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Serie A Preview: Inzaghi under pressure, Roma eye win
5 March 2015
As Roma look to keep the pressure on Serie A leaders Juventus, Filippo Inzaghi faces the sack if Milan fail to win at home to Hellas Verona on Saturday.
Inzaghi will reportedly lose his job if Milan, battling in 10th in the league, are able to win at San Siro.
The club's board had patience with the former striker, who was appointed at the helm in June after Clarence Seedorf's sacking.
But that is running out as the season approaches its decisive stages, and Milan are desperately trying to secure European football.
Inzaghi's side are eight points adrift of fifth-placed Fiorentina and a further three off Lazio, who sit in the final UEFA Champions League spot.
Jeremy Menez has stepped up for Milan with 12 league goals this season, and his team need a win against 15th-placed Hellas Verona.
A win at Cagliari last time out lifted Verona eight points clear of the relegation zone and they will carry that high to Milan.
Second-placed Roma are nine points adrift of league leaders Juventus ahead of a trip to Chievo on Sunday.
Rudi Garcia's men held Juve in their most recent league outing, but could close the gap to six points - at least until Monday - with a win over Chievo.
After two losses in three matches, Napoli are looking to get back on track when they host Inter in a key clash on Sunday.
Like their city rivals, Inter are struggling this season and sit ninth - and only a win would do against a team who are 10 points ahead of them.
Another battle for European spots takes place at the Stadio Olimpico.
Lazio host Fiorentina in a meeting between the teams sitting fourth and fifth respectively on the table.
Sampdoria will fancy their chances against relegation-threatened Cagliari and second-bottom Cesena are eyeing a second straight win when they host Palermo.
Empoli meet Genoa and Udinese host Torino aiming to end a three-match losing run.
Edy Reja may have to wait to take charge of Atalanta for the first time, with their clash at stricken Parma set to be postponed.
The coach hailed his players after they battled to a 1-1 draw against Stefano Pioli's men in rainy weather, while using the result as vindication for his rotation policy
Rafa Benitez believes Napoli's 1-1 draw against Lazio on Wednesday was more akin to a Premier League clash than a Coppa Italia semi-final.
Miroslav Klose put Stefano Pioli's hosts ahead 33 minutes in but Manolo Gabbiadini bagged a crucial away goal during the second half of a first-leg clash played out in torrential rain at the Stadio Olimpico.
Benitez was delighted with Napoli's performance in light of the conditions and believes his decision to rotate players between Serie A, the Europa League and Coppa Italia games is being vindicated.
"We saw a game with pace and intensity - the rain made it feel like the Premier League!" the Partenopei coach told Rai Sport. "The players were perfect considering we have so many matches at the moment.
"I've said many times that we rotate the squad to maintain sharpness, which was important tonight against an intense side like Lazio and especially on a quick pitch.
"We are looking for the right balance and everybody must be try to help out in defence. Competition between players allows us to get to these games with the right level of intensity and pushes everyone to do better."
Napoli and Lazio must wait over a month - April 8 - from the return leg at the Stadio San Paolo, with Benitez's men busy in the meantime, with Serie A clashes against Inter, Verona, Atalanta and Roma.
The Partenopei also have a Europa League last-16 tie with Dinamo Moscow to look forward to this month.
Juventus 1 Fiorentina 2: Salah double hands visitors advantage
5 March 2015
Mohamed Salah continued his rich vein of scoring form by firing Fiorentina to a 2-1 victory over Juventus in Thursday's Coppa Italia semi-final first leg.
The Egypt international has hit the ground running since arriving on loan from Chelsea during the transfer window and netted a brace to hand Fiorentina the advantage heading into the second leg in Florence next month.
Salah opened the scoring in the 11th minute when, following a period of Juve dominance, he broke clear to send a left-footed effort beyond goalkeeper Marco Storari.
Fernando Llorente pulled Juve level with a headed effort, but Salah was on target again after the break – again 11 minutes into the half – to condemn the hosts to their first defeat in normal time since October.
