Giacomo Raspadori has left the Italy squad after an injury and returned to his club, Atalanta. The forward will miss the team’s two remaining Nations League matches.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed on Tuesday evening that Raspadori had undergone medical examinations, which established that he would not be available for the upcoming fixtures.

Raspadori will be absent when Italy face France at the Stade de France on Friday. He will also miss the return fixture against Turkey in Bologna on 5 October.

Italy began their Nations League campaign with a 2-0 defeat by Belgium. Roberto Mancini’s side responded by beating Turkey 4-1.

Juventus recorded a loss of €66m for the financial year ending 30 June 2026, an increase from €58.1m the previous year, according to Football Italia.

The Italian club approved its financial statements after revenue fell by €54.9m. The main factors were lower income from player transfers, down €51.9m, and broadcasting rights, which decreased by €31.9m.

Juventus reduced its operating costs by €42.1m during the year. It also recorded growth in sponsorship and advertising revenue, which increased by €20.3m to almost €126m.

The club’s net financial debt reached €331.1m. Juventus expects to report further losses during the 2026-27 season after qualifying for the Europa League instead of the Champions League.

Despite the overall financial position, Juventus reported record income from ticket sales, stadium tours and its museum. Average attendance at Allianz Stadium was 97.6%.

Roma have confirmed that Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina will not be released to take part in Lionel Messi’s final match for the Argentina national team.

The fixture will be played in Buenos Aires on 6 October, with Argentina facing Benin.

Roma also separately expressed their respect for Messi in their official announcement.

Former Italy goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano believes Goncalo Ramos could have scored five goals for Juventus at the start of the season.

The Portugal forward currently plays for Milan, but has managed only one goal in five matches in the Italian championship.

Viviano also said Milan need to change the way they play if Ramos is to become more productive in front of goal.

Serie A refereeing chief Daniele Orsato has acknowledged seven mistakes made by officials at the start of the season, including five in the league and two in Coppa Italia.

Orsato revealed the figure during a meeting with journalists, where he reviewed a number of controversial decisions from the opening weeks of the campaign.

Among the incidents accepted as errors was an unpunished handball by Nikola Vlasic in the penalty area during Torino’s match against Milan. The decision not to penalise Pierre Kalulu for holding Joe Rowe in Juventus’ game against Atalanta was also included.

However, Orsato did not consider several other disputed moments to be refereeing mistakes. Those included the collision between Kevin De Bruyne and Joaquin Vazquez in Genoa’s match against Napoli, and the incident involving Davy de Winter and Randal Kolo Muani before Cisse’s goal in Juventus’ meeting with Milan.

He also rejected the suggestion that Stanislav Lobotka had handled the ball during Inter’s match against Napoli.

The meeting also provided a set of statistics on refereeing and match play in Serie A. Effective playing time has increased to 59 minutes 24 seconds, which is 5 minutes 53 seconds more than at the same stage last year.

At the same time, the average number of fouls has fallen from 26 per match to 22.74. The average number of yellow cards has dropped from 3.63 to 3.22, while the average number of red cards has declined from 0.18 to 0.04.

Only five penalties were awarded during the first five rounds of Serie A. That is the lowest figure among European leagues.

Juventus will ask shareholders to approve a capital increase of up to €250m ($283m) after reporting a larger annual loss and warning that it expects to remain loss-making in the current fiscal year.

The Serie A club said on Tuesday that its board would be authorised to issue new shares, either in a single operation or in several tranches, by the end of 2026.

Juventus said the fundraising would reinforce its equity position, help maintain its sporting competitiveness and support possible improvements to strategic real estate assets, including its Turin stadium. It also said the measure would contribute to the club’s financial sustainability.

Exor, the Agnelli family’s holding company and Juventus’ controlling shareholder, has committed its support for the capital increase. It will immediately provide the club with €60m.

Exor owns about 65% of Juventus’ shares.

The announcement came as Juventus reported a loss of €66m for the year ending 30 June, compared with a loss of €58.1m in the previous financial year.

The club said it expects to record another loss during the current fiscal year after failing to qualify for this season’s UEFA Champions League. However, Juventus forecast “progressive improvement” over the following two years.

Investors have provided about €1bn to Juventus over the past seven years. The club’s last annual profit came in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

Milan are close to agreeing a new long-term contract with midfielder Adrien Rabiot, with the France international set to remain at the club until the summer of 2030.

