliarella score for the ninth Serie A game in a row, making him the first player to do so since David Trezeguet in 2005.

Leaders Juve reached the season's halfway mark with 53 points out of a possible 57, a Serie A record for a 20-team championship.

Sampdoria coach Marco Giampaolo described Juve's penalty, awarded for handball by Alex Ferrari, as absurd.

"The penalty given to Juventus was a present," he said. "We can talk about this until the day after tomorrow but you can't give a penalty like that, otherwise every Sunday will turn into a mess; that handball decision was absurd."

Ronaldo gave Juventus the lead after two minutes, collecting Paulo Dybala's pass and cutting inside to score with a low shot.

Former Juventus forward Quagliarella levelled in the 33rd minute from a penalty awarded after the ball hit the back of Emre Can's outstretched arm as he jumped for it.

The referee gave the penalty after looking at the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Juve's winner also came for a handball although the ball only brushed Ferrari's arm which did not appear to be outstretched.

The referee immediately pointed to the spot but Ronaldo had to wait more than two minutes to take his kick while the incident was reviewed on the pitchside monitor.

The Portugal forward took his tally to 14 goals, making him Serie A's top scorer.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said he believed his side needed 37 more points from their remaining 19 games to make sure of an eighth successive title.

"VAR is an important instrument," he said. "There were two penalties, both awarded with the use of VAR; one confirmed and one under a review. Looking at it that way, it was either both or neither. In Italy, we create too many controversies."

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace, the second goal a contentious penalty, to give Juventus a dramatic 2-1 win over Sampdoria who had a stoppage-time equaliser chalked off following a long VAR review in Serie A on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace, the second goal a contentious penalty, to give Juventus a dramatic 2-1 win over Sampdoria who had a stoppage-time equaliser chalked off following a long VAR review in Serie A on Saturday. Riccardo Saponara thought he had given Sampdoria a point when he curled a delightful shot past Mattia Perin and was booked for throwing off his shirt as he celebrated. But, after a delay of nearly three minutes, referee Paolo Valeri ruled that there had been an offside in the buildup. It was one of three VAR decisions in a game which also saw Sampdoria's 35-year-old forward Fabio Quagliarella score for the ninth Serie A game in a row, making him the first player to do so since David Trezeguet in 2005. Leaders Juve reached the season's halfway mark with 53 points out of a possible 57, a Serie A record for a 20-team championship. Sampdoria coach Marco Giampaolo described Juve's penalty, awarded for handball by Alex Ferrari, as absurd. "The penalty given to Juventus was a present," he said. "We can talk about this until the day after tomorrow but you can't give a penalty like that, otherwise every Sunday will turn into a mess; that handball decision was absurd." Ronaldo gave Juventus the lead after two minutes, collecting Paulo Dybala's pass and cutting inside to score with a low shot. Former Juventus forward Quagliarella levelled in the 33rd minute from a penalty awarded after the ball hit the back of Emre Can's outstretched arm as he jumped for it. The referee gave the penalty after looking at the incident on the pitchside monitor. Juve's winner also came for a handball although the ball only brushed Ferrari's arm which did not appear to be outstretched. The referee immediately pointed to the spot but Ronaldo had to wait more than two minutes to take his kick while the incident was reviewed on the pitchside monitor. The Portugal forward took his tally to 14 goals, making him Serie A's top scorer. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said he believed his side needed 37 more points from their remaining 19 games to make sure of an eighth successive title. "VAR is an important instrument," he said. "There were two penalties, both awarded with the use of VAR; one confirmed and one under a review. Looking at it that way, it was either both or neither. In Italy, we create too many controversies."

Cristiano Ronaldo brace gives Juve contentious win over unlucky Sampdoria

Italian champions Juventus slumped to a 3-2 defeat at Sampdoria in Serie A on Sunday while hapless Benevento were denied their first point of the season when they lost 2-1 at home to Sassuolo in stoppage time.

Two second-half headers from Mauro Icardi gave Inter Milan a 2-0 win at home to Atalanta, which took them two points above Juve into second place to stand two points behind Napoli, and left the Argentine with 13 goals from as many games.

