Daniele De Rossi has a decision to make relating to Paulo Dybala when Roma host Genoa in Serie A on Sunday evening.

‘La Joya’ is in line to return to the Giallorossi matchday squad, but De Rossi could still opt to go with Tomasso Baldanzi over Dybala for precautionary reasons.

Zeki Celik is tipped to return at right-back in what otherwise looks to be a fairly similar team to the one that lost 2-1 to Atalanta in the league last weekend.

For Genoa, there are predictions that Tottenham loaner and former Nottingham Forest right-back Djed Spence is due for a rare start. Aaron Martin is expected to keep his usual spot on the opposite flank.

Genoa will be spearheaded by the impressive partnership of Albert Gudmundsson and Mateo Retegui in attack.

Kick-off is set for 19.45 BST. 

Roma vs Genoa – probable line-ups

Roma (4-3-3): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka, Angelino; Cristante, Parades, Pellegrino; Baldanzi, Lukaku, El Shaarawy.

Genoa (3-5-2): Martinez; Vogliacco, de Winter, Vasquez; Spence, Frendrup, Badelj, Strootman, Martin; Retegui, Gudmundsson.

Probabili formazioni di Roma-Genoa#RomaGenoa #SerieA #SkySerieA #SkySport https://t.co/et3HDyZqu0

— skysport (@SkySport) May 18, 2024

It is increasingly likely that ex-Roma coach Jose Mourinho will head for Turkey, as after Fenerbahce, now Besiktas confirm they are in negotiations.

The Special One is a free agent after he was sacked by Roma in mid-January and said several times he wants to make sure he makes the right decision on his next career step.

Fenerbahce had openly named Mourinho as their target for next season, although that was largely part of a Presidential election campaign.

Turkey calling Mourinho

On the other hand, Besiktas are in a position to make a firm offer right now and vice-president Huseyin Yucel confirmed as much today.

“We contacted Jose Mourinho a month ago and he welcomed our offer. We already resolved the economic details and will go to Italy next week so we can meet face to face.

“If we reach an agreement with Mourinho, then we will recommend he include Ricardo Quaresma in the staff.”

The vice-president assured the wages would be covered by a sponsorship agreement, so would not weigh too heavily on the club coffers.

It remains to be seen what the Portuguese tactician will do next, as he has also been linked with clubs in Saudi Arabia and even a return to the Premier League.

Hüseyin Yücel: Mourinho ile ekonomik detaylar halledildi. Haftaya İtalya’ya gidip yüz yüze görüşeceğiz. Mourinho ile anlaşırsak kendisine Quaresma’nın da teknik heyet de yer almasını önereceğiz. Beşiktaş'a mali yük oluşturmayacak, sponsorla halledebiliriz. pic.twitter.com/uKcDTd7DPk

— Sports Digitale (@SportsDigitale) May 18, 2024

It is now confirmed that Atalanta, Bologna, Juventus, Milan and Inter qualify for the 2024-25 Champions League, but it is still possible Serie A could get a sixth slot.

La Dea got the three points they needed this evening with a 2-0 victory away to Lecce at the Stadio Via del Mare, which guaranteed their place in the top five.

It is a return to the Champions League after a three-year absence for the Bergamo boys, who are gearing up for Wednesday’s Europa League Final against Bayer Leverkusen.

That means Atalanta cannot be caught by Roma and Lazio, so the confirmed Italian entries for the Champions League are Inter, Milan, Juventus, Bologna and Atalanta.

Serie A still in with chance of six slots

However, it is still possible for Italy to have a sixth place in the new, expanded tournament, but only if certain conditions are met.

They need Atalanta to win the Europa League Final on May 22, but also to finish in fifth place.

If Atalanta manage to overtake Bologna or Juventus into fourth, then victory in the Europa League will become irrelevant.

This is because the ‘extra’ slot rules were drawn up before the season began and go to a team who finish outside the top four in Serie A.

As it happens, Serie A already managed to get a fifth bonus slot thanks to their superior club ranking, so does not ‘count’ for calculating the Europa League victor’s qualification.

https://twitter.com/footballontnt/status/1791890353051598964

Daniele De Rossi opened up about Roma’s ambitions in the summer transfer window and confirmed a new long-term contract was ‘very close’ ahead of the Serie A clash with Genoa.

