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The Giallorossi got back to winning ways against Cesena after a difficult spell, leaving their coach praising their spirit and togetherness
Rudi Garcia has praised his Roma side’s unity after a 1-0 win at Cesena which keeps them ahead of local rivals Lazio in the battle for an automatic Champions League spot.
The Giallorossi had drawn eight of their previous 11 league games in 2015 before heading to the Stadio Dino Manuzzi, and had suffered back-to-back defeats against Sampdoria and Fiorentina which had seen them squander vital ground in the league and suffer elimination from Europe.
But Daniele De Rossi scored the only goal of the game on Sunday to ensure his side returned to winning ways, and coach Garcia was quick to give his players a pat on the back after the match.
“The boys showed they are united and displayed a lot of character on a ground where top-level teams have lost before now,” said the Frenchman.
“I like the attitude of the team, they tried to score in many different ways. It is also a great sign that De Rossi got on the scoresheet.”
Garcia added that he was particularly pleased with the tenacity of his players following a difficult period in their season which has seen them fall out of contention for the Serie A title, and the coach insists they can end the campaign in a positive light.
“The grit and determination the team showed really pleased me. We tried to play the ball on the ground, and Salih Ucan is particularly talent in that regard,” he continued.
“We are all united – the club, players, coach and fans – and we can turn this into a good season.
“We have to take it one game at a time and we will do that until the end of the season. There’s no point looking ahead or making calculations. We are focused only on getting three points each week.”
Lazio’s 2-0 victory over Verona on Sunday means that Roma remain just one point ahead of their local rivals in the second and final automatic Champions League spot.
The club revealed on Saturday that Paris Saint-Germain have bid for the midfielder, but they remain determined to hold on to the Frenchman
Juventus general manager Giuseppe Marotta has insisted the club don't need to sell Paul Pogba amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
Bianconeri director Pavel Nedved revealed on Saturday that the Ligue 1 champions had made a bid for the midfielder, while revealing Barcelona and Real Madrid are also interested in the player.
But after the Serie A champions beat Genoa 1-0 on Sunday in the absence of their star man, who was missing with a hamstring injury that will keep him out until May, Marotta said the club had no interest in selling the France international.
"Pogba is a young player with lots of promise but he is realising his potential," he said.
"We want to win and we don't necessarily have to sell our best players. It is clear that players of this quality attract interest from other clubs but we don't seek buyers and there has been no contact."
Carlos Tevez scored the only goal of the game at Juventus Stadium to extend the club's lead at the top of Serie A to 17 points and Marotta said the win proved his side can operate without Pogba.
"We are celebrating a win without Pogba. That says to me that the group is crucial even if the player is important."
Mancini hits back at critics: Projects take longer than a few months
By Peter McVitie
Mar 23, 2015 01:21:00
Despite the loss at Sampdoria extending his side's winless run to six games, the coach says short-term pain will lead to long-term gain
Roberto Mancini has responded to his side's critics by saying he will need more than a few months to take Inter back to the top of Italian football.
The Nerazzurri suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sampdoria on Sunday to fall further behind the European places, with the gap a massive 11 points to Napoli in the final Europa League place.
Inter are now on a winless streak of six games in all competitions, but Mancini insists he is happy with the progress his side are making and feels they just need more time to fully reap the benefits of his work.
"I've got nothing to say to the lads because I'm a coach and I accept criticism," he said after the defeat to Samp.
"I believe projects go beyond three or four months and I'm in charge of a team that finished sixth, ninth and fifth in the last three seasons.
"You need to consider the work we've done in a larger context. I've been coaching for a number of years and I know how to deal with criticism when it comes.
"We have to keep playing like this. We need to try and overcome this tricky period and get back to winning ways.
"There are 10 matches to play and we have to continue to play as we did here. I'm happy with our performance. Sadly, I'm not happy with the last month and so it's hard to talk about performances tonight.
"But I believe there are very few matches that we have deserved to lose. It is hard to explain how we lost this game. We were pulling the strings and one free-kick changed the game."
The Colombian midfielder remains optimistic his side will turn things around, although he has admitted things have not been going their way recently
Inter midfielder Fredy Guarin is adamant that the Giuseppe Meazza side will soon return to winning ways after a string of disappointing results.
Roberto Mancini's men were beaten 1-0 by Sampdoria at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Sunday and are now six games in all competitions without a win.
Nevertheless, Guarin remains optimistic they will turn things around, although he acknowledged Inter are going through a difficult period.
"We have to stay together and work as a team, there's no other option. We'll turn things around together," the 28-year-old told Inter Channel.
"I ask the fans to be patient, we know we have a big responsibility.
