One Football: Barcelona coach Valverde dismisses Pogba speculation
Paul Pogba continues to be linked with Barcelona, but the Catalans' coach Ernesto Valverde is not interested in the speculation.
Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde has dismissed speculation the LaLiga champions could sign Paul Pogba.
The Manchester United star is reportedly unsettled at Old Trafford amid speculation he has fallen out with manager Jose Mourinho.
Those rumours were strongly denied by Mourinho on Friday, the United boss claiming he has "never been so happy" with the World Cup winner.
Pogba will retain the United captaincy for Sunday's Premier League game at Brighton and Hove Albion but rumours over his long-term future continue to swirl.
Barca have been touted as a potential destination for the France midfielder, with Valverde looking to fill the gap left by departing club icon Andres Iniesta.
But ahead of Saturday's LaLiga opener at home to Deportivo Alaves, Valverde swerved questions about the club's reported interest in Pogba.
"We do not get into discussions about players of other teams," Valverde told reporters at a news conference.
"We want them to respect our players and we respect those of others."
Barca have signed uncapped Brazilian pair Malcom and Arthur in preparation for their title defence, while Arturo Vidal has joined from Bayern Munich.
And while Valverde is open to concluding more deals ahead of the transfer window's closure, he is satisfied with the squad at his disposal if there are no further arrivals at Camp Nou.
"I do not stop to compare squads with the previous ones, but I have some extraordinary players," Valverde added.
"We do not know if the squad is closed or not. We have a good team to face what's coming, but there's still time.
"The markets are closing, there are many rumours... but here we will continue until August 31. I'm happy with what I have."
ESPN: Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde says La Liga matches in U.S. seem 'strange'
BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde says La Liga's plan to take one fixture per season to the United States or Canada strikes him as "strange."
La Liga announced on Thursday that an agreement with Relevant, the organisers of the International Champions Cup, would see one game played in North America each year to promote the game in the continent.
However, the plans have been met with a mixed response, with the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) among those complaining that the deal was struck without the necessary consultation.
"Initially, it seems a bit strange to play a league game abroad," Valverde told a news conference on Friday. "But that was also the case with the Spanish Super Cup, which we played [against Sevilla] in Morocco last weekend, so I don't know. I suppose that if it was reversed, and the Moroccan Super Cup was played here, it would seem strange, too.
"The world of football keeps on changing, but we will have to see if [playing a game in North America] ends up being anything more than an intention. Going through with something is very different from [announcing] an intention."
There's also confusion as to how legally binding La Liga's agreement is to play a game outside of Spain for the first time.
FIFA regulations say any decision would have to be approved by the country's national association, which means the Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] and not La Liga.
Meanwhile, La Liga returns this weekend, with league champions Barca kicking off the defence of their crown at home to Alaves, who were the last side to beat them at Camp Nou, back in October of 2016.
There's a clamour in Catalonia for Barca to focus on the Champions League this season following three consecutive quarterfinal exits, but Valverde says European success will come hand-in-hand with domestic success.
"No, we prioritise everything," the coach said when asked, if he was in line with Lionel Messi's comments on Wednesday that becoming European champions is the main aim.
"Of course, we will fight to win the Champions League, as we always do. That will always be the case at Barcelona. It's a competition which excites us.
"But we also know that to win the Champions League the way to go is to win La Liga. If you focus on La Liga, you are focused on being the best over the course of a year, and if that's the case, you will be closer to winning the Champions League."
Barca have made four signings for the new campaign -- Arthur Melo, Clement Lenglet, Malcom and Arturo Vidal -- and while Valverde says he's more than happy with his squad he refused to rule out more incomings amid reports of interest in Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.
"I am very happy with what I have," he said. "We have a good squad to take on what's coming but there's still time [in the transfer window]. I have extraordinary players but I don't know if the squad is final until Aug. 31."
Asked directly about Pogba, he added: "I don't get involved in talking about other team's players. He is a player that doesn't belong to us and I focus on my own players."
One Football: Shokdran Mustafi calls for Arsenal to 'be brave' against Chelsea
Shokdran Mustafi has called for Arsenal to “be brave” against Chelsea on Saturday.
The Gunners lost their Premier League opener against Manchester City last week in Unai Emery’s first competitive fixture as manager.
Things don’t get any easier for the north London club on matchday two as they face Maurizio Sarri’s Blues.
