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Veteran striker Antonio Di Natale will bring the curtain down on an 11-year association with Udinese at the end of the season.
Antonio Di Natale has confirmed he will leave Udinese at the end of the season after 11 years with the Serie A outfit.
Since moving to the Stadio Friuli in 2004 the veteran striker has become one of Italy's top marksmen with 184 league goals for the club.
He became one of a select group in November when he notched up the 200th Serie A goal of his career, Di Natale firing Udinese into a lead against Chievo to reach the milestone in what was his 400th league appearance.
His domestic form has earned him 42 Italy caps and plenty of admirers around Europe - including Liverpool and Milan - but he has remained loyal to Udinese.
Such is his commitment to the club, he shelved plans to retire at the end of the 2013-14 campaign for one more year, but as that nears its end Di Natale has announced he will not sign a new deal.
Di Natale is quoted in Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport saying: "In June, I will not renew [my contract], I will leave Udinese."
Reports have linked the 37-year-old with a move to the United States after a lucrative offer from an unnamed MLS side, however specific details remain unclear.
New images give Milan fans a clearer vision of what the club's planned new stadium might look like.
Milan have released fresh images of their vision for a new stadium - a project that is anticipated to cost up to €320million.
The Serie A club had already announced their intention to leave San Siro and move to a new 48,000-seater arena, along with plans for their new home.
However, pictures on Friday gave Milan fans a clearer vision of what the ground might look like, while architect Emilio Faroldi revealed the inspiration behind the design.
"We were inspired by the Emirates Stadium in London and the stadiums of Basel, Bilbao and Neuchatel," Faroldi told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"We approached the project developing the basic themes of this work: we spoke about environmental sustainability, the concept of a smart urban arena that is easily reached by public transport, and it is low impact.
"A stadium, also, that identifies itself more like a building, like a piece of the city, and not as a business machine to be activated exclusively for a sporting event once a week.
"Scientific research, through a series of studies, tells us clearly that the role of the arenas in Europe and in the world is gradually changing.
"The stadiums are no longer meant only as a place for sporting events, although open all week, but as a useful piece to reorder the urban outlook of a city, a neighbourhood."
The stadium will be less than 30 metres high from ground level and be built using soundproofing technologies, to limit noise in what is an urban area.
Inter have opted not to include Lukas Podolski in their squad for the latter stages of the UEFA Europa League.
Lukas Podolski has been omitted from Inter's squad for the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League, with coach Roberto Mancini opting to include Xherdan Shaqiri instead.
Both players arrived at San Siro during the January transfer window - Podolski on loan from Arsenal and Shaqiri on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich.
UEFA regulations state: "For all matches from the start of the round of 32, a club may register a maximum of three new eligible players for the remaining matches in the current competition."
However, the rules go on to say: "One player from the above quota of three who has been fielded in a UEFA club competition group stage match for another club in the current season may exceptionally be registered, provided that the player has not been fielded: a) in the same competition for another club; or b) for another club that is currently in the same competition."
That means only one of Podolski or Shaqiri were allowed to be selected, with the Germany international the unlucky man to miss out on a European berth.
Davide Santon, who arrived on loan from Newcastle United on Monday, has also been added, along with youngster George Puscas.
Pablo Daniel Osvaldo is among the players to lose their place in the squad, with Inter reportedly looking into cancelling the striker's loan from Southampton.
New Chelsea signing Juan Cuadrado has already been forgotten at Fiorentina, according to coach Vincenzo Montella.
Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella says the club have already "forgotten" about the recently departed Juan Cuadrado.
The Colombia international signed for Chelsea on a four-and-a-half-year deal on Monday, leaving the club he joined in 2012.
However, Montella insists there will be no dwelling on Cuadrado's exit, stressing the focus will be on building for the future.
"We can say that we have forgotten about Juan Cuadrado," he said following Tuesday's 2-0 Coppa Italia quarter-final win at Roma.
"Unfortunately he has gone, but before leaving we wished him good luck.
"We celebrated with him because he is going to play in a great environment, but we must look at the present and, above all, to the future with the players we've got, who give us ample opportunities."