"Losing like that is disappointing, we played well and showed a lot of character.
"Unfortunately that's the way things are going at the moment, we have to keep working and accept it."
Guarin then went on to voice his dismay with the referee's performance in the loss versus Sampdoria as he felt several key decisions went against Inter.
"Decisions are going against us, I told the referee, but he said he hadn't seen it."
Inter currently sit 10th in the Serie A table with 37 points from 28 games.
The experienced goalkeeper was delighted with his side's attitude against Genoa, while also taking the time to praise head coach Massimiliano Allegri
Gianluigi Buffon has hailed Juventus' winning mentality and desire to keep fighting in the wake of their 1-0 win over Genoa on Sunday.
A single Carlos Tevez strike was enough for the title holders to bag the full three points, with the Argentine missing a spot kick as well, and Buffon was delighted with his side's outing after a tough Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund in midweek.
"Our toughest challenge was a psychological one, finding the energy to remain alert after Wednesday’s game," Buffon told reporters.
"Tiredness is an inevitable factor but our desire to keep fighting right until the end is proving the difference.
"Our winning mentality is the secret behind our ongoing success. Battling is the culture of this group, the club and our history.
"It’s part of our DNA and although we’d lost our way a bit, we were able to regain a winning mentality and conviction during these last three-and-a-half years."
The shot stopper then went on to praise head coach Massimiliano Allegri following his fine work at Juventus since his arrival last summer.
"The boss made one of the most courageous decisions someone in football could have made.
"Coming to a club like Juventus who had won three consecutive titles, implementing your own brand of football and still obtaining such results is something you can only take your hat off to."
The club hit out at official Gianpaolo Calvarese on their official Twitter account after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Atalanta which saw them slump to fifth in Serie A
Napoli hit out at referee Gianpaolo Calvarese following the 1-1 draw with Atalanta, describing the official's performance as "shameful".
Rafael Benitez's side fell behind in the 72nd minute of Sunday's Serie A meeting, when Mauricio Pinilla dispossessed Henrique and rounded goalkeeper Mariano Andujar to score.
Napoli's players protested that Henrique had been fouled, and although they did find a late equaliser through substitute Duvan Zapata, the club tweeted an angry reaction after the match in summing up Calvarese's display.
"It is shameful!" they posted. "FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio cannot lose credibility in this way.
"The refereeing was not fit for Serie A and falsified the league. In England this would not have happened."
Benitez was also scathing of the officials' performance after the match.
"I am convinced that the referee, the linesman and the fourth official saw the foul," he said. "It is difficult to officiate with only six referees, maybe they should add another two to see what happens."
Henrique, at the centre of the controversy, added: "I protested because I hadn't heard the referee's whistle, when I saw that a goal had been given I did not believe it."
Calvarese had a busy night, showing a total of 10 yellow cards, including two in the space of 21 minutes for Alejandro Gomez as the Atalanta striker was sent off after the break.
Mancini: Ferguson needed seven years to create Manchester United masterpiece
Mar 24, 2015 19:55:28
The Italian has pointed out that he does not have a complete squad and therefore needs more quality in order to reinvigorate the Nerazzurri
Roberto Mancini says that while he did not expect did not expect to find life so difficult at Inter, he says he just needs time and patience to restore the club to their former glory, pointing out that Alex Ferguson needed seven years to create his Manchester United "masterpiece".
The coach won three Serie A titles (one of which was awarded retrospectively due to the fallout from the Calciopoli refereeing scandal) and two Coppa Italia crowns during his first stint at San Siro between 2004 and 2008 but he has struggled since returning last November following the dismissal of Walter Mazzarri.
Indeed, Inter currently sit 10th in the table, after just five Serie A victories in Mancini's second spell at the Giuseppe Meazza, but he says that he remains the right man for the job and insists that he does not feel under pressure.
"When I arrived I thought it would be difficult, but I didn't know it was going to be so hard," the former Italy international told Tuttosport.
"But my first Inter team had a complete squad; this is different.
"Ferguson worked for seven years to create his Manchester masterpiece. Inter maybe don't need seven but Inter will need a bit of time and patience.
"I'm not a magician. We have to work hard, while in Italy you want everything immediately. However, we have to start again from scratch.
"We have also had some good performances. But today the results are not coming and there's always a tendency to look at things in a negative light.
"I'm sorry because Inter have improved yet the results haven't arrived.
"However, I'm not a coach in difficulty."
Ferguson took charge of Manchester United in 1986 and came very close to being sacked before winning the FA Cup in 1990 and then claiming a first English title in 26 years in 1993.
