Serie A

Antonio Conte has responded to comments made by Jose Mourinho after the Tottenham Hotspur manager appeared to criticise Inter Milan's boss for being too public in his pursuit of Christian Eriksen.

Eriksen—whose contract at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is set to expire at the end of this season—has been closely linked with a transfer to Inter, who are understood to be keen on securing a January deal.

Conte told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Metro) after Sunday's 1-1 draw away to Lecce: "I no longer talk about the transfer market. The last time I did it, someone we all know twisted my words, so I won't say anything anymore. I never said anything unusual about the January transfer market making it difficult for all coaches. Every time I say something, it always gets amplified or twisted."

Mourinho, 56, said he felt "coaches should all behave in the same way" after Conte appeared to hint at a move for soon-to-be out-of-contract Eriksen in the Italian media, per BBC Sport.

The Guardian's Fabrizio Romano recently reported that Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta had met with Eriksen's representatives in Milan to discuss a transfer:

Darren Wells of the Mirror wrote the two teams remain far apart in agreeing a transfer fee if Eriksen is to leave this month, however, with Spurs said to be seeking £20 million if they sell the playmaker.

Inter are second in Serie A and sit four points off leaders Juventus after drawing their last two games against Atalanta and Lecce.

Sportswriter Carlo Garganese pointed to Sunday's draw against struggling Lecce and suggested someone like Eriksen could have helped unlock the game:

Mourinho and Conte have a history from their time managing together in the Premier League. The Special One was at the Manchester United helm during the 2017-18 season when he referred to Conte as a clown and brought up his previous four-month ban while he was Juventus manager, per the Guardian.

Marotta was also recently asked about Eriksen's chances of a move to the San Siro and gave a seemingly upbeat review of the situation. 

The 62-year-old said: "He [Eriksen] is a Tottenham player, but we know his contract expires in June. It's completely legitimate and authorised by current regulations to see his agent during this time. But at this point, to say that he will arrive in January or June, is a long way off because the competition is so great."

Eriksen joined Spurs from Ajax in 2013 and has long been considered a key player in north London, but he's started just three of 11 Premier League games since Mourinho took charge in November.

Spurs are at risk of losing Eriksen for nothing if the player runs down his contract until June. Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard blamed Tottenham for not managing better the situations of those players who were now losing sale value:

Conte is no longer a direct rival to Mourinho and can afford to take the high road rather than engage in a public spat, but any bad blood could be intensified should the Italian succeed in signing Eriksen this month.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace on Sunday as Juventus beat Parma 2-1 to move four points clear of Inter Milan at the top of Serie A.

The Portugal international's deflected strike wrongfooted goalkeeper Luigi Sepe and handed the hosts the lead two minutes before half-time.

Parma hit back after the break when substitute Andreas Cornelius sent a glancing header past Wojciech Szczesny to make it 1-1 after 55 minutes.

Yet the hosts responded impressively and restored their lead three minutes later. Paulo Dybala sent Ronaldo through on goal to score his 16th Serie A goal of the season.

Juve boss Maurizio Sarri left Gonzalo Higuain on the bench, starting Dybala, Ronaldo and Aaron Ramsey in attack, while Parma brought in Matteo Scozzarella for Alberto Grassi.

The hosts enjoyed the better chances in the first half in Turin. Alex Sandro headed Dybala's cross on to the roof of the net inside seven minutes but was then forced off with injury midway through the opening 45 minutes and replaced by Danilo.

Ronaldo then missed two chances to break the deadlock. The 34-year-old sat Riccardo Gagliolo down but was denied by Sepe and then sent a header over the crossbar.

Mistakes started to creep into Juventus' play as half-time approached, and they needed a slice of luck to take the lead. Ronaldo cut in from the left and went for goal but saw his shot take a heavy deflection on its way into the back of the net:

Juventus came close to doubling their lead five minutes after half-time. Danilo approached the penalty area before letting fly with a fierce effort that Sepe managed to tip on to the woodwork.

The save brought the game to life as Parma equalised four minutes later. Cornelius rose highest to head a fine cross from Scozzarella into the top corner.

