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Gennaro Gattuso sacked by Palermo's Maurizio Zamparini after six games
• Dismissal follows second straight Serie B defeat, 2-1 at Bari
• Giuseppe Iachini named as Gennaro Gattuso's successor
Press Association
The Guardian, Wednesday 25 September 2013 13.30 BST
Palermo's Kyle Lafferty is tackled by Hordur Bjorgvin Magnusson of La Spezia in Gennaro Gattuso's penultimate match. Photograph: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
Gennaro Gattuso's coaching adventure at Palermo has lasted only six competitive games as the former Italy and Milan midfielder was sacked on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old was shown the door following Tuesday's 2-1 defeat at Bari, their second straight loss in Serie B. They lost 1-0 at La Spezia on Saturday.
Under Gattuso, Palermo have won two of their opening six games, not enough to impress Palermo's president, Maurizio Zamparini, who has opted to make a coaching change.
A statement from Zamparini said: "It is with true and profound sadness that I announce the dismissal of Gennaro Gattuso as coach of the first team. The results have forced us to take this decision.
"Perhaps he [Gattuso] and I have taken a step too far in what was his first experience as coach, in a club and a city as challenging as Palermo is. I have decided to appoint experienced Giuseppe Iachini as his replacement, handing him the task to lead the team back to Serie A."
Palermo were relegated to the second tier last season. Gattuso joined the Sicilian club this summer after a spell as a Sion player-coach last term. He becomes the 20th manager to be sacked by Zamparini since the Italian businessman bought Palermo 11 years ago.
Serie A Wrap: Roma maintain perfect start, Napoli held
26 September 2013
Leaders Roma maintained their perfect start to the Serie A season with a 2-0 win at Sampdoria on Wednesday.
Second-half goals from Mehdi Benatia and Gervinho handed Roma their fifth straight win - the first time the club has achieved such a feat at the start of a season in their history.
Rudi Garcia's side are now two points clear at the top of the table after Napoli were held 1-1 at home by lowly Sassuolo.
Blerim Dzemaili gave Rafael Benitez's side the lead after 14 minutes, but Simone Zaza equalised six minutes later, meaning Napoli's 100 per cent record was ended by a newly promoted team that had failed to pick up a single point before their trip to the Stadio San Paolo.
Champions Juventus took advantage of the fact Inter and Fiorentina meet each other on Thursday to move up to third in the table with a 2-1 win at Chievo.
Cyril Thereau put Giuseppe Sannino's side in front after 28 minutes, but Fabio Quagliarella equalised immediately after the break before Alessandro Bernardini put through his own net in the 65th minute to hand Juve the win.
Lazio edged up to sixth thanks to a 3-1 home win over 10-man Catania.
Ederson gave the Rome club a perfect start inside four minutes, only to see Pablo Barrientos equalise shortly before the half-hour mark.
Senad Lulic gave the hosts the advantage once more six minutes before the break, and Catania's job was made harder when Giuseppe Bellusci was dismissed for a second bookable offence on the hour.
And substitue Hernanes rounded off the scoring in the final minute to condemn Catania to their fourth defeat in five outings this term.
Elsewhere, there was late drama in Bologna as Milan scored twice in the final two minutes to rescue a 3-3 draw.
Andrea Poli had given the visitors the lead in the 12th minute but the teams went in level at the break after Diego Laxalt's goal 20 minutes later.
Laxalt got a second seven minutes after half time before Jonathan Cristaldo looked to have put the game beyond Milan just after the hour mark.
But the visitors had other ideas, Robinho finding the net with a minute to go before Ignazio Abate's equaliser in stoppage time capped a dramatic second period.
Parma were also involved in a high-scoring affair as they ran out 4-3 winners at home to Atalanta.
Djamel Mesbah put the home side in front after 19 minutes, only for Giacomo Bonaventura to level matters a minute later.
