The Champions League has delivered one of the worst rounds in living memory for Serie A, which had never seen all four Italian teams lose across a two-day matchweek before.
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In short, the picture is bleaker than ever. Juventus and Milan, both in Europa League action tonight, are tasked with restoring some pride to Italian football.
As usual, here are the morning’s biggest stories.
🇪🇸 Juventus eye Spanish talent
Juventus are looking to the Spanish market to strengthen their full-back options for the future. Among the players reportedly being watched by their scouts is Jorge Salinas, Racing Santander’s left-back born in 2007. According to information gathered by TuttoJuve.com, the Turin club have sent representatives to watch him play for Spain’s youth teams. The young defender is attracting attention for his potential and could also adapt to a wing-back role.
Competition is already fierce, however: Inter, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are also reportedly tracking Salinas. Racing Santander are said to have set a release clause of €16 million. There are currently no reports of official talks with Juventus, who must decide whether to move quickly to beat their rivals or continue monitoring the Spanish talent’s development ahead of future transfer windows.
🔙 Milan: Tomori back in the starting XI!
Fikayo Tomori is ready for a fresh start in the Europa League. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the English defender is expected to start against Salzburg, finally getting his chance after failing to play a single minute so far this season. The centre-back had been openly put up for sale in mid-August, but remained at Milan through the final day of the summer transfer window.
The Milan defender’s journey has been an unusual one: Tomori was close to joining Fulham, where he had been expected to sign, but the deal never materialised. Now he could have a chance to prove himself again and work his way back up Amorim’s pecking order. The European clash will be an important test of what his role might be for the rest of the season.
🧤 Inter: Provedel’s time is coming! Here’s when
Ivan Provedel is preparing for his chance in goal for Inter. After his error against Brugge in the Champions League, Josep Martinez could be rested for a game, making way for the former Lazio goalkeeper. As La Gazzetta dello Sport reports, the match against the Belgian side was not the Spaniard’s only lapse this season: his mistake against Real Madrid and shaky moments in the league game against Udinese also count against him. This string of incidents has reignited debate over his place as first choice.
Cristian Chivu has always maintained his faith in Martinez, making sure any potential benching would not be seen as punishment. Now, however, the packed schedule could pave the way for Provedel’s debut: it remains to be seen whether that will come in the away game at Bologna or in one of the subsequent matches against Shakhtar and Fiorentina.
💪 Napoli considering a training retreat! But not as punishment
Napoli’s difficult spell has brought the possibility of a training retreat back into focus as a way to restore unity and concentration. As reported by Il Corriere dello Sport, the club are considering this option following the team’s struggles in recent weeks. The situation remains under review, and the decision could also depend on the team’s upcoming performances.
Above all, there is a need for a response from Allegri’s squad, who must find greater consistency in their results and become more solid. A potential retreat would offer a chance to work more closely on preparations and bring everyone together, but no final decision has been made at this stage.
🤩 Roma: Totti meets Friedkin! Here’s why
Francesco Totti’s return to Roma is not yet a concrete prospect, as the former captain himself reiterated yesterday morning at the launch of the Panini album. The evening at the Olimpico did, however, bring a significant meeting: before Roma-Real Madrid, as reported by Prime Video, Totti met Corbin Friedkin, son of owner Dan, in a private room, and also greeted CEO Galantic. It was a courtesy gesture from the club towards the most iconic figure in Roma’s history, in a year leading up to their centenary.
Totti’s presence did not go unnoticed in the stands either: every time he appeared on screen, the Olimpico greeted him with applause, reaffirming his special bond with the fans. It was a positive moment on an otherwise bitter evening on the pitch for Roma, and a gesture with particular significance ahead of the club’s centenary celebrations. The meeting alone does not suggest that an agreement for his return to the club is imminent, but it does show a renewed connection between the two sides at an institutional level.
😳 Lazio fans want to pay Monza’s fine!
Monza must pay a €5,000 fine for offensive chants directed by their supporters at Claudio Lotito, Lazio’s president. The sporting disciplinary judge explained the sanction by citing events during the match, stating in the official ruling that the Monza fans had "directed offensive chants at the president of the opposing team".
The incident has sparked an ironic response from Lazio supporters, many of whom are openly protesting against Lotito himself. As reported by Il Tempo, some Lazio fans have launched a €5,000 collection with the provocative aim of raising enough money to cover Monza’s fine. It remains to be seen whether the initiative will attract enough contributions to turn the idea into action.
😰 Fiorentina: why Gonçalves is struggling for fitness
Pedro Gonçalves has not played a full match since March 22, when he scored twice in Sporting’s 4-1 win over Alverca. Having joined Fiorentina in late August, the Portuguese player has so far managed just 84 minutes across five appearances, scoring against Pisa in the Coppa Italia. A difficult summer spent on the fringes at Sporting following contact with Al-Ittihad affected his preparations, and his work during the break was not enough to restore him to peak fitness. As Corriere dello Sport reports, Vanoli is overseeing an individual training programme for the player and sees him primarily as an attacking midfielder, capable of creating play and delivering through balls, rather than a winger.
Ahead of the clash with Como, the coach still needs to find the right balance between attacking quality and solidity, with Ndour and Brescianini competing to play alongside Fagioli and the Oulai experiment still on hold. Gonçalves offers valuable technical quality, but to perform consistently he needs to regain his fitness and settle into a more balanced team, especially in midfield. A possible switch to 4-2-3-1 could bring out the best in him, but at present the Portuguese player does not appear ready to last ninety minutes. After the game in Genoa, Vanoli was clear: "He needs to do more."
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.