Zlatan Ibrahimovic is poised to give Milan a huge early-season lift by roaring back into action.
The extroverted striker is just weeks away from returning to full team training after the knee injury that forced him to miss Sweden s Euro 2020 campaign.
Head coach Stefano Pioli knows a fit Ibrahimovic can transform his team, as was proven when he scored 15 goals in his first 15 Serie A games of last season.
He netted at one goal every 79.47 minutes during that run, and even though his scoring then dried up, the veteran remains a talisman with the Rossoneri.
Asked about Ibrahimovic s condition, Pioli said in a news conference on Sunday: Physically, he is certainly looking better, even though he s not begun full training with the team and he s forcing thing…
Cristiano Ronaldo indicated he has no plans to retire by saying he hopes to play on for many, many years despite preparing to turn 36 in February.
The Juventus forward has shown no signs of slowing his goal output, finishing the 2019-20 season with 31 goals and a second Serie A title before firing in 12 in 10 league appearances this term.
In 2020 he became the fourth player in the history of Italy s top flight to score 33 goals in a calendar year after Omar Sivori (33 in 1961), Gunnar Nordahl (36 in 1950) and Felice Borel (41 in 1933).
That tally puts him top of the goalscoring charts in Europe s top five leagues this year, ahead of The Best FIFA Men s Player award winner Robert Lewandowski (32).
Portugal captain Ronaldo will be 37 by the time the 2022 Wo…
Erik ten Hag was left frustrated as Manchester United gave it away against a spirited Burnley, who held them to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were on course to claim all three points when Antony pounced on Sander Berge s error to open the scoring in the 79th minute, as they looked to close the gap on fifth-place Tottenham to four points.
However, the hosts could not hold on as Andre Onana was penalised for a foul on Zeki Amdouni, who picked himself up to level from the penalty spot and salvage a point for the visitors three minutes from time.
Ten Hag was made to rue his side s wastefulness as they converted just one of their 27 shots on goal throughout the contest.
We put ourselves in a winning position and, over long courses of the game, w…
FIFA has said Welsh supporters will be permitted to display rainbow-coloured hats and flags at Friday s World Cup game against Iran, according to the Football Association of Wales (FAW).
Wales LGBTQ+ supporters group, known as the Rainbow Wall, is being represented at the tournament in Qatar, but several fans were reportedly told to remove and discard their distinctive rainbow-coloured hats ahead of Monday s 1-1 draw with the United States.
Former Wales footballer Laura McAllister was among those told to remove her hat by what she described as heavy-handed security guards at the team s first World Cup game since 1958.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the FAW pledged to discuss the issue with FIFA, which has been criticised for organising the World Cup in a cou…
Genoa striker Marco Borriello said he wants to be picked for Italy for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Borriello scored the goal that secured Genoa a point against Palermo on Saturday, and the 30-year-old admitted he is hoping to force himself back onto the international stage.
The striker has seven caps to his name after making his debut for the national team back in 2008 and the Italian is determined to impress Italy coach Cesare Prandelli.
Prandelli knew me at a particular moment of my football life. I d love to get a second chance, Borriello told Sky Sports.
The former AC Milan player was pleased with his goal against Palermo but was also unhappy with Genoa s inability to take their chances.
There is the satisfaction of having won a po…
Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder will not play for the Nerazzurri until the two parties agree to terms on potential changes to his current contract, which is set to expire in 2015, .
Sneijder, 28, has tallied two goals and one assist in eight matches in all competitions for the Italian giants this season, while adding one goal and five assists in 10 international caps for Holland.
Reports are suggesting that the Holland international could be sold by Inter Milan when the transfer window re-opens in January, with Dutchman having been linked with a bevy of Europe s top football clubs over the past few seasons.
The situation with Wes, who is part of the history of this club and a player we all care about, is that we ve been discussing a possible a…
Manchester City striker John Guidetti is targeting a spot in the first team after signing a new deal with the English Premier League champions.
Guidetti was brought to the club in 2009 by Sven-Goran Eriksson, and has since had spells away at Burnley and Feyenoord.
After an incredible season at Feyenoord last term that saw him score 20 goals in just 23 appearances, Guidetti made his senior international debut for Sweden in February.
I ve seen how much the club has turned into one of the biggest in the world, he told City s website after signing a three-year deal.
It s great to be a part of it and to have a management and a club that believes in you is very important. City have shown that and I m very happy.
I ve been here for a long time, si…
Stoke City striker Peter Crouch is in doubt for the trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, manager Tony Pulis has revealed.
Crouch was involved in a collision with Fabricio Coloccini when Stoke beat Newcastle on Wednesday, resulting in the 31-year-old losing two front teeth.
But Pulis insists the England international is eager to start at the Hawthorns and has every chance of featuring if he is cleared by a dental specialist.
Crouchy is seeing the specialist as we speak, so we ll have to wait and see if they are able to fit the brace, Pulis told reporters.
He will meet up with the rest of the squad at our hotel in the morning and I ll have a chat with him. I ll see how he is then and that will probably determine whether he features in the game, but …
Somewhat surprising transfer rumours are coming from Istanbul with claiming that Sunderland have cast their eye on Galatasaray star Wesley Sneijder.
Black Cats have reportedly identified the former Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Ajax attacking midfielder as a potential exchange chip in a deal for the highly-rated winger Jeremain Lens.
The 29-year-old Dutch winger has been in impressive form for Fenerbahce this season and it is reported that Turkey’s big-three is interested in keeping Lens beyond this season once his loan deal with Fenerbahce expires.
Galatasaray and Besiktas have also made their intentions known and Premier League strugglers Sunderland appear to have a significant bargaining power over Turkish powerhouses in the forthcoming transfer window.
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Does Berlusconi have something up his sleeve? Image: Getty
And the saga continues. I ve written multiple articles, each contradicting my last, a testament to how crazy and disorganized the sale of the Rossoneri has been. When we last left off, everything seemed fine and dandy, the closing set for March 3rd, and for everything to finally be over. As I ve learned throughout these years, anything with Milan is not that simple. Now, the Chinese consortium has dwindled down to one person, who now seems unable to put up the funds to finance the acquisition. So the question is Will ever switch hands?
Maybe, Maybe Not.
There s no definitive answer as of yet, but Berlusconi seems to be content to let Sino-Europe acquire the funds. He is racking up the money, €100 million at …