Category: Serie A

Venezia FC saved from bankruptcy — by Drake?

The Italian side had an unlikely savior during a financial crisis last season

Venezia FC needed a financial hero last season, and it found one in highly unlikely fashion.

The club was riding high in Serie B as it chased promotion, but heavy spending during its 2021-22 campaign in Serie A had put the club on the brink of financial disaster.

Enter Drake. Yes, that Drake.

Drake’s chief brand officer Matte Babel told GQ Italy about a conversation with Venezia co-owner Brad Katsuyama last season.

“I got a call from Brad,” Babel said. “He laid out the problem to me in a simple way: Venezia has to raise €10 million in a couple of weeks, and then at least €30 million in a few months, or the club will go bankrupt.

“Venice is an incredible city and Venezia has always been a special club. I spoke to Drake, then Brad and I discussed the details of how we could help. Within two weeks we had a deal, raised the money needed to pay the salaries and avoid bankruptcy.”

Venezia is now looking to establish itself as a regular in Serie A as it first aims for survival in the upcoming season.

The club should at least look good on the pitch in 2024-25, as it’s signed a kit manufacturing deal with NOCTA, Drake’s apparel line through Nike.

“Matte was my first call when I knew the club needed help,” said Katsuyama. “Drake’s value to any football club is undeniable, given his scale as a global superstar and the reach of his brand. This intersection of culture and sport is exactly where we want to be, and the chance to collaborate with a brand like NOCTA, who is moving along the same lines, is incredibly valuable.”
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AC Milan boss Fonseca puts Musah transfer rumors to rest

The midfielder was strongly linked with a move to Lyon last week

Yunus Musah’s name has been involved in transfer rumors of late, but AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca is adamant that the American is going nowhere.

Last week, Foot Mercato reported that Lyon was in talks with Milan over a transfer for the midfielder, who was valued at €22 million.

Musah had an up-and-down debut campaign with Milan last term, shifting in and out of the lineup while playing a variety of positions.

Stefano Pioli left his position as Milan head coach at the end of the season, with Fonseca coming in from Lille as his replacement.

Fonseca has led Milan to wins over Manchester City and Real Madrid to kick off the team’s U.S. tour. After Musah played 25 minutes in Wednesday’s win over Madrid in Chicago, Fonseca made it clear that he envisions the 21-year-old staying for his sophomore campaign with Milan.

“I’m 200% sure he’s the kind of player for our game. He showed [against Real Madrid] in 30 minutes, it was amazing with just a few days of working with us,” Fonseca said to Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I’m very confident with him. I believe he can be very important for our team. But of course, he must improve many things, but my opinion? He has the right characteristics to play in this position in our game.”

Milan will close out its tour of the U.S. with a game against Barcelona in Baltimore on Tuesday.

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Leao: I’d prefer Pulisic to play as a No. 10

The Portuguese star wants to see Pulisic a bit closer to him on the field

Rafael Leão and Christian Pulisic formed a potent connection with AC Milan last season, but the former is now hoping to see the latter play a bit closer to him on the pitch.

Pulisic had a career-best campaign with Milan in 2023-24, scoring 15 total goals as he lined up on the right flank, while Leão posed a huge attacking threat on the left flank.

The American star would occasionally be given chances to play more centrally as an attacking playmaker, producing some strong displays in the middle as well.

Leão would like to see Pulisic get more chances to play in the middle in 2024-25.

“I knew the quality of Christian. When he arrived, I sent him a message and I told him, ‘Bro, let’s kill them,’ because I needed someone like him to bring something different on the pitch,” Leão told “Futbol Americas” on ESPN.

“I’m very happy to have him as a teammate, he’s a player who can change the game like this,” he added. “I’m happy with him and I expect him to do the same or better this season.”

The Portugal international added: “I’m not a coach, but I prefer Christian as a No. 10. In the middle he has space to go to the left or the right and he shoots very well.

“I think Christian can be very dangerous as a No. 10, but I think he fits well in our team as a 10 or on the right. As a 10 he can give me assists, we can do one-twos in the middle of the pitch … he can do whatever.”

Leão could get his wish in the upcoming campaign, as new Milan coach Paulo Fonseca has said Pulisic is an option for him centrally.

Watch Leão discuss Pulisic

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Real Madrid vs. AC Milan: How to watch friendly, live stream

The Blancos kick off their preseason tour of the U.S. in Chicago

Real Madrid will face AC Milan on Wednesday in a high-profile friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago.

For Madrid, this will be the first of a three-game tour of the United States. After the match against Milan, the Blancos will face Barcelona in New Jersey on Saturday, and will complete its tour with a game against Chelsea in Charlotte on August 6.

One marquee name who won’t be participating is new signing Kylian Mbappé, who is skipping the U.S. tour as he continues to recover after Euro 2024.

The France star’s Madrid debut will likely be on August 14 in the European Super Cup against Atalanta in Warsaw, Poland.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Real Madrid vs. AC Milan on ESPN+” link=”https://go.web.plus.espn.com/Y9KaQm”]

Milan kicked off its U.S. tour with a 3-2 win over Manchester City at Yankee Stadium over the weekend. The Rossoneri will close our their tour on August 6 against Barcelona in Baltimore.