Marco Parolo on 28 minutes and Aleandro Rosi on 35 then gave Parma a two-goal lead before Parolo bagged his second five minutes before half time to put the home side in total control.
German Denis pulled a goal back a minute before the break and Atalanta were given further hope when Amauri was dismissed on 52 minutes for a professional foul.
Marko Livaja's strike 11 minutes from time set up a nervy finish, but Parma held on to condemn Atalanta to their third successive defeat.
Torino moved up to eighth after a 2-2 home draw with Hellas Verona.
Alessio Cerci put Torino ahead from the penalty spot nine minutes before the break but Juanito sent the sides in level with a goal in the 44th minute.
Cerci doubled his tally on 52 minutes but Jorginho's penalty 15 minutes later ensured the points were shared.
Meanwhile, Cagliari's winless streak was extended to four games with a 1-1 draw at seventh placed Livorno.
Andrea Luci put Livorno ahead midway through the first half before Victor Ibarbo's equaliser in the 53rd minute secured Cagliari's third successive draw.
The Partenopei dropped their first points of the season with a 1-1 draw against Sassuolo and the Spaniard admitted he was not satisfied
Napoli boss Rafa Benitez has insisted his side cannot be expected to win every game on the back of their 1-1 draw with Sassuolo on Wednesday.
The Partenopei had stormed to a 100 per cent start to the season, with four wins in Serie A and a 2-1 triumph over last year's Champions League runners up Borussia Dortmund in their only European clash this campaign.
However, the side that were beaten 7-0 by Inter at the weekend shocked the Naples-based club by putting up a resilient fight to earn a point at the Stadio San Paolo, leaving Benitez dissatisfied but not fearful of a drop in form.
"I have faith in the squad and it’s only natural that we won’t win all of the games," he told Sky Sport. "We played well, but so did Sassuolo. I think the result had more to do with Sassuolo’s performance than ours.
"We have to work on some things in training, such as how quickly we moved the ball, but I was pleased with our effort tonight. I am not satisfied, obviously, but I am not worried either.
"We played on the same level as the other performances but, if you play every three days and face a side that lost 7-0 last time out, you risk underestimating the challenge.
"We faced a team that were organised and knew what to do, proving the 7-0 to Inter was an aberration rather than a true reflection of Sassuolo."
Napoli's next game is away to Genoa on Saturday as they look to bounce back having slipped from top of the table to second behind Roma, who have won all four of their games.
I'm a freeloader and a loser because i don't make soccer predictions while lurking in this forum for soccer tips. When results don't go my way, the world owes me a living sigh..
Inter's unbeaten start under new manager Walter Mazzarri continued as they came from behind to defeat Fiorentina 2-1 on Thursday.
The result was kind on Inter, who were dominated in the first half, and Fiorentina claimed a deserved lead in the 59th minute after Giuseppe Rossi converted a penalty.
However, Cambiasso dragged the winners level with 18 minutes remaining with a smart finish, before Jonathan lashed in a late winner to send the Milanese club second in the table.
Inter have now won five of their six matches in all competitions this season, scoring 19 goals and conceding just two.
Mazzarri unsurprisingly made no changes to the side that thrashed Sassuolo 7-0 on Sunday, while Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Montella only tinkered with his team, introducing Joaquin for the dropped Rafal Wolski.
Japan defender Yuto Nagatomo fired an early warning shot for Inter, forcing Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto into a save within the first minute, but it was the visitors who would control the early proceedings.
Rossi had an early chance on goal, linking well with Joaquin before hitting a fierce drive that Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic had to palm away, and the duo paired up again shortly after.
This time Handanovic had to keep out Joaquin, who was forced wide by Andrea Ranocchia, and the Spaniard also fizzed an effort across the face of goal as Fiorentina pressed for a goal.
Rossi and Manuel Pasqual – who hobbled off moments later - had further attempts on goal, with Inter restricted to half-chances and an acrobatic Fredy Guarin effort.