Salah has now netted six goals in seven appearances in all competitions, having made just four starts.
Only four players kept their place in the Juventus starting XI following a 1-1 Serie A draw at Roma on Monday, and one of those men, Arturo Vidal, proved to be a nuisance for the Fiorentina defence from the off - blasting over with little more than a minute on the clock, before side-footing wide of the right-hand post moments later.
Fiorentina also made seven changes from their last league outing and, after Jasmin Kurtic drilled wide from the visitors' first chance, Salah shook off Simone Padoin as he surged forwards to guide a shot past Storari from the left side of the six-yard box.
That lead lasted just 13 minutes, though, as Llorente rose highest to head in a Simone Pepe cross off the left-hand upright – just his second goal of 2015.
Matias Fernandez stung the palms of Storari from 25 yards out on the half-hour mark, and Fiorentina should have re-taken the lead soon after when Jose Maria Basanta sent a close-range header against the post after Mario Gomez had scuffed an effort.
Vidal ended the half as he had started it, causing problems for the visiting defence, but was unable to find the target as he headed narrowly wide.
Fiorentina applied the pressure at the beginning of the second half, with Micah Richards testing Storari at his near post, before Salah again forced his way through the home defence and applied a smart finish to put his side back in front.
Juve appeared to wake up with half an hour to play, but struggled to turn possession into meaningful goalscoring opportunities.
In fact, it was Fiorentina substitute Josip Ilicic who next came close to finding the net when he drilled wide in the 71st minute, before Roberto Pereyra squandered a glorious opportunity to restore parity by glancing off-target from a central position with 10 minutes left to play.
The visitors held out for an important win in their bid to win this tournament for the first time since 2001, while Juve - who have not won the cup for 20 years - will need to up their game for the return leg in April.
Fiorentina striker Mario Gomez has avoided another lengthy lay-off after injuring his ankle in the 2-1 Coppa Italia victory at Juventus on Thursday.
Gomez has been blighted with injuries since moving from Bayern Munich in 2013 - missing much of his debut season with a knee ligament problem.
A thigh issue sidelined the Germany international earlier this season and there were fears the problem could lead to a further prolonged spell out of action.
However, the Serie A outfit confirmed on Friday that Gomez will only be out for two weeks.
The 29-year-old is now likely to miss league fixtures against Lazio and Milan, as well as the UEFA Europa League last-16 first-leg clash at home to Roma.
After joining as a free agent last week, Felipe has his sights set on UEFA Europa League glory with Inter.
The former Parma and Fiorentina defender moved to San Siro after a year without a club, following his release from the former over unpaid wages, and is already thinking about lifting silverware with his new team-mates.
Inter are ninth in the table, 10 points adrift of a top-three spot, with glory in the Europa League arguably their best chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
"It was a difficult choice to leave Parma," Felipe told Sky Sport Italia.
"Parma was my second home. Me and my family were very happy at Parma, but it is a closed chapter.
"I am looking forward to a new journey with Inter. It will be tough, but Inter must look to win the Europa League this season."
Lukas Podolski's agent has talked up the possiblity of a return to Arsenal or a potential move to Turkey when the forward's loan at Inter comes to an end.
The Germany international has yet to find the net for Inter since joining from Arsenal on a deal until the end of the season in January and there is no agreement in place for him to move to San Siro on a permanent basis.
"Anything could happen," Podolski's representative Ali Pektas told Fanatik.
"Last summer he could have moved to Galatasaray, but it never materialised. Every summer Lukas and I go on holiday to Turkey.
"For the moment he's on loan at Inter, and when it ends at the end of the season he could return to Arsenal, where he still has a year on his contract.
"With regard to his future, all I can say is that anything could happen, even a transfer to Turkey. Why not?
"He appreciates it [Turkish football] a lot, and he wants to keep playing at a high level."
Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi has rejected rumours that his position is under threat from assistant Mauro Tassotti.