Fiorentina will meet Juventus over two legs in the semi-finals.
Garcia will not leave Roma until he wins Scudetto - Sabatini
4 February 2015
Rudi Garcia has no plans to leave Roma, according to sporting director Walter Sabatini.
Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini insists Rudi Garcia will not leave the club until he has secured the Serie A title.
The men from the capital sit second in the top flight, seven points adrift of leaders Juventus, but have won just two of their last eight league matches.
However, Sabatini, who saw Roma crash out of the Coppa Italia at the hands of Fiorentina on Tuesday, has not ruled out making a tilt for the title this year.
"There's still a long way to go in the league," he said. "We'll hold on to second place and try to get to first. We still believe we can.
"Things aren't going so well at the moment but that can happen. We have to come through it and get back to where we were.
"We have to get our confidence back and return to being the strong, competitive Roma of old.
"We still believe we can win the title, but we also need to be good enough to defend second place.
"President [James] Pallotta wants to take the team to the very top and I'm sure he'll succeed in doing that.
"We're still growing and we're confident we'll go on to achieve great success.
"Pallotta wants to win and if it's not this year it will be next year. There's no need to stop talking about the Scudetto.
"We're trying to lay the groundwork here to be able to win the title every season."
Reports on Wednesday suggested Garcia could leave Roma at the end of the season, with Italy coach Antonio Conte touted to take over, but Sabatini insists the Frenchman is going nowhere.
"Garcia has received offers that you might call 'unrefusable', but he wants to stay at Roma and win with Roma," he added. "When you're in a rut like this the team has to pull out all the stops. Garcia and the guys will get back to the level they were.
"Garcia won't leave this club until he's brought the Scudetto back to Rome."
Serie A Preview: Tevez refusing to take Milan lightly
5 February 2015
Juventus are in command of the Serie A title race, but Carlos Tevez is taking nothing for granted against Milan this weekend.
Carlos Tevez has warned Serie A leaders Juventus to be wary of Milan when they welcome Filippo Inzaghi's struggling side to Turin on Saturday.
Despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Udinese in their last league outing, Juve are seven points clear at the top of the table as they seek to clinch a fourth consecutive Scudetto.
Tevez has been instrumental for Juve this season, netting 18 goals in all competitions, and will be expected to add to that tally against a Milan team that sits a disappointing eighth, five points adrift of the UEFA Europa League places.
However, Milan recruited extensively in the January transfer window, bringing in six players - including Roma forward Mattia Destro on loan - and Tevez is not taking the visitors lightly.
"It's true that this isn't going to be the best Milan side, but it's a Clasico, in Italy it's always a game," he told JTV.
"I think this game is different from the other, it's an Italian 'Clasico' and we can't let go of it.
"We know they're going through a particular moment but we've got to do our job. In the first round I scored [against Milan], let's hope I can repeat myself on Saturday."
Juve's closest title challengers Roma have recorded four consecutive league draws and suffered the disappointment of a Coppa Italia exit to Fiorentina on Tuesday.
They will attempt to bounce back at struggling Cagliari, while Napoli can further strengthen their grip on the third and final UEFA Champions League place with victory over Udinese.
Seeking to cut the five-point gap to Napoli are Lazio and Sampdoria. Lazio host Genoa, whose city rivals Samp take on Sassuolo following a row between coach Sinisa Mihajlovic and recent signing Samuel Eto'o.
Eto'o reportedly stormed out of training after Mihajlovic ordered a double session as punishment for the 5-1 loss to Torino, but sporting director Carlo Osti insists the situation has been resolved.
"It's all OK, all OK," Osti said. "And when I say that everything is OK, then it means that everything is OK."
Slumping Inter will be out to avoid a fourth straight league game without a win versus Palermo, and bottom club Parma have a golden chance to aid their survival push against fellow strugglers Chievo.
Elsewhere, Fiorentina meet Atalanta, Empoli face Cesena in a battle of two more sides fighting to avoid the drop, and Verona welcome Torino to the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
Napoli's Coppa Italia defence gathered pace as Gonzalo Higuain's injury-time strike gave them a 1-0 quarter-final win against Inter.