Fiorentina, who had continual joy down the right flank, deserved to be in front at the break, and Inter could have no complaints when they took the lead just before the hour-mark.
The goal came from the penalty spot, with Juan penalised for dragging down Joaquin, and Rossi stepped up to dispatch the spot-kick with precision.
Just as Inter looked to be running short of ideas, Cambiasso produced a moment of brilliance with 18 minutes to play for their equaliser.
Hugo Campagnaro won a crucial header among a dithering defence, and Cambiasso chested down before lashing a left-foot volley past Neto.
Campagnaro was then called on at the other end to make an important block that denied Rossi, while Borja Valero's superb cut-back was thrashed straight at Handanovic by substitute Josip Ilicic.
And his save was vital, as Inter charged forward and took the lead thanks to a bullet finish from Brazilian defender Jonathan.
Argentinian Ricky Alvarez played Jonathan in with a terrific ball from the left, and the scorer chested down and avoided the attempted interception by Matias Fernandez before he fired beyond Neto.
Alvaro Pereira and Cambiasso had further attempts on goal as Inter aimed to seal the result, while Ambrosini had a late effort for the losers, but Mazzarri's men held on.
Serie A Preview: Milan v Sampdoria
27 September 2013
Massimiliano Allegri has backed Alessandro Matri to open his Milan account when they face Sampdoria on Saturday.
Milan have only won once this season and find themselves already 10 points behind leaders Roma after just five games.
They prepare for a home clash with struggling Sampdoria without talisman Mario Balotelli and the pressure is starting to build on Matri to fill the void.
He has yet to break his duck since a move from Juventus, but his side's defending is more of a concern for Allegri.
"We have got to improve in defence, but also in attack, seeing as we only convert about 30 per cent of our scoring opportunities," he said.
"Matri played for the team and I hope he can break his duck on Saturday. If he continues like this, the goal will come."
Milan are the comeback kings in Serie A this season, they have scored late goals in three of their five matches – earning them points in two of them.
Sampdoria are struggling under Delio Rossi and have yet to taste victory in this campaign, their two draws – which have both come away from home - leave them on two points and in the bottom three.
They will take heart from the fact that they were unbeaten against Milan last season and won at the San Siro thanks to a Junior Costa goal.
Balotelli will serve the second of his three-match ban, while Kaka (thigh), Mattia De Sciglio and Giampaolo Pazzini (both knee) are all definitely out through injury.
Allegri also has doubts over Riccardo Montolivo, Stephan El Shaarawy (both thigh) and Daniele Bonera but the latter may not be risked as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
The visitors have concerns of striker Eder and Daniele Gastaldello (both knee) but will hope to have them for their trip north.
Serie A Preview: Cagliari v Inter
28 September 2013
Inter will look to keep pace at the top of Serie A on Sunday when they travel to face a Cagliari side without a win in four matches.
Walter Mazzari has made a fine start to life as Inter manager, with their win over Fiorentina on Thursday making it four league wins from five outings for the former Napoli boss.
Only league leaders Roma - who have yet to drop a point this season - post a better record than Inter, and Mazzarri's side head to Sardinia knowing they can briefly overtake the capital club at the summit of the division.
Rodrigo Palacio has led the way for Inter on the goalscoring front, the Argentine striker scoring three times thus far.
Still Inter are likely to face a difficult test at the Stadio Is Arenas, a venue where they have not won since 2010, Samuel Eto'o scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win for a team then managed by Rafael Benitez.
Cagliari should also take great confidence from their performances against Inter last season, Ivo Pulga's men claimed four points from the fixtures between the two with Mauricio Pinilla netting a double in a 2-0 home win back in April.
Pulga's side claimed a number of scalps in front of their home fans in the previous campaign, also overcoming the likes of Lazio and Fiorentina.
However, Cagliari have taken just six points from their first five games, although all of their last three outings have ended in draws.