Inzaghi's side continue to struggle to find any consistency in their form, and sit 10th in Serie A, eight points off a UEFA Europa League qualification spot and 11 adrift of Champions League berth.
Though unsure if he will remain in charge at the end of the season, he is confident of his security until May.
"Results lead to these comments," he said. "Sometimes I'm saddened to read things like those about Tassotti, which are false.
"I wanted him at Milan, we talk often. I'm strong, I don't care about attacks on me. Even though it's been corrected, it was nevertheless written.
"Mauro is an extraordinary person, I battled for a month to get him to join me. On the technical side of things I accept everything, and I want to prove you all wrong.
"I have to be evaluated for my results. My dream is to give so much to Milan, I feel the affection of the club.
"They're good, they make me work calmly. Whatever the choice in June, Milan will always be in my heart, but I'd like to stay here for 20 years.
"To be a coach is a great thing, and I'll do it for many years. I'm thankful for criticism, it encourages me to do my job better. You can always learn.
"I hope I never get sacked, but all coaches go through that. I'm convinced I can do well, I'm just thinking about giving the fans and the president [Silvio Berlusconi] some great wins."
Parma reach agreement with stewards ahead of Atalanta game
6 March 2015
Serie A strugglers Parma have come to an agreement with stewards which means their home fixture against Atalanta on Sunday should go ahead.
Parma have been beset by financial woe this season and were deducted one point for failing to pay their players.
Their last home fixture against Udinese was postponed as the club could not afford to pay for stewarding, before the players opted not to take to the field against Genoa last week.
"Parma FC communicates that GOS [the security firm] met this morning at the police headquarters in Parma and have agreed to work at Parma-Atalanta at Stadio Tardini," a club statement read.
"As a result, Parma FC has independently guaranteed all the services required by the law.
"Parma FC thanks all the suppliers who have worked together with the club to achieve this outcome."
Stricken Parma appear set to finish the Serie A season after clubs reached an agreement to bail out the struggling outfit.
Players and staff have gone unpaid for months and Parma have been sold twice this season, with several of their matches having to be postponed.
But Serie A clubs have agreed to help Parma, and the Italian Football Federation will pay the team €5million so they can finish the season.
An FIGC Media tweet on Friday read: "With #LegaSerie A, footballers and [the] city, put the conditions to continue the championship in #Parma."
In a statement, Serie A president Maurizio Beretta confirmed the league would help Parma.
"The resolution was adopted confirming the willingness of the league to help Parma continue in the championship," he said.
"If the club is passed over to a bankruptcy administrator on March 19, we shall intervene. We'll decide how exactly to intervene along with the administrator."
Sixteen out of the 20 clubs in Serie A reportedly voted for Parma receiving emergency funding.
Parma are 13 points from safety ahead of Sunday's clash at home to fellow strugglers Atalanta.
The Gialloblu, who are over €100 million in debt, are facing a bankruptcy hearing on March 19 but will be given funds to complete their campaign
Serie A clubs have agreed a €5 million bail-out plan that will allow cash-strapped Parma to play out the remainder of the season.
The Gialloblu, who were docked a point earlier in the season for failing to pay their players and staff, are over €100 million in debt and face a bankruptcy hearing on March 19.
Parma have already failed to fulfill two league fixtures, with their scheduled clash with Udinese at the Stadio Tardini on February 22 called off because of the hosts' inability to pay for stewards, while the March 1 trip to Genoa was postponed after players refused to play until their financial problems were resolved.
The club remain in a perilous position but at an assembly meeting on Friday, Serie A teams held a vote over a €5 million bail-out proposal. Sixteen sides voted in favour of the loan, with three abstaining and one team, Cesena, opposing the plan.
The only condition is that Parma play at least one game before the bankruptcy hearing, with the club's players agreeing to the terms of the deal after meeting with Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Carlo Tavecchio and Damiano Tommasi, the president of the Italian Footballers Union.
Parma, who are bottom of Serie A, 13 points adrift of safety, are scheduled to host Atalanta on Sunday.