But the Germany international has insisted that his men have to be on the front foot at Stamford Bridge, or will face the consequences.
“Playing against Man City, it’s not easy to put everything you have been working on onto the pitch,” he told the Evening Standard.
“Maybe against other teams you can get away with one or two mistakes. The next game is Chelsea — we can’t make too many.
“But if you are scared of making mistakes, that’s when they happen. We have to be brave. We have to be sure about what we want to do.
“We are trying to play a different game from last year. If we’re confident, we’ll get results.’’
ESPN: Gervinho leaves China to return to Serie A with Parma
Parma have completed the signing of former Arsenal and Roma winger Gervinho.
The Ivory Coast international, who left the Italian capital for Chinese club Hebei China Fortune in January 2016, has signed a contract until 2021 with the Serie A club .
He passed his medical in the Italian city on Friday after agreeing to have his contract in China terminated.
The 31-year-old spent three seasons in Serie A with Roma, scoring 17 goals in 71 outings for the Giallorossi.
He previously scored nine goals in 46 games for Arsenal after joining them from Lille in 2011.
One Football: Allegri thanks outgoing Juventus icon Marchisio
Claudio Marchisio has been hailed as a "great professional" by Massimiliano Allegri after the midfielder parted ways with Juventus.
Massimiliano Allegri applauded Claudio Marchisio as an outstanding servant to Juventus following the mutual termination of his contract.
The Turin-born 32-year-old became a free agent on Friday after 389 appearances for his hometown club.
His influence has been curbed in recent seasons by a succession of injuries, including a ruptured cruciate ligament in April 2016.
MLS has been mooted as a possible destination for the former Italy midfielder, who represented his country at the World Cup in 2010 and 2014.
He leaves Juve as seven-time Scudetto winner, the last four of which have come under Allegri.
In praising Marchisio, the Bianconeri boss said: "I personally have to thank Claudio because in four years with me he proved to be a great player, a great man, a great professional and an example for all the players who arrived at Juventus.
"Claudio has been at Juve for 25 years and we took this decision together with him to resolve his contract, and he will go on to have an experience elsewhere."
Marchisio appeared in 11 Serie A seasons in total, having broken into the first team during Juve's brief spell in the second tier in 2006-07.
The Italian champions, meanwhile, have recruited 20-year-old Stephy Mavididi from Arsenal.
The Gunners confirmed the English forward was leaving to link up with Juve's youth side after loan spells with Charlton Athletic and Preston North End.
ESPN: Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain not in first Argentina squad post-Jorge Sampaoli
Italian-based strikers Lautaro Martinez and Giovanni Simeone are among the 20 new faces in Argentina's squad for upcoming friendlies against Guatemala and Colombia, while Lionel Messi was not included as expected.
Messi was left out after requesting an unspecified time out from international duty following Argentina's disappointing World Cup campaign, after which coach Jorge Sampaoli left his post.
Martinez, who joined Inter Milan from Racing earlier this summer, and Simeone, the Spain-born striker who plays for Fiorentina, are included up front alongside Paolo Dybala, Angel Correa and Cristian Pavon.
There is also a return for Mauro Icardi, the Inter striker who like Martinez was surprisingly left out of Argentina's World Cup squad, but there is no place for Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero or Angel Di Maria in the first squad picked by interim coach Lionel Scaloni.
Only nine of the 23 players who went to the Russia World Cup are included for the games against Guatemala in Los Angeles on Sept. 7 and Colombia in New Jersey four days later.
Franco Martinez, the Sevilla midfielder who played two friendlies for Italy in 2015, is among the new names in the 29-man squad, as is Gremio centre-half Walter Kannemann.
Scaloni also gave call-ups to uncapped Stuttgart midfielder Santiago Ascacibar and Real Sociedad goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani (River), Geronimo Rulli (Real Sociedad), Sergio Romero (Manchester United).
Defenders: Fabricio Bustos (Independiente), Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), German Pezzella (Fiorentina), Ramiro Funes Mori (Villarreal), Alan Franco (Independiente), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax), Walter Kannemann (Gremio), Leonel Di Plácido (Lanus), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon).
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Zenit), Santiago Ascacibar (Stuttgart), Rodrigo Battaglia (Sporting Lisbon), Gonzalo Martinez (River), Giovani Lo Celso (PSG), Franco Cervi (Benfica), Maxi Meza (Independiente), Matias Vargas (Velez), Franco Vazquez (Sevilla), Exequiel Palacios (River).