The Giallorossi haven’t been able to invest too heavily in the transfer market over the last few years due to a tight Financial Fair Play settlement with UEFA but are now looking able to spend more in the summer, especially if they manage to secure a spot in the Champions League.

In the meantime, Roma have been working on setting up a new long-term contract for De Rossi, who only signed a six-month deal when he took over from Jose Mourinho back in January. He has impressed in the dugout, averaging 1.94 points per match across his 16 league games in charge.

De Rossi press conference

Speaking in a press conference via Voce Giallorossi, De Rossi first discussed Paulo Dybala’s condition and Roma’s summer plans.

“He’s been out for a couple of weeks, we need to understand his conditions today and we’ll see. With FFP everyone is influenced by income, for now we haven’t talked about the budget, but we want to spend well and not necessarily a lot.

“There are many teams with an interesting style who don’t spend crazy amounts.”

The Giallorossi coach commented on the importance of the coming match with Genoa.

“It will be full of many exciting things, we have an important objective to achieve, they play well but are without motivation. Everything is nice, but we have to win. Gila surprises me, he is special, tactical, I didn’t think he would become so good as a coach.

“A lot of training and now Genoa are one of the best. I’ll be happy to see him again, he’s a good guy. On Kevin, it will be a pleasure for those who have honoured the Roma shirt and for football to be saluted with dignity.”

De Rossi was asked about the status of his contract and if Romelu Lukaku would leave in the summer.

“We’re not waiting for anyone, we’re chatting and that’s the last thing on my mind. The agreement arrived in 10 minutes, but everything must be seen by the lawyers, but it’s not a problem, it’s very close. We were the masters of our destiny, but there were still a lot of tough games.

“We didn’t talk about any players, but we made evaluations on what we’ve done in past years. Maybe it’s better to improve our players and create an asset that gives you consistency, but it’s still early to say who will put the pieces in place, but there’s not much left.”

He touched on the recent frustrations with Gian Piero Gasperini regarding Atalanta’s scheduling.

“Too much time has passed, we talked and clarified it. There were some ideas of mutual respect, these are controversies that are created here.

“We didn’t have doubts about Atalanta, but in general. We have a clear conscience, we had some doubts on the post-season recovery but it didn’t last long. There’s no need to do favours, we complimented our opponents.”

De Rossi was asked if any Roma players were considered unsellable.

“Yes, but I’m not saying who because it wouldn’t be right. Some unsellable players could leave and vice versa others could stay, and I’ll have to make them perform at their best. Everything is still early.”

De Rossi spoke about his expectations for the transfer window.

“Now I’m here, before Mourinho and Fonseca. Everyone has their own way of making the transfer market, but the constant is that we have always finished sixth or seventh.

“Something needs to change, a strong coach must impose himself to get whoever he wants and a strong club must satisfy them. The first requirement will be hunger, they must feel like it’s the best thing that has ever happened to them.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with top players or young players, we need people who have fire… Pjanic went to Juve insulted but at Roma he went to 2000. Making them hungry and making them perform on the pitch is up to me. We need hunger and for them to be strong on the pitch.”

Finally, De Rossi discussed if any parts of his squad in particular need work.

“Yes, but I won’t say which. I won’t go into detail, we have a match. Yesterday I was here for 11 and a half hours, I can’t think about it too much. There will be people who will help me make the squad as strong as possible.

“Yes. I read that I asked, I called… it never happened. I found some names that I liked, but not more than this, both out of respect for the players and for the two games left to win.”

Kevin Strootman believes his Genoa teammate Albert Gudmundsson shows the same kind of promise he saw in Mohamed Salah at Roma. ‘He can make the same leap.’

The Dutch midfielder was in the same Roma squad as Salah before the transfer to Liverpool and not everyone was confident that the Egyptian could take the step up to become world class.

“I said that Salah didn’t always score goals at Roma, despite being clear on goal four or five times per game,” Strootman told Radio TV Serie A.

“So others noted that if he did score every time he was clear, then he’d be at Real Madrid or Liverpool rather than Roma. And that’s where he ended up.”

Now Iceland international Gudmundsson is linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, as well as Inter, Juventus and Milan, following a great debut Serie A campaign at Genoa.

“If Gud can make the same leap, I think he can do well at a super top club. He must do it to become a world class player, because his quality is already beyond doubt. He is a serious professional and I am sure he’ll do even better over the next few years.”

