Juventus

The Juventus women's Twitter account sent an apology after a racist post earlier Thursday:

The initial post, which has since been deleted, featured a picture of a player with a cone on her head while pulling at the corners of her eyes, seemingly mocking Asian people.

The post went viral and had more than 7,500 replies before it was deleted 25 minutes later, per TMZ Sports.

This is only the latest incident of anti-Asian racism in world football.

France and Barcelona teammates Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele were seen on video mocking Asian staff at a hotel during a Japan tour in 2019.

There has been a dramatic rise in harassment and hate crimes against Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Italian football has also had its share of racist abuse, including at Juventus when Moise Kean faced offensive chants from road fans in 2019. Teammate Leonardo Bonucci said at the time he believed Kean shared the blame for the racist chants. 

The clubs of Serie A released a joint statement in 2019 saying they have a "serious problem with racism" and calling for stricter regulations and greater education to end racist abuse.

Cristiano Ronaldo will become the first men's soccer player to appear in five European Championships in Tuesday's match against Hungary.

The Portuguese national team is set to defend a 2016 championship that saw Ronaldo finally get over the hump on the international stage.

Ronaldo will be making his 22nd appearance overall at the event, which is also a record. He is currently five goals away from becoming the top scorer in men's international soccer history. His 104 goals are behind only Iran's Ali Daei (109) on the all-time list.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players not only of his time, but of all time," Daei said last November. "He is an absolute phenomenon. I would congratulate him directly [on breaking his record], but first he has to get there."

Portugal was dealt a blow to its chances when Joao Cancelo had to leave the camp due to a positive COVID-19 test. 

Cristiano Ronaldo is keeping his options open this summer with Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester United reportedly among those contacted to "gauge interest in a transfer, according to Rob Dawson of ESPN.

The 36-year-old has one year remaining on his contract at Juventus and is holding talks with the club about his future. He has reportedly already spoken to new manager Massimiliano Allegri.

A move away from Juventus is possible, per Dawson, although the new club would have to match the club's asking price. The Italian club initially spent £105 million to acquire Ronaldo from Real in 2018.

The forward has thrived individually in his three years with the club, scoring 101 goals in 133 matches. He had 36 goals across all competitions this past season.

Ronaldo also helped Juventus win Serie A titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20, although the club dropped to fourth in the table this past season. The team has also struggled in the Champions League, losing in the round of 16 in each of the last two years after a quarterfinal loss in 2019.

The Portuguese superstar could be looking for a new location where he can add to his five Champions League titles. He won four with Real Madrid during his nine years with the team and one with Manchester United, where he spent six seasons earlier in his career.

A return to either of these clubs would likely make them contenders to win the European title in 2021-22.

Real Madrid reached the semifinal this past year before losing to eventual champion Chelsea. Many of his former teammates remain with the club, including Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos.

Manchester United lost in the Europa League final on penalties to Villarreal, but qualified for the Champions League after finishing second in the Premier League. He could create an exciting pairing alongside Portugal teammate Bruno Fernandes.

Paris Saint-Germain would be more unfamiliar, but an attack that includes Ronaldo, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe would arguably be the best in the world. It could help PSG finally get over the top after coming close to a UCL title in the past two years.

Juventus announced Friday manager Andrea Pirlo has been sacked after one season leading the Serie A club.

"For all this, for the courage, the dedication, the passion with which he demonstrated every day, our heartfelt thanks go out to Andrea, as well as our good luck for the future that will surely be a wonderful one," the team wrote in a statement.

James Horncastle of The Athletic reported Thursday that Juve are expected to rehire Massimiliano Allegri, who previously managed the club from 2014 through 2019.

The Bianconeri later confirmed the return of Allegri, who guided the club to 11 trophies, including five Serie A championships, and two Champions League finals during his first stint with the club:

"And now we are ready to begin again with Allegri, to build our future together; with his enormous professionalism, his moral strength, with the brilliant ideas of a coach capable of shuffling the cards, both on and off the pitch. With his smile, a sort of 'signature.' With his way of understanding football and life with simplicity, with his desire to play things down and with the commitment to enjoy every beautiful moment that being at Juventus can give and will give."

