Serie A

Roma legend Daniele De Rossi has announced his retirement from football after less than six months at Boca Juniors.

Per Football Italia, De Rossi, 36, said on Monday he has made the decision because "I simply feel the need to be back with my family." 

Midfielder De Rossi, who won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy, signed for Boca back in July on a one-year contract after more than 18 years in the Roma senior side.

In the 2019–20 Superliga he made five appearances. He hailed his Argentinian sojourn as "a unique experience" but explained why he has made the decision to hang up his boots prematurely, per Football Italia: 

"It's not a serious injury problem or any other major issue, really. I simply feel the need to be back with my family. I miss my daughter in particular and she is missing me. I have made this decision, it is definitive."

Rome-born De Rossi joined Roma's youth academy in 2000 and made his senior debut just a year later.

He bowed out as club captain last May after inheriting the armband from Francesco Totti ahead of the 2017-18 season:

De Rossi had previously retired from international duty with Italy in 2017 after earning 117 senior caps.  

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his first Serie A hat-trick as Juventus beat Cagliari 4-0 on Monday to move top of the table in Italy. 

Cagliari defended well in the first half to keep the hosts out in Turin, but four minutes after the break, Ronaldo put his side ahead after taking advantage of a defensive mistake.

The Portuguese superstar then netted from the penalty spot after the excellent Paulo Dybala was fouled in the box by Marko Rog before setting up Gonzalo Higuain for Juve's third 10 minutes from time.

One minute later, Ronaldo completed his treble with an accomplished finish, and Inter Milan will now need a victory over Napoli to reclaim the top spot when they play later Monday. 

Juve eventually got the strong opening to the year manager Maurizio Sarri would have wanted, but they looked to be suffering from a festive hangover at the start of proceedings Monday.

Dybala and Aaron Ramsey were both off target with early efforts, and Merih Demiral headed against the crossbar.

But Cagliari were fairly comfortable in keeping Juventus out in the first half despite being starved of possession:

All their good work was undone, though, when Ronaldo pounced on Ragnar Klavan's sloppy back-pass in the 49th minute, rounded goalkeeper Robin Olsen and scored his first goal of 2020:

Wojciech Szczesny kept Juve in the lead when he saved from Giovanni Simeone on the hour, and six minutes later, Dybala's silky footwork in the penalty area bamboozled Rog, who could only foul the Argentinian as he attempted to stop him.

Ronaldo placed the ball on the spot and sent Olsen the wrong way to all but wrap up the points.

The former Real Madrid man was not done, though. 

In the 81st minute, he fed substitute Higuain down the left flank, the striker cut inside onto his right foot and his deflected shot nestled in the back of the net.

Seconds later, Douglas Costa then surged through the middle, found Ronaldo on the edge of the box, and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner completed a landmark hat-trick from six yards despite a heavy first touch:

Ronaldo has now scored eight times in his last five Serie A appearances, an ominous sign for the rest of the Italian top flight. 

What's Next?

Juve are back in action Sunday when they visit Roma in Serie A after Cagliari host AC Milan on Saturday. 

Mario Balotelli has hit out at certain Lazio fans after accusing them of racist abuse on Sunday. Balotelli's Brescia lost 2-1 at home to Lazio in Serie A, with the former Liverpool striker getting on the scoresheet.

However, the match needed to be stopped while an announcement was made calling for a halt to abusive chanting from the away end, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

The same report also detailed how "Brescia confirmed to ESPN that Balotelli asked the referee to stop the match due to racist chanting."

Afterwards, the 29-year-old took to Instagram to post the following message: "Lazio fans that were today at the stadium SHAME ON YOU!"

Lazio have since released a statement regarding Sunday's incidents, per Football Italia:

"As it has always done in the past, SS Lazio condemns the discriminatory behaviour from a tiny minority of fans during the match with Brescia. The club reiterates once again its condemnation of similar unjustified behaviour and confirms its intention to pursue legal action against those who are in effect betraying their sporting passion by seriously damaging the image of the club and the Biancocelesti team."