Debut Gudmundsson season in Serie A

Gudmundsson turns 27 next month and contributed 14 goals and three assists in 33 Serie A appearances for Genoa this season.

He also helped to secure their promotion from Serie B last term, arriving in January from AZ Alkmaar at a cost of just €1.5m.

Gudmundsson’s value on the transfer market is now closer to €45m, with offers already rejected from Fiorentina mid-season.

According to reports in France, Roma will not have to pay a release clause to secure new director of sport Florent Ghisolfi from OGC Nice.

Multiple sources in recent weeks pointed towards Ghisolfi to take over their transfer strategy from next season, after Tiago Pinto decided to walk away in early February.

There were some concerns as to whether they would be able to remove him from his contractual obligations with OGC Nice.

Ghisolfi ready for Roma

Now Footmercato insists that no payment will be necessary, as Ghisolfi will be free to sign for Roma this summer.

This is because Ghisolfi plans to hand in his resignation, which Nice will accept following negotiations, effectively terminating the contract by mutual consent.

Roma have been through quite a few different directors in recent years, including Spaniard Monchi and Portuguese official Tiago Pinto.

Ghisolfi only turned 39 in February and has been in the OGC Nice role since October 2022.

Check out today’s latest news from Serie A, including the massive drama surrounding Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus and the Old Lady’s offer to Thiago Motta.

Multiple reports in Italy confirmed Juventus could sack Massimiliano Allegri before the end of the season, even today, as the club didn’t like the way the coach behaved during and after the Atalanta game and because they would change coach at the end of the season anyway.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has been banned for two games in Coppa Italia and fined €5,000 after receiving a red card in last night’s win over Atalanta.

Massimiliano Allegri unleashed a flurry of emotion in the closing stages of Juventus’ Coppa Italia final win over Atalanta, something that’s been a long time coming for the Livornese tactician, Apollo Heyes wrote.

Massimiliano Allegri won’t be the Juventus coach next season and could even be sacked before the last two games of the campaign, but not all Bianconeri fans are happy to see the Italian tactician leave, Lorenzo Bettoni highlighted.

More Serie A news

Italy international Gianluca Scamacca insisted every European match is ‘different’ as proved by last season’s Conference League Final won by West Ham and insists Atalanta must not think about Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run.

Lazio director Angelo Mariano Fabiani said the Serie A side will sell Luis Alberto only if an offer suits the club, but Claudio Lotito insists the Spaniard is not on the market.

Brazilian keeper Bento confirmed Inter representatives have checked his availability but insists the Nerazzurri have not made any official proposal yet.

Multiple reports claimed Inter President Steven Zhang is facing a ‘race against the clock’ to close a deal with American investment management firm Pimco before the Oaktree loan term expires next week.

Italy legend Roberto Baggio looked back at his final Serie A match as a professional footballer, remembering the ‘precious memory’ at a full San Siro.

Former Inter and Italy defender Marco Materazzi hit back at Juventus‘ Federico Gatti, who held a scarf with a message against the Nerazzurri after Wednesday’s Coppa Italia victory: ‘Better to live one day as a lion as 100 as cats.’

Giorgio Chiellini opened up about Oliver Giroud’s move to LAFC, what life is like at the MLS club and why Luciano Spalletti can make the difference for Italy at Euro 2024.

Milan’s head coach search is continuing in full swing and Paulo Fonseca has now reportedly moved into pole position for the Serie A side ahead of the summer.

While Massimiliano Allegri is edging towards the exit door at Juventus, the Serie A giants are ready to offer Thiago Motta a two-year deal with an option for a further campaign.

Federico Chiesa admitted he has already discussed a contract extension with Juventus and wants to ‘stay’ at the club but refused to talk about Massimiliano Allegri’s future.

Tuttosport editor Guido Vaciago said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri threatened and insulted him last night, after winning the Coppa Italia at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome: ‘I’ll rip your ears out.’

Romelu Lukaku will play out his last match with Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on the weekend as he prepares to return to Chelsea this summer.

The 31-year-old Belgian striker joined the Giallorossi on a circa €6m loan deal from the Blues last summer, a deal that doesn’t contain a permanence clause. As such, he’ll certainly return to West London ahead of the 2024-25 pre-season.