Pirlo, a former standout midfielder with AC Milan and Juventus, returned to the Turin-based club as manager last August.

His single term in charge wasn't without some success, as the club captured titles in both the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. Juve didn't live up to expectations in its main competitions, however, finishing fourth in Serie A and getting knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16.

The former Italy international said before the club's season finale against Bologna last weekend he hoped to remain with Juventus.

"I like doing this job, it is normal that I would reconfirm my position because I like having this adrenaline and pressure," Pirlo told reporters. "You need to feel the blood running through your veins, and I want to continue working with this squad and this club."

The club instead opted to go in a different direction with the return of Allegri, who had hinted interest in a potential reunion in March.

"It's impossible to tell, besides, Andrea Pirlo is there now and in my view he's doing well. I don't know what Juve are missing," Allegri said at the time. "They are in the Coppa Italia Final, won the Supercoppa, are fighting for the top four. The Champions League is a bit of a lottery, it can turn on a sixpence. I want to return in June because I have fun and I have great passion."

With the managerial question now answered, the focus will likely shift to the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, who's become the subject of transfer rumors heading into the summer window.

Italian outlet Il Messaggero  (h/t Marca) reported Thursday Ronaldo, who has one year left on his contract, has informed teammates he's planning to leave the club in the coming months. Two of his former teams, Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon, have been linked with a possible blockbuster transfer.

In April, La Repubblica (h/t Football Italia) reported that Allegri had told Juve chairman Andrea Agnelli to "get rid of Ronaldo" before he parted ways with the club two years ago.

So the manager's return could spell the end of the forward's three-year run with the club.

Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus have openly remained attached to the Super League experiment, and UEFA announced Tuesday that it was commencing disciplinary proceedings against the clubs. 

All other clubs previously connected to the attempted Super League—AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Inter, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham—have publicly cut ties. 

Real Madrid president and Super League maestro Florentino Perez has insisted that the Super League isn't dead, despite just three clubs remaining committed to its implementation. 

"I'm not going to take my time to explain what a binding contract is here. But the fact is, the clubs can't leave," he told AS' Joaquin Maroto in late April. "Some, because of the pressure, have had to say they'll leave. But this project, or something very similar, will happen, and I hope it's in the near future."

The 12 aforementioned clubs had originally agreed to a plan that would essentially remove them from the UEFA Champions League in favor of a yearly competition they were guaranteed to partake in, with the opportunity for a few additional berths for other clubs each season. 

But world football supporters around Europe quickly and comprehensively protested the move, arguing that such a league would only widen an already deep gulf between the financial haves and have-nots in the sport. Additionally, Super League detractors argued that clubs should have to play their way into elite competitions, which the Super League was essentially bypassing. 

For a Premier League team to reach Champions League, for instance, they must finish top-four in the table (or either win the Europa League or Champions League the season prior). No such stipulations would have existed for the founding clubs of the Super League. 

The appeal of those clubs was simple—consistent and substantial financial gain. Whereas top clubs stand to lose major money if they miss UCL qualification, the Super League would have guaranteed them major yearly revenue. 

In the wake of the severe fan backlash, the majority of the Super League clubs pulled out of the arrangement, with just Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus standing firm. It remains to be seen what potential discipline UEFA will levy upon them if they don't back down. 

Cristiano Ronaldo may not have played in Juventus' 4-1 victory over Bologna on Sunday, but the 36-year-old made history nonetheless.

Ronaldo scored 29 goals in 33 Serie A appearances to lead the league and became the first player ever to finish as the top scorer in Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League, per ESPN FC's Andrew Cesare Richardson.

The results of Sunday's fixtures could bring a little more clarity in terms of whether Ronaldo will spend a fourth season in Italy.

Thanks to their win and Napoli's 1-1 draw with Hellas Verona, Juve qualified for the 2021-22 Champions League. It was difficult to envision Ronaldo sticking around to play in the Europa League, and paying his roughly €30 million salary would've been difficult without the revenue the Champions League provides.

That Ronaldo didn't even come off the bench Sunday is bound to raise some questions nonetheless.