The existing agreement is due to expire in the summer of 2028, but both Milan and Rabiot are understood to be keen to continue their partnership. According to Calciomercato, negotiations are progressing positively and the new deal is expected to be completed before the end of the current year.

Rabiot will also receive a salary increase as part of the proposed extension.

The midfielder has played for the Rossoneri since 2025. His current deal still has almost two years to run, but Milan are seeking to secure his future for a further two seasons.

Ruben Amorim has been Milan’s head coach since the start of the current season. The Portuguese manager has made clear his appreciation for Rabiot, saying: “I love Rabiot.”

Andrea Cambiaso has returned to full training with Juventus after missing about a month with an ankle injury.

The defender joined his team-mates during a session at the club’s training ground as Juventus continued preparations for their next Serie A match, Goal reports. His involvement suggests he has recovered from the injury.

Seventeen-year-old Davide Marchisio also took part in the session. He is the son of former Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio and recently signed his first professional contract with the Turin club, keeping him at Juventus until 2028.

Juventus will play a friendly against Cremonese on Friday before facing Cagliari in Serie A on 11 October.

Parma have appointed former player Alberto Gilardino as their new manager after parting company with Carlos Cuesta on Sunday.

The 44-year-old has signed a contract until the end of the season, with Parma holding an option to extend the agreement for a further two seasons.

Gilardino returns to the club where his playing career began to flourish. He spent three seasons at Parma, scoring 50 goals in 96 Serie A appearances, and later represented AC Milan and Fiorentina.

A World Cup winner with Italy, Gilardino has also worked as a manager with Siena, Genoa and Pisa.

He took charge of promoted side Pisa last season but was dismissed after recording one win in 23 league games.

Parma confirmed Cuesta’s departure following discussions with the Spaniard. The club said “the conditions no longer existed between the parties to continue the professional relationship, particularly concerning the development of the sporting project”.

Cuesta’s exit came after Parma made a difficult start to the campaign, winning one of their opening five league matches.

Gilardino’s first game in charge will be a demanding away fixture against reigning champions Inter Milan.

Parma have appointed former Italy forward Alberto Gilardino as their new head coach.

The 44-year-old has signed a contract running until the end of the 2026/27 season, with an option to extend the agreement by a further two seasons. Parma confirmed the appointment on their official website.

Gilardino returns to a club he represented as a player between 2002 and 2005. He made 116 appearances for Parma and scored 56 goals before leaving to join Milan.

His appointment comes several days after Carlos Cuesta left his position as Parma manager.

Parma are currently 15th in the Serie A table.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta reportedly wants Cesc Fabregas to replace Hansi Flick as the club’s manager when the German’s time in charge eventually comes to an end.

According to El Nacional, Laporta is already considering the club’s long-term plans, with Fabregas identified as the preferred candidate to take over at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona remain fully behind Flick, whose side have made an encouraging start to the season. However, the club believe Fabregas could eventually succeed him, with the former Spain international currently impressing as manager of Como.

Fabregas is also understood to have a clause in his contract that would make a move to Barcelona easier. Reports about the existence of such a clause have previously emerged.

Barcelona currently lead La Liga after taking 21 points from their opening seven matches.

Como defender Jacobo Ramon has spoken about reports linking him with a return to Real Madrid.

The Spanish centre-back has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Antonio Rudiger at the Spanish club, although no details of a potential deal have been given.

Real Madrid sold Ramon to Italian club Como in summer 2025 for €2.5m. The 21-year-old has since seen his estimated market value rise significantly, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at €45m.

Ramon has made six appearances in all competitions this season and has scored one goal.

His contract with Como runs until 2030.

Napoli midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa could leave the club after failing to reach an agreement over a new contract.

The 30-year-old Cameroon international’s current deal expires at the end of the season, and negotiations with Napoli have reportedly reached a standstill, according to Tuttosport.

Inter, Milan and Juventus are all closely monitoring the situation, the report adds.

Zambo Anguissa has made four appearances in Serie A this season but has not registered a goal or an assist.

According to Transfermarkt, the midfielder is valued at 15 million euros.

Former Inter defender Matteo Darmian is set to continue his career in Serie A after agreeing terms with Bologna, according to football transfer insider Nicolo Schira.

The 36-year-old is currently a free agent and has reached an agreement with the Rossoblu over a contract running until the summer of next year.