Lukaku has experienced a number of ups and downs during his year with Roma, looking far more prolific under Jose Mourinho than his successor Daniele De Rossi. He’s netted 20 goals and provided four assists in 46 matches across all competitions.

Last Olimpico dance for Lukaku

As highlighted by Il Messaggero via TMW, Lukaku is gearing up for Roma’s final home match of the 2023-24 season against Genoa on Sunday, giving him the chance to say goodbye to the fans at the Stadio Olimpico ahead of his return to Chelsea in the summer.

Considering that his year on loan with the Giallorossi cost the club around €18m total between fees and wages, a stay looks extremely unlikely, forcing the Blues to find a new club for the Belgian in the summer.

Napoli sent scouts to view Deportivo Alaves striker Samu Omorodion, but getting him from Atletico Madrid won’t be easy.

The Partenopei are seeking a replacement for Victor Osimhen, who is widely expected to leave at the end of the season for well over €110m.

According to Sky Sport Italia transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, Napoli watched Omorodion in action for Deportivo Alaves, where he has scored nine goals in 33 LaLiga appearances this season.

He is on loan from Atletico Madrid and valued at a minimum of €40m.

Omorodion wants Atleti future

While Napoli might try to negotiate a deal, it remains to be seen whether the striker himself will accept, as he has said repeatedly that he sees himself with Atleti next season.

He was purchased for only €6m from Granada in the summer of 2023 and immediately sent on loan to Alaves.

With dual Spanish and Nigerian citizenship, he turned 20 earlier this month and has also been linked with Roma as well as several Premier League sides.

Luciano Spalletti explains why Napoli were able to win the Scudetto with ‘contagious’ enthusiasm, while reminding people he was criticised for Wojciech Szczesny and Alisson Becker at Roma.

The Italy coach was at the Sport Human Factor event in Rome and inevitably there were questions about his former club.

It seems incredible that basically the same team fresh from winning the Serie A title last season should this term be struggling just to qualify for the Conference League.

“Naturally, I am sad at the year my ex-team is experiencing,” said Spalletti.

“You need to recruit all the strengths at your disposal, so you never depend on a single person, but on many people and many details. In that environment, we had managed to involve lots of people with contagious enthusiasm for the same objective.

“That allowed us to find things within ourselves, create this organisation and order on and off the field, which becomes an important quality for a team.

“We had ‘I will be with you’ written on our shirts to involve not just those on the field or in the stands, but also those little old grandfathers who sit on the benches in the Spanish Quarter, as if to say we are all important for the results of this team.”

Napoli have barely changed the squad itself, but are now on their third coach of the campaign with Francesco Calzona, who was hired in an interim role after Rudy Garcia and Walter Mazzarri were sacked.

Roma critics still rile Spalletti

Spalletti did not win the Scudetto at Roma, but came very close, and feels he was never quite appreciated there, especially after the second experience ended with the tension of Francesco Totti’s retirement.

Looking back, the coach points out a few other decisions that were underestimated in the long run.

“At Roma I had Szczesny and Alisson, so for many people I had failed with them both, or they were both useless. Instead, they both had great performances and we were confident they were both champions.

“I treated them as such and, because of that, they thanked me for the way I used them.”

Szczesny went on to star at Juventus, while Alisson was sold on to Liverpool for €62.5m plus up to another €10m in bonuses.

An analysis into the four-year spell of former sporting director Tiago Pinto suggests Roma wasted over €110m on 13 players who failed to impress in the capital.

The 39-year-old Portuguese director officially left his post with the Giallorossi at the end of the January transfer window and has been linked with a handful of clubs ahead of the summer, including Newcastle United.

Roma have been in a delicate financial spot for the last few years, partly due to their restrictive Financial Fair Play settlement with UEFA, but have started to see the light at the end of the tunnel, allowing them to invest a little more heavily this summer.

Roma and their flop signings

Page 11 of today’s Corriere dello Sport details how Tiago Pinto seemingly wasted around €110.9m on 13 different players across his four-year spell at Roma, failing to find a strong core to bolster the squad in the Italian capital.

Bryan Reynolds, Eldor Shomurodov and Matias Vina start the list, costing circa €42.4m and failing to impress. More flops include Rui Patricio for €13.1m, Zeki Celik for €7.4m and €6m for the loans of Sergio Oliveira, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Mady Camara, Diego Llorente, Renato Sanches and Dean Huijsen.