Balotelli experienced similar problems when Brescia were beaten 2-1 by Hellas Verona back in November. The ex-AC Milan star had to be talked into remaining on the pitch despite being subjected to racist chants from sections of the home support.

The incident led to Verona playing their next home game with part of the stadium closed. The club also issued a ban to Luca Castellini, head of the ultras fan group, until 2030, per BBC Sport.

However, many are still waiting for direct action to be taken by the Italian top flight against those who engage in racism. The AP report outlined how no punishments have been meted out by the country's footballing authorities or lawmakers.

Racial abuse is a growing problem in Serie A, with league officials defending controversial artwork depicting apes used for its anti-racism campaign. In December, Tom Morgan and Mike McGrath of The Telegraph reported how every one of the division's 20 teams put signatures on an open letter to fans calling for an end to racial abuse.

Cristiano Ronaldo wore a $497,000 Rolex that is reportedly the most expensive watch the brand has ever produced to a recent Dubai sports conference. 

Here is a look at the Rolex GMT-Master Ice, valued at £380,000 or roughly $497,000, according to MailOnline's Sophie Law:

Per the report, the watch is made of 18-carat white gold and features 30 carats of small diamonds all over the watch. He completed his ensemble with a women's engagement ring valued at £200,000 (roughly $261,000) and a diamond band on his wedding ring finger, valued at £50,000 (roughly $65,000).

The Juventus forward was attending the Dubai International Sports Conference during the winter break, before returning to his club. The Bianconeri had their first training session of the new year on Thursday:

The 34-year-old and his team-mates will return to action on Monday when they host Cagliari in Serie A.

Juventus announced the signing of Atalanta starlet Dejan Kulusevski on Thursday, and according to his agent, the reported Manchester United target picked the Bianconeri over Inter Milan and other clubs domestic and abroad.

The 19-year-old completed his medical and put pen to paper on Thursday, but he will return to Parma on loan. 

According to Sky in Italy, Juventus will pay a fee of £37.3 million including bonuses to land Kulusevski, who joined Atalanta as a youth prospect in 2016. The winger only made three senior appearances for La Dea before moving to Parma on a temporary basis this season.

He had been strongly linked with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. His agent Stefano Sem told Radio Sportiva (h/t Football Italia) he turned down several clubs, including Inter, in favour of the Old Lady:

"You know the name of Inter, but certainly there were other clubs interested in him, both from abroad and in Italy, but the lad asked to go ahead with Juve.

"Technically there was the possibility of going to Juve in January, but it needed everyone’s approval. He’s happy to stay in Parma, and they didn’t want to release him in January.

"The satisfaction is obviously high because the boy goes to play in one of the best teams in the world. Then we will see how the situation will evolve in the [following] years.

"Atalanta makes the biggest transfer in their history, whilst Parma gets to keep the player until the end of the season. Everybody wins."

While Atalanta supporters will be disappointed they didn't get to see more of the prodigy in their club colours, Italian football journalist David Amoyal noted that this a fine deal for them:

The transfer is also potentially a fantastic move from Juventus, as they have secured one of the most exciting talents in Italian football.

Kulusevski has blossomed at Parma this term with regular minutes, showcasing a composure that belies his tender years.

Per OptaPaolo, there aren't any players in European football of a similar age to rival the new Juventus player in terms of productivity:

In addition to his smart passing and goalscoring quality, Kulusevski has showcased versatility in terms of where he lines up at Parma, although he's primarily been used on the right flank.

He poses a huge threat for opposition teams on the counter-attack, as he can carry the ball quickly through phases of the field and make smart decisions at the end of his surges. In years to come, that will be a huge help for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala.

B/R Football's Gianni Verschueren said Juventus face a tricky decision on when to integrate the youngster into the first-team setup:

By the end of the season, the club will likely have a better idea of where Kulusevski is in his development and in what area of the field he can be utilised most effectively.