Darmian spent six years with Inter, representing the Milan club from 2020 to 2026. He is now close to making Bologna his next club as the side look to strengthen their squad.

Bologna have taken two points from their opening five matches of the Italian league season and are 18th in the table.

Their next fixture is an away match against Lecce.

Andriy Shevchenko has turned 50, with Milan paying tribute to the former Ukraine striker on his birthday on 29 September.

The Italian club’s press service congratulated Shevchenko on reaching the milestone, marking the career of one of Milan’s most celebrated forwards.

Shevchenko played for Milan from 1999 to 2006 before returning for the 2008-09 season. During his time at the club, he helped them win Serie A, the Italian Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

The former Dynamo Kyiv and Chelsea player was also awarded the Ballon d’Or in 2004.

Former Juventus defender Paolo Montero has reflected on his career as a player and coach, describing the mentality that shaped his time in Turin, his work with young players and his experiences managing Mario Balotelli and teams abroad.

Montero, once regarded as one of football’s most uncompromising defenders, spoke exclusively to Flashscore about a career built on physical commitment and direct relationships. He said he had little time for “sycophants” and valued people who were honest enough to speak openly.

His move to Italy began after he was sidelined at Penarol. Cesar Luis Menotti, then coaching in Uruguay and a close friend of Atalanta president Antonio Previtali, invited Montero to Buenos Aires. Atalanta signed him after assessing five or six scouting reports from tours in South America and Spain, without seeing him play live.

Montero arrived in Bergamo in April but had to wait six months before playing, using that period to learn Italian and adjust to his new city and team. He settled quickly, partly because Montevideo’s pace reminded him of Turin and Bergamo.

At 19, however, he found Italian football difficult. His second match was against Milan at San Siro, shortly after Arrigo Sacchi had left and Fabio Capello had taken charge. Milan’s line-up included Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Carlo Ancelotti, Evani, Donadoni, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard. Atalanta lost 2-0 and barely escaped their own half.

His father told him he needed to change his approach, abandoning the South American youth style to become a more practical defender suited to European football.

Montero initially held talks with Inter officials Giacinto Facchetti and Sandro Mazzola. After reaching a verbal agreement, he was contacted by Marcello Lippi, who told him not to sign anything and to travel to Turin. Montero left Bergamo with his brother that evening and signed for Juventus and Luciano Moggi at midnight.

He believes the strongest Juventus team he played in was the one strengthened by Edgar Davids and featuring Zinedine Zidane, Alessandro Del Piero, Filippo Inzaghi, Christian Vieri and Didier Deschamps.

Montero said the club’s winning mentality was reinforced by Moggi and Antonio Giraudo, but transmitted each day by the Italian core of the dressing room: Angelo Peruzzi, Ciro Ferrara, Antonio Conte, Gianluca Pessotto, Angelo Di Livio, Alessio Tacchinardi, Moreno Torricelli and Attilio Lombardo.

“They transmitted the sense of ‘family’,” he said.

He recalled teammates reacting angrily when a training match slipped from 5-0 to 5-1, saying such lapses in concentration could not be allowed because they would appear in Sunday’s match. “Concentration is built starting from Monday,” Montero said, adding that a final at the Bernabeu and a small Coppa Italia match demanded the same focus.

His defensive philosophy was shaped by physical necessity. At 1.79m and of average build, he felt aggression was the only way to challenge strikers such as Van Basten, George Weah, Gabriel Batistuta and Ronaldo. Quoting Julio Velasco, he said: “Aggressiveness removes doubts.”

“Every tackle represented the ‘plate of food’ to bring home for my family,” Montero added, saying he committed his full 80kg to every challenge, even if that sometimes left him on the edge of the rules.

He believes modern defenders have adapted to a changing game. After watching Torino play Roma, he praised Roma’s defenders Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ndicka for competing successfully with Duvan Zapata through physical strength, experience and intelligent use of their bodies.

Montero left Italy when he felt his physical and mental level was no longer at its peak. After a season with San Lorenzo, he returned to Uruguay to fulfil his ambition of ending his career at Penarol, the club he supported and where he grew up.

His coaching career began after he abandoned a football-agency venture with his close friend Gustavo Mendez. He undertook coaching studies to help young Uruguayans with tactical and strategic issues, before becoming increasingly interested in management.