Milan defender Luca Antonelli has urged his team-mates to find something extra as they try to revive their stuttering season ahead of a home clash with Verona.
Filippo Inzaghi's Milan sit 10th in the table, 11 points adrift of a UEFA Champions League spot and a whopping 24 behind leaders Juventus.
The San Siro giants have never really got going this season and their latest disappointment was a goalless draw at lowly Chievo last time out.
Milan have won two of their last three at San Siro but a home defeat could prove costly with speculation surrounding Inzaghi's future.
Luca Antonelli, who re-joined Milan from Genoa in the January transfer window, said his side are still aiming to qualify for European football.
"I am a player that always tries to give 120 per cent and here at Milan I will always try and give that little bit extra," Antonelli told the club's official website.
"Our objective is to qualify for Europe, we will try and give something extra to achieve that.
"I am sorry that we weren’t able to pick up three points for the fans [at Chievo].
Fellow defender Salvatore Bocchetti echoed Antonelli's thoughts and said Milan had to "give more" when Verona come to town.
All the pressure will be on Milan, though, given Verona's lowly standing of 15th.
And for a Milan side who have buckled under the weight of expectation on occasions at San Siro this season, that means a fast start will be required.
Inzaghi's men desperately need more from one of their strikers, with midfielders Jeremy Menez (12 goals) and Keisuke Honda (six) providing more than half of their league goals this season.
Honda scored twice in Milan's 3-1 win at Verona earlier this season, a match in which Rafael Marquez netted an own goal and was sent off for the losers.
Verona will head into this match in a positive frame of mind, though, after a 2-1 win at fellow strugglers Cagliari last time out.
That followed a 1-1 home draw with Roma, which ended a run of three straight losses.
Veteran striker Luca Toni, aged 37, has enjoyed a good season to date, netting 10 goals in 25 league appearances.
And while Milan have won three of the last four against Verona, Toni netted twice in a 2-1 success for the latter last season.
Napoli boss Rafael Benitez has been buoyed his side's team spirit ahead of Sunday's visit of Inter in Serie A.
The Spaniard has kept his charges competitive on three fronts, although a 1-0 loss at Torino last time out in the league struck a blow to their hopes of a top-two finish.
Wednesday's Coppa Italia semi-final first leg afforded them an opportunity to produce a positive response, and a 1-1 draw at Lazio makes them favourites for a return to the final of a competition they won last season.
In the previous round Napoli overcame Inter thanks to Gonzalo Higuain's last-gasp winner, putting revenge high on Roberto Mancini's list heading into this tie.
With UEFA Europa League aspirations also on the agenda this month, Benitez was pleased to see such a promising display in Rome.
"I relished the team movement and the team spirit," Benitez told the club's official website.
"We have so many games in a short period of time that I cannot even count them all.
"The team reacted well and we have to continue our track."
Napoli are 13 points adrift of leaders and three-time defending champions Juventus, meaning a second-placed finish is probably the best they can hope for.
Roma sit four points ahead of them, but have drawn four of their last five matches.
Two defeats from Napoli's last three games have seen fourth-placed Lazio close to within two points, though.
Inter, also still in the Europa League, did not play in midweek so will be fresher than their opponents.
A 1-0 home loss to Fiorentina halted their momentum after three straight Serie A wins and progression to the Europa League's last 16 against Celtic.
Mancini hopes the loss is just a minor blip, but did say afterwards that he expects far more from Lukas Podolski and Mateo Kovacic.
Inter have not beaten Napoli in their last five meetings, losing three and drawing two.
October's league meeting between the sides ended 2-2, with all four goals coming in the last 11 minutes.
Roma coach Rudi Garcia has praised Seydou Keita, but remained tight-lipped on whether the veteran midfielder is likely to earn a new deal with the club.
Keita, 35, scored the equalising goal on Monday as Garcia's men came from a goal down with 10 men to hold Serie A leaders Juventus to a 1-1 draw.