The Italian champions will be delighted to have secured the acquisition of a huge talent nonetheless, beating several other clubs to his signature.  

AC Milan unveiled new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Thursday, with the veteran striker agreeing a deal until the end of the season:

️ @Ibra_official is ready, are you?#IZBACK #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/T9VgfE1vEr

— AC Milan (@acmilan) January 2, 2020

Ibrahimovic's arrival had been confirmed by the Rossoneri in December. The player and club have the option to extend his deal by a year should they wish.

The Rossoneri have confirmed Ibrahimovic will take the No. 21 shirt at the San Siro:

B/R Football shared pictures of Zlatan posing with his new kit:  

The 38-year-old spoke to Milan TV (h/t Football Italia) about his happiness at returning to his former club.

"I have always said that this is my home, and finally I am back. I've been through other clubs in the meantime, but I have returned, and that's the important thing. Finally I am here, wait for me at San Siro and we'll get it jumping again."

Ibrahimovic returns to the San Siro for his second spell with the seven-time European champions, having previously spent two years at the club between 2010 and 2012. In his first year as a Milan player, the striker helped the team to the Serie A title.

While Milan didn't win the competition in the season after, Ibrahimovic enjoyed an extraordinary individual campaign, per Squawka Football:

The Swede returns to Milan with the team in a different place to his first spell, as they are nowhere near competing for major honours.

So far, the 2019-20 season has been one to forget for the club. Before the winter break, they were beaten 5-0 by Atalanta—their worst result for 21 years—and they sit down in 11th in the Italian top flight.

Goals have been desperately difficult to come by for Milan, too, with just 16 scored in their 17 league games. With that in mind, the acquisition of Ibrahimovic feels crucial for manager Stefano Pioli.

Per Premier Sports, Ibrahimovic was prolific in his final Major League Soccer season with Los Angeles Galaxy:

It will be intriguing to see how the striker fares back in Serie A. The last time Ibrahimovic played in European football was for Manchester United between 2016 and 2018. After an impressive first season with the Red Devils, the forward struggled in his second campaign following a serious knee injury.

Milan are crying out for strong leadership and incision in the final third. Ibrahimovic should be able to help them out in both areas and give the struggling giants of Italian and European football a timely boost.  

Matthijs de Ligt's agent, Mino Raiola, has hit out at Barcelona over their attempts to sign the defender last summer. 

The centre-back was linked with a transfer to the Camp Nou in the summer but ultimately moved to Juventus from Ajax instead.

Raiola told Voetbal International (h/t Sport):

"Barca thought: '[Frenkie] De Jong's coming, [De Ligt] will arrive as well.' They treated him like a piece of cheese, as we say. But the reasons they wanted him there were wrong...did they believe a player like [Gerard] Pique was going to leave his spot in the team? 

"In Holland, they almost believe Barca are a Dutch club, not a foreign club, they saw this transfer almost as sacrilege, they thought he had to go there."

The agent said that playing time was what was most important to De Ligt, rather than his salary, and the pair settled on Juve after the player told him he wanted to go to "the Harvard of defending."

Barca signed De Ligt's former Ajax team-mate Frenkie de Jong in January 2019, although he did not arrive until the summer. Had De Ligt followed suit, he likely would have been a natural fit with the Catalan giants thanks to his excellent ability on the ball.

He would have had Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti to compete with for game time, but at 20, even a player of De Ligt's ability and potential won't necessarily walk into the starting lineup of a club of Barca's stature.

The Dutchman could still have become a regular fixture in the side, though. De Jong has already managed to do so despite Barcelona having Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Arthur and Arturo Vidal among their midfield options.

De Ligt has made 16 starts for Juve this season, but he has perhaps been thrust into regular action sooner than expected as Giorgio Chiellini ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament one game into the campaign. He has improved in Turin after a rocky start, but he was left out of the starting lineup in favour of Merih Demiral for the Bianconeri's final four matches of 2019.