The Portuguese's gaudy scoring totals—he hasn't had fewer than 25 goals since 2008-09—somewhat obscure his value at this point in his career. He remains lethal in the 18-yard box, but the limitations in his game were laid bare during Juventus' round-of-16 exit to Porto in the Champions League.

Leading Serie A in goals is yet another achievement for a player who's one of the best in the history of the sport. But Ronaldo is also an example of how even the greats can't fight off the aging curve forever.

While Juventus averted a potential disaster by finishing fourth in the league, it still might have a dilemma on its hands regarding its highest-paid star.

Juventus could banned from Serie A in 2021-22 if the club does not withdraw from the Super League, president of the Italian Football Federation Gabriele Gravina said on radio station Kiss Kiss Monday (h/t The Athletic).

"The rules are clear. If Juventus is still part of the Super League when it enters next season, it can't participate in Serie A," Gravina said. "I would be sorry for the fans, but rules are rules, and they apply to everyone."

Nine of the 12 founding members of the proposed Super League have already withdrawn from the breakaway competition, but Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona have not yet approved UEFA's "reintegration measures," according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

"I hope this holdout ends soon," Gravina added.

UEFA has already announced punishments against the those involved in the Super League, withholding 5 percent of revenue in European competition for the clubs that have withdrawn. The three clubs that remain could be banned from the Champions League.

Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid released a statement Saturday denouncing UEFA's aggressive measures.

"The founding clubs have suffered, and continue to suffer, unacceptable third-party pressures, threats and offenses to abandon the project," the clubs said.

The expulsion from Serie A could be even harsher because it would leave Juventus without any competition for 2021-22.

The Italian giants have won their domestic league in each of the past nine seasons, although they have struggled this season and sit fifth in the Serie A table. If they finish outside the top four, they could fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2011-12.

Even one season away from Serie A or UCL could be damaging for the club, as superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo would likely seek new homes for the 2021-22 campaign.

Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid released a joint statement Saturday in response to "threats" from UEFA to distance themselves from the failed European Super League proposal.

"The founding clubs have suffered, and continue to suffer, unacceptable third-party pressures, threats and offenses to abandon the project.

"This is intolerable under the rule of law and Tribunals have already ruled in favor of the Super League proposal, ordering FIFA and UEFA to, either directly or through their affiliated bodies, refrain from taking any action which may hinder this initiative in any way while court proceedings are pending."

UEFA announced Friday it reached an agreement with nine of the 12 Super League founding members on "reintegration measures," which included a future commitment to UEFA club competitions.

The statement noted the cases of Barca, Juve and Real Madrid would be referred to the governing body's disciplinary sector for "whatever action it deems appropriate."

Although the holdout clubs said they're offering to "reconsider" their stance, they remain so far unwilling to completely abandon the idea of a lucrative alternative to the UEFA Champions League:

"We are fully aware of the diversity of reactions to the Super League initiative and, consequently, of the need to reflect on the reasons for some of them. We are ready to reconsider the proposed approach, as necessary.

"However, we would be highly irresponsible if, being aware of the needs and systemic crisis in the football sector... we abandoned such mission to provide effective and sustainable answers to the existential questions that threaten the football industry."

The Super League's 12 founding members, which would have been joined by three other permanent clubs and five yearly qualifiers under the proposed plan, sold the idea on the basis the infusion of money could have had a trickle-down effect to help save European football.

It was met with extreme backlash from fans, who saw the effort as a greedy push from owners of the continent's richest clubs, and UEFA, which saw the ESL as a direct threat to the UCL and threatened to ban players who took part from future UEFA and FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.

The Super League suspended operations after just two days as clubs quickly backed out amid the widespread criticism, with most issuing apologies to their supporters for the failed effort.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, one of the ESL's staunchest defenders, issued a warning to AS' Joaquin Maroto in late April about the future of European football without a bolder plan than the proposed 2024 Champions League restructure:

"The truth is, no. Not the format, that nobody understands, not the time period, because by 2024...either we fix this before or all the clubs go bankrupt. There will be a mutiny of the teams as they go bankrupt, because the only ones who will survive will be state financed clubs or who have multimillionaire owners, who are willing, for their own entertainment, to lose hundreds of millions [of euros] each season."

