Enrico Passarella, Author at The Cult of Calcio

Sergio Conceiçao Emerges as a Strong Candidate for the Napoli Job

May 24, 2021 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Napoli, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

Sergio Conceiçao is in pole position to become the next Napoli manager. The name has been kept under wraps up until today, but the talks are at advances stages. While some sources call in already a done deal, other are more cautious, while confirming that there is considerable momentums toward the hiring. He would need to free himself up from Porto first.

Supercoppa Between Inter and Juventus Will Be Played in Saudi Arabia

May 24, 2021 Enrico Passarella Inter Milan, Italian Football, Juventus, Saudi Arabia, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Super Cup

The Supercoppa Italiana will return to Saudi Arabia next season for the bout between Inter and Juventus. It will take place abroad for the 11th time in its 30-year history, the eighth in the last 12 editions. The most recent one was held in Reggio Emilia because of the pandemic.

Massimiliano Allegri Still One Step Away from Real Madrid Despite Wait

May 24, 2021 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, Napoli, Real Madrid, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Transfer Market

Zinedine Zidane did not announce that he is leaving Real Madrid right after the end of the season. He is set to meet Florentino Perez Wednesday to clarify his future. Despite the delay, there should not be any surprises, and the two are expected to part ways. Massimiliano Allegri is ready to take over and has already agreed to a two-year contract.

Suning Finalizes Sizeable Loan from Oaktree to Finance Inter

May 20, 2021 Enrico Passarella Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

Suning announced to have secured a €275M loan from the Oaktree Capital Management, a fund that handles assets for €122B, to support Inter. The money will technically come from Great Horizon, the Zhang holding that owns 68,55% of the club. The Chinese conglomerate will have three years to pay it back; otherwise, Oaktree will take over.

Juan Musso Winks at Inter Amid Buzz: “They Are the Best Team in Italy”

May 20, 2021 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Transfer Market, Udinese

Juan Musso is likely to leave Udinese to join a bigger club this summer. He spoke highly of Inter, one of the possible destinations, in an interview: "Playing in Champions League is a dream of mine. I would be thrilled if one of its participants made a good offer for me. Inter is the best club in Italy." He has previously been linked also to Roma and Atalanta.

Local Businessman Accused of Faking Arnault Ties to Purchase Milan

May 20, 2021 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

Bernard Arnault, the third richest man in the world, has often been linked to a possible acquisition of Milan in recent years. However, the buzz may have been fueled fraudulently by a broker at the expense of the tycoon and the club. The local district attorney’s office is looking into the matter.

Antonio Conte Likely to Stay at Inter as Summit with Ownership Looms

May 20, 2021 Enrico Passarella Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

Antonio Conte will soon meet Steven Zhang to discuss his future amid the uncertain economic situation of the club. While the decision will be final only after the summit, there is positive momentum towards the coach staying put. The gaffer is hell-bent on keeping Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez and Barella, but would accept other departures.

Gianluigi Buffon Looking For “Crazy” Proposals, Eyes 2022 World Cup

May 20, 2021 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

With yesterday’s win, Gianluigi Buffon took home the sixth Coppa Italia of his career, tying the previous record-man Roberto Mancini. The legendary goalkeeper has already announced that he will leave Juventus at the end of the season but did not seem ready for retirement in the post-game presser. He has received multiple offers and will pick the most stimulating one.

Leonardo Bonucci addressed the 2021-2022 campaign for Juventus: “There is some regret because we dropped a lot of points."

Bonucci and His Agent Under Scrutiny for Illicit Recruiting Campaign

May 19, 2021 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

Leonardo Bonucci and his agent Alessandro Lucci have been accused of illegally poaching players from other representatives. The federal prosecutive Giuseppe Chiné is evaluating whether to open an investigation after a complaint by AIACS, one of the agents’ associations. Their MO reportedly includes constant text messages and promises of richer contracts and a national team call-up.

Hakan Calhanoglu Receives Mammoth Offer from Qatari Team Al-Duhail

May 19, 2021 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Transfer Market

Hakan Calhanoglu, whose contract with Milan expires in just over a month, has received a sizeable offer from Al-Duhail. The Qatari club proposes a three-year deal with €8M wages and an €8M signing bonus, for a total of €32M. The attacker will meet them next week. Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, and Inter have also shown some interest in him.

Milan Eyeing Olivier Giroud and Amine Adli to Bolster the Attack

May 19, 2021 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Calciomercato, Chelsea, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Transfer Market

Milan plan to tweak their front-line in the summer and are keeping tabs on Olivier Giroud and Amine Adli. The French striker is poised to leave Chelsea for free this summer, while the versatile youngster has just been named the best Ligue 2 player for this season. However, they face intense competition for both attackers.

Having scored the winner in a 2-1 win against Bologna, Immobile has registered himself among fellow Serie A greats for a unique record.

Ciro Immobile and Urbano Cairo Trade Verbal Barbs After Make-Up Match

May 19, 2021 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Lazio, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Torino

A heated exchange followed up yesterday’s game between Lazio and Torino, as Ciro Immobile accused the opposing owner Urbano Cairo of insulting him for playing with too much determination. The striker missed a penalty kick in the final minutes. The chairman did not mince words in his reply, bringing up an episode from their shared past.

Author: Enrico Passarella