There’s also the €15m spent on Tommaso Baldanzi, who could still grow into a positive signing but for now has shown little, and the over €40m spent on Tammy Abraham, who initially impressed but has since fallen by the wayside – partly due to his serious injury.

Slightly more positive were the €7m loan deal for Romelu Lukaku and the €2.5m for Leandro Paredes. In total, over €110m were spent on these players and none have particularly proven themselves key figures for the club, retrospectively damning Tiago Pinto’s time at the helm.

Another €24m will also be spent on these deals in the coming years, with Genoa still owed €8m for Shomurodov and Chelsea waiting for another €15m for Abraham.

Gazzetta dello Sport

The first or the last Coppa Italia

Gasp and Max play the Coppa Italia

Atalanta-Juve: At the Olimpico, Gasperini in search of the trophy he’s missing, Allegri can say goodbye to the Bianconeri with a triumph

The Goddess are favourites, Old Lady with pride

National team (almost) done

One month to their debut at the European Championship

From Barella to Scamacca, 23 are already safe, eight in the run-off

Conte, the Napoli plan

The coaches market

A new attempt by De Laurentiis, here’s the super bonus

Inter: Gudmundsson, there’s an offer

How to get to the €35m requested by Genoa

Corriere dello Sport

The Farewell Cup

Gasp is also looking for answers about his future, beyond his first title

Atalanta-Juve could be Allegri’s last Bianconeri final (9.00pm Coppa Italia)

Max: ‘They consider us underdogs, but everything can be reversed’

Gian Piero: ‘We are incredible’

The surprise is Nicolussi Caviglia, Lookman close to De Ketelaere

Napoli, Conte tries to overtake

He met the club: they negotiate

DeLa is tempted: salary to be defined, but Gasperini remains the Azzurri’s priority

Roma grows: freer market

Increasing revenues: fewer UEFA obligations

Lina who knows how to do the math

In June they will no longer be ‘condemned’ to make capital gains of €40m

Zaniolo, no European Championship

Microfracture on the foot: he will be out for a month

Spalletti loses Aston Villa winger

‘The group is already 70-80% done, I want to see an Italy that are proud of the Azzurri’

At the beginning of the week the 30 people called up for the meeting

The turning point comes for non-EU citizens: the rule changes

The clubs will be able to register two new players without selling anyone

Tuttosport

Juve, can you be a Goddess?

Rome, 9pm, Coppa Italia final

Allegri’s team, in a crisis of play and results, challenges Gasperini’s always beautiful Atalanta

Inzaghi becomes a child again and opens up: ‘Never in difficulty like with dad’

Toro also have to beat themselves

To still dream of the Europa League

Haaland ruthless City, it’s almost done

Tottenham makes a mistake, the Norwegian does not

Even if Atalanta are in better shape than Juventus and seem favourite in the Coppa Italia Final, the Old Lady should learn a lesson from La Dea’s latest home match, in which they beat Roma only 2-1 despite creating several goal-scoring opportunities.

Atalanta’s latest win, which sent La Dea to fifth place in Serie A, was somehow frustrating for Gian Piero Gasperini as his men had to struggle until the very end to secure all three points in a dominating performance.

Atalanta attempted 24 shots against Roma’s nine. They had more ball possession (58%) and better passing accuracy (86% to 79%). Charles De Ketelaere scored a brace in the opening 20 minutes, but Gasp’s men could have bagged even more with CDK, Gianluca Scamacca, Mario Pasalic, and Ademola Lookman.

Nevertheless, the key victory over Daniele De Rossi’s men was the latest proof of an impressive form. La Dea have won seven of the last 10 matches across all competitions, drawing twice and losing once to Liverpool, a painless defeat which still allowed the Nerazzurri to qualify for the Europa League semifinal.

Atalanta may have won just one trophy in their history, so many, including Gasperini, would find it strange to see them favourite against one of Italy’s biggest teams, Juventus, in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia Final. But here we are.

Contrary to Atalanta, Juventus have been beyond poor in the second half of the season, both in terms of results and playing style.

La Gazzetta dello Sport described Juventus’ latest performance against Salernitana as ’embarrassing,’ but the situation doesn’t seem any better if we look at the bigger picture. The Bianconeri have earned 15 points in the last 15 league games, winning just twice in Serie A since January 27.