Defence has been the main problem for Pulga's side, who have yet to keep a clean sheet in any competitive game this term.
Inter have scored 15 goals in the league to this point, and they should be hopeful of adding to that tally on Sunday as they look to continue their revival under Mazzarri.
Serie A Preview: Torino v Juventus
28 September 2013
Juventus will hope to maintain their 18-year dominance over local rivals Torino when the sides meet in Serie A on Sunday.
The last time Juve suffered defeat in the clash was in 1995, and they have since won 10 of the 14 subsequent meetings.
Antonio Conte's side sit in fourth place, having dropped points just once this season, while city rivals Torino find themselves in eighth having lost only once.
Juventus were given a stiff test last time out however, as they were forced to come from behind at Chievo on Wednesday thanks to a second-half effort from Fabio Quagliarella and an Alessandro Bernardini own goal.
However, the hosts were left aggrieved after seeing a goal wrongly chalked off due to an incorrect offside call and Conte believes his side were lucky to get away with the three points.
"Chievo's sense of fair play is impressive and everyone should follow their example. We were lucky today, because the situation went our way," he said.
"Up until that moment the match was in our hands with Gigi Buffon acting as a spectator. We did well to press the reset button at half-time and turn it around after the break."
After a disappointing season last time out, in which they finished 16th, Torino have made an impressive start to their campaign, going into the derby unbeaten in three matches.
Giampiero Ventura's men also have an in-form Alessio Cerci in their ranks, with the former Fiorentina forward scoring four times in his last three games to sit joint top of the scorers' standings.
Ventura wants his side to continue their impressive start to the season when the champions come to town, adding that he feels the league is a tougher proposition this year than last.
"We have many new players at this club and we have also changed our formation but we are a team that always tries to play purposeful football," Ventura said.
"We want to grow and continue pushing on because we are playing in a league that is more difficult than last year.”
Torino have not beaten Juventus in their last 14 games, last securing local bragging rights in 1995 thanks to a 2-1 win.
Torino have also failed to score against Juventus in their last eight meetings - last finding the net in the derby in February 2002.
Juventus remain without long-term absentees Simone Pepe (thigh and Martin Caceres (knee), while a broken foot keeps Torino's only injury concern, Marcelo Larrondo, out of the game.
Serie A Preview: Turin rivals clash, Roma welcome Bologna
27 September 2013
Roma will hope to maintain their 100 per cent start to the Serie A season on Sunday, while champions Juventus face local rivals Torino.
Antonio Conte's side have won four of their opening five Serie A matches, dropping just two points in a 1-1 draw away to Inter on September 14.
Their latest triumph came on Wednesday as the Turin outfit came from behind to defeat Chievo 2-1.
Cyril Thereau put the underdogs into a first-half lead, but Juventus came back in the second half thanks to Fabio Quagliarella and an own-goal by Alessandro Bernardini.
Torino have made a solid enough start to their campaign with just one loss, and are sure to provide stern opposition in a hotly-contested fixture.
Alessio Cerci could be crucial to any success Torino have, the forward has notched five goals in the league thus far.
Rudi Garcia's charges beat Sampdoria 2-0 on Wednesday to record five straight wins at the start of a Serie A campaign for the first time in their history, and will hope to extend that run when they play host to Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico.
The table toppers come up against a Bologna side that have failed fail to register a league victory, but with three draws from five games could cause an upset.
Other matches see strugglers Atalanta face off with Udinese, Catania host Chievo and Livorno travel to Verona.
Sassuolo head into their fixture with Lazio, buoyed by their first point of the season in an unlikely 1-1 draw away to Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday.
Walter Mazzarri prepares his revitalised Inter side for a difficult trip to the Stadio Nereo Rocco for an encounter with Cagliari.
Inter have won three and lost one of their four fixtures, after struggling to a ninth-place finish in Serie A last season.
But this year has seen a return to the sort of form that saw them secure the treble in 2010. A 7-0 thrashing of Sassuolo on Sunday certainly boosted the side's confidence.