Forwards: Angel Correa (Athletico Madrid), Lautaro Martinez (Internazionale), Mauro Icardi (Internazionale), Giovanni Simeone (Fiorentina), Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors), Paulo Dybala (Juventus).
One Football: Salah, Mane and Firmino not in competition says Klopp
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino put the team ahead of individual numbers, says Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool's feared front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are not in a goalscoring competition as the trio are focused solely on winning matches.
The Reds started the new Premier League season with a 4-0 hammering of West Ham at Anfield last weekend, a contenst in which Mane scored twice, while last season's PFA Player of the Year Salah and substitute Daniel Sturridge were also on target.
After the game, Mane was asked about the competition among the team's forwards but Klopp – addressing the media before Monday's contest at Crystal Palace – believes none of his stars pay attention to the numbers achieved by their strike partners.
"I think I saw that [Mane talking about competition], it was a question put to him," he said.
"They don't count the goals of the other guys, they like and enjoy playing together, it's very good.
"I love the fact we have the possibility to bring in other players with similar qualities it's really nice.
"It's not about the competition between them, it's strikers who love playing together, I don't think they are bothered in the moment about specific number of goals, they only want to win football games.
"As a striker - I'm not sure if Sadio is a striker, very offensive midfield player it's true - they want to win football games and they like the way we play.
"They get benefit of that and give lots back to the team with defensive work. You cannot win football games if you have players that don't like to work."
Liverpool have been tipped to provide a sustained challenge to reigning champions Manchester City in the Premier League this term, a viewpoint that was enhanced by their showing against the Hammers.
But Klopp warned Palace at Selhurst Park provides an altogether different prospect and challenged his side to "stay angry".
"There is a fantastic atmosphere there. They won their first game and they are full of confidence. It's a completely different game," he added.
"We need to stay positive, but stay angry as well.
"We are still in a process. We have to develop. We are not the best team in the world. There is a lot of space for us to improve.
"It's very important because we are not alone. Our supporters like the way we are doing it.
"If you cannot deliver or the supporters ask for something impossible, that's not healthy.
"Against West Ham was good, but I saw Palace play against Fulham and they have grown as a group. Roy is doing a fantastic job there."
ESPN: Napoli chief accuses Roma and Liverpool owners of collusion
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis suggested on Friday that the owners of Roma and Liverpool are secretly the same, prompting Roma chairman James Pallotta to joke that he "also [owns] Barca and Bayern."
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday, De Laurentiis said "a little bird has told me a few years ago" that Pallotta is in some form of partnership with Liverpool's owner John Henry.
"I always had a suspicion that the real owner of Roma is the same as Liverpool, and if this were the case, the two clubs should not be allowed to play in the Champions League," De Laurentiis said.
UEFA's Champions League rules prohibit two clubs with a common ownership from both playing for Europe's biggest trophy. Liverpool beat Roma in the UCL semifinals last season.
In response to De Laurentiis, Pallotta tweeted a message via his club's official Twitter account, saying: "What do you think De Laurentiis is smoking over there in Naples? If he finds that little bird again, he'll find out we also own Barca and Bayern."
The source of De Laurentiis' suggestion was Roma's sale of goalkeeper Alisson Becker to Liverpool this summer, as the executive said Napoli had made a €60 million bid for the Brazilian that the Giallorossi had turned down.
"I really cannot decipher it," De Laurentiis said. "For example, I would never have sold Alisson even for €100 million."
Liverpool ultimately paid an initial €62.5m for Alisson, one year after signing Mohamed Salah from Roma for €42 million in what turned out to be a major bargain after the Egyptian scored 41 goals in 46 appearances in all competition.
Pallotta told ESPN in April that he and Henry, who are both based in Boston, had worked together on the Salah deal but revealed that the Liverpool chairman was concerned he had overpaid.
Henry's Fenway Sports Group bought Liverpool in 2010, while Pallotta bought Roma in 2011 as part of an American investment group led by Thomas DiBenedetto, who is a partner in FSG. A year later, Pallotta became the biggest shareholder and replaced DiBenedetto as chairman.
Roma's general manager Mauro Baldissoni also chipped in on De Laurentiis' claims on Friday.