Yet the visitors were not level for long as Juve hit straight back. Dybala sent Ronaldo through on goal with an inch-perfect pass, and the Portuguese slid his second of the night across goal and past Sepe:

Parma did test Szczesny in the closing stages as they sought an equaliser. The Juventus goalkeeper saved from Jasmin Kurtic and Hernani, while the hosts also needed Matthijs de Ligt to make an important block on Mattia Sprocati in the final minutes.

However, Sarri's men did enough to hold on to the three points to earn some breathing space at the top of the table. The defending champions were not at their best on Sunday, but Ronaldo's continuing brilliance was enough to secure the win.

What's Next?

Juventus play Roma on Wednesday in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia and travel to Napoli on Sunday in Serie A. Parma's next fixture is against Udinese on Sunday in Serie A.

Sampdoria manager Claudio Ranieri has said he'll eat his players alive with some "oil, salt and pepper" after they suffered a 5-1 humiliation away to in-form Lazio on Saturday.

Ciro Immobile scored a hat-trick in Rome to increase his Serie A goal tally to 23 this season, and Karol Linetty snatched a consolation before Julian Chabot was sent off for the visitors late on.

Ranieri, 68, spoke to Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) after the game and was light-hearted enough to joke about how he would deal with his playing staff following such a one-sided defeat:

“I’ll put some oil, salt and pepper on this evening and eat them alive.

“Not only did we not win the first or the second ball, we didn’t win the third or fourth either. We were incredibly sluggish, did not react and simply didn’t play as a team. It was our worst performance since I’ve been here.

“Lazio deserve all the credit in the world, as they were well-drilled and enjoyed their football. We just weren’t there."

Immobile completed his hat-trick soon after the hour mark at the Stadio Olimpico, while Felipe Caicedo and defender Bastos also got on the scoresheet for Lazio:

Sampdoria's official Twitter account gave a blunt recap of the road result:

The result served as a wake-up call to Sampdoria's players six days after they came out on the winning side of their own 5-1 result, at home to Brescia.

Lazio have now won their last 11 league matches and are still third in the table, sitting just three points behind leaders Juventus at the halfway mark this season.

Ranieri is regarded as one of the more whimsical managers in European football, delivering on a promise to reward his then-Leicester City players with pizza after they kept their first clean sheet of the 2015-16 campaign. The Foxes went on to win their first Premier League title that season.

The veteran will take Lazio's strength into account when reprimanding his players, and Squawka highlighted the rare form of Serie A Golden Boot favourite Immobile in particular:

Lazio have only failed to score in two matches across all competitions this season and have scored 46 times in Serie A—only fourth-place Atalanta (49) have scored more.

Sampdoria were at the bottom of the table when Ranieri took over but are now up to 16th and look safe from relegation under his tutelage, with La Samp set to return home in Week 20 when they host Sassuolo.

Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri refused to reveal whether he will play the attacking trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain again when the Bianconeri face Parma on Sunday, per Football Italia:

"We'll see how everyone is doing and then decide.

"It's not because we're in Serie A, as there are times in the Premier League when I wouldn't have used that system either. It depends on the balance of the team and the type of match you want to play.

"Only Higuain has a precise role, whereas the other two are instinctive and bring a lot of quality to every position they take. Dybala has done well alongside everyone, but clearly, when both Ronaldo and Dybala are on the field at the same time, we have to take counter-measures in other areas of the pitch."

The trio have been in great form of late, and Sarri has started experimenting with systems that allow him to field all three at the same time.

Ronaldo did not play in the 4-0 win over Udinese in the Coppa Italia, in which Dybala and Higuain showed their great chemistry:

The three haven't started together since the 3-1 loss to Lazio Roma in the Italian Super Cup, a match which highlighted the flaws of the trident. Dybala is not a natural winger, and when he plays as an attacking midfielder behind the other two, the Bianconeri struggle for width.

Playing the trident also leaves Juventus short of bench options, with Mario Mandzukic leaving the club during the winter break. Higuain has been used as a super-sub on plenty of occasions this season, with six substitute appearances in Serie A so far.

Regular rotations have been a part of Sarri's approach, per sports writer David Amoyal:

The former Chelsea and Napoli boss is still looking for his perfect setup at the Allianz Stadium, but so far the results have been stellar. Juventus currently lead the Serie A standings, with rivals Inter Milan two points back.