On Saturday, Rafael Benitez will look to get his Napoli side back to winning ways in their away fixture with Genoa.
The Naples outfit would have made it five wins from as many games had they beaten Sassuolo.
Close-season signing Gonzalo Higuain has notched three league goals thus far, and Benitez will look to the Argentine striker to provide the main attacking threat.
Also on Saturday, Milan go head-to-head with Sampdoria at San Siro, while on Monday Fiorentina welcome Parma to the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Reina unlikely to return to Liverpool
28 September 2013
Goalkeeper Pepe Reina believes his Liverpool career is over after his loan move to Serie A side Napoli.
In a bid to reduce their wage bill, Liverpool loaned out the Spanish goalkeeper, who reunited with former manager Rafael Benitez in Naples.
Reina has made a strong start at high-flying Napoli and became the first player to save a penalty from Mario Balotelli in a game in his side's 2-1 win over Milan on September 22.
The 31-year-old said his loan move came as a surprise and believes he may have played his last game for the English Premier League club.
"At the moment it's difficult to think about being a Liverpool player next year. They have a young goalkeeper in Simon Mignolet and the manager prefers him to me," Reina told the Daily Mail.
"That's the reason why I'm here and he will be at the club next year as well. There's no reason to think I'll be a Liverpool player from now on but we'll see where the future takes us.
"It's been a good move so far and I don't regret what happened. I would have preferred to say goodbye in a different way."
Reina, who had been linked with a move to Barcelona, said it was a shock when he received the call telling him he was set to be loaned out.
"It did come as a surprise," he said.
"It was the club who made the move. I was on my holidays and nobody told me anything.
"Suddenly Napoli called and said they were agreeing terms with Liverpool and Liverpool just rang me two days later and said the same. They probably had their own reasons."
Reina has three years remaining on his contract at Liverpool but said his focus was firmly on performing well this season and earning a spot in Spain's squad for the 2014 World Cup.
"I want to enjoy this year. It is such an important one for me with the World Cup around the corner and returning to the top flight, playing in the Champions League and fighting for the title, is something I have missed in the last two or three years," Reina said.
"I'm happy to be back at this level. I never expected it but it's been a great decision. I feel invigorated by the move.
"Mentally, I'm fresher, I have more hunger. It is not like before I wasn't, but a change can be good for your mind.
"You have to show the people even more and you have to be ready. The tactics and the managerial skills of Rafa are getting the best from me and that's one more reason."
Serie A Wrap: Napoli go top, Milan also win
29 September 2013
Napoli moved top of Serie A on Saturday as they got back to winning ways by beating Genoa 2-0 away from home.
Rafael Benitez's side were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Sassuolo at home last time out, but a brace from Goran Pandev ensured they would claim all three points at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Napoli have dropped just two points in their opening six games of the campaign, and sit one point above Roma, who have a perfect record after five matches and will host winless Bologna on Sunday.
For Genoa, it was a second successive defeat, and their fourth in six games this season, with Fabio Liverani's side currently occupying 15th place.
Elsewhere, Milan claimed just their second win of the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Sampdoria at the San Siro.
Valter Birsa converted the winner from Robinho's pass in the first minute of the second half to give Massimiliano Allegri's team their first victory in four games.
Sampdoria have now take just two points from their opening six fixtures, with that run of form leaving them in the bottom three.
The 69-year-old Italian is adamant that the San Siro giants will be a force once they get all of their players back from injury
BET=AjaxAJX£30DRAW£33AC MilanMIL£23BetwayAC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani has taken great encouragement out of Saturday's 1-0 victory over Sampdoria, claiming the glass is half full as far as the stuttering Rossoneri are concerned.
Massimiliano Allegri's men have endured a difficult start to the season, picking up just five points from their opening five Serie A fixtures.