Maurizio Sarri has been praised for his willingness to drop him:

Chiellini is 35, so his time as a regular starter for Juve could soon be at an end, particularly if he's affected by his long-term injury.

Pique will be 33 in February, though, so his time as a key player in Barca's back line is also on the wane, so with some patience, De Ligt would have made a fine long-term successor.

AC Milan will be hoping 2020 can rejuvenate spirits at the San Siro as they bring the curtain down on a year to forget. 

December started well for the Rossoneri, stringing together back-to-back wins on the road against Parma and Bologna.

However, the team were disappointing in a 0-0 draw with Sassuolo, before they suffered a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Atalanta before the winter break. It leaves Milan down in 11th in Serie A, eight points off a European place.

Here are some of the key numbers and highlights from the December matches, with manager Stefano Pioli hoping the side's fortunes improve in January after the acquisition of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Milan Statistical Leaders in Serie A

Goals: Krzysztof Piatek (4 goals), Theo Hernandez (4), Giacomo Bonaventura (2), Hakan Calhanoglu (2), Frank Kessie (1), Suso (1), Rafael Leao (1)

Assists: Suso (2), Davide Calabria (1), Hakan Calhanoglu (1), Lucas Biglia (1), Lucas Paqueta (1), Rade Krunic (1), Theo Hernandez (1)

Milan's 2019 Ends With a Whimper

Although Milan made progress at the start of the month with seven points taken from a possible nine, any good work was undone by their hammering in Bergamo.

Atalanta were rampant against the seven-time European champions, showcasing how far ahead of Milan they have moved in the Serie A pecking order. Defensively, Pioli's side were hopeless, with the home side running riot even without star strikers Duvan Zapata and Josip Ilicic.

Here are the highlights from one of the lowest points for Milan for many years:

The defeat was the heaviest the Rossoneri has suffered for many years:

The contrast between the two sides was stark. Atalanta's progress in recent years has been on the basis of smart recruitment and a clear identity implemented by those in leadership positions at the top of the club.

Milan have lacked that kind of stability for a long time. Per football writer David Amoyal, even with superior funds available when compared to sides like Atalanta, they are toiling:

Pioli will hope the acquisition of Ibrahimovic will at least bring some on-field leadership back to the squad.

The 38-year-old is a popular figure at the San Siro, having helped Milan win the Serie A title in 2010-11. The season after, he enjoyed one of the most prolific seasons ever had by a Rossoneri striker:

Zlatan Ibrahimović scored 28 Serie A goals in the 2011/12 season for AC Milan, Gunnar Nordahl is the only player in the club's history to score more in a single campaign.

Two Sweden legends. ⚫️ pic.twitter.com/rUBEpW1YKG

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 27, 2019

While he's in the twilight of his career, Ibrahimovic netted 30 goals for Los Angeles Galaxy in Serie A last season. Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe thinks his influence will help others at the club too, most notably Krzysztof Piatek:

If there's to be any positivity to come from the month of December, it's the continued strong performances of Theo Hernandez at left-back, who wasn't involved in the hammering at the hands of Atalanta.

The 22-year-old has provided a thrust and attacking incision out wide, netting in the wins over Parma and Bologna. Despite his tender age, the former Real Madrid man has been the standout performer for Milan in Serie A this season.

Juventus are reportedly close to signing 19-year-old Dejan Kulusevski and have agreed personal terms with the Sweden international. 

The Serie A champions are willing to pay up to €50 million (£42.6 million) for Kulusevski and will hand him a contract that runs until June 2024, according to reports from Sky Sport Italia and La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).

Kulusevski is currently on loan at Parma from Atalanta and is expected to remain with Roberto D'Aversa's side until the end of the season before moving to Juventus in June.

