Ranieri hails Mourinho´s Inter reign

Hakan Calhanoglu swiftly cancelled out Giovanni Simeone s opener as AC Milan battled back to secure a 1-1 Serie A draw at Fiorentina on Saturday.

Gennaro Gattuso s side overcame fierce rivals Inter 1-0 in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday but it looked as though they would fall to a third straight league defeat without scoring when Simeone headed in Cristiano Biraghi s excellent cross in the 71st minute.

However, the lead lasted just three minutes as Calhanoglu fired home a rebound from close range, meaning the Rossoneri avoided going three straight Serie A games without scoring for the first time since November 2001, when Gattuso was tearing around the Milan midfield with trademark tenacity.

A generally dour affair belatedly came to life after an initial 70 minut…

There was more grace, guile, poise and potency about Joao Felix than there was about any of Real Madrid s players on Tuesday.

Soon after Zinedine Zidane s troubled side were traipsing off the pitch in Kiev, reeling from a 2-0 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk that could spell the end of a 23-year run in the Champions League knockouts, Atletico Madrid and their Portuguese star were showing why they are LaLiga s best bet for the tournament in 2020-21.

Two years ago, Real Madrid won their third Champions League in a row, their own imperious Portuguese number seven at the head of a team that, if outplayed, would never be outfought, and would always have their talisman to bail them out of trouble.

There is still a team in the Spanish capital like that, but now it is one bedeck…

Current and former with the Saints: Southampton manager Ronald Koeman and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman looks set for a switch to Goodison Park to manager Everton next season, and supporters are worried about the ramifications of his departure.

The Saints have continued to rise from the flames after losing their managers or starring players of the past, but how long can that really last in the Premier League?

Players at risk of leaving

Southampton enjoyed a fantastic season in the Premier League, finishing in a record sixth-place with 63 points, just four off a Champions League spot. The Saints pulled off some impressive scalps in 2015/16, taking points off Chelsea, Leicester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester…

Corriere dello Sport s controversial Black Friday headline focusing on Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling proves the media is a part of Italy s discrimination problem, according to anti-racism campaigners Kick It Out.

With Inter and Roma set to tussle in Serie A this Friday, the sports publication previewed the contest on its front page on Thursday.

But the prevalence of Black Friday – a term used to describe the first Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States when retail sales mark the start of the Christmas shopping period – saw the publication focus on the reunion of former Manchester United team-mates Smalling and Lukaku, and specifically the colour of their skin.

Roma, Inter and Milan were among the clubs to condemn the actions of Corriere dello Sport…

Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse is worried about the possibility of manager Mauricio Pochettino leaving the club.

The former Argentina international has attracted significant plaudits for his eye-catching brand of football and man-management skills since joining Southampton in January 2013.

Pochettino has also pleased supporters for continuing to nurture numerous young English players from the club s own academy, following in the footsteps of former coach Nigel Adkins.

The 42-year-old s hiring initially received mixed reactions due to the combination of Adkins back-to-back promotions and Pochettino enduring a troubling final four months of 2012 with La Liga side Espanyol.

Pochettino quickly won over the St. Mary s faithful, though, and with Tott…

FC Schalke 04 No. 10 Lewis Holtby is set to join Tottenham Hotspur during the winter transfer window after the two clubs agreed a fee of €1.5 million for the Germany Under-21 international, .

Holtby, 22, has already put pen to paper on a five-year pre-contract at White Hart Lane, forcing Schalke 04 to cash in on their ace instead of allowing him to leave on a free transfer in the summer.

Spurs revived their interest in bringing Holtby to North London in January following the season-ending injury to in-form Brazil international midfielder Sandro.

After rejecting Spurs initial attempt to lure the 22-year-old to White Hart Lane, Schalke 04 finally gave in for a modest fee of €1.5 million.

The Germany Under-21 international is probably worth m…

Xavi has compared Robert Lewandowski with former Barcelona legends Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi ahead of the striker s return from injury.

LaLiga s top scorer with 15 goals this season, Lewandowski has missed the Blaugrana s last two games after sustaining a hamstring strain.

But the Poland captain is back in the squad for the trip to Athletic Bilbao, where leaders Barca will be aiming to maintain their nine-point lead at the top of the table.

Robert has been training with the group since Thursday after some days off, and he s ready, head coach Xavi said during his pre-match press conference. He s feeling well and always wants to play.

We are really happy to have him here with us. I will compare him with people like Ronaldinho and Messi. He s changed th…

Kalidou Koulibaly has condemned plans by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis to tell new signings they must agree not to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.

De Laurentiis proposed the controversial policy on Tuesday, saying that any African player who joined the Serie A club should make a commitment to skip the tournament.

It remains to be seen whether he goes through with the plan, or whether it is enforceable. The next AFCON is due to be played in the Ivory Coast in January 2024.

Last season, Napoli were without Cameroon international Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa and Senegal defender Koulibaly as they represented their nations in the tournament that took place in January and February, while Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen missed out because of an injury.

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Barcelona youngster Alen Halilovic has confirmed he could leave the club for Valencia but is adamant his long-term future is still at Camp Nou.

The Croatia international joined Barcelona from Dinamo Zagreb in July 2014 and made his official first-team debut for the Catalans in the 4-0 Copa del Rey win over Elche in January 2015.

He was sent out on loan to Sporting Gijon this campaign in order to gain first-team experience, making 37 appearances in all competitions.

The 19-year-old, who has been named in Croatia s provisional squad for Euro 2016, will return to Camp Nou at the end of the season.

However, he is unlikely to get much playing time next term and Barcelona therefore appear ready to either let him leave on loan again or sell with a buy-back op…

Negotiations between Southampton and Ronald Koeman over a new contract are progressing very positively , according to the club s executive director of football Les Reed.

Koeman led the Saints to a sixth-place finish and a club-record points tally in the 2015-16 Premier League season, leading to speculation rivals such as Everton may try to lure the Dutchman away from St Mary s Stadium.

The former Ajax and Feyenoord boss has just one year left on the deal he signed when taking over from Mauricio Pochettino in June 2014, but Reed is optimistic he will put pen to paper sooner rather than later.

Talks are ongoing all the time, and there is never really a point where you can say on this day we ll start talking , he told Southampton s Youtube channel.

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