Inter have already added Ashley Young and have been linked with Christian Eriksen and Olivier Giroud, but their transfer activity doesn't scare Sarri:

"Fear is a big word; this is still just sport. I am not following what we are doing on the market, let alone what Inter are doing. We are aware that we can have our journey, and that's all that matters.

"The dumbest thing in football is trying to calculate when and where you might get points or drop them. You have to take it one game at a time, as six weeks is a lifetime in football."

Juventus' top January acquisition so far has been Dejan Kulusevski, who they bought from Atalanta for a deal worth up to €44 million. The Swede is currently on loan at Parma and likely to face his future team-mates on Sunday, but Sarri said he's not yet focused focused on him.

He also said he hasn't been briefed on a possible swap deal that would send Federico Bernardeschi to Barcelona for Ivan Rakitic.

Inter Milan confirmed the signing of Manchester United's Ashley Young on Friday. 

Inter welcomed the new addition on Twitter:

According to BBC Sport's Simon Stone, Young moves for a fee of £1.28 million, and the deal includes an add-on fee which will be activated if Inter win Serie A in 2019-20. 

The switch brings an end to an eight-and-a-half-year spell at Old Trafford for the England international.

He joined United from Aston Villa in 2011 having established himself as one of the most exciting wide players in the Premier League.

During his time at the club, Young endured ups and downs. In his first season, he was impressive, starring in a memorable 8-2 win over Arsenal with two goals. Young was also part of the Red Devils squad that clinched the Premier League title in 2012-13.

He was pushed to the peripheries of the squad under Louis van Gaal and early in Jose Mourinho's reign as manager.

But having adapted himself into a utility full-back, he re-established his role as a first-team regular under the Portuguese boss and maintained that position when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over in December 2018.

During both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, Young played in 30 of United's 38 Premier League games, and back in August, after Antonio Valencia left the club, he was named club captain.

However, the signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and emergence of Brandon Williams have made the full-back positions at United much more competitive this term—Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot and Timothy Fosu-Mensah are also options. 

It is no surprise that Young has opted to move on after almost a decade with the Manchester giants:

While Inter won't be acquiring a footballer that can dart down the line and dazzle opposition full-backs anymore, they will be getting an experienced and versatile option.

Young has done a decent job for United in a number of roles in recent years. When deployed in a more advanced berth, his nifty footwork and crossing ability will also come in handy.

He will need to hit the ground running at his first club outside of England, as Inter are embroiled in a fierce title battle with Juventus.

Lautaro Martinez has said he's settled at Inter Milan after reportedly being linked as a transfer target for Barcelona.

The Argentina international has credited the arrival of Antonio Conte last summer as the catalyst for change at the San Siro, saying the coach "lives for the game."

Speaking to Argentinian sports channel TyC Sports (h/t Football Italia), Martinez explained he feels appreciated at his club:

"Today, I defend the Inter shirt. I am very happy here, people love me. If there are these kinds of [transfer] rumours, it only means that I am doing well.

"I must continue down this path. It's the mentality I have when I go to sleep. I am very calm, very happy and feel comfortable at Inter."

Per Ignasi Oliva Gispert of Goal, Barca have considered the 22-year-old as a replacement for Luis Suarez after the Uruguay striker was recently injured, but the Spanish champions are reportedly more likely to make a summer move for Inter's rising star. The forward has a €111 million release clause that is only active for two weeks in July.

The former Racing Club striker, who moved to Inter two summers ago, also elaborated on the impact Conte has had on him and the team:

"A lot has changed, a new coach arrived, one who lives for the game in a very special way. He has given us so much from his first day here.

"He convinced all the players and the people who work here to give their all. And the results are evident.

"With this coach, I have grown a lot and that's why I enjoy this moment that I'm living right now."

The signing of Romelu Lukaku from Manchester United has presented Martinez with the perfect partner up front for the Nerazzurri, who are two points off Juventus atop Serie A.

He has benefited playing as the No. 10 behind Lukaku, and Conte has gotten the best out of his strike force. Martinez has netted 15 goals in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League this season and, in the process, has become one of the most exciting talents in Europe after scoring just seven times last term.