Defending Coppa Italia champions Napoli moved into this year's semi-finals with a 1-0 win over Inter on Wednesday, courtesy of Gonzalo Higuain's injury-time winner.
The holders looked to be heading to extra time for a second consecutive round after a stubborn Inter side defended well.
But Higuain, a constant threat throughout, produced an excellent 93rd-minute finish to score his eighth goal in as many games and set up a last-four clash against Lazio.
Inter, who have now lost three successive matches in all competitions, saw Marcelo Brozovic denied by the woodwork in the early stages of a first half that Napoli controlled.
Higuain had a series of chances in the first 45 minutes, and while the second half was more tame, it produced the all-important goal.
The defeat will heap the pressure on Inter boss Roberto Mancini, recently given a vote of confidence by the club's board.
Mancini, only appointed as Walter Mazzarri's successor in November, sees his Inter side sit 13th in Serie A, and their Coppa Italia elimination means their only realistic chance of silverware this season will come in the UEFA Europa League.
Inter came into the clash without a win at Napoli since 1997, and found life no easier during the opening exchanges this time around.
Higuain first forced a save from goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo after six minutes, before heading narrowly over the bar.
The visitors weathered the early onslaught, however, and were unlucky not to be ahead on 13 minutes when Brozovic, one of eight Inter inclusions, evaded his man on the edge of the box before cracking a low drive back off the foot of Mariano Andujar's right-hand post.
But the hosts continued to threaten and should have taken the lead 12 minutes before the break.
Marek Hamsik's drilled 25-yard strike was palmed into the path of Higuain by Carrizo, only for the Argentina international to poke the rebound straight back at the keeper.
Kalidou Koulibaly then squandered another great chance for Napoli on the stroke of half-time, guiding a volley well over from just six yards.
A cagey opening to the second half saw both sides struggle to create in the final third, with Inter doing well to keep Napoli quiet.
And the seven-time Coppa Italia winners were nearly rewarded for their efforts just after the hour-mark, when George Puscas' angled effort was well kept out by Andujar.
Hernanes saw a goalbound effort deflected wide six minutes later, while at the other end, Napoli, who introduced Dries Mertens and Manolo Gabbiadini in a bid to find a winner, had David Lopez fire well over.
Extra time seemed on the cards but Napoli avoided that when a clever throw-in routine down the left allowed Higuain to shake off Andrea Ranocchia and bend a clinical finish into the top corner to spark scenes of celebration.
After being reduced to a bit-part player at Chelsea, Mohamed Salah has designs on a bigger role at Fiorentina.
Mohamed Salah is hopeful that his loan move to Fiorentina can kick-start his career following a disappointing stint with Premier League side Chelsea.
The Egypt winger joined the Florence club on loan until the end of the season on Monday, with Juan Cuadrado moving in the opposition direction on a full-time basis.
Fiorentina have the option to make the move permanent, and Salah has designs on becoming a regular for Vincenzo Montella's men after making just eight appearances in all competitions for Chelsea this season.
"I am truly happy to be here," Salah told Fiorentina's official television channel. "I really hope this is a step forward in my career.
"I know that my move to Fiorentina has generated a lot of interest in Egypt and I hope I can do well and help the team succeed.
"I watched Fiorentina's game at Roma [the Coppa Italia quarter-final win] and I really like the team. I can't wait to get started."
Salah could make his debut for the Serie A club against Atalanta on Sunday.
Filippo Inzaghi will remain as Milan coach even if he cannot seal a return to European competition, vice-president Adriano Galliani claims.
Milan vice-president and CEO Adriano Galliani is insistent that Filippo Inzaghi will see out the season despite the club's poor form.
Victory against Parma last time out in Serie A was Milan's first victory since the league's resumption in January, but was only enough to take them up to eighth.
They remain five points off a European spot, while any hopes of securing continental football through the Coppa Italia were ended in the quarter-finals by Lazio.
Reports of Inzaghi's impending sack have been rife in Italy, with suggestions he has been tasked with securing a UEFA Europa League place at minimum - or pay with his job.