A call from Gianluca Pessotto brought him back to Juventus. Montero initially assumed the conversation concerned his son, who was in the club’s youth system, but instead learned that Juventus wanted him to work with its academy. He accepted because of his enduring affection for the club and Turin, where he had always felt at home.

With young players, Montero demands maximum intensity every day. He encourages shoulder-to-shoulder contact in training games, while stressing that aggression means committing fully to a challenge, not making unfair tackles. His message is that opponents may win at Juventus, but they must never find victory easy.

He also believes players in the Primavera or Next Gen must understand they are close to the First Team or Serie B and can no longer rely on being considered young. In South America, he said, a player aged 19 or 20 must establish himself or risk being left out, whereas in Italy players can sometimes still be labelled young at 23 or 25.

Montero was surprised when he was asked to coach Juventus’ first team after Massimiliano Allegri’s dismissal. He had been focused on finishing the season with the youth side, but said the senior players treated him exceptionally well. Juventus recovered from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Bologna before producing an excellent performance against Monza.

He said human relationships came before tactical matters and that criticism should be accepted as motivation rather than taken personally. If players have trained properly, he tells them, they should enter matches calmly, knowing they have done everything required.

His time working with Mario Balotelli involved frank conversations but no lasting conflict. Montero told him directly that, as he was no longer 20, he needed to manage his workload, lose weight and regain fitness. Balotelli accepted the message and behaved professionally.

Montero said strong personalities had never caused him problems. The real difficulties, he believes, come from people who are false or sycophantic. He prefers someone who speaks openly rather than someone who pretends to be brave.

His experience in the United Arab Emirates was among the biggest surprises of his life. He praised the generosity and work ethic he encountered, while respecting cultural and religious customs. During Ramadan, training was moved to 22:00 because players did not eat or drink during daylight.

Travel, he concluded, taught him that “whoever has a good soul and behaves well is the same in China, in Uruguay, in Italy, or in the Emirates”.

Napoli midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is being monitored by Inter and Juventus after negotiations over a new contract reached an impasse.

Tuttosport reports that discussions between Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna and the Cameroon international’s representative have made limited progress.

Anguissa is understood to want a salary of around €6 million per season, compared with the €3.8m he currently earns.

Napoli are unwilling to immediately accept those terms. The club is also taking into account the 30-year-old’s recent injury problems, as well as the need to remain within its existing wage structure.

The uncertainty surrounding the midfielder’s future has attracted the attention of Inter and Juventus. AC Milan are also reportedly following the situation.

Anguissa has become an important player for Napoli, but the failure to agree fresh terms could leave open the possibility of a move to another Serie A club.

Parma have parted company with manager Carlos Cuesta after only five Serie A matches, with the club saying the decision was reached by mutual agreement.

The 31-year-old Spaniard took charge in 2025, replacing Cristian Chivu, who is now manager of Inter Milan. The appointment was Cuesta’s first senior managerial role after he had worked as an assistant coach under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal.

In a statement released on Sunday, Parma said discussions with Cuesta had concluded that the relationship could no longer continue, particularly in relation to the development of the club’s sporting project.

The decision comes only a week after Parma recorded their first Serie A victory of the season, beating Genoa 2-1 at home. They are 15th in the table after five rounds.

Cuesta thanked the club and players in a post on Instagram, saying: “It has been an intense year and a half during which I gave my all, right up until the very last day, for a team and a club to which I have become deeply attached.”

He added: “We were a united family that fought until the very last minute to achieve what we always wanted: to win.”

Parma said Monday’s training session would be overseen by the club’s coaching staff while the search for a new head coach continues.

Former Milan striker Alessandro Matri does not believe the club will mount a successful bid for the championship, despite their impressive performances.

Matri said he could not see Milan as genuine contenders for the title and was sceptical about their prospects of finishing the season as champions.

Milan last won the championship in 2022.

Roma have completed the approval process for their proposed new stadium in Pietralata, a district in northern Rome, describing the development as a historic milestone on the path towards construction.

The project has been under consideration and through the necessary procedures for several years, with the process beginning in October 2022. Roma will now move on to the next stage of the plans.

The club aims to begin building the stadium in March 2027 and complete the project by 2031. The venue is also seeking inclusion among the stadiums selected to host Euro 2032, which will be staged in Italy and Turkey.

Roma said the new ground would be more than a home for the club and its supporters. It is intended to create new opportunities, support the development of the surrounding area and provide long-term benefits for the city and its residents.