Signing Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud and Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Christian Eriksen during the January transfer window would be a major coup for Inter Milan. Wrapping up both deals may seem like a tall order, but Nerazzurri director Piero Ausilio says there is optimism at the club things can be done. 

Ausilio was asked about Inter's attempts to reinforce the squad this winter, per Sky Sports: "No important news, we have confidence in our work and not only for these two players."

His expression of confidence represents a stark contrast to the recent thoughts of Antonio Conte. The manager had said funds are lacking for new signings, per Goal's James Westwood.

A hefty transfer budget may not be needed to sign either Giroud or Eriksen, though. Both are on the outside looking in with their current clubs.

Eriksen has already been the subject of a bid from the team second in Serie A, but Spurs want twice the amount offered, per Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian:

Meanwhile, Sky Italia (h/t Football.London's Robert Warlow and Joe Doyle) reported Giroud has agreed personal terms with Inter, but a fee hasn't been settled on with Chelsea.

Eriksen has been merely a bit-part player for the Lilywhites this season, after declaring his desire to leave the club last summer. The 27-year-old has made just 10 starts and eight appearances off the substitutes bench, but he's still scored two goals and provided as many assists.

He was on the pitch when Spurs lost 1-0 at home to Premier League leaders Liverpool on Saturday. As many noted, Eriksen's actions after the full-time whistle looked like a goodbye gesture to the Tottenham faithful:

Conte knows how valuable Eriksen can be from his two seasons in charge of Chelsea. Eriksen would add a bit more guile and vision to a workmanlike Inter midfield underpinned by Marcelo Brozovic.

Yet letting Eriksen go this month would be a risky proposition for a Spurs squad dealing with a few injuries. The walking wounded includes midfield powerhouse Moussa Sissoko, who is set for a lengthy spell on the treatment table following knee surgery.

Tottenham's depleted numbers were supplemented on Wednesday by the arrival of Gedson Fernandes on an 18-month loan deal from Benfica, per the club's official website.

Fernandes will add athleticism and versatility to the engine room, but Eriksen's technique and eye for a pass would surely be missed. Letting him go would increase the burden on Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso to carry the creative load.

Giroud's value to Chelsea has become less obvious since Frank Lampard took charge last summer. Lampard has made youth the focus of his team, and in 22-year-old Tammy Abraham, he has a prolific attacking talisman with 15 goals to his credit in all competitions.

Abraham's most obvious deputy is Michy Batshuayi, who offers the pace Giroud lacks. Yet while the Frenchman appears surplus to requirements, he's proved his worth in the past.

Giroud's aerial power and ability to link with runners from midfield made him an instant hit with the Blues when he arrived from London rivals Arsenal in early 2018. His goals helped Conte's men win the FA Cup the same year, while he was also prolific en route to helping Chelsea lift last season's UEFA Europa League trophy:

Signing Giroud would give Conte a natural backup for main frontman Romelu Lukaku. His partnership with Lautaro Martinez has helped the Nerazzurri becomes the main challengers to Juventus in the Italian top flight.

Bolstering depth up front, while adding more creativity to midfield, would boost Inter's chances of overcoming a two-point deficit and breaking Juve's grip on the title.

UEFA reportedly changed the formation of its Team of the Year in order to include Cristiano Ronaldo after fan voting placed the Portuguese fourth in the forwards category. 

The governing body announced its elite XI on Wednesday, with Ronaldo included in a top-heavy 4-2-4 formation:

According to the Daily Mail's Mike Keegan, Ronaldo was shoehorned in by UEFA at the expense of Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante after he finished fourth in the voting behind Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Liverpool's Sadio Mane and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.

Per Keegan, a source said: "This is really not good. It is effectively vote rigging. Such is Ronaldo's popularity at a senior level within the organisation, alarm bells sounded when he did not make the cut and, as a result, the formation was changed. It makes you wonder what else they get up to."

A UEFA spokesman, however, had a different explanation for the formation choice:

"The formation for this year's team of the year was chosen to reflect the votes of the fans in parallel with the players' achievements in UEFA competitions. As a result, there are five UEFA Champions League winners and four UEFA Nations League finalists [including one winner]. The formation changes on a regular basis, and this year is no exception."