“I think it’s a bit much to suggest we’d be favourites against Juve. We are in good form, but it’s difficult to tell playing every three days, which we’ve been doing non-stop since February 27,” Gasperini said after Atalanta’s latest win over Roma insisting that his team won’t be favourite in Rome on Wednesday.

However, despite La Dea’s strength of schedule, it is undeniable that the Nerazzurri arrive in Rome with more confidence and, perhaps, even more desire than their opponents.

Juventus have practically given up since losing to Inter in February and their players have given the impression that they considered a top-four placement a guaranteed target. They only showed a different attitude in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal against Lazio, in which they deservedly won 2-0, paving the way for the final in Rome.

On the other hand, Atalanta have been fighting on all fronts until the very end of the season. They’ve managed to qualify for two finals and they currently sit fifth in Serie A, which would grant them a Champions League place in 2024-25.

Does this mean the Old Lady are not favourites against Atalanta? Yes. Does it mean they are beaten already? Absolutely no. La Dea won’t rely on their current best player, Italy striker Scamacca, who will serve a one-game ban in Rome. At the same time, Atalanta’s errors in front of the goal against Roma suggest Juventus can hope to remain in the game and try to hurt the Nerazzurri when they are more tired. In other words, Allegri’s ideal game plan.

The Olimpico showdown will be worth more than a trophy for both Atalanta and Juve. The Bianconeri have a chance to end a two-season trophyless run while La Dea can further boost confidence ahead of another historic game for them, next week’s Europa League Final against Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin.

Awkwardly, Juventus will be the underdog against La Dea, but Gasperini, a former Juventus coach at a youth level, knows it would be a huge mistake to rule them out.

Paulo Dybala has been a central figure for Roma since his arrival two years ago, but the story could come to a painful end this summer.

The 30-year-old Argentinian forward has been a vital source of creativity in the Giallorossi squad since he joined on a free transfer back in July 2022, being heavily utilised by both Jose Mourinho and Daniele De Rossi.

Despite struggles with fitness over the last two seasons, Dybala has continued to be one of the stars of the show at Roma. This term, he’s scored 16 goals and provided 10 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions.

Dybala position

Page 13 of today’s Corriere dello Sport details how Dybala is starting to seriously consider his future with Roma ahead of the summer, concerned that the club could miss out on a spot in the Champions League.

In the summer, his €12m release clause will be valid until the end of July and his agents are open to approaches from Saudi Arabia, where he could be offered a salary of around €8m net per season plus add-ons.

Next season, his contract – currently expiring in 2025 – would be automatically renewed by one year should he reach 50% appearances. At 30, Dybala is keen for one final adventure before the end of his career and so would seriously considering leaving Roma should they miss out on the Champions League.

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Golden Inter

Hunt for the ticket, 210,000 for Sunday

It will be a stellar Scudetto celebration: it would take three of San Siro to fit them all in

Gem Vitor Roque for the attack

Fofana and Royal, 50 million at the ready

Milan targets for midfield and defence

Negotiations with Monaco and Tottenham

Bologna: If Motta leaves, the first objective is Sarri

Saputo will meet Thiago soon

Udinese win in Lecce and can see safety again

Viola OK, Napoli overtaken

Coppa Italia Final

Magnificent enemies

Secrets of Gasp and Max ahead of the showdown

Atalanta-Juve in Rome

Il Corriere dello Sport

Juve, 100 million from Max

Tomorrow the Coppa Italia: Allegri prepares to leave the club with a rich inheritance

Champions League already secured, Club World Cup and Supercoppa: a super cash-in

And if he beats Gasperini in the final, he’ll achieve a record

Napoli, summit for the new coach

DeLa is in a hurry

President brings together directors: Gasp remains the favourite, but Conte, Italiano and Pioli resist

Dybala mystery: fifth place to avoid losing him

Future in the balance

Saudi Arabia is tempting, he could leave Roma by the end of July thanks to 12m clause

Lazio open to exits of Luis and Guendouzi

Two big sales

Spaniard and Frenchman row with Tudor: they can guarantee 45 million

Lotito strategy

A Big Champions League

We discover the formula and dangers of the new tournament

Inter, Milan, Juve and Bologna already in, Atalanta on the verge

Roma and Lazio hope

There are eight games in the first phase and risk of tougher clashes between the biggest clubs