However, injury-ravaged Milan battled past Samp at San Siro thanks to a first goal for the club from Valter Birsa, who joined from Genoa as part of the deal that saw Luca Antonini move in the other direction.
"The Birsa-Antonini deal came late in the transfer window and has done favours for all involved," Galliani told his club's official website.
"Birsa scored this evening and Luca Antonini scored in the derby for Genoa. Birsa can give his contribution in this difficult start to the season.
"So, the glass is half full: we are scoring all the time and if we can stop making mistakes at the back, especially in set pieces, we will win a lot more games.
"Now we have to get points against Ajax in Amsterdam [in the Champions League]. When we get all of our players back we’ll be in better shape."
Meanwhile, forward M'Baye Niang, who came off the bench to replace Birsa, is hoping that he can prove a worthy replacement for the injured Stephan El Shaarawy and the suspended Mario Balotelli in next week's mouth-watering clash with reigning champions Juventus.
“I came on and I did well this evening. It’s not easy to come off the bench but I tried to get involved immediately because the team needed energy," the Frenchman said.
"I’m here to work hard and to become the player that I want to be. El Shaarawy and Mario are both really important players but they’re not available so we have to do without them. But we have other players with potential.
"I have to go to Turin with the desire to do better than last year and I hope to score. When the team needs help, I like to be the one to help out.”
AC Milan now sit in eighth position in Serie A, having racked up eight points from their first six matches.
Serie A Wrap: Roma back top, Juventus win Turin derby
30 September 2013
Roma reclaimed their place at the top of Serie A thanks to a resounding 5-0 home win over Bologna on Sunday.
The league leaders' sixth successive victory never looked in doubt after they went ahead on eight minutes when Gianluca Curci parried Miralem Pjanic’s free-kick and Alessandro Florenzi was on hand to head home.
Gervinho got Roma's second nine minutes later with a powerful low effort, before Mehdi Benatia's close-range volley gave them a 3-0 half-time lead.
Close-season signing Gervinho scored his second of the match just past the hour mark, and Adem Ljajic completed the rout in the closing stages.
The result lifts Rudi Garcia's men back above Napoli and Juventus into first place in the table.
Earlier in the day, champions Juve came out victorious in the Turin derby as they beat rivals Torino at Stadio Olimpico.
The visitors generally created the better chances and Carlos Tevez went close on a number of occasions, while Torino keeper Daniele Padelli stopped Sebastian Giovinco capping off a fine team move.
Juve had to wait until the 54th minute before making the breakthrough though, as Andrea Barzagli’s initial header from a corner was diverted on to the crossbar, but Paul Pogba was on hand to nod in the rebound.
Substitute Mirko Vucinic almost added a second late on, but Padelli made another good save and Antonio Conte's side had to settle for a narrow win.
Meanwhile, Inter extended their unbeaten start to the season at Cagliari, but could only pick up a 1-1 draw despite having the better of the contest.
Ishak Belfodil and Ricky Alvarez both went close for Inter in the first half, but it was the latter’s half-time replacement - Mauro Icardi - who eventually opened the scoring.
With 75 minutes on the clock, the Argentine striker headed in from close range after an excellent run and cross from Yuto Nagatomo.
However, Radja Nainggolan cut in from the left and saw his low shot deflected past Samir Handanovic with just seven minutes left, earning Digeo Lopez’s side a point.
Meanwhile, Udinese’s erratic start to the campaign continued as they were defeated 2-0 by a German Denis-inspired Atalanta, with their former striker scoring both goals.
Hellas Verona’s impressive return to Serie A goes on thanks to a 2-1 victory over visitors and fellow promoted side Livorno, while Sassuolo picked up a 2-2 draw at home to Lazio - their second consecutive draw since losing 7-0 to Inter.
And in Sunday's other game, Catania picked up their first win of the season as Jaroslav Plasil and Lucas Castro gave them a 2-0 triumph over Chievo.