Fans in Chicago should get a glimpse of U.S. national team pair Yunus Musah and Christian Pulisic, who made late cameos against Man City as they continued ramping up their fitness following the Copa América.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game.

Real Madrid vs. AC Milan (friendly)

  • When: Wednesday, July 31
  • Where: Soldier Field (Chicago, IL)
  • Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: ESPN+ (WATCH LIVE)

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AC Milan coach Fonseca says Pulisic can play as No. 10

The USMNT star should have more opportunities to play as a No. 10 this upcoming season

Even with a new coach, Christian Pulisic should have more opportunities to play as a No. 10 this upcoming season at AC Milan.

Pulisic had a sensational debut campaign with the Rossoneri last season, playing mostly as a right winger. But head coach Stefano Pioli would occasionally give the American chances to play as an attacking playmaker, which he used to great effect.

Pioli was dismissed at the end of the season, with Paulo Fonseca brought in from Lille to take over as head coach.

Speaking to the media in New York ahead of Milan’s preseason U.S. tour, Fonseca said that Pulisic would again have the chance to play in the middle in the 2024-25 campaign.

“I don’t know if in our structure we can speak about a No. 10, but [Pulisic] can play in that position,” Fonseca said. “We have other players who can play, [Ruben Loftus-Cheek] can play in that position.

“But yes, Christian has characteristics to play in this part of the pitch.”

The Portuguese boss was also full of praise for Pulisic’s debut campaign, which saw the U.S. men’s national team star score a career-best 15 goals in all competitions.

“It’s not easy for a foreigner to arrive in their first year and perform like Christian did because it’s difficult for a player like him to find space in Italy,” Fonseca said. “So if he did so well in the first year, I believe he can do better in the second year.”

Pulisic was given a 10-minute cameo on Saturday night as Milan defeated Manchester City 3-2 in a friendly at Yankee Stadium.

Milan will face Real Madrid in Chicago and Barcelona in Baltimore to close out its tour of America.

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Pulisic turns focus to AC Milan after Copa America disappointment with USMNT

The USMNT star is back with his club, which is ready for a three-game tour of the U.S.

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – After a tumultuous summer with the U.S. men’s national team, Christian Pulisic is turning his focus to AC Milan.

Pulisic, the face of the national team program, is currently taking in preseason with AC Milan in the United States. The Serie A giants will play Manchester City on Saturday at Yankee Stadium, part of their three-game tour of the U.S.

AC Milan claims to be the most followed Italian club in the United States, with Pulisic and fellow USMNT star Yunus Musah both prominent parts of the first team. With a balanced and deep squad, there is optimism this year that the Rossoneri can bounce crosstown rival Inter from atop the Serie A standings.

This ambition comes as things with the national team remain a bit muddled.

Following a disappointing Copa América where the USMNT was bounced from the group stage, head coach Gregg Berhalter was fired. The federation has promised a thorough and comprehensive search, one that should see the next head coach guide the team through the 2026 World Cup.

“For us, of course, it was disappointing to exit as early as we did,” Pulisic said on Friday during a press event hosted by AC Milan to promote their tour.

“I have had a lot of time to think about it. For me, it was important to also take the time off and take some rest because it was a long season. And now my focus is here, 100 percent, to be honest. Obviously, some things will change with the national team and a new coach on the way or whatever. But I’ll worry about that in the international windows.

“I’m excited to be here, got some good rest. Really just ready to get started here. Obviously, we have a lot of games ahead this season.”

After a difficult end to his spell at Chelsea, Pulisic re-emerged as a top-tier talent on the club scene last season.

Pulisic scored 15 goals in 50 total appearances last year in an excellent debut campaign with Milan. The club finished second in the Serie A standings.

Coming off the struggles of the previous two years at Chelsea, where playing time and form were often strained, last year saw Pulisic reinvigorated with the Italian giants. It was a strong season that showed his technical quality in the final third in a league known for savvy and nuanced defending.

“When you join a big club there are always a lot of challenges. Coming here, not speaking the language, a new culture, a new country, it can be difficult,” Pulisic said.

“To be honest, some of these guys and just the club in general showed me the support and trust right from the beginning so they made the process very smooth for me. I was able to find a place just enjoying playing my football again. For me, that was the most important thing. I was happy to help the team and contribute and looking forward to an even better year.”

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Manchester City vs. AC Milan: How to watch friendly, TV channel, live stream

The European giants will meet at Yankee Stadium in New York

Manchester City will face AC Milan on Saturday in a high-profile friendly at Yankee Stadium in New York.

City will play at the home of sister club New York City FC, part of the City Football Group.

Pep Guardiola’s side will be looking to make things right after losing 4-3 to Celtic in a friendly in North Carolina on Tuesday. After facing Milan, City will have two more tough matchups in the U.S. as it faces Barcelona in Orlando and Chelsea in Columbus.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Man City vs. AC Milan on ESPN+” link=”https://go.web.plus.espn.com/Y9KaQm”]

For AC Milan, this will be the first match of a three-game U.S. tour ahead of the 2024-25 season.