Inter and Celtic fined for fans setting off fireworks
23 March 2015 16:08
UEFA has fined both Inter and Celtic after fans let off fireworks during the second leg of their Europa League last-32 meeting.
Last month's game at San Siro finished 1-0 in Inter's favour, as Roberto Mancini's side sealed their place in the last 16 by virtue of a 4-3 aggregate scoreline.
In a statement released by UEFA, European football's governing body declared that both clubs had been fined €5,000 for the behaviour of the fans.
The statement also revealed that Celtic had been fined a further €8,000 for the "improper conduct of their team" after Virgil van Dijk was sent off for two bookings in the first half and five other players were cautioned.
Elsewhere, Dynamo Moscow have also been fined €20,000 after their supporters also let off fireworks during the 0-0 draw at Anderlecht in the last-32 first-leg tie.
Juventus chief executive officer Giuseppe Marotta has insisted they have received no contact from any club over a potential transfer of midfielder Paul Pogba.
Club director Pavel Nedved claimed on Saturday that Paris Saint-Germain had made a bid for the France international, who is sidelined by a hamstring injury that will keep him out until May.
The former Manchester United man's agent Mino Raiola has previously alleged that seven clubs are interested in his services.
Raiola listed PSG, United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich as suitors for Pogba.
But Marotta told reporters after Juve's 1-0 win over Genoa: "Pogba is a young player with lots of promise but he is realising his potential.
"We want to win and we don't necessarily have to sell our best players. It is clear that players of this quality attract interest from other clubs, but we don't seek buyers and there has been no contact."
The ex-Manchester City boss has stressed he needs time to get the Giuseppe Meazza side back on track and is focused on the long-term future
Roberto Mancini has insisted that he does not fear losing his job at Inter and has moved to downplay expectations as he needs time to rebuild the team.
The 50-year-old replaced Walter Mazzarri as head coach at the Giuseppe Meazza side in November 2014, but has so far been unable to guide his team up the table.
Nevertheless, Mancini is not too worried and remains confident Inter will come good if given time.
"I am not a magician. It has only been four months or so since I got here. You always need a bit of time to get to know the squad," Mancini told Tuttosport.
"Inter have improved, but we are not getting results yet. I am not a coach under pressure, though
"We are going through a period where everything seems to be going against us. We have perhaps had a few bad games, but we have always been competitive.
"We have to try to finish the season in the best way possible in order to give us a platform to build on next term.
"It is true that results have not been going our way and people tend to look at the negatives, but we have to look beyond that and look at the long term."
Inter currently sit 10th in the Serie A table with 37 points from 28 games.
Moggi: Calciopoli a gun without ammunition and Juventus will act
By Tony Mahoney
Mar 24, 2015 14:54:39
The ex-Juventus chief is a free man following his final appeal on Tuesday and he has spoken bitterly about the events of the last nine years
Former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi has branded the Calciopoli scandal a "gun without ammunition" after his prison sentence was written off on Tuesday.
Moggi, who served the Bianconeri for 12 years, was acquitted of two accusations of sporting fraud in Italy's highest court, while a third accusation of conspiracy expired due to the statute of limitations.
"In nine years they have found only a single referee guilty - [Massimo] De Santis - who did nothing wrong, anyway," Moggi told Mattino 5. "Calciopoli was a gun without ammunition, the evidence didn't exist – they were wrong.
"Who was in the system if all the referees were acquitted? After nine years they found out that everything was regular and there was no influencing of others.
"For 12 years we kept ourselves to ourselves without spending a lira. We did not have any money – we had to sell a player before buying another like when we replaced Zinedine Zidane with Pavel Nedved."
The Calciopoli scandal rocked Italian football in 2006 and saw Juventus stripped of two Scudetti and relegated to Serie B.
Following recent developments that have cleared Moggi and Juventus for many of the offences that led to their punishment, the club is currently seeking €443 million in compensation from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). It is expected that Tuesday's verdict will strengthen their case.
"I do not know what will happen, but something will happen," Moggi added of potential further action from the Serie A champions, before telling Sky: "This case is an unfortunate thing. We joked around for nine years and the process has resulted in nothing.
"It has come at great expense and many people have been ruined. This is the point.
"In nine years they have established that the Serie A championship was regular and that the [referee] draw was regular and that communication with the referee designators was not exclusive."
Moggi did not achieve a full acquittal as the accusation of conspiracy was only written off due to the statute of limitations expiring.
"I didn't get a total acquittal? No, but I'm content with this. We had 150 witnesses, but only 24 gave evidence - the others were cancelled. I'm happy for those who were acquitted and for those who were close to me. But, all in all, I'm not happy about what has happened."