Federico Peluso&#39;s 94th-minute winner for Sassuolo, which came minutes after his team missed a penalty, meant bottom team Benevento were condemned to a record-extending 13th straight Serie A defeat.

Juve trailed 3-0 at Sampdoria before stoppage-time goals by Gonzalo Higuain, with a penalty, and Paulo Dybala made the score more respectable.

Juventus rested goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and defender Andrea Barzagli, who both confirmed their international retirements after playing in Monday&#39;s 0-0 draw with Sweden which meant Italy failed to qualify for next year&#39;s World Cup.

They missed a host of first-half chances then collapsed after the break as Samp maintained their perfect home record.

Duvan Zapata headed Sampdoria ahead in the 52nd minute, Lucas Torreira blasted the second and Gian Marco Ferrari turned in Fabio Quagliarella&#39;s cross from the byline for the third.

&quot;It was one of our best first halves of the season and we just needed to keep our cool in front of goal,&quot; said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri. &quot;They scored three goals from four shots.&quot;

Icardi put Inter ahead in the 52nd minute against Atalanta when he got away from his marker to head in Antonio Candreva&#39;s free-kick and struck again with a superb glancing header from Danilo D&rsquo;Ambrosio&#39;s cross on the hour.

Napoli, 2-1 winners over visiting AC Milan on Saturday, lead the standings with 35 points from 13 games ahead of Inter on 33, with both teams still unbeaten. They are followed by Juventus on 31, AS Roma on 30 and Lazio with 28.

 
&quot;Good effort&quot;

Benevento gifted Sassuolo the lead after 57 minutes when Alessandro Matri was left to tap the ball into an empty net after a backpass was intercepted by Simone Missiroli.

In a game that summed up Benevento&#39;s season, Samuel Armenteros equalised eight minutes later but they almost immediately had Gaetano Letizia sent off for a second booking.

Benevento held out until added time when Sassuolo got a penalty for handball which Domenico Berardi smashed against the bar.

The home team&#39;s relief was short-lived, however, as Peluso headed in from a corner for the winner from the next attack, the second time Benevento have been beaten deep into stoppage time.

&ldquo;We put in a good effort and the attitude is there,&quot; said Benevento coach Roberto De Zerbi. &quot;It&#39;s our fault that we lost points again at the end - in those situations, the ball has to be cleared.&quot;

In other matches, Luca Rigoni&#39;s early goal gave Genoa a 1-0 win at Crotone and a winning start to Davide Ballardini&#39;s third stint as their coach after he replaced Ivan Juric.

Torino striker Andrea Belotti had a second-half penalty saved by Stefano Sorrentino as the Bulls were held 1-1 at home by Chievo, while Fiorentina&#39;s match at SPAL ended with the same scoreline and Cagliari won 1-0 at troubled Udinese.

Juve trailed 3-0 at Sampdoria before stoppage-time goals by Gonzalo Higuain, with a penalty, and Paulo Dybala made the score more respectable.

