TheSpecialOne

Inzaghi praises ‘magical’ Lazio after Super Cup win over Juve

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Lazio manager Simeone Inzaghi has heaped praise on his team after they managed to beat Juventus in the Italian Super Cup final on Sunday. The Capital outfit had already beaten the Bianconeri in the league a couple of weeks ago and they managed to replicate the feat at the King Saud University Stadium in Saudi Arabia.


As a result, the Rome-based club were able to win the title for the second time in three seasons and Inzaghi has lauded his team for their recent dominance over the Serie A champions, he told Rai Sport: “We did something magical – to beat Juve twice in two weeks is incredible. I think this was another deserved victory for a strong team that always believed in our ideas.”

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Inter Milan provide positive injury update on Alexis Sanchez

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Inter Milan’s head of medical services Piero Volpi has revealed that Alexis Sanchez is going through a successful recovery from an ankle ligament injury and he could return to the playing field earlier than predicted. The Chile international sustained the damage on international duty last month and he has since been on the sidelines after a surgery to sort the concern.


In an interview with La Cuarta, Volpi said that Sanchez is going through the right recovery path after the injury setback and he could return before the mid-January date, provided things go well, he told: “It is a delicate injury, but the recovery is going very well. The deadlines are being met.Mid-January [is the return date] but we’ll see. Alexis could even come back a little earlier if all goes well. He has not yet done work with the ball, but we hope that in the next few days we will have news about it. Everything is going well.”

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Alexis Sanchez eyeing the Champions League title with Inter Milan

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Chile international Alexis Sanchez has said that he is looking forward to challenging for the Champions League trophy with Inter Milan this season. The 30-year-old made the move to the Nerazzurri on a season-long loan from Manchester United this summer and he recently scored his maiden goal during the 3-1 league triumph over Sampdoria.

In a press conference, Sanchez said that every player would like to win the Champions League and he is eager to go all the way in the competition with the Nerazzurri, he told: “​Every player would like to win the Champions League. You play it to win it, not just to compete. I play it to win. It is something nice for every player and for Inter I hope for the Champions League again. Inter are preparing something strong for the future, they haven’t won for several years and so I decided to return to Italian football to win something with this team, with a coach and players I already knew.”

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ESPN pundit says United missed out on no-brainer signing from Juve

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ESPN pundit Mark Ogden has said that Manchester United missed out on a no-brainer signing in the form of Mario Mandzukic from Juventus. The Red Devils had agreed on a deal worth £14m with the Bianconeri for the experienced striker but a deal surprisingly failed to materialise before the Premier League transfer deadline.

As such, they have to rely on Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and a young Mason Greenwood to lead the line this season, considering they have parted ways with Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku. In a report covered by The Express, Ogden said that United should have taken the option of signing Mandzukic after initially agreeing on the transfer price with the Bianconeri.

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TalkSPORT pundit bemoans Manchester United’s decision to sell Romelu Lukaku

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TalkSPORT pundit Andy Goldstein has said that Manchester United made the wrong choice to sanction the sale of Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan without bringing in a replacement. The Belgium international was touted to head to the Serie A throughout the summer and the deal eventually materialised before the English transfer deadline.

United were linked with a potential move for Juventus’ Mario Mandzukic to cover the void but at the end, the deal never materialised which has left the club short in the striking department. Speaking on TalkSPORT, Goldstein acknowledged that Mason Greenwood is a very exciting prospect but Lukaku would surely have been a gamechanger off the bench for United during the recent 1-1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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Daniele Rugani reveals Chelsea interest and why he remained with Juventus

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Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has revealed that there was interest from Chelsea in signing him during the 2018 summer transfer window. The Italy international had been touted for a reunion with Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge last year but the same did not happen after he decided to fight for his future with the Bianconeri.

Rugani has since made only 20 appearances for the Serie A holders but he is nonetheless pleased with the decision to stay put, given he has finally got the chance to be working again with Sarri, he told Corriere dello Sport: “In retrospect I say that I am happy to have stayed last summer. Chelsea tried to sign me, but with Juventus we agreed that it was not right to separate our paths. The executives have trusted me and, even if at the beginning of the season there was a big crowd in defence, I found my space.”

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Lucas Paqueta eager to work under Marco Giampaolo next season

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Brazilian attacker Lucas Paqueta has said that he is eager to work under manager Marco Giampaolo next season. The 51-year-old was appointed as the new Rossoneri head coach shortly after the previous campaign, where the club failed to qualify for the Champions League for the fifth season running.

Speaking to reporters, Paqueta said that he is eager to meet with Giampaolo shortly after returning from vacation. He added that he has some knowledge on the manager’s style of play and hinted that he would prefer to play in the number 10 role, he told: “Giampaolo? I will meet him personally when I return from vacation.

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Gonzalo Higuain determined to respect his Juventus contract – Agent

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The representative and brother of Gonzalo Higuain has stated that the Argentine is determined to see out the remainder of his contract with Juventus. The Argentine fell out-of-favour after the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer and he has since spent loan spells at both AC Milan and Chelsea.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, agent Nicolas has revealed that the Argentine won’t consider playing for another Italian outfit and he remains determined to honour the final two years of his contract with the Bianconeri, he said: “I want to clarify that we haven’t talked to anyone else. My brother’s also under contract with Juve.”

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Berardi opens up on the possibility of playing for Liverpool in the future

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Sassuolo forward Domenico Berardi has said that he would fancy the potential move to the Premier League with Liverpool in the future. The 24-year-old has notched nine goals and five assists during the current Serie A season and his progress has already captured the attention of AC Milan.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Berardi acknowledged that he is not frightened to take up a challenge elsewhere and Liverpool are one of the clubs whom he would prefer to join. However, the Italian has indicated that he has no plans of playing a back-up role and he would require assurances of being a regular starter to consider such a move.

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Toni suggests Pep Guardiola wants to manage in Italy at some point

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Former Italy international and World Cup winner Luca Toni has said that Pep Guardiola has the ambition of managing a Serie A club at some point in the future. The Catalan tactician is currently on course to secure his second league title in three seasons at Manchester City, and he could create further history by guiding the club to a historic domestic treble.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Toni suggested that his former Brescia teammate will arrive in Italy sooner or later, given he likes to take up different challenges. He added that the 48-year-old has previously told him about the prospect of managing in the Italian top-flight, where Roma and Juventus can be regarded as potential destinations.

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