Friday's agreement between UEFA and the Super League members who've abandoned the project leaves little chance of it being revived because clubs granted the governing body the right to issue fines of up to €150 million for playing in an "unauthorized competition" (€100 million) or a breach of the "club commitment declaration" (€50 million).

Without that large contingent of high-profile clubs, it's hard to imagine any breakaway effort gaining traction as a true alternative to the Champions League.

So the ball rests at the feet of Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid. They must decide whether to continue to explore their options or come to terms with UEFA to leave the Super League in the rear-view mirror.

Juventus' Weston McKennie, Paulo Dybala and Arthur have been "temporarily suspended" by the Serie A club for a violation of COVID-19 protocols.

ESPN FC reported on the punishment Friday after McKennie hosted an "illegal lockdown party" at his home attended by his two teammates.

Ahead of Saturday's Serie A meeting with local rivals Torino, Juve manager Andrea Pirlo confirmed the trio will not be in the squad:

The Associated Press reported Thursday the players also face potential fines from local police in Turin, Italy. Wednesday's party featured around 20 other people and continued beyond the country's 10 p.m. curfew, with police being called by neighbors to break up the gathering around 11:30 p.m.

"These things have always happened, but this is not the time for what is going on in the world," Pirlo said Friday. "It was not the right time to do it, we are examples and must behave like it."

All three players have been consistent contributors for Juventus during the 2020-21 season.

McKennie ranks fourth on the Bianconeri's Serie A scoring chart with four goals, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (23), Alvaro Morata (seven) and Federico Chiesa (six).

Arthur has made 16 appearances in domestic competition, while Dybala has tallied two goals and two assists in 11 matches.

McKennie, a member of the United States men's national team who missed the recent USMNT friendlies with a hip injury, previously tested positive for COVID-19 in October. Dybala tested positive for the coronavirus last March.

After Saturday's clash with Torino, Juve are back in action Wednesday when they host Napoli at Allianz Stadium.

It's unknown when the three suspended players will be cleared to return.

Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo would be open to a return to Real Madrid this summer, according to Marca's Nuno Luz.

"He left Madrid for Turin with the understanding that he would be the centre of a project aimed at winning the Champions League, in an attempt to make Juventus the European force that Real Madrid had been," the report said.

"But things haven't gone that way, and he has only made it as far as the quarterfinals once. Due to those struggles, he's ready to leave Juventus."

Speaking with DAZN (h/t Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano), Juve vice president Pavel Nedved ruled out a Ronaldo transfer and called him "untouchable."

However, Mirko Calemme of AS reported Juventus could be more amenable if a club is willing to pay at least €25 million.

As much as Ronaldo is reportedly frustrated at the club's inability to progress beyond the round of 16 in the Champions League, it's fair to wonder whether the feeling is mutual.

Having won seven straight Serie A titles to that point, Juventus paid a reported €100 million transfer fee and gave Ronaldo a contract worth £500,000 weekly to win another Champions League title. But that hasn't translated to glory in Europe's premier club competition. 

The 36-year-old has scored 95 goals in 123 appearances across all competitions, but that comes at the cost of orienting the attack around an aging forward with diminishing physical gifts. Even ignoring the small role he played in Sergio Oliveira's matchup-winning goal, Ronaldo struggled to make much of an impact over the two legs against Porto in this year's round of 16 as Juventus were eliminated.

Real Madrid can use that same logic to question whether a move for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner makes sense.

Madrid has clearly struggled to replace Ronaldo since his departure in 2018. The £88.5 million addition of Eden Hazard looked a little questionable at the time and has only gotten worse as injuries have limited the Belgian to 25 La Liga appearances over the past two seasons.

The version of Ronaldo that Real Madrid would be getting now isn't the same one who left, though.

Karim Benzema is one of the best strikers in the world as well, and the No. 9 role he occupies overlaps a lot with how Ronaldo is utilized now. Attempting to accommodate the two into the same lineup may limit Benzema's contributions.

It wouldn't be a shock to see Ronaldo leave Juventus in the summer; a reunion in the Spanish capital would be somewhat expected even with his previous experience in the Santiago Bernabeu.