"He said that this was all suggested to him by a little bird," Baldisonni said on Roma's website. "I don't know who: I can only think that perhaps Aurelio is listening to the wrong birds!
"Perhaps we could suggest to him that he should speak a bit with songbirds, who deliver nice melodies rather than speaking nonsense. For our part, we send our best wishes to president De Laurentiis and to Carlo Ancelotti, their coach who remains in the hearts of all Roma fans, along with everyone else at Napoli."
One Football: No contact, no negotiation - Leonardo denies AC Milan deal for Milinkovic-Savic
AC Milan sporting director Leonardo has denied the club are trying to sign Lazio and Serbia star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is not a transfer target for AC Milan and there has been no contact between the clubs to set up a deal, says Rossoneri sporting director Leonardo.
For the second year in a row, Milan have been one of the busiest teams in the European transfer window, signing Samu Castillejo from Villarreal and Uruguay left-back Diego Laxalt from Genoa to beat Friday's transfer deadline.
Reports in Italy claimed Milan were aiming to conclude a deal for Serbia star Milinkovic-Savic, with a package worth €40million said to have been struck for the 23-year-old.
But Leonardo denied that was the case, citing the need to meet Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations as a barrier to landing big-money deals following the arrivals of new players including Gonzalo Higuain, Mattia Caldara, Pepe Reina, Ivan Strinic and Tiemoue Bakayoko.
"There was no contact, no negotiation, and I don't know why the press thought there was," Leonardo told a news conference.
"I know his agent, we go back a long way but there were never any negotiations or foundations for a deal for him. It's simply not possible for an expensive player like that and we have to respect FFP.
"Our transfer deals are all linked, a player comes in but one goes out, it hasn't been easy but we've managed it, for example the deal with [Leonardo] Bonucci, Caldara and Higuain.
"It's important to balance the books, it's part of our wider goal. But even though it can be tedious to talk about balancing the books the fans want results and to see action, we have to be clear with the fans and have transparency in this respect as well.
"Balancing the books during the transfer window was one of our main aims and overall we have managed to do that, we are very pleased."
ESPN: Manchester United's Andreas Pereira, Barcelona's Arthur among debutants in Brazil squad
Neymar and Philippe Coutinho are included in a strong Brazil squad that will face the United States and El Salvador next month, with Manchester United's Andreas Pereira among the new names announced on Friday.
Thirteen of the players from Brazil's FIFA World Cup squad will make the trip to the U.S. in September, including Liverpool's Roberto Firmino and Alisson, Real Madrid's Casemiro and Chelsea's Willian.
Brazil face the United States in New Jersey on Sept. 7 and then play El Salvador in Washington four days later. The U.S. will not announce its squad until Sept. 2.
Pereira received his first call-up after sources told ESPN Brazil on Thursday that Belgium boss Roberto Martinez was also considering offering the Manchester United man a spot in his squad.
He is one of two United players, along with Fred, but no Manchester City players were included with Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus both overlooked.
Among the other regulars left out are Real Madrid's Marcelo, Miranda of Inter Milan, Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder Paulinho.
Arthur, who was called up but not used before the World Cup, is also included after a promising start to the season with Barcelona.
Lucas Paqueta, Flamengo's highly rated young attacking midfielder gets his first call up, as does Pedro, the 21-year-old Fluminense striker, Gremio's 22-year-old left winger Everton, and Porto centre-back Felipe.
Tite said he left out several senior men to give younger players a chance to show what they can do at the highest level.
"This is Pedro's time, as he is playing well," Tite said. "Paqueta is one of the best players at Flamengo. [And] Everton, who is one of the best players in his team."
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson was left out for personal reasons and replaced by Flamengo reserve Hugo, who was included as part of an experiment to give one under-20 player experience in every squad, Tite said.
Although they will play more friendlies before the end of the year, Brazil's next competitive matches are not until June 2019 when they host the Copa America.
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Hugo (Flamengo), Neto (Valencia)
Defenders: Alex Sandro (Juventus), Dede (Cruzeiro), Fabinho (Liverpool), Fagner (Corinthians), Felipe (Porto), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain)
Midfielders: Andreas Pereira (Manchester United), Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Fred (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo), Phillipe Coutinho (Barcelona), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan)
Forwards: Douglas Costa (Juventus), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Pedro (Fluminense), Willian (Chelsea), Everton (Gremio)
One Football: Mbappe returns to PSG squad, Kehrer set for debut
Thilo Kehrer is in line to make his PSG debut at Guingamp, while Thomas Tuchel welcomes back a trio of World Cup winners.