The Mali international is out of contract at the end of the season, but expressed a desire to stay at Roma in a post on his official Twitter account on Friday.
Asked about Keita's future on Saturday, Garcia said: "Now's not the time to talk transfers. I can say that I'm happy with him - he's a top player and a great leader."
Roma's draw with Juve ensured they remained nine points adrift of the reigning champions and Garcia is determined to guard against a drop in intensity when his side face struggling Chievo on Sunday.
"Our attitude must be spot on in every game, it doesn't matter who we're up against - top or bottom," added the Frenchman.
"We need to repeat the positives from our recent games - like our intensity towards the end against Juve.
"I want to go to Verona and win the game, playing as well as we know we can.
"We're second and we'll do everything possible to defend our position, starting tomorrow [Sunday].
"We want to go as far as possible in Italy and in Europe this season and we can only do that with the right attitude."
Sampdoria moved to within three points of the UEFA Champions League qualification spots in Serie A as Samuel Eto'o's first goal for the club helped them to a 2-0 win over 10-man Cagliari.
On his sixth appearance since joining from Everton in January, the former Cameroon international opened his account with a thumping drive in the second half.
Samp were already one goal to the good by then, after Lorenzo De Silvestri had met Luis Muriel's right-wing corner with a powerful header in the 33rd minute.
With 18 minutes remaining, Eto'o chested down Matias Silvestre's pass and smashed in a volley, before taking a camera from a nearby photographer and pretending to snap pictures of the crowd.
Cagliari's faint hopes of getting anything from the game disappeared eight minutes from time when Danilo Avelar was shown a second caution for bringing down Eder.
The visitors remain in the relegation zone, with just one point from their last six matches, while Samp put the pressure on their rivals in the race for a top-three finish.
Milan 2 Verona 2: Last-gasp Lopez snatches a point for visitors
7 March 2015
Nicolas Lopez snatched a dramatic 95th-minute equaliser to earn Verona a 2-2 draw at Milan in Serie A on Saturday.
The Uruguayan forward repeated his feat from earlier this season, when he came off the bench to rescue a point against Inter at San Siro with a late goal to seal a 2-2 draw back in November.
That equaliser came in the 89th minute and this one was even later as he struck in the final minute of five added on to the end of the second period to deny the hosts.
Verona had earlier taken the lead through Luca Toni's penalty, but Milan hit back either side of half-time to move in front.
Philippe Mexes - returning to the side after a four-week ban for grabbing Lazio's Stefano Mauri by the throat - won a penalty that was converted by Jeremy Menez.
Mexes then had a crucial hand in the goal that put Milan 2-1 up and it looked to have sealed a much-needed triumph for the under-pressure Filippo Inzaghi, who had rejected rumours this week that assistant Mauro Tassotti was set to take his place as Milan coach.
However, it was not to be for Milan and Inzaghi, as Lopez ran onto Toni's flick and slotted the ball home to spark scenes of wild celebration among the visiting staff and players, who had earlier seen coach Andrea Mandorlini sent off for protesting against a decision.
After a quiet opening to the game, Verona's Jacopo Sala had the first sight of goal when he flashed a shot narrowly wide of the left-hand post in the 12th minute.
Six minutes later, Verona were in front through Toni's cheeky spot-kick.
Sulley Muntari clumsily felled Artur Ionita inside the box and the veteran striker calmly sent a chipped effort straight down the middle of the goal.
Verona continued to look the more threatening side and went close to a second when Ionita was denied by the legs of Diego Lopez on the half-hour mark.
Somewhat against the run of play, Milan drew level through a penalty of their own four minutes prior to the interval.
Mexes went down under a challenge from Bosko Jankovic and Menez thumped home the resulting kick.
Milan made a positive start to the second period and were ahead within two minutes as Mexes' effort from an acute angle struck Eros Pisano and then Panagiotis Tachtsidis on the line before creeping into the net.
