Serie A

Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen said he is feeling "fine" in an Instagram post Tuesday after going into cardiac arrest in Saturday's match against Finland. 

"Big thanks for your sweet and amazing greetings and messages from all around the world," Eriksen wrote. "It means a lot to me and my family. I'm fine—under the circumstances. I still have to go through some examinations at the hospital, but I feel okay.

"Now, I will cheer on the boys on the Denmark team in the next matches."

Eriksen collapsed late in the first half of Denmark's Euro 2020 opener, with Danish team doctors needing to use a defibrillator to restart his heart before transferring him to a local hospital.

“He was gone. And we did cardiac resuscitation. And it was cardiac arrest," said team doctor Morten Boesen. "How close were we? I don’t know. We got him back after one defib. That’s quite fast.”

Eriksen released a statement to Gazzetta Dello Sport (h/t Mail Online) on Monday saying he was feeling better but wants "to understand what happened."

Inter Milan director Giuseppe Marotta dismissed misinformation that spread on social media regarding the cause of Eriksen's cardiac arrest being related to COVID-19, saying he had not contracted the disease nor received a vaccine for it. (Vaccines for COVID-19 have been deemed safe and effective by the CDC.)

Previous examinations of Eriksen's heart showed no areas of concern.

Denmark continued the match following Eriksen's collapse, losing 1-0. UEFA has taken significant criticism for its decision to not postpone the match, but the governing body said scheduling issues left it with no choice.

"We were put in a position which I personally don't think we should have been put in," Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel told reporters Monday. "It probably required that someone above us had said that it was not the time to make a decision and maybe should wait for the next day."

Denmark's Christian Eriksen sent a message to fans as he recovers from his scary collapse on the pitch Saturday.

"Thank you, I won't give up," Eriksen's agent, Martin Schoots, relayed to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Alex Young of the Evening Standard). "I feel better now, but I want to understand what's happened.

"I want to say thank you all for what you did for me."

Eriksen collapsed during his team's match against Finland at Euro 2020.

Morten Boesen, the team doctor, said Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated. He was transferred to the hospital and remains under supervision.

An update from the Danish Football Association on Sunday noted Eriksen was in stable condition and communicated with his teammates.

Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand later relayed Eriksen's message to his teammates after the squad's 1-0 loss to Finland.

"I think you are feeling worse than I am. I feel as if I'm about to go training now, boys."

Hjulmand added:

The match was initially suspended after the medical emergency, but the two sides resumed play later in the day. Denmark is scheduled to play its next match Thursday against Belgium.

Eriksen had led the national team with five goals and three assists in seven matches during qualifying for Euro 2020. At the club level, the 29-year-old spent time with Ajax and Tottenham before playing the past two years at Inter Milan.

The Danish football association provided an update on Christian Eriksen on Sunday, noting he is in stable condition and that he sent greetings to his teammates:

He will remain in the hospital for further evaluation.

"The tests that have been done so far are fine," Denmark national team doctor Morten Boesen said (h/t Joe Short of i sport).

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand discussed his conversation with Eriksen:

Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during Denmark's match against Finland on Saturday at Euro 2020. He received CPR on the pitch, according to Joe Prince-Wright of NBC Sports.

A later update by UEFA noted Eriksen was transferred to a hospital and had been stabilized.

The match was initially suspended, but players from both teams requested a restart later in the day. Finland eventually earned a 1-0 victory.

The focus still remains on Eriksen, with national team players and staff receiving crisis assistance.

Eriksen, 29, has been a key player for Denmark for more than a decade, appearing at the 2010 World Cup when he was just 18 years old. He started seven of the squad's eight matches during Euro qualifying, leading the team with five goals and three assists.

The midfielder helped Inter Milan win the Serie A title this season in his second year with the club after spending time with Tottenham and Ajax earlier in his career.

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.

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.

AS Roma announced Tuesday it's agreed to a three-year contract with Jose Mourinho to become the Serie A club's new manager from the 2021-22 season.