Kylian Mbappe and fellow World Cup winners Alphonse Areola and Presnel Kimpembe are back in the Paris Saint-Germain squad.
The trio missed PSG's first Ligue 1 game of the season, a routine 3-0 home win over Caen last weekend.
But Mbappe, Kimpembe and Areola are all in Thomas Tuchel's 19-man squad for Saturday's trip to Guingamp, along with new signing Thilo Kehrer.
The defender is in line for his PSG debut after completing a deal reportedly worth €37million to move from Schalke.
ESPN: Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne facing up to three months out - Pep Guardiola
MANCHESTER, England -- A lack of rest may have contributed to the knee injury that will sideline Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne for up to three months, manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday.
De Bruyne suffered damage to the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee during training on Wednesday and flew to Barcelona the following day for tests, which revealed that surgery was not required.
Guardiola cited fatigue as a factor in the Belgian's injury after a World Cup summer, and though he admitted being without De Bruyne will be a big loss for the Premier League champions, they will have to learn to cope without him, starting with Sunday's match with Huddersfield Town.
"Like the doctor said, it will be two to three months, hopefully he can do as much as possible to get back and help us again," Guardiola told a news conference.
"It will be a big miss like last season with Benjamin Mendy. Last season Kevin was outstanding in all terms and of course for him and his family you never want this but you accept it's part of the game.
"It's especially part of the game for the players -- it's normal, they don't rest. It's a tough season, short recovery, they say let's go and we are in the competition. Human beings have a limit and sometimes these things happen."
De Bruyne, 27, had only been back in City training for just over a week ago after helping Belgium to the semifinals of the World Cup and was a 60th-minute substitute in the 2-0 Premier League win at Arsenal on Sunday.
City sent a record 16 players to the World Cup with seven of those, including De Bruyne, reaching the semifinals and all returned within three weeks of their last appearance.
And though Guardiola said there was no way of knowing for sure if the short break led directly to his injury, the manager added that it was difficult to guard against any of his other players picking up problems.
"We'll never know but my opinion is that we demand a lot of the players," he added. "More than 11 months and coming back immediately this can happen. I'm pretty sure this can influence it. If you're fresh, with normal vacations, then that doesn't happen.
"I don't know how you can prepare [against that]. We have to play every game like it was an important game. We try to care for them as best as possible but you never know."
David Silva, who this week announced his international retirement, missed the Arsenal match and the Community Shield victory over Chelsea with a knee injury and could be back to face Huddersfield at the Etihad Stadium.
"He trained the last two or three sessions really good," he said. "Big congratulations because he played more than 100 games, winning European Championship and the World Cup.
"He is one of the most interesting and fascinating players in the whole history of Spain. I never pushed him but he decide to that and he can rest a little bit more."
One Football: Serie A 2018/19 season preview
Serie A is back! After a summer in which Italian football fans didn’t really have much to shout (we promise that’s the last time we’ll make that joke), football on the peninsula returns.
As the old saying goes: there are only three certainties in life – death, taxes and Juventus winning the league.
But despite the Old Lady’s recent dominance this still promises to be one of the most exciting divisions in Europe.
So that’s why we asked our experts on the Italian desk to tell exactly what’s going to happen in 2018/19.
Which team are you most excited about this season?
Francesco Porzio: The big teams aside, it has to be Atalanta. They may have lost Caldara and Spinazzola, but Duvan Zapata looks like he could be a great signing.
Andrea Agostinelli: Will Roma be able to mount a proper title challenge after a summer of unprecedented transfer activity? I say yes.
Mario De Zanet: Roma again, for me. There so many intriguing youngsters in this team, so I’m really curious to see how Di Francesco can get the best out of all of them.
Giacomo Galardini: Everyone back home is talking about Ronaldo but I’m really excited to see what this new Milan – under the Elliott Management Group – are like. Gattuso has had a whole summer to get the team right and a host of changes behind the scenes look to have created the right environment.
Who will be the surprise package?
Francesco Porzio: Torino have maintained the same spine of the last few years and have done one of the best pieces of business all summer – keeping striker Andrea Belotti.
Andrea Agostinelli: Lazio. Sporting director Igli Tare has made some canny signings and I can see them making the Champions League places this time after heartbreak on the final day last season.