Italiano overtakes

Fiorentina surge past Napoli: they are eighth

Nico Gonzalez and Arthur overturn Monza: futile Djuric goal (1-2)

Calzona leapfrogged: on Friday the showdown at the Stadio Franchi

Cannavaro, safety is getting closer

Lecce 0-2 Udinese

Tuttosport

Juve, everything for Chiesa

Tomorrow the Coppa Italia Final with Atalanta: Allegri and the fans cling to the Azzurri star

Fede already decisive 3 years ago against Gasp

Yildiz anxious over his shoulder: tests today

Strange game for Koopmeiners, Bianconeri objective

Season ticket campaign: changes for the Champions League

Bologna in the Champions League

Pavlidis and other big projects

Celebration and programmes: ‘We are ambitious’

Motta, Zirkzee and Calafiori out? Here are the alternative plans

Sartori locked down until 2026

From Morandi to Cremonini: city delirious with its artists

Udinese win at Lecce, thrilling rush for safety

Viola 2-1 over Monza

Toro, have you realised where your riches lie?

Savva and Dellavalle dream debuts

Atzori, President of Chisola who launched the defender: ‘Juric could’ve given him a chance much earlier’

Victor does not stop the protest: banners at the Filadelfia

Verona, the video of shame

Milan in the balance

Maignan-Theo renewal problems

The big names could leave too

Agreement a long way off: Bayern after both the goalkeeper and full-back

Tonali-style proposals accepted for Leao too

Camarda issue

Coach: Conte found the door closed

Former Roma coach Jose Mourinho has a new proposal on his desk, as it’s reported Fenerbahce want to hire him for next season.

The Special One has been taking some time off since Roma fired him in mid-January, bringing in club icon Daniele De Rossi to replace him.

Mou has repeatedly said he is eager to get back to work and wants to make sure he picks the right option for the next step in his career.

Mourinho on Fenerbahce radar

According to Turkish reporter Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, former Fenerbahce President Aziz Yildirim has put Mourinho top of his wish-list and made an approach.

Yildirim has put his name forward to be a candidate as the new President of the club, having already been at the helm from 1998 to 2018.

It remains to be seen if Yildirim will get the job, and at that point if Mourinho will accept, but Fenerbahce can go on the list of clubs interested in the Portuguese tactician.

Others include a potential return to Chelsea or Manchester United.

Aziz Yıldırım'ın teknik direktör adayı: Jose Mourinho.

— Yağız Sabuncuoğlu (@yagosabuncuoglu) May 13, 2024

Check out today’s latest news from Serie A, including Bologna’s history-making season and Milan’s endless search for a new head coach.

Fabio Capello felt Roberto De Zerbi is considered a top coach only ‘because Pep Guardiola sponsors him’ and asked ‘what has he won in his career?’

La Gazzetta dello Sport was extremely harsh on an ’embarrassing’ Juventus who qualified for the Champions League despite a 1-1 home draw against already relegated Salernitana.

More Serie A news

Bologna owner Joey Saputo is going back to Bologna to celebrate a ‘historic milestone’ as the Rossoblu have qualified for the Champions League for the first time ever.

There are serious fears that Bologna and Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee could be forced to miss out on the upcoming European Championship through injury.

Charles De Ketelaere exposed Evan Ndicka and was the undisputed Man of the Match in Atalanta‘s 2-1 win over Roma on Sunday while Romelu Lukaku was left alone.

Arrigo Sacchi admitted he was ‘surprised’ by the Milan fans’ recent protest, defending the club and explaining why things aren’t as bad as they seem.

Giovanni Sartori has played a vital role in Bologna‘s historic Champions League qualification this season after accomplishing the same feat at Chievo Verona and Atalanta in the past.

Daniele De Rossi feels Roma should ‘follow the same path’ as Atalanta and insists fellow Serie A side La Dea are one of the few teams that can cause trouble for Bayer Leverkusen.

Adrien Rabiot was evasive when asked about his future with Juventus and Serie A, noting how he ‘won’t talk to the club’ until after the Coppa Italia final.

Cesc Fabregas opened up about his promotion-winning season at Como, the plans for their Serie A campaign and the rumours surrounding Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy.

Watch the best videos from Bologna, including chants for late coach Sinisa Mihajlovic as the Rossoblu mathematically secured a Champions League placement in Serie A.