The former Juventus boss has praised the latest man to take charge in Turin and believes the Bianconeri will have a chance of winning the Champions League if they can beat Monaco
Former Juventus and Italy coach Marcello Lippi says he sees himself in current Bianconeri boss Max Allegri.
The 47-year-old’s appointment in Turin last summer came under scrutiny following a mixed spell in charge of Milan, but Juve sit top of Serie A and defeated Borussia Dortmund to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
Lippi, who coached Juventus to five league titles, praised Allegri for the way he has gradually imposed his ideas since replacing the popular Antonio Conte.
“I see myself in him,” Lippi told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“He came to Juve more or less at the same age I did, he has the same concreteness I do, and he has the same drive to make the team more modern. We have points in common.
“You can see his intelligence - he came in on tip-toe, in an environment where a certain type of football was being played, without rocking the team's certainties.
“Then, with slightly different ideas, he gradually gave his own identity to the team.
“As for my comments about Allegri not having Conte's ‘competitive fury’, it was not a comparison in terms of quality. I just wanted to highlight certain differences in their approach to football.”
Lippi believes that Juventus will have a chance of springing a surprise and winning the Champions League if they can navigate a last-eight tie against Monaco.
“The draw can be helpful,” he added. “Think of Conte's Juve, and imagine what could have happened if they hadn't drawn Bayern [Munich].
“Monaco should be treated with respect, certainly, but they are not Barcelona. And once you're in the semi-finals...
“I remember my Italy team [at the 2006 World Cup]. We were not the favourites, but one victory after the other we made it to the end, until our rivals looked at us with new eyes. Everything can happen.
“These are signs of rebirth in Italy. Juventus are developing well, and after having imposed themselves in Serie A they can gain a European dimension, pushing the whole movement forward.”
The 66-year-old also joined in the praise of star midfielder Paul Pogba, but did point out that the Frenchman is not the finished product yet.
“I think Pogba is potentially immense,” Lippi said. “He just has to avoid certain attitudes.
“He should cut down on some of his creative plays, or at least do them as close as possible to the adversary's goal.”
Ajax captain Niklas Moisander is to join Serie A side Sampdoria at the end of the season.
The Finland international has put pen to paper on a three-year deal at Stadio Luigi Ferraris that will come into effect from June 30.
Moisander first joined Ajax in June 2003 but failed to break in to the first team and subsequently had spells at FC Zwolle and AZ, winning the Eredivisie title with the latter in 2009.
The centre-back returned to the Amsterdam Arena in August 2012 and he collected a further two league medals and the KNVB Beker under the stewardship of Frank de Boer.
Inter full-back Dodo has undergone successful surgery on a knee injury, but the club have not put a timescale on his return.
The Brazil international was substituted in the 62nd minute of Inter's 1-1 Serie A draw against Cesena on March 15, with reports in Italy suggesting he suffered knee ligament damage.
Inter released a statement on Wednesday confirming that the former Roma man has had medial meniscus surgery on his left knee.
However, the club did not comment on how much action he will miss.
Dodo has made 20 league appearances for Inter since moving to San Siro in the close-season.
Gobbi: Players will ´pay the price´ to keep Parma afloat
25 March 2015 21:29
Massimo Gobbi says Parma's players are willing to "pay the price" and accept a cut in wages in order to help keep the club afloat, amid reports of a potential takeover.
Parma's debts were revealed to total over €218million when the Serie A outfit were declared bankrupt and placed into administration last week.
Financial assistance from the league and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has ensured rock-bottom Parma can complete the campaign, and Gobbi claims he and his team-mates are also willing to play their part.
"When we met with the administrator we talked about other issues, the steps of the bankruptcy procedure, things like that," said the 34-year-old, who has been at the Stadio Ennio Tardini since 2010.
"Given the massive amount of debt, we realised that in order to come out of this mess we'd need to renegotiate our contracts. As far as I'm concerned, I'm absolutely amenable to such a solution.
"The lads here in Parma concur with me on the necessity of such a step. I can't talk about the players on loan, but I think it's for the common good.
"I'm open to this. We chose to keep on playing with this shirt as long as there is a chance to save this club and everyone that works in it. We knew that sacrifices had to be made and we're ready to pay the price to save Parma."
FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio is reported to be in talks with a potential buyer for the stricken club, with suggestions the group concerned is the company that owns MLS side Toronto.
Gobbi added: "Yes, president Tavecchio told us about this Canadian fund that could be interested in the club, nothing much else on the subject.
"He told us the name of the fund, no other detail. Let's hope things progress well. We don't even know what the procedure will be, they'll probably need to get in touch with the administrator. I don't know. We only have to wait and hope for the best."