Massimo Gobbi's injury-time equaliser made it three Serie A games unbeaten for Parma as they drew 2-2 at Fiorentina on Monday.
Vincenzo Montella's men looked on course for their third win in four top-flight matches at the Stadio Artemio Franchi this season after second-half goals from Gonzalo Rodriguez and Juan Vargas overturned Walter Gargano's opener for the visitors.
However, former Fiorentina defender Gobbi had other ideas, as his back-post header in the 92nd minute gave Roberto Donadoni's side a point.
Fiorentina spent much of the first half on the front foot, but it was Parma who broke the deadlock in stoppage time before the interval.
Gargano, who joined the club from Napoli in the close-season, had an effort from just inside the area that was heavily deflected, giving home keeper Neto no chance.
Montella's team came out strongly after the break though, and eventually drew level in the 64th minute when Gonzalo glanced a corner home at the near post.
Vargas then appeared to have given Fiorentina all three points with a smart finish 13 minutes later, but Gobbi intervened in the dying seconds to deny them the win.
Balotelli often the victim of bad fouls, argues Galliani
By Stefan Coerts10
Oct 1, 2013 10:22:00 AM
The Rossoneri director has admitted that the striker should control his temper but feels he is often unfairly targeted by opposing defenders
AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani feels Mario Balotelli is too often fouled by opposing players, which affects his ability to control his temper.
The 23-year-old was recently handed a three-match ban following his outburst toward the referee after his side's Serie A loss against Napoli, and although Galliani has stressed that the Italy international must improve his behaviour, he insists his cause is not helped by players who target him on the pitch.
"We have spoken at length with Balotelli. Mario cannot behave like that anymore and he needs to focus on his own game," Galliani told reporters.
"Balotelli must learn to moderate his reactions. He has already matured a lot, though.
"He is often on the receiving end of bad fouls that are not given."
Balotelli has netted four goals in seven official appearances for Milan so far this term.
The versatile midfielder turned down the Scudetto holders in the past, while he's not getting carried away by the Nerazzurri's fine start to the 2013-14 campaign
Fredy Guarin has revealed that he rejected the chance to join Juventus during his time at Porto as he only wanted a move to Inter.
The Colombia international has developed into a key player at the Nerazzurri since his transfer in January 2012, but he could have ended up at their arch-rivals instead as the Bianconeri were supposedly keen to sign the 27-year-old as well in the past.
"During my time at Porto, I turned down the chance to sign for Juventus in order to move to Inter," Guarin told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The midfielder was heavily linked with a move away from Inter ahead of the 2013-14 campaign, but he has insisted that a transfer was never an option for him.
"I have always said that all I want is to win silverware here," he declared.
Guarin then went on to discuss Inter's title credentials and made it clear that they still have a long way to go before they can call themselves contenders.
"We have gotten some important results so far, but there's still something missing," the versatile midfielder mused.
"We're on the right path, but we still have a long way to go. We have not done anything yet.
"It is an advantage that we don't play European football. There's less travelling, which gives you time to work on certain small things."
Inter currently sit fourth in Serie A with 14 points from six games, trailing leaders Roma by four points.
The 29-year-old striker has admitted that the difficulty level of the Italian top flight has come as a huge surprise for him, and claims to be un-burdened by the No.10 shirt
Juventus marksman Carlos Tevez has revealed that he is surprised by the intensity of Serie A, describing it as the toughest league in which he has played.
The Argentine left Manchester City for the Turin giants in the summer after a seven-year stay in the Premier League which also saw him represent West Ham and Manchester United.
Tevez has hit three goals in six league appearances thus far but, despite enjoying a prolific start to life in Italy, he admits that his pre-conceptions of the national game were far from an accurate depiction.
The 29-year-old told HJ Magazine: "I can tell you what I thought about Italian football; I thought nobody ran, that the game was slow and that it was easy. Now I can say that is not the case.
"I think this is the most difficult type of football that I have ever played in because a lot of small details are looked at."