But Galliani is sure that Inzaghi will be given time to prove his worth after discussions with club supremo Silvio Berlusconi.
"The president called Inzaghi and myself after he read the reports," Galliani said at an event to welcome January signings Mattia Destro, Gabriel Paletta and Salvatore Bocchetti to Milan.
"What was written was the opposite of what he thinks. He said that Pippo will get experience, none of us has ever said that he won't stay.
"Inzaghi has a contract for next year, and there are no ultimatums. There are 17 games left, we'll try do well, I still don't understand this team."
Destro also spoke at the presentation and was glowing in his assessment of Galliani after the CEO was pictured having travelled to the striker's house in Rome to secure a deal.
"Milan are Milan, there was no convincing needed," Destro beamed.
"I want to do well, and this is the perfect place to do it.
"There were a lot of things which were important in me coming here, but I think Galliani's gesture is the thing that meant the most to me.
"When they told me, I was in disbelief.
"It's nice that he came to Rome to meet me. He's a very important person in the world of football, and it's good that he'd do something like that for me."
Victor Ibarbo has picked up a calf injury just four days after signing for Serie A title chasers Roma.
Roma newboy Victor Ibarbo will be forced to wait to make his Serie A debut for the capital club after suffering a calf injury.
The Colombia striker joined Rudi Garcia's side on an initial loan deal on Sunday, with Roma able to make the move permanent for €12.5million at the end of the campaign.
Ibarbo made his Roma bow as a substitute in Tuesday's 2-0 Coppa Italia quarter-final defeat to Fiorentina, but he will now be forced to spend a spell on the sidelines.
The news will come as a blow to Garcia, with Ibarbo arriving as Mattia Destro swapped Roma for Milan, while fellow January signing Seydou Doumbia is still on Africa Cup of Nations duty with the Ivory Coast.
A club statement read: "Ibarbo underwent medical tests today [Thursday] that confirmed a grade one/two injury to the myotendinous junction of his right medial gastrocnemius muscle.
"The player has already started treatment on the injury."
Ibarbo will watch on as Roma travel to his former club, Cagliari, on Sunday.
Broken promises were the primary reason for Fernando Torres leaving Milan to return to boyhood club Atletico Madrid, the Spain striker says.
Fernando Torres has suggested that he cut short his stay with Milan because the Serie A side reneged on promises during his loan spell.
The Spain international penned a two-year loan at San Siro last August after a disappointing three-and-a-half-year stay at Chelsea.
However, Torres struggled to make an impression, managing just one goal in 10 appearances for Filippo Inzaghi's men.
A move was subsequently engineered in January, with Milan completing the permanent signing of Torres before allowing him to return to boyhood club Atletico Madrid on loan in return for Alessio Cerci.
Torres insists he harbours no ill-feeling towards Milan, but realised that that he had to leave Italy.
"I went with an expectation and with an idea which, later, was not met," he told AS.
"I went to Italy to play, to be an important player, and at no point did I feel like it. I was in and out of the team, I played on one day, yes, and on another, no. This is not what I had spoken of from the beginning.
"My dealings with the club were excellent and I don't have anything to reproach. But when you see it’s not going to get better, nor change the situation you have, you are uncomfortable."
Torres has scored three times since returning to Atleti, his goals coming against Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Copa del Rey.
He will aim to break his Liga duck for the season against Carlo Ancelotti's men in Saturday's Madrid derby at the Vicente Calderon.
And Torres is fully focused on coming away with three points.
"You notice that the people are looking forward to the match," he added. "Not just the squad but the fans.
"It's because we can compete. We are going out to win. We are not going out to see what happens, as it might have been before.
Juventus v Milan: Visitors quietly confident of Serie A shock
5 February 2015
The form book suggests Juventus will canter to victory against Milan, but the visiting players are determined to cause a Turin upset.
Milan are quietly confident they can claim a surprise win at Serie A champions Juventus and blow this year's title race wide open.
Juve, aiming for a fourth successive crown, lead the league by seven points and have lost just once this season.