Verona came agonisingly close to an equaliser 17 minutes from time when Tachtsidis' rasping volley struck the underside of the crossbar before bouncing down and away to safety.
Just when it seemed Milan would hold on for only their third league win in 11, Lopez struck to heap further pressure on Inzaghi.
After Nicolas Lopez's dramatic late equaliser earned Verona a 2-2 draw at Milan on Saturday, Filippo Inzaghi brushed aside questions over his future.
Inzaghi came into the Serie A meeting at San Siro under pressure, with rumours beginning to circulate that assistant Mauro Tassotti could soon be replacing him at the helm.
It looked as though Inzaghi would earn a reprieve when Milan led 2-1 with just a minute of stoppage time remaining, but Lopez struck to earn Verona a draw and pile further misery on the coach.
"That [being fired] is not a question for me," he told Sky Sport Italia.
"I go forward with my head held high, because I give my all and so does the team.
"We have few alternatives, there's no point hiding it. I knew this was a complicated match, we should have done better throughout the 90 minutes, but if we had won it would have been important as a morale-booster.
"Everyone has their opinion. I think I know when to use the carrot and the stick. We might have played badly tonight, but nobody can say the players didn't put in the effort.
"In training I saw their hunger, the work and the spirit. We do need to play better, we drew and I have to look forward.
"I don't like trials by media, I know you will hold one anyway, but I have to focus on my team.
"Obviously the team were very disappointed, but this is football - those who score at the last second celebrate, those who concede will have difficult days.
"We still have 12 games and have to bring the games home, that's what we did not do tonight."
Philippe Mexes has called on Milan to respond after dropping points in dramatic fashion in their 2-2 Serie A draw with Verona on Saturday.
Mexes returned from a four-game ban to feature at the heart of Milan's defence at San Siro and had a hand in both goals scored by the hosts.
The France international won the penalty that Jeremy Menez converted to equalise in the 41st minute.
He then saw his shot from an acute angle give Milan the lead in the 47th minute after it had deflected off Eros Pisano and Panagiotis Tachtsidis on the line.
However, Nico Lopez's strike in the fifth minute of injury time salvaged a point for Verona, heaping further pressure on Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi.
"It's a shame, because it was important to win at home. To concede a goal in the last minute is not nice," Mexes said.
"We have to focus right away on the Fiorentina match [next Monday] and picking up points, because against Hellas [Verona] we dropped two important points.
"I'm really happy to be back playing again after what happened, I'm pleased with the goal and having won the penalty, but it's not enough.
"At the end we lost our way. There was a misunderstanding between myself and [Salvatore] Bocchetti and they scored.
"We must restore winning ways. We are going to Florence for three points. My thoughts are about the team and not my goal, I wanted to do well, but it's not enough.
"We have to pick ourselves up. I cannot be completely happy with the goal because in the end it counted for little."
Napoli 2 Inter 2: Late Icardi penalty denies 10-man hosts
8 March 2015
Mauro Icardi's late penalty earned Inter a 2-2 draw at 10-man Napoli, as Rafael Benitez's men spurned a two-goal lead and the chance to close the gap on second-placed Roma.
Roma's draw with Chievo earlier on Sunday paved the way for Napoli to move within two points of the automatic UEFA Champions League places in the clash at Stadio San Paolo.
It appeared as though that would be the case as Marek Hamsik's 51st-minute header and a superb long-range strike from Gonzalo Higuain put Napoli deservedly in control.
However, the visitors hit back via Rodrigo Palacio with 18 minutes remaining and the turnaround was completed in the 87th minute courtesy of Icardi's chipped penalty after Henrique received his second yellow card for a tug on Fredy Guarin.
Ultimately, Napoli head coach Benitez - who had an unhappy spell as Inter boss between June and December 2010 - was left to rue a series of missed first-half chances, with the usually clinical Higuain particularly wasteful.
A draw changes little for either side in terms of their league standing, with Inter six points adrift of the UEFA Europa League places.
The home side started well and Higuain worked half a yard on the edge of the box before forcing a smart one-handed save from Samir Handanovic.