Tevez was handed Alessando Del Piero's No.10 shirt upon arrival at Juve but insists that he feels no pressure to live up to the club icon's legacy.
He added: "Do you want to know the truth? I don’t think about these things. I don't think about the fact I wear the shirt," he said.
"It would be like putting me under even more pressure. You can play well under pressure, but also badly."
Juventus, who slumped to a 2-2 draw with Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday, resume their domestic duties by welcoming AC Milan to Turin on Sunday.
Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed that Napoli will remain at the Stadio San Paolo after a deal was struck for the stadium to be renovated.
Club president De Laurentiis has been in talks with the local council for some months about refurbishing the stadium, which was last restored before the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Napoli had also been hoping to purchase the facility outright from Naples council, with De Laurentiis having threatened to move to the nearby town of Caserta if an agreement could not be reached.
Juventus are currently the only club in Serie A to fully own their stadium, with every other outfit paying rent to local authorities.
However, Napoli may have now made the first step towards joining the Turin giants, with De Laurentiis delighted after crunch talks with mayor Luigi De Magistris on Thursday proved fruitful.
"I can announce that the San Paolo will remain Napoli’s home," the 64-year-old said.
"We reached an agreement, there will be a bilateral commission set up by the Naples Council and Napoli football club, but we have already found the solution which will be innovative.
"Napoli will have the rights to ownership of the stadium and the adjacent zones, giving everything we need to make it to the maximum level of European standards.
"The Caserta option has been abandoned. We got into details, establishing a deal on the fact this stadium will be in Naples with guaranteed returns on investment."
Napoli have started the season superbly and sit second in Serie A behind Roma, although they slumped to their first defeat of the season in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night, going down 2-0 at Arsenal.
Champions Juventus will look to extend their unbeaten start to this season's Serie A when they host Milan on Sunday.
Antonio Conte's men are one of four sides yet to lose in the league in 2013-14, but they face a Milan side who have been defeated just once in all competitions since their opening-day reversal against Hellas Verona.
Juventus have won their last three league games, following up their derby success over Torino with a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Carlos Tevez is currently Juventus' joint top goalscorer with three goals in the league and, while he has not hit the back of the net in the last three games, Milan captain Riccardo Montolivo believes he poses a major threat.
"What has really struck me, besides his technical qualities, has been the intensity that he shows getting the ball back. It’s incredible to see how he chases players down," he told Tuttosport.
Montolivo made his return to Massimiliano Allegri's starting XI in the 1-1 draw with Ajax on Tuesday following a muscle strain, although the likes of Stephan El Shaarawy (foot) and Kaka (thigh) remain doubtful as they trained in a group aside from the first team on Friday.
The Italian midfielder also explained that he believes Conte's men remain hungry for success as they search for their third straight Scudetto.
"I don’t think they have a full stomach," the Italian international told continued.
"(Against Galatasaray) they went a goal down but still showed their ferociousness to recover. The goal they conceded just minutes after they had made it 2-1 was just one of those incidents.
"If you leave that to one side, we saw the same old Juve. They’ll be aggressive and nasty on Sunday, but so will Milan."
While Tevez is likely to feature for Conte's side, Milan will be without their in-form marksman Mario Balotelli.
The Italian, who has scored five goals in all competitions this season, was sent off in the aftermath of last Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Napoli.
While Balotelli has been in impressive form this season, strike partner Alessandro Matri is yet to score for the San Siro outfit since joining from Juve in August.
Matri explained he would celebrate against his former club if he ended his goal drought at the Juventus Stadium on Sunday.
"I think I would celebrate, I don’t think that would be a sign of disrespect," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Scoring means celebrating for me. I did so against Cagliari so I don’t see why I should not against Juventus.
"I have a good relationship with many of the Juventus players, a few have sent me text messages encouraging me because I’m struggling to score.
"Even if they all end the same way – don’t score against us."