The teenager is enjoying a breakout season in Serie A and has netted four goals and bagged seven assists in 17 top-flight outings for Parma:

Kulusevski's performances saw him named Serie A's Player of the Month for December, as Parma beat Sampdoria and Napoli and drew with Brescia to end 2019 in seventh place in the table.

Lazio's Luis Alberto is the only player to have contributed more assists than Kulusevski so far in the Italian top-flight in 2019-20:

Kulusevski has been asked about his future ahead of the January transfer window but gave little away when talking to SVT Sport (h/t Calciomercato.com):

"When you think about the future, you forget the present. I think about improving, I don't know what will happen in the future. I focus on improving and at the end of the season I will make a decision."

The youngster's performances do not appear to have gone unnoticed. His representative, Stefano Sam, told Radio Punto Nuovo (h/t Calciomercato, via Joe Bray of the Manchester Evening News) that he is "followed by several Premier League clubs."

Atalanta president Antonio Percassi told Radio Deejay (h/t Football Italia) his team were willing to "monetise and reinvest" amid reported interest from a host of clubs including Juve, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Italian football writer Carlo Garganese explained why Kulusevski is a good fit for Juventus:

Maurizio Sarri's side appear to have won the race as they look to strengthen the squad and refresh their attack. Mario Mandzukic has already departed for Qatari side Al-Duhail, while Marko Pjaca has reportedly attracted interest from Verona and Sampdoria, per Football Italia.

Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku has said his time at Manchester United made him "much calmer" and that he benefited from his Old Trafford experience before leaving for Italy.

The Belgium international joined United in July 2017 for an initial £75 million, but he moved on to link up with Antonio Conte's side this past summer and has enjoyed a return to his scoring best.

Lukaku, 26, told reporters at the Global Soccer Gala in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: "The period there had made me calmer. I don't look at it in a negative way; it really helped me mentally to be ready and to grow as a player and as a person. I will never see it as a bad experience because it helped me be where I am today."

Lazio frontman Ciro Immobile leads the Serie A goal charts with 17 goals this season and is the only player to have scored more than Lukaku (12 goals) thus far in his maiden Italian campaign.

Inter are level on points with Serie A leaders Juventus and only trail via head-to-head record. Lukaku illustrated his importance to Conte's plans just before the Christmas break, when he scored his 200th career club goal in a 4-0 victory over Genoa.

The forward continued to discuss his development as a result of the challenges he faced at United, for whom he scored 42 goals in 96 appearances (0.44 goals per game):

"Clearly now that I'm at Inter there are benefits from what I learned in Manchester both from a sporting and non-sporting point of view.

"I prepared a lot and I am much calmer. In my head, there is much more serenity and composure.

"I am a person who when things are not going well, shows it through so much anger. I'm stronger after the Manchester United experience."

The Red Devils parted ways with Lukaku as they looked to move in a different direction with their attack, and it now appears as though the separation has yielded positives for all parties involved.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have adopted a quicker forward line consisting of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Daniel James, who have looked like a more menacing threat in the Premier League. 

Lukaku scored a career-high 27 goals during his maiden campaign at Old Trafford, but scrutiny over his performances grew after he bagged just 15 times in 45 appearances last season:

He's almost matched that figure this term having scored 14 goals in only 22 appearances for the Nerazzurri, regaining the kind of swagger that previously made him such a hit at Goodison Park.

Lukaku scored two and assisted another in the recent hammering of Genoa, where his second strike demonstrated the return of his confidence, via Premier Sports (UK viewers only):

His time in Italy hasn't been without incident, however, and Lukaku also told reporters at the Global Soccer Gala he would like to see cameras used in Serie A to identify racist abuse, having been subjected to such behaviour already. The Belgium international had monkey chants aimed at him from sections of the Cagliari fanbase in September during a 2-1 away victory for Inter.

Lukaku's current scoring pace suggests he's on track to break his own single-season scoring record in his first term with Inter, using his struggles with United as an aid to fire his way back to the top.