Massimiliano Allegri's men missed a chance to extend their advantage to nine points following a 0-0 draw at Udinese on Sunday.
And Milan, buoyed by a 3-1 home win over struggling Parma, are out to spring another shock on Juventus.
That result ended a run of three straight losses for Milan in all competitions, but the mood is evidently high in the camp, with goalkeeper Diego Lopez insisting they would go all-out for victory in Turin.
"The match against Juventus will be brilliant, against the best side in Italy right now," he told the club's official website ahead of Saturday's meeting.
"We are going there to play for the win. We can try and win it."
Forward Alessio Cerci also believes his side can pull off an unexpected victory.
The Italian, who joined on an 18-month loan deal from Atletico Madrid in January, said: "Against Juventus, we have to play an open game.
"We're taking on the league leaders - the strongest team in Italy. We will have our chances."
Milan were busy in the recent transfer window, with the likes of Cerci, Mattia Destro, Suso and Gabriel Paletta all joining the club.
Coach Filippo Inzaghi is out to improve his side's strike force with Jeremy Menez and Keisuke Honda - both midfielders - responsible for 18 of their 31 league goals this season.
And while Destro will give them added firepower, he - along with team-mate Philippe Mexes - is suspended for the clash.
Also missing through a ban is Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner after reaching the yellow card limit.
Milan will need to defy recent history if they are to emerge victorious, having lost their last five to Juve.
That includes a 1-0 win that the three-time defending champions claimed at San Siro in September.
Carlos Tevez scored the winner on that occasion and was quick to talk up the importance of the weekend's match - dubbing it as a "classic of Italian football" when speaking to JTV.
Tevez has scored in three of Juventus' last four home matches in all competitions.
Their draw with Udinese ended a five-match winning streak, but they take confidence from an incredible 38-game unbeaten run in home league matches.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini may not have been in the job long, but he can already feel the pressure ahead of a crucial clash with Palermo.
The pressure on Roberto Mancini will only grow if out-of-form Inter fail to beat Palermo at San Siro on Sunday.
Mancini, who only replaced Walter Mazzarri at Inter in November, has now overseen three successive defeats in all competitions.
Things looked to be on the up at Inter after the acquisitions of Xherdan Shaqiri and Lukas Podolski in the January transfer window but league defeats to Torino and Sassuolo have led to questions about Mancini's suitability.
Inter now sit 13th in the Serie A table, already 13 points off an unlikely UEFA Champions League berth, and a whopping 24 behind three-time defending champions, and leaders, Juventus.
The ex-Manchester City coach, who led Inter from 2004 to 2008, saw his side bundled out of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals by Napoli on Wednesday.
Inter defended manfully but in truth were on the back foot for the majority of the encounter in Naples.
And Gonzalo Higuain's excellent stoppage-time finish saw their elimination confirmed, meaning Inter's only realistic hopes of silverware are in the UEFA Europa League.
Brazilian midfielder Hernanes is convinced Inter's luck will turn, though, and was insistent the season could still be a success after the Napoli defeat.
Hernanes told Inter's official website: "I can't believe how little reward we're getting for all the work we're putting in.
"But I still think we can do something this season.
"Mancini has changed the way we play, our mentality. He wants us to press the opposition high up the pitch and play the ball.
"Results aren't going our way right now but we can still have our say in things this year."
The arrival of Podolski was meant to boost Inter's strike force but the Germany international has not scored in his six games in all competitions.
Inter desperately need someone to help Mauro Icardi, with the Argentinian responsible for more than a third of their league goals this season.
Icardi has 11 Serie A strikes - just as many as compatriot and Palermo forward Paulo Dybala.
Dybala, 21, scored in Palermo's 2-1 win over Verona on Sunday and has four in as many matches in 2015.
While Inter will still be favourites, given the talent at Mancini's disposal and their home ground status, Palermo do sit seventh - six places and four points above their opponents.
They have lost just one of their last 13 league matches - a 2-0 reverse at Juventus - which was also the last time they failed to score.
Palermo hold a good record against Inter in recent times as well, losing just one of their last five clashes.
