Enrico Passarella, Author at The Cult of Calcio

Juventus Sticking with Andrea Pirlo Despite Debacle Against Milan

May 10, 2021 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

Andrea Pirlo directed today’s training session and will remain on the bench for Wednesday’s match versus Sassuolo. The management had a summit last night and decided that the rookie coach will stay at the helm the remaining matches of the season. Juventus dropped to 5th place and no longer control their own destiny after losing to Milan.

Juventus Could Face Domestic Sanctions Without Agreement with UEFA

May 10, 2021 Enrico Passarella FIGC, Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

The Italian Football Association could punish Juventus if they did not reconcile with UEFA after the collapse of the Super League project. President Gabriele Gravina said that the exclusion from Serie A is still on the table as a worst-case scenario. The official also commented on the new reduced Coppa Italia format.

Benevento President Accuses Referee of Targeting Southern Teams

May 10, 2021 Enrico Passarella Benevento, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

Benevento owner Oreste Vigorito slammed Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni, claiming that the referee has a personal vendetta against the clubs from Southern Italy. The official worked the VAR in yesterday’s pivotal clash with Cagliari and suggested first official Paolo Doveri change his mind on a contact between Kwadwo Asamoah and Nicolas Viola, which was initially ruled to be a penalty kick.

Lazio Plotting Attempts to Lure Juan Mata and Nikola Maksimovic

May 6, 2021 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Lazio, Manchester United, Napoli, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Transfer Market

Lazio are mulling two quality additions on free transfers as they are tracking Juan Mata and Nikola Maksimovic, whose deals are up in the summer. They face competition for both, but their early work on them has been fruitful. They almost signed a similar type of player in David Silva last summer before Real Sociedad swooped in at the last second.

Roma Eyeing De Gea and Raul Jimenez to Bolster Mourinho’s Squad

May 6, 2021 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Transfer Market

Roma plan to make two or three select purchases this summer to strengthen the roster with José Mourinho at the helm. They will focus primarily on signing a new goalkeeper and a striker. David De Gea and Raul Jimenez are high on their target list. Isco, Mauro Icardi, Nemanja Matic and Renato Sanches have also been linked.

Maurizio Sarri on Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham Radar after Roma Snub

May 6, 2021 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Arsenal, Calciomercato, Fiorentina, Italian Football, Marseille, Napoli, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Tottenham

Maurizio Sarri had prioritized Roma, putting the negotiation with Tottenham on the backburner. He is now back on the market since the Giallorossi snatched José Mourinho and, while he does not lack suitors, he is not in advanced talks with any team. He would emerge as an option for Milan and Arsenal if they decided to change their current coaches.

Serie A Approves New Coppa Italia Format and Sets Dates for 2021-2022

May 6, 2021 Enrico Passarella Coppa Italia, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

Coppa Italia will undergo a significant overhaul next season as only the 40 Serie A and Serie B teams will participate. The reduced cup will begin on August 15th and will have fewer and more diluted rounds. Yesterday’s council also established the dates for the 2021/2022 season. The new reduced formula will not include sides from the lower divisions.

Ongoing Battles to Make Italy Euro 2021 Roster After Expansion

May 5, 2021 Enrico Passarella Euro 2020, European Championships 2020, Italian Football, Italy, The Azzurri

UEFA announced yesterday the addition of three roster spots for Euro 2021, therefore the national teams will have 26-man squads. Most Azzurri received the first shot of the vaccine yesterday, either in Milan or Rome, as the Italian FA was the first to take such precaution for their players. There are now reportedly five openings up for grabs.

Early Targets and Tactics for the New-Look Roma of José Mourinho

May 5, 2021 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

José Mourinho will not land in Rome for a few weeks, but the speculations about his ideas and transfer market objectives are already running rampant. He will surely move on from the three-man defense and initially opt for his beloved 4-2-3-1 scheme. Nicolò Zaniolo, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Jordan Veretout are set to have key role, while the future of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Edin Dzeko is uncertain.

Tottenham Reached Out to Atalanta Coach Gian Piero Gasperini

May 5, 2021 Enrico Passarella Atalanta, Italian Football, Serie A, Tottenham

Tottenham added another Italian gaffer to their list of targets to succeed José Mourinho on the bench as they recently contacted Gian Piero Gasperini. They were previously linked to Maurizio Sarri, who remains in the running like Athletic’s Marcelino, while Erik Ten Hag recently extended his contract with Ajax. However, the Atalanta boss is considered unlikely to move to the Spurs.

Roma Acted Swiftly and Got Some Financial Help to Hire José Mourinho

May 5, 2021 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Transfer Market

Roma sent shockwaves through the football world yesterday by surprisingly hiring José Mourinho shortly after announcing that Paulo Fonseca will leave the club at the end of the season. The move was born after the coach got sacked by Tottenham and the two sides were able to close the deal in a hurry because of significant mutual interest.

Inter are inching closer to bringing back Romelu Lukaku, but Giuseppe Marotta stated it will not happen today. The executive discussed several topics.

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta Takes Jab at Juventus and Fabio Paratici

May 4, 2021 Enrico Passarella Inter Milan, Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021

Giuseppe Marotta confirmed his intention to stay at Inter and threw some shade at Juventus and his former colleague Fabio Paratici. “I do not feel like the Scudetto is a revenge against the Bianconeri, but rather a dream come true. I guess it will be gratifying to return to Turin on May 15th to decide their faith in the Champions League race."

Author: Enrico Passarella