The Juventus side that starts against Udinese on Sunday will be markedly different to recent seasons as the champions go in search of a fifth successive Serie A title.
Massimiliano Allegri s men were unable to add European success to recent their domestic dominance when they were beaten by Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final in May and there have been wholesale changes at the Turin club since then.
Alongside established Serie A prospects such as Roberto Pereyra and Paulo Dybala, Allegri has brought in Mario Mandzukic and Sami Khedira while also fending off interest in Paul Pogba for the time being at least.
Allegri has lost Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal, so the new faces will be under pressure to fill the void left by such a key trio.
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Paris Saint-Germain have signed Thiago Silva from AC Milan for a reported fee of 42 million euros, according to the Ligue 1 club s website.
The Brazil international, 27, had been linked with a move to the Parc des Princes throughout the off-season, and he has now made the switch to the French capital, where he is expected to be joined by his former Milan team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
He has agreed a five-year contract worth a reported 7.5m euros per year, including 1.5m euros in bonuses, and becomes the second most expensive defender in the world after Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand.
After previous failed spells in Europe with Dynamo Moscow and Porto, Thiago Silva returned to the continent in 2009 with AC Milan from Fluminense and lifted the Serie …
Bolivia have had two of their 2018 World Cup qualifiers declared to be forfeited by FIFA after they fielded an ineligible player.
Bolivia s 2-0 victory over Peru on September 1 and 0-0 draw with Chile five days later have been expunged from the records, with their opponents awarded 3-0 wins instead. The Bolivian Football Association (FBF) has also been handed a fine of 12,000 Swiss francs (US$12,250).
The sanctions are related to Paraguay-born defender Nelson Cabrera, who has played for Bolivian club Bolivar since 2012.
Cabrera made his Bolivia debut in a friendly against the United States in May 2016 after winning a cap for Paraguay in 2007 and represented the country at the Copa America Centenario last June.
However, his participation in two 2018 …
The war of words between Gerard Houllier and David Ginola over France s failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup has been reopened.
Houllier was coach of the France side that missed out on the finals in the United States, with their qualification hopes shattered in a now infamous final Group 6 clash with Bulgaria.
France needed a draw with Bulgaria in November 1993 to progress and were level at 1-1 until the visitors netted a late winner after launching a counter from a failed Ginola cross, leaving Houllier to blame the winger for the elimination.
Ginola sued Houllier for alleged defamatory remarks about him in the former Liverpool manager s 2011 book Coaches Secrets , although the lawsuit was thrown out by a French court.
Houllier reignited the row …
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been in touch with Brazil coach Tite to discuss Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred.
Fred was linked with a move to City in the January transfer window, with the player hinting he would be open to joining the Premier League leaders.
A friend gave me the news saying that City and Guardiola were interested in me, Fred said. I m happy to be so well known in Europe.
And Tite has revealed Guardiola has contacted him about the 25-year-old, who has a chance of being selected for the World Cup.
Fred? He s played a lot [for Shakhtar], Tite said to UOL.
He is good. In an exchange of cards, Guardiola asked me about him.
Fred was included in Tite s squad for November s World Cup qualifiers, but did no…
Hugo Broos insists Cameroon must forget past glories and instead focus attentions on ending the Indomitable Lions long wait for Africa Cup of Nations glory.
Not since 2002, when they beat Senegal in the final, have Cameroon – who face Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday in their second Group A game – been crowned AFCON champions.
That marked the fourth time – and second AFCON tournament in succession – that Cameroon have won the competition, but their recent record has been poor. They crashed out in the group stages on their last attempt in 2015, while failing to qualify in 2012 and 2013.
Burkina Faso pegged Broos men back in their first game to earn a 1-1 draw, but a place in the quarter-finals remains the minimum target for the Belgian.
There are 16 tea…
Joachim Low hailed Serge Gnabry s performance in Germany s 2-2 draw with Argentina as very dangerous but said he brought the Bayern Munich forward off to protect him from injury.
Gnabry netted Germany s opener after just 15 minutes of the friendly at Signal-Iduna-Park, taking his goal tally for club and country to six in his last four matches.
Kai Havertz added a second to give Low s men a 2-0 lead at half-time but Argentina took advantage of some poor second-half defending to level the match, with Lucas Alario and Lucas Ocampos on target.
Germany face Estonia in a Euro 2020 qualifying match on Sunday, and Low indicated his decision to replace Gnabry after 72 minutes with Schalke s Suat Serdar was made with one eye on that game.
We didn t want Serge Gnab…
Egypt will consider using Mohamed Salah as a striker against the Democratic Republic of Congo as they eye a place in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament hosts missed a number of good chances in their Group A opener against Zimbabwe, with Salah among those to be frustrated by inspired opposition keeper Edmore Sibanda.
But Egypt s other talented wideman, Kasimpasa ace Trezeguet, ensured the Pharaohs profligacy would not cost them as his strike shortly before half-time earned his side a 1-0 win in Cairo.
Liverpool star Salah was moved from the right-hand side into the middle during the second half to little effect, but coach Javier Aguirre may prolong that experiment against DR Congo.
Egypt could ve done better is what their manager said…
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is unimpressed by the quick turnaround between Wednesday s 2-0 win over Poland and their World Cup last-16 date with Australia.
La Albiceleste won 2-0 at Stadium 974 to top Group E and secure progression to the next round, an outcome that appeared in real doubt after their defeat to Saudi Arabia on matchday one.
Lionel Messi saw a penalty saved by Wojciech Szczesny in the first half, but goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez after the break deservedly put Argentina into the last 16.
Awaiting them are Australia, who earlier in the day beat Denmark to somewhat surprisingly reach the knockout stages.
Argentina will be firm favourites, but Scaloni is annoyed by what he feels is a quick turnaround until the game, whic…
Federico Bernardeschi played a part in both goals as Juventus edged past Cagliari 2-0 to extend their unbeaten run in Serie A to five matches and make up ground on the top four.
Massimiliano Allegri s men had defeated Cagliari in nine of their previous 10 league meetings but were unable able to seriously assert their authority and were nearly made to pay before killing off the game late on.
Having earlier gone close with a header against the post, Moise Kean opened the scoring for Juve five minutes before half-time in their final match of a disappointing 2021.
Juve survived a couple of big scares in the second half before Bernardeschi, who created Kean s opener, struck in the 83rd minute to seal a win that moves the Bianconeri within four points of fourth-placed …