Of those five, two have ended in Palermo home wins, but the meeting at Stadio Renzo Barbera earlier this season was a 1-1 draw after Mateo Kovacic cancelled out Franco Vazquez's early effort.
Champions Juventus asserted their authority in the title race with a comfortable win over coach Massimiliano Allegri's former club Milan.
Juventus opened up a 10-point gap ahead of Roma at the top of the Serie A table thanks to a straightforward 3-1 win over underachieving Milan on Saturday.
In what is traditionally a clash between title rivals, the contest at Juventus Stadium highlighted the current gulf between the two sides, as Massimiliano Allegri completed a league double over his former employers in a dominant display.
The reigning champions, who are now 39 unbeaten at home in the league, edged ahead in the 14th minute through Carlos Tevez, despite the Argentina international appearing to be offside.
Luca Antonelli, one of two Milan debutants alongside Gabriel Paletta, restored parity just before the half-hour mark, though they were level for only a few minutes, with Leonardo Bonucci restoring Juve's lead.
Milan produced a slight improvement after the break, though Juve also took things up a notch and opened up a two-goal deficit with 25 minutes to go through Alvaro Morata, who finally appears to have dislodged fellow Spaniard Fernando Llorente.
Filippo Inzaghi, who reportedly endured a fractious relationship with Allegri in their time together at Milan, saw his side's late efforts count for nothing, while Juve moved well clear of second-placed Roma ahead of their trip to Calgiari on Sunday.
Juve began the contest in purposeful fashion, pushing forward in numbers and pressing fiercely in midfield, forcing early errors from Milan.
And it came as little surprise when the hosts broke the deadlock 14 minutes in, as Tevez, who looked to have strayed marginally beyond the last defender, latched on to Morata's header and tucked an effort under Diego Lopez after charging away from the helpless Paletta.
The home side crafted another opportunity a few moments later, as Patrice Evra knocked Andrea Pirlo's free-kick delivery back across goal, but nobody could capitalise.
And Milan made the most of that let-off, drawing level with 28 minutes on the clock thanks to Antonelli's fine glancing header.
The visitors were level for barely three minutes, though, as Bonucci stabbed home after Tevez headed Pirlo's corner back into the danger area.
Milan's chances suffered a further blow eight minutes before the break, with top-scorer Jeremy Menez forced off and replaced by Giampaolo Pazzini.
Juve continued to dictate proceedings in the second half, though Milan spurned a good opportunity to equalise for a second time in the 54th minute, Gianluigi Buffon producing a smart save to deny Pazzini.
The hosts swiftly came to grips with Milan's brief improvement and effectively secured all three points in the 65th minute, as Morata was left with an easy tap-in after a Claudio Marchisio effort came back off the post.
Milan's attempts to force an unlikely late comeback left the visitors vulnerable on the break, but Juventus were unable to punish Inzaghi's men further, with Lopez doing well to deny Marchisio with eight minutes left.
In Saturday's other Serie A game, UEFA Europa League hopefuls Torino ran out 3-1 winners at Verona, as efforts from Josef Martinez, Fabio Quagliarella and Omar El Kaddouri eclipsed Luca Toni's goal.
Toronto FC signing Sebastian Giovinco revealed he left Italy because his compatriots did not believe in his ability.
Toronto FC striker Sebastian Giovinco appeared to hit out at the Italian media, and current and former coaches Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri and Cesare Prandelli on Friday.
Speaking at his first media conference since arriving in Canada, Giovinco claimed he had left Italy and his former club Juventus because he was tired of having his ability questioned.
The 28-year-old's decision to leave the Serie A champions for the MLS caused a lot of consternation in Italy, with many claiming Giovinco will never play for his homeland again, but the tiny attacker indicated he will not miss his Italian critics.
"In Italy I had many problems. They always talked about me as a player who could not play at a very high level, but I always demonstrated with facts that that was not correct," Giovinco said.
"I wanted to find a city, a team that from the beginning welcomed me, as this team has done.
"Therefore, my choice was the right choice."