Eusebio Di Francesco has scoffed at reports linking him with a move to Milan, insisting he is fully focused on Sassuolo.
Di Francesco is enjoying a second spell at the Serie A side having returned two months after he was sacked in January 2014.
Having kept the minnows up last season he is in the process of masterminding another season of survival – Sassuolo sit 14th with 10 games to go, 11 points from the drop zone - rather than being distracted by speculation about his future.
A second successive campaign of underachievement at Milan has seen Filippo Inzaghi come under similar pressure to Clarence Seedorf, and Di Francesco's name has been mooted as a possible replacement.
"It's too early to talk about these things," he told Sky Sport Italia. "I'm happy here at Sassuolo, these rumours are gratifying, but I'm focused on survival.
"We need to discover the spirit we had halfway through the season. Last year we were a bit more together, a bit more of a team.
"Am I ready for a big team? The ambition is there, I can't pretend otherwise. I feel like a Serie A coach."
Juventus and Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio will likely miss the rest of the season after suffering a ruptured cruciate ligament in training for his country on Friday.
Marchisio sustained the blow preparing for Italy's Euro 2016 qualifier with Bulgaria on Saturday.
The initial diagnosis said that Marchisio had sprained his right knee.
But a statement from Italy doctor Enrico Castellacci released by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) read: "During the warm-up the player was believed to be suffering from just a sprain to his right knee.
"An MRI scan was performed immediately at the Fanfani Institute in Florence, which showed a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament.
"After consulting with the medical staff of Juventus, it was decided that the player will return to his club for treatment."
The news comes as a major blow to Serie A leaders Juve ahead of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie with Monaco next month.
Juve are already missing midfielder Paul Pobga through injury and will now have to cope without Marchisio in their bid to reach the last four.
Moggi: Incapable idiots Inter deserved to lose before Calciopoli
By Joe Wright
Mar 26, 2015 21:37:20
The former Juventus chief is determined to continue his fight for compensation after his prison sentence was written off this week
Former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi has branded Inter "incapable idiots" and says they have only themselves to blame for losing out on the Serie A title in 2006.
Inter were awarded the 2005-06 Scudetto after Juve were stripped of the title and relegated to Serie B following the Calciopoli scandal.
Moggi, who was in charge of the Bianconeri back then, was acquitted this week of two counts of sporting fraud and saw a third charge of conspiracy expire.
And the 77-year-old, who has been vocal in his condemnation of the Calciopoli investigation, has now taken a swipe at the Nerazzurri's transfer policy at the time.
"Inter didn't win because they were incapable idiots. I wasn't the one who bought Vampeta, Taribo West and Hakan Sukur," he told Radio 24 and La Repubblica.
"Ultimately, I was banned from football because I locked referee Gianluca Paparesta in the toilet in Reggio Calabria. Yet the prosecutor in the Cassation trial said I did not lock him in there.
"That's what the sporting justice system punished me for. I could have threatened him with libel but Paparesta never accused me.
"The truth is that Paparesta was afraid of what he had done, as he made us lose the game with Reggina with his mistake.
"They said we had an exclusive rapport with the refereeing designators, then even [former Inter president] Massimo Moratti admitted that wasn't true, as Inter spoke to them, too.
"They said my visits to the referee's dressing room were 'breaking in,' then admitted the rules meant I was allowed to go there. I did get angry, but that's another issue, and Paparesta never actually accused me of threatening him.
"The accusation of some vast conspiracy is laughable. Aside from Massimo De Santis, who was punished for a game that didn't involve Juventus, all the referees were cleared. So who was I fixing the league with? It's ridiculous.
"The truth is the statute of limitations lets the courts off the hook rather than me."
'Should I just give up playing football?' - Podolski slams media critics
By Stefan Coerts
Mar 27, 2015 09:21:19
The Germany international was unable to hide his frustration with criticism of his Inter displays and says he is eager to keep playing for his country
Inter attacker Lukas Podolski has hit out at critics of his performances in Serie A following his loan switch from Arsenal.
The Germany international has received his fair share of criticism in the Italian media since his winter move, with some publications labelling him as the worst signing of the season.
However, Podolski has vowed to give his all as he looks to turn around his form.
"People keep bringing up how the Italian media looks at me," the 29-year-old complained to reporters.
"What can I do about it? Should I just dig myself into the ground and give up playing football?"
Podolski scored his 48th goal for Germany in their 2-2 draw with Australia in midweek and he is desperate to keep playing for the national team.
"I have always been part of the team and I hope this will continue to be the case," he said.
"I always enjoy being with the national team and always give my all in training to show the coach what I can do. It's then up to him to make a decision."