Ronaldo had a remarkable year with Portugal and was crucial to them winning the inaugural UEFA Nations League, netting a hat-trick in the semi-final against Switzerland:

His domestic form in 2019 was unspectacular by his own incredible standards, but he still won Serie A in his debut season with Juventus, netting 21 goals and winning the MVP award for the 2018-19.

Ronaldo has started 2020 in a rich vein of form.

He closed out 2019 by scoring in four consecutive league games, and he has scored four in two appearances since the new year:

That is the kind of form Juventus were hoping he would produce when they signed him, and if it continues, the Old Lady will be well placed to win numerous trophies this season. 

Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri has said "it's really annoying" that Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has one more Ballon d'Or award to his name than Cristiano Ronaldo. 

The pair were tied on five titles each until Messi won the 2019 award back in December. Ronaldo finished third:

The Portuguese forward has started the new year in brilliant form, scoring four goals in two appearances, including his first hat-trick for Juve in Serie A:

Sarri, who took over as Old Lady boss in the summer, wants to help Ronaldo join Messi on six Ballons d'Or, per Sacha Pisani of Goal:

"I would like to help Cristiano win the sixth Ballon d'Or first. It's really annoying thinking that someone won more [Ballons d'Or] than him. I think about him, and I think helping him, it is my goal and the goal of the team. It is right for him."

Four of Ronaldo's five Ballon d'Or awards have been won in years in which he has led his former clubs, Manchester United and Real Madrid, to UEFA Champions League glory.

That will be his and Sarri's aim this term, as well as winning a ninth consecutive Serie A title for Juve.

Despite being one of Europe's biggest clubs, the Old Lady have a relatively poor record in the Champions League.

They have won the famous trophy twice, but their last triumph was in 1996.

Since then, Juve have lost five finals in Europe's most prestigious tournament to take their tally of runners-up places to a record seven.

One of the key reasons Ronaldo, 34, was signed for £100 million from Real in July 2018 was to help the Old Lady finally go all the way in the Champions League.

After topping Group D in the 2019-20 tournament, Juve have drawn Lyon in the last 16, an eminently winnable tie for a side of their quality:

If Ronaldo can continue his current goalscoring form and help Juve to win the Champions League, and edge out Inter Milan in a tight title race, he will be in the running for a sixth Ballon d'Or gong come the end of 2020. 

Antonio Conte has said Inter Milan "must find cheap opportunities" in the January transfer window because "there is not much money" available for bolstering the squad. 

Speaking after the Nerazzurri's 4-1 Coppa Italia win over Cagliari, Conte hinted Inter are planning to do business in the winter window, but he played down the profile of the players they will target, per Goal's James Westwood:

"There is not much money, the director has been clear. We must be good at finding situations that can bring us benefits. We must find cheap opportunities, otherwise I see it being hard. The ideas are there. If there is the possibility, we will improve. What you can't get with money you have to get with intelligence and wit."

Inter have been strongly linked with Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Christian Eriksen and have reportedly offered him a deal to sign in the summer when his contract in north London has expired:

According to Westwood, Spurs are demanding £17 million from Inter if they want to sign him six months early.

Based on Conte's comments, it is unlikely Inter have that kind of cash available. They do need to bolster their squad, though.

The 50-year-old Italian has done an excellent job at the San Siro since joining in May 2019 as Luciano Spalletti's successor.

Under Conte in 2019-20, Inter have matched eight-time defending champions Juventus almost blow for blow and are in with a genuine chance of winning a first Scudetto since 2010:

However, squad depth could be a defining factor in the title race this term. Both Juve and Inter will be fighting for silverware on multiple fronts in the second half of the season, meaning both will need to rely on their full squads.

In that respect, the Old Lady have a definite edge because Maurizio Sarri has quality cover across the entire pitch.

Just look at £67.5 million signing Matthijs de Ligt, who has been warming the bench recently due to the excellent form of the now-injured Merih Demiral:

That depth will pay dividends for Juve when Sarri is able to rotate and rest key players at the business end of the campaign.

In order to match Juventus in that respect, Inter will need to make January additions, but a lack of funds will make it difficult for Conte to make impactful signings.