Mario De Zanet: Fiorentina look like they could cause a few surprises. The arrival of Marko Pjaca from Juventus is going to be the final piece in the puzzle for them.
Giacomo Galardini: Fiorentina again. Pioli is a great coach and the arrivals of Pjaca, Ceccherini and Mirallas will give them something different this season.
What definitely won’t happen?
Francesco Porzio: Ronaldo definitely won’t struggle in Serie A. Despite the proclamations from those around the league, he is going to be devastating.
Andrea Agostinelli: A season without any VAR controversies.
Mario De Zanet: There’s no way Napoli are going to win the Scudetto. After Sarri’s departure, they’ve been too conservative in the market and I can’t see Ancelotti guiding them to domestic glory.
Giacomo Galardini: There won’t be an Italian at the top of the goalscoring charts come May. This looks like a big problem for national coach Roberto Mancini, with only really Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti looking likely to bother the 20 goal mark.
Who will be the best newcomer?
Francesco Porzio: Gonzalo Higuaín at Milan. Last season Gattuso only lacked a goalscorer. Well, now he has one. One that’s scored more than 100 in the past four seasons.
Andrea Agostinelli: Avoiding the obvious answer, I’d opt for Stefan De Vrij’s move from Lazio to Inter. The Dutch centre back is going to form an unbreakable partnership with Milan Škriniar at the heart of the Nerazzurri defence.
Mario De Zanet: Another Inter signing, but I’m going for Radja Nainggolan. The Ninja did so well under Luciano Spalletti at Roma and will rediscover that form at San Siro.
Giacomo Galardini: De Vrij at Inter. I’m convinced that the Milan giants are going to have the best defence in Serie A this season.
Who has the best jersey?
Francesco Porzio: Sampdoria’s away kit.The Genoese club have once again knocked it out of the park.
Andrea Agostinelli: Parma’s third shirt is a thing of beauty. But I can’t pass up this opportunity by saying just how bad the Milan and Napoli away kits are this season. Awful.
Mario De Zanet: That Lazio home shirt with the eagle in the middle heart eyes emoji
Giacomo Galardini: Without a doubt, it has to be SPAL’s away shirt – a phosphorescent orange to rival the Netherlands.
Who will be relegated?
Francesco Porzio: SPAL, Frosinone and Chievo.
Andrea Agostinelli: Frosinone, Chievo and Empoli.
Mario De Zanet: Cagliari, Chievo and SPAL.
Giacomo Galardini: Frosinone, Chievo and Udinese.
Who will be the first coach to be sacked?
Francesco Porzio: Moreno Longo at Frosinone.
Andrea Agostinelli: Perhaps not the obvious answer, but I’ll go for Davide Ballardini at Genoa.
Mario De Zanet: Lorenzo D’Anna won’t be at Chievo for long.
Giacomo Galardini: Julio Velázquez – the only non-Italian coaching in Serie A at the moment – is going to feel the full force of the Pozzo family’s trigger happy coaching finger at Udinese.
Who will be champions?
Francesco Porzio: Inter will run Juventus close and I also wouldn’t underestimate Milan, but I can’t see anyone toppling the Bianconeri.
Andrea Agostinelli: Napoli. Ancelotti has all the experience not to be overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the fans and can make the most of those moments when Juventus are focusing on the Champions League.
Mario De Zanet: Juventus – the gap is just too wide.
Giacomo Galardini: Juventus again, no ifs or buts.
Reuters: AC Milan sign Diego Laxalt, Samu Castillejo as squad overhaul continues
Villarreal forward Samuel Castillejo and Genoa midfielder Diego Laxalt have joined AC Milan shortly before the close of Italy's transfer window, the Serie A club said on Friday.
Milan added that Carlos Bacca and Gianluca Lapadula have signed for Villarreal and Genoa respectively.
Castillejo, 23, joined Villarreal in 2015 from Malaga and made 30 appearances in La Liga last season, scoring six goals.
Uruguay international Laxalt, capped 10 times, made 32 appearances in Serie A last season, scoring three times.
Laxalt, 25, has been a regular in Italy's top flight since 2013, having previously played for Empoli and Bologna on loan from Inter.
Milan were due to host Genoa in their first league game of the season on Sunday. However, the match was postponed after a bridge collapsed in Genoa on Tuesday, killing at least 38 people.
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