While his comments could be interpreted as criticising the Italian media, it also appeared to be a swipe against former Juventus boss Conte, who has now taken over from Prandelli as Italy's head coach, as well as Allegri, who has taken charge at the defending champions this season, for not giving Giovinco enough playing time.
Giovinco played 31 games and scored seven goals in the 2012-13 Serie A campaign when Juventus won their first of three consecutive league titles.
But last season he made just 17 appearances in Serie A, including only six starts, to notch two goals, while this term his opportunities dwindled further, with seven games, two starts and zero goals in the Italian top flight.
In 2012, Giovinco played eight matches for Italy but his lack of game time for Juventus saw him play just three and four games in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Giovinco is looking forward to a new experience in the MLS and helping Toronto win their maiden championship.
"On the field, I want to win with this jersey because I want to be part of the history of this organisation and this team," he said.
When asked what his former Juventus team-mates had said about his move to Canada, Giovinco replied with a smile: "The truth is that they all wanted to come and join us."
Crisis club Parma have announced another change in ownership ahead of Sunday's Serie A clash with fellow strugglers Chievo.
The latest chapter in a turbulent season for Parma has seen the club sold for a second time this season.
Parma are 10 points adrift of safety at the foot of Serie A, having won only three of their 21 league matches, and were docked a point last December for failing to pay player wages.
Just two months after the club was purchased by a Russian-Cypriot consortium, another change in ownership has now taken place.
A statement from Parma confirmed a majority interest in the club had been sold, revealing that Fiorenzo Alborghetti will handle the formation of a new board of directors together with the club's managing director Pietro Leonardi.
More details are set to be announced "over the next few days", according to Parma.
Roberto Donadoni's side - who saw striker Antonio Cassano leave the club by mutual consent last month - were set to face fellow strugglers Chievo at the Stadio Ennio Tardini on Sunday, but the match has been postponed due to heavy snow.
Inter captain Andrea Ranocchia has come under criticism following defeat to Napoli, but Roberto Mancini thinks the fans will support him.
Roberto Mancini has urged Inter fans to back under-fire captain Andrea Ranocchia following his costly mistake against Napoli on Wednesday.
Inter crashed out of the Coppa Italia after losing 1-0 to Rafael Benitez's men and Ranocchia shouldered much of the blame for his role in the late winner.
The Italy international, who has been widely criticised for his form this season, failed to react to a long throw-in and then fell over, allowing Gonzalo Higuain to run through and score in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.
Mancini vented his anger after the match, but the Inter coach is hopeful that Ranocchia receives the backing of supporters, insisting individuals are not to blame for the team's current plight.
"The fans have to trust me, that's the only way forward," he told reporters ahead of Sunday's clash with Palermo.
"We need results, though. We need balance – we need to not get carried away when we win or get depressed when we lose.
"There's never just one person to blame. You win and lose together. I think the fans will support Ranocchia.
"Something has to change, but I get the impression that we really are becoming a team."
The former Manchester City tactician is particularly wary of Sunday's opponents, reminding his players that seventh-placed Palermo are more than capable of causing Inter problems.
He was happy to report, however, that both Lukas Podolski and Rodrigo Palacio could be in line to return to the starting line-up.
"We'll decide whether to change anything around on Sunday. Podolski and Palacio are rested and fresh," he added.
"It is exactly the sort of match that could throw up problems. We'll have to play a perfect game."
Milan were well beaten by Juventus on Saturday but Filippo Inzaghi saw plenty of positives in their display.
Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi is confident his side will soon hit form despite slumping to a 3-1 loss at defending Serie A champions Juventus on Saturday.
Inzaghi's men were punished by a clinical Juve side, who sealed the points with goals from Leonardo Bonucci and Alvaro Morata after Milan debutant Luca Antonelli had cancelled out Carlos Tevez's opener.
Defeat drops Milan to ninth place in the table, with Torino having won at Verona, but Inzaghi expects results to turn around if his players show the same spirit they did in Turin.
"I have to congratulate the team," Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia. "It's hard to play against a team like that.
"These games, result aside, help morale. We have to change the trend of results but with this attitude and with this desire the victories will come soon."