Mourinho was fired by Tottenham Hotspur in April after prior stints leading some of Europe's biggest clubs, including Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United.

The announcement came hours after Roma confirmed head coach Paulo Fonseca would leave the club at the end of the current term.

"On behalf of everyone at AS Roma, we would like to thank Paulo Fonseca for the hard work and leadership shown during these two years," club president Dan Friedkin said. "Paulo led the team through several challenges, including the COVID pandemic and a change of ownership, and he did so with generosity, fairness and great character."

ESPN reported that Fonseca, who was hired in June 2019, had "clashed with several of Roma's senior players," including star striker Edin Dzeko.

It's been a frustrating campaign for the Giallorossi, which likely played a role in the hastened announcement of an impending managerial transition with four matches remaining in the Serie A season.

They are seventh in the domestic table with 55 points from 34 matches, which puts them in danger of missing out on European qualification for next season. They are only two points clear of Sassuolo in the race for a Europa Conference League berth.

In addition, they trail Manchester United 6-2 on aggregate after the first leg of their Europa League semifinals and were eliminated from the Coppa Italia in the Round of 16 by Spezia.

Roma hasn't captured a trophy since the 2008 Coppa Italia, and it last finished atop the Serie A table in 2001.

Mourinho rose to prominence by leading Porto to a Champions League title in 2004, a feat he later matched with Inter Milan in 2010. His results have been mostly underwhelming since guiding Chelsea to a Premier League title in 2015, though.

His best results at Manchester United were Europa League and EFL Cup titles in 2017, and he failed to deliver any major trophies during his time with Spurs.

The 2010 FIFA World Coach of the Year will be expected to deliver an instant turnaround at Roma, starting with some moves in the summer transfer window to help revitalize the squad.

UEFA is investigating AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic for allegedly having ties to betting company Bethard, according to Reuters.

Felix Tornberg and Michael Wagner of Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported this month that Ibrahimovic is a part owner in Bethard, which is based out of Malta. That would run afoul of FIFA's Code of Ethics, which prohibit players from having a financial interest in betting companies.

Reuters noted Ibrahimovic could face a fine of $109,373 and a suspension from the sport of up to three years.

In December, Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier received a 10-week ban from the English FA for violating the association's betting rules. Atleti unsuccessfully attempted to appeal the ruling in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

English striker Daniel Sturridge also received a four-month ban—increased from the original six-week term—in March, which expedited his transfer from Trabzonspor.

Those cases differed from Ibrahimovic's. Trippier and Sturridge were brought in front of the governing bodies for allegedly passing along inside information regarding future transfers.

Given his age, any ban would be a tough blow for the 39-year-old. The Sweden striker has scored 15 goals in 17 Serie A appearances for Milan, helping the club push on for a Champions League place next season. Milan is fifth in the table but level on points with third-place Napoli and fourth-place Juventus.

Ibrahimovic just signed an extension with the Rossoneri through the 2021-22 season.

AC Milan announced Thursday that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will stay for at least another season after the two sides agreed to a one-year contract extension.

The 39-year-old leads the club with 15 goals and has two assists in 17 appearances in Serie A this season. The club sits in second place in the Italian table, 10 points behind Inter, with six matches remaining.

It would be AC Milan's first top-four finish in Serie A since 2012-13.

Ibrahimovic is in his fourth season total with AC Milan and has scored 84 goals in 130 appearances with the Rossoneri. He helped the club win the league title in 2010-11 during his first stint and returned last year after playing two seasons for the Los Angeles Galaxy in MLS.

The Swedish striker has an incredible resume that includes time spent in the biggest clubs in the world, like Manchester United, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain. He has won domestic titles in Ligue 1, Serie A and La Liga with 13 first-place finishes in all.

He has also made UEFA's Team of the Year four times.

Deep into his professional career, Zlatan remains a difference-maker on the pitch who can come through with a goal at nearly any moment.

The latest deal will keep him with AC Milan past his 40th birthday in October.