Italian champions Juventus slumped to a 3-2 defeat at Sampdoria in Serie A on Sunday while hapless Benevento were denied their first point of the season when they lost 2-1 at home to Sassuolo in stoppage time. Two second-half headers from Mauro Icardi gave Inter Milan a 2-0 win at home to Atalanta, which took them two points above Juve into second place to stand two points behind Napoli, and left the Argentine with 13 goals from as many games. Federico Peluso's 94th-minute winner for Sassuolo, which came minutes after his team missed a penalty, meant bottom team Benevento were condemned to a record-extending 13th straight Serie A defeat. Juve trailed 3-0 at Sampdoria before stoppage-time goals by Gonzalo Higuain, with a penalty, and Paulo Dybala made the score more respectable. Juventus rested goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and defender Andrea Barzagli, who both confirmed their international retirements after playing in Monday's 0-0 draw with Sweden which meant Italy failed to qualify for next year's World Cup. They missed a host of first-half chances then collapsed after the break as Samp maintained their perfect home record. Duvan Zapata headed Sampdoria ahead in the 52nd minute, Lucas Torreira blasted the second and Gian Marco Ferrari turned in Fabio Quagliarella's cross from the byline for the third. "It was one of our best first halves of the season and we just needed to keep our cool in front of goal," said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri. "They scored three goals from four shots." Icardi put Inter ahead in the 52nd minute against Atalanta when he got away from his marker to head in Antonio Candreva's free-kick and struck again with a superb glancing header from Danilo D’Ambrosio's cross on the hour. Napoli, 2-1 winners over visiting AC Milan on Saturday, lead the standings with 35 points from 13 games ahead of Inter on 33, with both teams still unbeaten. They are followed by Juventus on 31, AS Roma on 30 and Lazio with 28. "Good effort" Benevento gifted Sassuolo the lead after 57 minutes when Alessandro Matri was left to tap the ball into an empty net after a backpass was intercepted by Simone Missiroli. In a game that summed up Benevento's season, Samuel Armenteros equalised eight minutes later but they almost immediately had Gaetano Letizia sent off for a second booking. Benevento held out until added time when Sassuolo got a penalty for handball which Domenico Berardi smashed against the bar. The home team's relief was short-lived, however, as Peluso headed in from a corner for the winner from the next attack, the second time Benevento have been beaten deep into stoppage time. “We put in a good effort and the attitude is there," said Benevento coach Roberto De Zerbi. "It's our fault that we lost points again at the end - in those situations, the ball has to be cleared." In other matches, Luca Rigoni's early goal gave Genoa a 1-0 win at Crotone and a winning start to Davide Ballardini's third stint as their coach after he replaced Ivan Juric. Torino striker Andrea Belotti had a second-half penalty saved by Stefano Sorrentino as the Bulls were held 1-1 at home by Chievo, while Fiorentina's match at SPAL ended with the same scoreline and Cagliari won 1-0 at troubled Udinese.

Football: Juventus beaten at Sampdoria, hapless Benevento lose in stoppage time

AC Milan have appointed former Fiorentina and Sampdoria boss Vincenzo Montella as their new manager on a two-year contract, the Serie A club said on their website on Tuesday. 
 
The 42-year-old will begin work with the Italian side from July 1 and will replace Cristian Brocchi, who took charge on an interim basis after Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April. 
 
The former striker has also managed at Catania after a playing career that took him to Empoli, Genoa, Sampdoria and AS Roma, as well as a brief loan spell at English side Fulham in 2007. 
 
Montella, who took over at Sampdoria last November and led them to 15th in Serie A, represented Italy 20 times between 1999 and 2005, scoring three times for his country. 
 
&quot;It is the belief of the club that the style of play of the new Rossoneri coach will be the basis of an important, fruitful and positive collaboration,&quot; the club said in a statement on their website. 
 
&quot;Heartfelt thanks to Cristian Brocchi for the enthusiasm, preparation and intensity with which he approached his career as Milan coach with the youth sides and the first team.&quot; 
 
Milan, who lost to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final last month, finished seventh in the league last season and will miss out on Europe for a third successive campaign. 
 
(Reuters)

Montella will replace Cristian Brocchi, who took charge on an interim basis after Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April

AC Milan have appointed former Fiorentina and Sampdoria boss Vincenzo Montella as their new manager on a two-year contract, the Serie A club said on their website on Tuesday. The 42-year-old will begin work with the Italian side from July 1 and will replace Cristian Brocchi, who took charge on an interim basis after Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April. The former striker has also managed at Catania after a playing career that took him to Empoli, Genoa, Sampdoria and AS Roma, as well as a brief loan spell at English side Fulham in 2007. Montella, who took over at Sampdoria last November and led them to 15th in Serie A, represented Italy 20 times between 1999 and 2005, scoring three times for his country. "It is the belief of the club that the style of play of the new Rossoneri coach will be the basis of an important, fruitful and positive collaboration," the club said in a statement on their website. "Heartfelt thanks to Cristian Brocchi for the enthusiasm, preparation and intensity with which he approached his career as Milan coach with the youth sides and the first team." Milan, who lost to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final last month, finished seventh in the league last season and will miss out on Europe for a third successive campaign. (Reuters)

Vincenzo Montella named as new AC Milan manager

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