Tevez's 14th-minute goal had more than a hint of offside as he latched on to a Morata header and tucked the ball beyond Diego Lopez.
Inzaghi expressed his belief that Tevez was offside, but was quick to criticise the defending that led to the goal.
"From the bench I would have said it was offside," he added. "It was a goal conceded too easily. On these things we have to work."
Juventus' 16th win in 22 Serie A matches still did not please coach Massimiliano Allegri, who wants more out of his side.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri was less than impressed after downing former club Milan 3-1 in Serie A on Saturday.
The league leaders powered to victory at the Stadio Olimpico via goals to Carlos Tevez, Leonardo Bonucci and Alvaro Morata, but Allegri said his side gave too many chances to mid-table Milan.
Filippo Inzaghi's side lost for a third time in their past four league outings to sit ninth.
First-half Milan substitute Giampaolo Pazzini twice tested Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon early in the second half as the visitors tried to equalise at 2-2, but instead they conceded when Morata cleaned up the remnants of Claudio Marchisio's shot on goal, which came back off the woodwork.
Allegri said allowing Milan such chances was a mark on Juve's performance.
"Unfortunately we gave away too many chances and especially set plays because we weren't concentrated enough," he told Sky Sport Italia.
"There was a great Gigi [Buffon] save on Pazzini, but of the goals we have conceded this season, a large part of them were balls we had given away.
"We also need to be sharper when going clear on the counter, as we don't always make the right choices in those situations."
Juve did the double on Milan in Serie A, adding to their 1-0 win at San Siro in September, and made it six straight wins over their rivals in all competitions.
Allegri said he was planning for a fired-up Milan outfit to try and break the drought, and arrest their poor league form.
"I expected this attitude because Milan are a good side and played well tonight," Allegri added.
"We could've been more in control and while we were dangerous on corners when attacking, we were also less focused when defending corners.
"Sometimes the situations where you feel most confident can lead to relaxation and that is to be avoided."
Allegri said Juve should be scoring more goals from set pieces, with their second goal on Saturday coming from a corner - Tevez knocking down a ball for Bonucci, who produced the strike.
"I was pleased to score from a corner," the former Milan boss said.
"This was only our third from a set play and with [Andrea] Pirlo's prowess from dead-ball situations and the strong players in the air we've got, we really ought to be scoring more.
"The team defended in an organised fashion under pressure and that is a bonus too. A team should be able to soak up pressure and go on the counter at times.
"When you have possession for a long time, there can be a lack of concentration.
"Those are the worst moments, as you are then at risk of a counter-attack. It shouldn't happen, but sometimes it does."
Captain Francesco Totti is suffering with flu-like symptoms and is a doubt for Roma's Serie A clash at Cagliari on Sunday.
Roma's fitness worries ahead of Sunday's clash with Cagliari have increased after head coach Rudi Garcia confirmed captain Francesco Totti is a doubt with illness.
The veteran forward is suffering with flu-like symptoms and trained away from his team-mates on Saturday.
Totti will now undergo a late test before Sunday's encounter at Stadio Sant'Elia.
Speaking at his pre-match news conference, Garcia said: "Totti trained on his own. He's got flu-like symptoms and we'll have to see if he's able to play."
If Totti is unavailable the 38-year-old will add to a growing list of absentees that includes recent signing Victor Ibarbo and Kevin Strootman.
Ibarbo, who was carrying an injury to his left calf before hurting his right on his debut in Tuesday's Coppa Italia defeat to Fiorentina, is set to see a specialist in Barcelona.
Garcia has called on the rest of his squad to work even harder to cope with the injury problems.
"Ibarbo? It's not the same calf muscle he's injured. I think it's just a question of bad luck," Garcia added.
"Ibarbo needs to have his patellar ligament looked at, that's why he's going to Barcelona for a check-up.
"We'll do the best we can [against Cagliari] with the players who are available. They'll all have to go the extra mile. I'm looking at the positives. Soon I'll have more options to choose from for the run-in."
Roma are hoping to end a run of four straight league draws at Cagliari in a bid to close the seven-point gap to Serie A leaders Juventus.