The lively Higuain was sent clear by Hamsik down the right in the 13th minute, but the angle proved too tight and he dragged his shot wide of the far post.
Higuain then saw a tame chip palmed away by Handanovic before the Argentina international missed the best chance of the match in the 31st minute.
Hamsik played in Dries Mertens down the left and his cross to the back post just needed Higuain to side-foot home the simple volley, but he somehow blazed wide.
The breakthrough finally came six minutes into the second half.
Jose Callejon picked out Henrique's overlap on the right flank and the full-back's pinpoint cross was headed home nonchalantly by Hamsik.
The goal seemed to force Inter into action as first Icardi glanced a header wide from Xherdan Shaqiri's cross, before the latter's whipped corner was headed over the crossbar by Danilo D'Ambrosio.
But the visitors' spell of dominance was brief as Higuain finally got his name on the scoresheet in the 63rd minute.
The striker collected Hamsik's short pass before curling an unstoppable 20-yard shot past Handanovic - the ball clipping the right-hand post on its way in.
Inter were handed a late lifeline, though, as Palacio drilled home from eight yards following a bout of pinball in the Napoli penalty area.
And Napoli's capitulation was complete with three minutes remaining, as Henrique was given his marching orders for a foul on Guarin and Icardi kept his cool from the spot to level it up.
Raiola expects Pogba to stay despite ´interest from seven clubs´
8 March 2015
Paul Pogba's agent believes it is 99 per cent certain the player will remain at Juventus despite claiming that seven top European clubs are interested in his services.
The France midfielder has been continually linked with a move away from the Turin club, who he joined from Manchester United in 2012.
Reports in Spain claim Barcelona are plotting a move for Pogba, who has also been said to have chosen to return to France with PSG.
Pogba has a long-term contract with the defending Serie A champions, which does not expire until June 2019.
"We made a pact with Juve: Paul doesn't have to leave," representative Mino Raiola told Tuttosport.
"I spoke to president Andrea Agnelli, directors Pavel Nedved, Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici, so they all agree. The club doesn't need the money.
"He is wanted by seven clubs and that is certain, because they all told me so.
"The ones that can afford him are Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.
"If I just whistled, I'd sell Pogba tomorrow to PSG or City in a heartbeat. But Paul did not tell me to find him another club.
"What are his chances of staying? As of today it's 99 per cent.
"Juve agree with our approach, which is that they will only sell if Paul asks to leave and there's a suitable offer. Of course, it could become one per cent, it depends on the market.
"Real wanted him 18 months ago, but I didn't like the attitude Madrid had with me.
"Juve asked for about €50million and Real told me it was a ridiculous sum. Even Carlo Ancelotti told me that and he adores Pogba.
"I don't have to sell him, though. I advised Paul to only leave Juve if he finds a club that desperately wants him. Right now it's easier to remain in Turin than to leave. Juve are the side with the advantage."
Mario Balotelli has criticised an Italian politician for making offensive comments concerning Sulley Muntari in the wake of Milan's 2-2 draw with Verona on Saturday.
Ghana international Muntari gave away a penalty as Filippo Inzaghi's side were held at home in their latest Serie A outing.
After the match, Matteo Salvini, secretary of the anti-immigration Lega Nord party, sparked controversy with a Facebook post that read: "Immigrants who work well are welcome. So Muntari may return to his home."
Liverpool striker Balotelli, the subject of criticism from Salvini in the past, expressed his amazement at the politician's comments.
In an Instagram post containing a screenshot of Salvini's words, Balotelli wrote: "This person is serious when he says this or what? He is also a politician? Then voting for me is better."
Salvini appeared unrepentant as he insulted Balotelli with another Facebook post on Sunday.
It read: "The sense of humour of Balotelli is equal to his education in the field.
"He is angry because I criticised his friend Muntari?
"With all the millions that come to play ball, these gentlemen should accept ironies and criticism from fans, and smile. Take it easy Mario!"
