Enrico Passarella, Author at The Cult of Calcio

Juventus endured a triple blow on the eve of the Derby, as Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa won’t be available due to small injuries.

Chiesa and Vlahovic Ruled Out, New Pogba Test Positive

October 6, 2023 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Torino

Juventus endured a triple blow on the eve of the Derby, as Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa won’t be available due to small injuries, while the second sample of Paul Pogba tested positive for testosterone as well, thus ending hopes for a quick resolution of his doping case.

Milan Skriniar, André Onana, and Marcelo Brozovic left Inter to join new teams last summer, but they haven’t exactly thrived at their new homes so far.

Former Inter Trio Having Problems at Their New Clubs

October 6, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Ligue 1, Manchester United, Premier League, PSG, Saudi Pro League, Serie A, Transfer Market

Milan Skriniar, André Onana, and Marcelo Brozovic left Inter to join new teams last summer, but they haven’t exactly thrived at their new homes so far. The first two have come under fire for their recent performances. The goalkeeper has been particularly poor in his early Manchester United days.

Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli previewed the upcoming Derby della Mole, reminiscing his game-winning goal two years ago and more in an interview.

Locatelli Anticipates Tough Battle in Derby della Mole

October 6, 2023 Enrico Passarella Brighton, Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Torino

Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli previewed the upcoming Derby della Mole, reminiscing his game-winning goal two years ago and more in an interview: “I’d like for a repeat of that, also because I miss scoring, but that moment is indelible." He's about to notch his 100th cap with the Old Lady.

Piotr Zielinski snubbed Saudi Arabia last summer to prolong his Napoli stay with the promise of a new contract, but the parties never finalized it.

Napoli Leaving Star Midfielder Hanging on Renewal

October 6, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Napoli, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Piotr Zielinski snubbed Saudi Arabia last summer to prolong his Napoli stay with the promise of a new contract, but the parties never finalized an agreement and don’t appear in a rush to do so. The Partenopei are banking on his reluctance to leave.

Luciano Spalletti will issue the Italy squad for the Euro qualifiers versus Malta and England on Friday while dealing with a few injury concerns.

Duo Poised for Italy Return Amid a Few Injury Problems

October 6, 2023 Enrico Passarella Bologna, Genoa, Italian Football, Italy, Juventus, Lazio, Roma, Sassuolo, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, The Azzurri, Tottenham

Luciano Spalletti will issue the squad for the Euro qualifiers versus Malta and England on Friday. While he’s dealing with a few injury concerns, he has prepared two returns relative to the previous matches. Francesco Acerbi and Domenico Berardi are expected to be back in the squad.

Lazio have slowed down in the talks with Felipe Anderson, which seemed destined for a positive resolution and fear Juventus could be behind the impasse.

Felipe Anderson Comments on Likely Lazio Extension

October 6, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Lazio, Saudi Pro League, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market One comment

Felipe Anderson is in advanced talks to renew his Lazio contract, and it appears the signature will arrive shortly, even though the attacker is prioritizing what happens on the pitch: “I have to make the right decision. I’m happy and in good form now."

Inter and Federico Dimarco are on the same page concerning a contract extension and the club is plotting to re-up with Denzel Dumfries as well.

Inter Preparing New Contracts for Their Star Wingbacks

October 6, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Inter and Federico Dimarco are on the same page concerning a contract extension, which will be finalized soon, and the club is also plotting to re-up with Denzel Dumfries. The two wing-backs are both in line for a pay bump. The Azzurri contributor will roughly double his salary.

De Ligt on Why He Left Juventus to Join Bayern Munich

October 6, 2023 Enrico Passarella Bayern Munich, Bundesliga, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Transfer Market

Matthijs De Ligt detailed the reason for his Juventus farewell and Bayern Munich switch last year. The center-back transferred to Germany in a €67M move that was surprisingly swift considering its dimension. The Bianconeri promptly replaced him with Gleison Bremer.

Anatoliy Trubin almost single-handedly prevented Inter from winning the recent clash with Benfica, which he could have played with the Italian side.

Inter Moved On from Benfica Hero Over Excessive Demand

October 5, 2023 Enrico Passarella Atalanta, Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Anatoliy Trubin almost single-handedly prevented Inter from winning the recent clash with Benfica despite dominating and creating several clear-cut chances. La Beneamata had the Ukrainian prodigy atop their preferences to replace André Onana last summer. He personally favored them over other destinations.

The links between Mehdi Taremi and Inter continue to gain steam, but it’s more likely that the Serie A leaders will wait till the summer to onboard him.

Inter Tipped to Resume Going After Porto Star Taremi

October 5, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Porto, Serie A, Transfer Market

Inter quickly found themselves one man short up front due to Marko Arnautovic suffering a severe thigh injury, and they are considering the possibility of pursuing Mehdi Taremi again in January in case the former Bologna centerpiece struggles in his recovery.

Mayor Giuseppe Sala wants either Milan or Inter to change their mind about abandoning San Siro. The Rossoneri are further along in the process.

Mayor Urges Milan and Inter to Rethink San Siro Choice

October 5, 2023 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024

Mayor Giuseppe Sala wants either Milan or Inter to change their mind about abandoning San Siro. The Rossoneri have started the process of building one just outside the confines of the city, while La Beneamata is seriously pondering to do the same thing.

Roma have been dealing with an injury crisis seemingly since the start of the season, but they have improved considerably with Mourinho at the helm.

Roma Doing Better Injury-Wise Despite What May Appear

October 5, 2023 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Roma have been dealing with an injury crisis seemingly since the start of the season and will be down several key men as they take on Servette on Thursday. On the other hand, despite their many absences, the situation has improved since José Mourinho has been at the helm.

Author: Enrico Passarella