Golaccio

Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly has indicated that he is committed to the team’s cause despite the ongoing speculation linking him with a summer departure. The Senegal international is widely regarded as one of the best central defenders in the world and his stock has risen over the past few years despite Napoli’s struggles to secure regular silverware.

Speaking to reporters, Koulibaly said that he has improved as a player in Naples but he has not won anything to show for the progress. He added that he remains committed to the club, who have believed in his abilities and would like to guide the club to some kind of silverware, he said: “I’ve grown compared to five years ago but I haven’t won anything yet. I’m a Napoli player and I’ll give 100 percent to win something with this shirt. The market is full of talk, I prefer facts, which help us win, and to become great together. Napoli have given me so much. After the initial scepticism, their fans appreciated me. I would like to give them a trophy back.”

Lazio head coach Simone Inzaghi has said that his team controlled the game against Sassuolo and were unfortunate not to come up with the maximum points on the day. The Serie A side dominated the proceedings for most of the encounter but they were eventually left scrambling for the stalemate after Senad Lulic’s dramatic 95th minute leveller for them.

Speaking after the game, Inzaghi felt that his side deserved the maximum points from the league meeting and must remain positive despite the high-scoring draw, he told Sky Sport: “My players really did well today that's for sure. Sassuolo? They didn't create much and we didn't give them much yet we only got one point on the night. Goals against? We will have to review this that's for sure. We controlled the game from start to finish and we deserved all three points. We have to stay positive since we are close to the 4th place and we do have a game in hand.”

Former Arsenal ace John Hartson believes outgoing midfielder Aaron Ramsey has shown more commitment in the club’s shirt unlike Mesut Ozil. Ramsey has already agreed a pre-contract with Juventus ahead of the Bosman move this summer, but he has still remained consistent with his performances for the north London side.

Speaking to TalkSPORT, Hartson admitted that he has been impressed with the workrate showcased by Ramsey despite knowing that he would be joining Juventus at the end of the season. He added that the same can’t be said about Mesut Ozil, who has found himself in-and-out of the matchday squads under Unai Emery this term.

Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti has indicated that goalkeeper David Ospina has a future with the Serie A outfit beyond the current campaign. The Colombia international has made 11 appearances in the Serie A since his season-long loan move from Arsenal in the summer but his future has come under question with Alex Meret competing with him for the number one role.

Speaking to reporters, Ancelotti clarified that the Colombian has a future with the Naples outfit regardless of the games he plays from now and the end of the season. He added that Ospina should have started for the midweek Europa League week game but a minor illness meant that he was dropped to the bench, he said: “Ospina was meant to play on Thursday in the Europa League, but wasn't feeling up to it, so I switched things around and used him [against Torino] instead. Ospina will remain at Napoli next season, regardless of how many games he plays.”

AC Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso has urged his players to remain focused on the forthcoming matches as the club seek to push for a top four finish to the season. The Rossoneri have been lingering around the Champions League positions in the past few months but they are currently trailing fourth-placed Lazio by two points with a game in hand.

Speaking in a press conference, Gattuso highlighted that the club have never been in the top four running in the past few years but they have the perfect opportunity to make amends for the same. Barring Atalanta, the Rossoneri have four of the next five matches against teams in the bottom half of the standings but Gattuso has stressed that the squad must face each opposition with the same concentration and desire.

Italy manager Roberto Mancini has handed a warning to Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella amid the ongoing link with Premier League side Chelsea. The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with the Blues since the departure of Cesc Fabregas earlier in the month but Mancini has urged the youngster to think twice before consider a possible departure from the Serie A.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mancini hailed the qualities of the highly-rated Italian midfielder, who has been building up his reputation with his boyhood club. He added that a move to a big club would undoubtedly suit the midfielder’s progress, although he needs to also worry about the gametime from the starting lineup.

Inter Milan manager Luciano Spalletti has highlighted the team’s ambition to do well in both the Serie A and Europa League during the second half of the ongoing campaign. The Nerazzurri have endured a mixed run of form during the first phase of the season and this sees them only third in the league standings while they have already been eliminated from the Champions League by the minute of margins.

Speaking to reporters, Spalletti said that he would like the team to perform with a better consistency during the backend of the season and that could potentially mean competing for the trophies up for grabs, he quipped: “We have to perform well in the league as well as the Europa League. Then you have the Coppa Italia which, if you win the first game, takes you close to the final.

“Do we need to lift a trophy? There are only two we still can win because Juventus have already won the Serie A. They’re a team that is superior to everyone else on an individual level. Then of course we have to improve, because even today we lost some balls that a team at our level just cannot afford to lose, giving the opponent a chance to counter attack easily.”

Juventus defender Alex Sandro has opened the possibility of playing in the Premier League at some stage in the future. The Brazil international was hotly linked with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain during the summer but neither of those clubs were able to strike an agreement with the Bianconeri for the left-sided defender.

Sandro has since been in good form for the Bianconeri with two assists from 12 league appearances but there remain question marks regarding his future, having yet to extend his current deal beyond the summer of 2020. In a report covered by Tuttosport, Sandro acknowledged that he has the ambition of playing in the Premier League but that may not happen in the near future as he remains content with the Bianconeri, he said: “I think, one day, who knows what will happen? I have a desire to play in the Premier League but right now I am very happy where I am at, the club I am at [Juventus], the league I am playing in. So today my only thought is to continue where I am because that's where I feel happy.”

Fulham have decided to part ways with manager Slavisa Jokanovic and replaced him with former Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri. Jokanovic had played a crucial role in the Cottager’s return to the Premier League after a four-year absence but the team have struggled this term with just five points after the opening 12 matches.

As such, Cottagers owner Shahid Khan has taken the responsibility of making the change and Ranieri returns to the Premier League for the first time since his Leicester City stint, where he guided them to a historic league title in 2016 against all odds. Speaking after the arrival, Ranieri said:“It is an honour to accept Mr. Khan’s invitation and opportunity to lead Fulham, a fantastic club with tradition and history.

Inter Milan were able to produce a strong comeback to secure a vital away win over PSV in the Champions League. Inter travelled to Holland looking to make the most of their late win over Spurs in the first group match. However, there was only disappointment for Luciano Spalletti’s men as they fell behind to Pablo Rosario’s goal in the 27th minute. This was a major blow for Inter in the hopes of topping the Champions League group; it would ensure a much easier fixture list in the knockout stages. However, there was a major change in Spalletti’s half-time talk thanks to Nainggolan’s equaliser just before half time.

Inter were able to complete the comeback in the second half when Mauro Icardi scored in the 60th minute. The winner from Icardi was able to place Inter level on points with Barcelona at the top of the table. Considering that this happens to be one of the toughest groups in this Champions League campaign, Inter have done extremely well to open the group with back-to-back wins. Inter were also able to secure their first away victory in the Champions League for the first time in more than five years following the success. Spalletti claimed that he was disappointed to see his team drop a goal early in the game but the manner of the comeback was a delight to the manager.