Enrico Passarella, Author at The Cult of Calcio

Going from Champions League finalists to getting eliminated in the Round of 16 surely stings, but it’s more of a missed opportunity than a failure for Inter.

Inter Not Yet at the Level to Despair for Early UCL Exit

March 15, 2024 Enrico Passarella Atletico Madrid, Calciomercato, Champions League, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Going from Champions League finalists to getting eliminated in the Round of 16 surely stings, but it’s more of a missed opportunity than a failure for Inter. Having dominated Serie A, they would have been able to concentrate their energies on repeating what they did in the past campaign.

Igor Tudor and Lazio president Claudio Lotito have reached an agreement in principle, and the coach will be appointed to replace Maurizio Sarri next week.

Igor Tudor Primed to Succeed Sarri in the Lazio Dugout

March 15, 2024 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Lazio, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024

Igor Tudor and Lazio president Claudio Lotito have reached an agreement in principle, and the coach will be appointed to replace Maurizio Sarri next week. Former assistant Giovanni Martusciello will guide the team versus Frosinone.

Fiorentina and Milan have received strong reports from their scouts about Boca Juniors midfielder Ezequiel Fernandez. The Viola could be particularly keen.

Fiorentina and Milan Linked to Boca Juniors Midfielder

March 14, 2024 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Calciomercato, Fiorentina, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Fiorentina and Milan have received strong reports from their scouts about Boca Juniors midfielder Ezequiel Fernandez. The Viola could be particularly keen since they have several moving pieces at the position. The 21-year-old has turned heads primarily for his stamina and vision.

Inter endured a big disappointment against Atleti on Wednesday, but their trip to Madrid was still reasonably productive for their hierarchy.

Inter Management Got Very Busy During Brief Madrid Stay

March 14, 2024 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Inter endured a big disappointment against Atleti on Wednesday, but their trip to Madrid was still reasonably productive for their hierarchy. They talked with a few more agents on top of Alejandro Camano, who represents Lautaro Martinez.

Lazio started their coaching search after Maurizio Sarri stepped down, and Gennaro Gattuso is considered a strong candidate for the future.

Lazio Ponder Coaches, Mull Targeting Former Roma Star

March 14, 2024 Enrico Passarella Aston Villa, Calciomercato, Galatasaray, Italian Football, Lazio, Premier League, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Lazio started their coaching search after Maurizio Sarri stepped down, and Gennaro Gattuso is considered a strong candidate for the future. Giovanni Martusciello will guide them versus Frosinone. They might need a different caretaker manager because the rest of the staff is resigning.

Matias Soulé will be back at Juventus in the summer but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be part of their squad next season.

Juventus Open to Soulé Sale but Demand a Major Figure

March 14, 2024 Enrico Passarella Aston Villa, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, Newcastle United, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Matias Soulé has had a little dip in recent months, but his season remains solid. He’s one of the only four non-pure strikers to score at least ten goals in Seria A. The others are Paulo Dybala, Teun Koopmeiners, Albert Gudmundsson and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Inter bowed out on PKs against Atletico Madrid after a hard-fought contest where their lead was nullified. The outcome of the shoot-out wasn’t stunning.

Inter Undid by Particularly Poor Penalty Kick Takers

March 14, 2024 Enrico Passarella Atletico Madrid, Champions League, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024

Inter bowed out on PKs against Atletico Madrid after a hard-fought contest where their narrow lead was nullified. The outcome of the shoot-out wasn’t particularly stunning. The Nerazzurri have one of the best specialists, but their other options are less than stellar.

Fikayo Tomori will likely pay a visit to his agent Viktor Kolar ahead of the return leg of the Europa League’s Round of 16 against Slavia Praha,

Tomori Agent Talks Out Both Sides of His Mouth on Future

March 14, 2024 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Bundesliga, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Serie A, Transfer Market

Fikayo Tomori will likely pay a visit to his agent Viktor Kolar ahead of the return leg of the Europa League’s Round of 16 against Slavia Praha, as the company that represents him, Sport Invest, is located in the Czech capital.

Juventus and Inter will have an extra long season in 2024/2025, as the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will take place from mid-June to mid-July.

Juventus in Homestretch of Several Contract Decisions

March 14, 2024 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Juventus and Inter will have an extra long season in 2024/2025, as the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will take place from mid-June to mid-July. The Bianconeri will need a much deeper squad and, besides the signings, that will go through keeping their own players.

Francesco Calzona is about to pull double duty for the first time since being hired by Napoli. He’ll leave to manage Slovakia during the break.

Coach Calzona in the Dark Regarding His Napoli Future

March 14, 2024 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Napoli, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024

Francesco Calzona is about to pull double duty for the first time since being hired by Napoli. He’ll leave to manage Slovakia in the friendlies against Austria and Norway in the upcoming international break. He addressed his future in a presser.

Milan officials keep dismissing rumors about selling a stake in the team to PIF, but a document part of the ongoing investigation says otherwise.

Newfound Document Reveals Outline of Milan, PIF Deal

March 13, 2024 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Newcastle United, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Milan officials keep dismissing rumors about selling a stake in the team to PIF, but a document part of the ongoing investigation shows that something could, or perhaps was, in the works in that respect. The Saudi fund alreay owns Newcastle.

Teams are jockeying for positions to set up Bosman additions, and Milan and Aston Villa are rivaling Juventus to snap up Mario Hermoso.

Aston Villa Lead Race for Juventus and Milan Target

March 13, 2024 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, La Liga, Premier League, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Teams are jockeying for positions to set up Bosman additions, and Milan and Aston Villa are rivaling Juventus to snap up Mario Hermoso. However, Atletico Madrid still hold out hope of extending his expiring contract. Coach Diego Simeone is pushing for it.

Author: Enrico Passarella