All eyes will be on the club’s American stars Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah, who will look to put in strong displays in their home country.

Milan will face Real Madrid in Chicago and Barcelona in Baltimore to close out its tour of America.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game.

Manchester City vs. AC Milan (friendly)

  • When: Saturday, July 27
  • Where: Yankee Stadium (New York, NY)
  • Time: 6 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: ESPN, ESPN+ (WATCH LIVE)

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Pulisic tells Fallon he’ll (maybe) do ‘Three Amigos’ salute if he scores vs. Man City

If Pulisic scores on Saturday, the tension will be enormous

Christian Pulisic didn’t exactly guarantee it, but there seems to be a decent chance the AC Milan star will break out an unorthodox celebration if he scores against Manchester City on Saturday.

Pulisic was a guest on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, as the U.S. men’s national team star made his late-night debut.

The forward was in New York promoting AC Milan’s three-game preseason tour of the USA, which kicks off Saturday at Yankee Stadium against the Premier League champions.

If Pulisic scores in that match, Fallon is hoping he’ll perform a throwback celebration that pays tribute to a movie that was released 12 years before he was born.

Fallon requested Pulisic perform the “Three Amigos” salute, with which the forward understandably didn’t seem to be familiar.

For those, like Pulisic, who don’t remember the 1986 classic starring Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short, the salute goes like this:

Fallon reenacted the salute in front of Pulisic and though he didn’t exactly get a guarantee that that USMNT star will honor the John Landis film if he finds the net at Yankee Stadium, it wasn’t a hard no either.

If Pulisic scores on Saturday, the tension will be enormous.

Watch Fallon request ‘Three Amigos’ celebration from Pulisic

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CBS Sports retains Serie A rights on two-year deal

The network will continue to be the home of the Italian top flight in the U.S.

CBS Sports will continue to be the home of Serie A in the United States, as the network has signed a two-year renewal of its media rights agreement with the Italian top flight.

Serie A and CBS signed their first deal in 2021, which expired at the end of the 2023-24 season.

With just a month until the 2024-25 campaign kicks off, the two parties have reached another agreement to extend their partnership for two more seasons.

“We are pleased to renew our partnership with Serie A,” said Dan Weinberg, executive vice president of programming for CBS Sports.

“CBS Sports has helped to elevate the popularity of Serie A in the U.S. over the last three years and the increased distribution will continue to grow the American fanbase.”

As part of the agreement, Paramount+ will show all 380 Serie A matches, at least 25 Coppa Italia matches and all Supercoppa Italiana matches for the upcoming season.

Select matches will also air on CBS, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

The announcement came just one day after CBS Sports and the English Football League (EFL) announced an agreement that will see the network become the new home of the Championship, League One, League Two, Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

CBS Sports is already the home of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and the NWSL, among other properties.

Securing the rights for Serie A was a key priority for CBS, as the league is home to some of American soccer’s biggest stars including Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Tim Weah and Weston McKennie.

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USMNT midfielder Tessmann’s move to Inter reportedly collapses

The Venezia midfielder won’t be heading to the San Siro after all

Tanner Tessmann’s transfer to Inter appears to be dead.

The Venezia midfielder has seen his transfer to the Serie A champion collapse, per a report in Tuttosport.

Various reports had suggested that a deal was imminent, but Tessmann’s salary demands, his agents’ fee demands, as well as a lack of an agreement on a loan destination have all reportedly contributed to the move falling apart.

Inter had planned on signing Tessmann and then loaning him abroad for a season. At a press conference on Friday, Venezia sporting director Filippo Antonelli said that the 22-year-old’s move was in danger of falling through due to difficulty nailing down a loan destination

“[The transfer] was closed with the club [Inter]. We wanted to keep the player on loan, but he wants to go elsewhere,” Antonelli said.

“Inter have been looking for a solution but they still haven’t identified which club he could join on loan. The deal may collapse because of this.”

Pro Soccer Wire reported last week that Everton and Feyenoord made last-ditch offers for the U.S. men’s national team midfielder, who has also generated interest from other teams in Italy.

“Torino didn’t call me personally,” Antonelli said. “Como did call me and Fiorentina made an inquiry. His agents say that there are many foreign clubs interested, but they haven’t yet called me.”

Playing alongside fellow American midfielder Gianluca Busio, Tessmann was vital for Venezia last season as the club secured promotion to Serie A by winning the Serie B promotion playoff.

Venezia has allowed both Busio and Tessmann to join up with the USMNT for the Olympics, which begin next week. Antonelli said that in contrast to Tessmann, he was expecting Busio to stay with the club .

“It is certainly a showcase for them,” Antonelli said of the Olympics. “We have taken a step towards the boys, who are very attached to the national team. We have granted this opportunity.

“Tessmann will most likely leave, Busio will most likely stay. He is attached to us, he will still be a protagonist, we think he can be very important. He has grown a lot, perhaps more than Tessmann, he is the one who has grown the most.”

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