Napoli have reopened talks with Antonio Conte after he lowered his wage demands and fellow Serie A side Milan are also ready to meet the former Chelsea coach again, reports detail.

Juventus starlet Kenan Yildiz is at serious risk of missing the upcoming Coppa Italia final against Atalanta through injury.

Athletico Paranaense goalkeeper Bento is ‘happy’ with the reports linking him to Inter and identified his own possible replacement at the Brazilian club.

Bayern Munich are still on the hunt for a new head coach and Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi remains a candidate ahead of the summer.

Bologna CEO Claudio Fenucci admits only Thiago Motta knows whether he’ll remain after Champions League qualification, but while Joshua Zirkzee has ‘a particular contract,’ the other Serie A stars can stay.

Daniele De Rossi feels Roma should ‘follow the same path’ as Atalanta and insists La Dea are one of the few teams that can cause trouble for Bayer Leverkusen.

De Rossi spoke at a press conference on Sunday after Roma’s 2-1 loss to Atalanta.

Despite their latest loss, Roma’s hopes to qualify for the Champions League are still alive, but they must hope La Dea win the Europa League Final and finish outside the top four in Serie A.

DDR and Gian Piero Gasperini briefly crossed paths on the touchline before kick-off.

“Gasperini said he wanted to talk to me at the end of the match to congratulate me. Surely not because of today’s performance. We met before the kick-off for five seconds,” the ex-midfielder said.

De Rossi warns Leverkusen about Atalanta

Roma were eliminated from the Europa League semis by Bayer Leverkusen, so the Germans will meet La Dea in the Final next week.

“He [Gasperini] does not need my advice, but a few days ago I said that if there is a team that can cause trouble for Leverkusen, it’s Atalanta,” insisted De Rossi.

“But at the same time, Atalanta must know that they’ll meet a strong side, strong in the build-up, on the wings and in attack, similarly to them. I believe there is no better team to make Leverkusen struggle.”

Roma’s hopes to qualify for the Champions League are still alive, but De Rossi feels the Giallorossi should start a long-term project similar to Atalanta’s.

De Rossi tells Roma to imitate Atalanta

“We should follow the same path as our opponents, who hasn’t lasted a few months but many years,” he said.

“I think we start from a more solid base because before Gasperini arrived, Atalanta would go from mid-table to lower positions. It was a long project. They worked on the coach’s ideas and requests and after a few Champions League campaigns, they can afford to sign strong players.

“We are a financially strong club that can boost this process. We start from a strong team, which must be completed with some characteristics we lack, as it’s been highlighted in games like this.”

Roma did lose 2-1 in Bergamo, but La Dea dominated the match for over 70 minutes and had several chances to score more goals.

This coming Wednesday, La Dea will meet Juventus in the Coppa Italia Final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Charles De Ketelaere exposed Evan Ndicka and was the undisputed Man of the Match in Atalanta‘s 2-1 win over Roma on Sunday while Romelu Lukaku was left alone.

Italian sports papers react to Atalanta’s 2-1 win over Roma on Sunday. The win sent La Dea into fifth place in Serie A, boosting their hopes of qualifying for the 2024-25 Champions League.

De Ketelaere inspired Atalanta’s win with a stunning brace in 20 minutes. The ex-Milan flop has netted 13 times this season, nine in Serie A, and was rated 8.5/10 by Gazzetta.

De Ketelaere’s poetry, Lukaku left alone in Roma’s loss to Atalanta

“A right-footed goal, another one with his left foot. He nearly scored the third and provided a key pass for Pasalic after a roulette. Poetry,” wrote Gazzetta journalist Andrea Elefante.

Atalanta dominated for 70 minutes and it’s no coincidence that the lowest rating from Gazzetta was 6.5/10 for El-Bilal Touré.

On the other hand, Roma struggled for most of the game and several players received poor ratings. Evan Ndicka was the most disappointing one as he received 4/10 from Gazzetta and Corriere dello Sport.

Lukak was also pretty disappointing and was rated 5/10. “He only saw the goal once, but his shot was weak. He struggled against Hien, Djimsiti and loneliness,” wrote the pink paper.

If Atalanta wins the Europa League next week and finish outside the top four, Italy will secure an extra spot for the 2024-25 Champions League with six teams qualified (here’s the explanation).