Category: Serie A

LeBron James and Drake are now investors in AC Milan

James will add the Serie A champion to an investment portfolio that also includes Liverpool FC

LeBron James and Drake are now part of the ownership group of AC Milan after RedBird Capital Partners completed a €1.2 billion takeover of the Serie A champion on Wednesday.

While RedBird will be the new majority owner of the club, Yankee Global Enterprises, the investment arm of the New York Yankees, has teamed up with Main Street Advisors, the investment firm of James and Drake, to secure a minority ownership stake.

Ironically, James is also an investor in the Yankees’ biggest rival, the Boston Red Sox, after he became a partner last year in Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which also owns Liverpool FC.

James acquired a two percent stake in Liverpool back in 2011, before becoming a partner at FSG along with his business partner Maverick Carter.

The AC Milan deal wasn’t the first time James and rap star Drake teamed up, with the duo joining tennis star Naomi Osaka last year as investors in sports tech and gaming company StatusPro.

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Georginio Wijnaldum is set to miss the World Cup with a broken leg

A major blow to the Dutch hopes in Qatar

Georginio Wijnaldum will almost certainly miss the World Cup due to a broken leg suffered in training with Roma.

The Netherlands captain joined Roma from PSG on a one-year loan deal with a purchase option, but he played just 12 minutes for his new club before suffering the injury.

Roma confirmed on Sunday that the midfielder had suffered a fracture to the tibia in his right leg, with further tests to be carried out.

Speaking to Sky Sports after Friday’s Europa League draw, Roma general manager Tiago Pinto said that Wijnaldum would be aiming for a January return, which would rule him out of the World Cup in November and December.

“It was a difficult 24 hours to manage,” Pinto said. “It took a lot of us to bring Gini to Roma. We knew he was very important for the team.

“It seemed that had been here for a year, it was unfortunate but he was the first to show motivation to recover. He will be our reinforcement in January.”

Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Wijnaldum has opted against surgery on his leg and will instead proceed with a more conservative rehab plan.

Wijnaldum has been capped 86 times by the Netherlands, and played every minute of his country’s four matches at Euro 2020 last summer.

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Victor Osimhen enjoyed mocking racist Hellas Verona fans

The striker and Hellas supporters have an ugly history

Napoli star Victor Osimhen had a little something extra for the Hellas Verona fans after scoring on Monday, and it’s pretty easy to see why.

Osimhen scored Napoli’s second goal in its Serie A opener on Monday as the Nigerian helped his team to a 5-2 victory on the road.

After his goal Osimhen celebrated with his teammates and then proceeded to mock cry in front of the vociferous home support, with whom the striker has an ugly past.

Hellas was handed a partial stadium ban last season after its fans aimed racist chants at Osimhen and his teammate Kalidou Koulibaly, who is now with Chelsea.

The chants were just another chapter in a lengthy list of racist incidents involving Hellas Verona’s supporters.

This goal must have felt pretty satisfying.

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Romelu Lukaku’s second stint at Chelsea has left him angry

The Belgian is coming back to Italy with a major chip on his shoulder

Romelu Lukaku is back at Inter with a point to prove, saying his second spell at Chelsea has left him “angry.”

Lukaku joined Chelsea from Inter last summer in a £98 million move, with the Blues spending exorbitantly in the hopes the Belgian would be the answer to their goalscoring issues.

Though Lukaku started strongly he would finish the season with eight Premier League goals, which did not come close to justifying Chelsea’s massive outlay.

The Belgian returned to Inter this summer on loan and has explained that after his first stint at Chelsea between 2011 and 2014 saw him barely feature for the club, he wanted to make things right.

“I had the opportunity to go back there and thought I would be a hero, but that wasn’t the case,” Lukaku told DAZN.

With his hopes for a glorious return dashed, Lukaku began to look for a way out before the season even ended.

“In March, when I heard there was an opportunity to come back here, slowly I didn’t say anything, but toward the end of the season we did a very good job with the club and I was able to come back here.

“After the last game I started thinking about what the best situation was for me. The season for me at Chelsea was difficult and I think things would not improve in the future and so I decided to come back here.”

Lukaku starred for Inter between 2019 and 2021 and if his comments are anything to go by, the Nerazzurri are getting a motivated striker with a major chip on his shoulder.

“The season at Chelsea gave me extra motivation to do even better than before,” he said. “I think in one year everyone has forgotten about the things I am capable of doing on the pitch. That is a kind of anger that I have inside me.”

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Gini Wijnaldum emerges from pool in full kit after signing for Roma

Of all the ways to announce a signing, this is certainly … an option

Roma has had some memorable player reveals this summer.

First, the traditional: Paulo Dybala was unveiled in front of more than 10,000 fans at the Palazzo della Civilta Italiana in a breathtaking presentation.

And then the weird: Georginio Wijnaldum, for some reason, emerged from a pool in full Roma kit to herald his arrival from PSG on Friday.

After one season in France, Wijnaldum linked up with Jose Mourinho’s side on a one-year loan deal with a purchase option.

The 31-year-old, who will wear the No. 25 shirt for the Giallorossi, has previously spent time at Feyenoord, PSV, Newcastle, and Liverpool.

“It’s a really good feeling to be a Roma player,” the Netherlands captain told Roma’s official website.

This looked refreshing too:

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Paul Pogba takes a risk on his knee injury in attempt to save World Cup hopes

The midfielder will aim for a five-week course of rehab instead of going under the knife

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has opted against having surgery for a tear in his meniscus in an attempt to keep his World Cup hopes alive, according to multiple reports.

Pogba suffered the injury in training during Juve’s tour of the United States. After consulting with a specialist in France, the midfielder has opted for a five-week rehab program involving training in the gym and swimming pool, according to Tuttosport.

The 29-year-old had the option to fix the problem through surgery, but that could have jeopardized his availability for the World Cup. Pogba is hoping to play a key role for France like he did in 2018 when Les Bleus won the tournament.

There are, of course, risks involved in Pogba’s choice to not undergo surgery and comprehensively fix the knee issue. The midfielder has struggled with injuries in recent seasons and failing to fully deal with his latest issue will make it more likely to come up again in the future.

For Juventus, it’s an inauspicious start to Pogba’s celebrated return from Manchester United, with the midfielder coming back to the club where he starred between 2012 and 2016.

France, at least for the time being, can breathe a sigh of relief that its star midfielder won’t undergo an operation that would see him likely miss the World Cup.

But all parties will be holding their collective breath that Pogba’s latest injury setback won’t be a sign of things to come.

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Weston McKennie out at least three weeks with a dislocated shoulder

The midfielder will be out for three weeks, and most likely longer

Weston McKennie is set to miss the start of the season for Juventus after suffering a dislocated shoulder.

McKennie suffered the injury in training last week and was forced to miss his team’s friendly against Real Madrid on Saturday.

On Monday, Juventus released a statement saying that the midfielder would require at least three weeks on the sideline.

“Weston McKennie underwent radiological examinations at J | Medical this morning, which revealed a capsular lesion of the left shoulder,” the statement said. “The player will begin rehabilitation, three weeks’ differentiated work will be required.”

Juventus begins its regular-season campaign on August 15 against Sassuolo, then faces Sampdoria a week later. Should he miss at least month, as some Italian media is reporting, then the likely earliest date he’d be available is a match against Roma on August 27.

The injury is another blow for McKennie, who missed most of the second half of last season with a broken bone in his foot.

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Roma’s presentation of Paulo Dybala was just spectacular

More than 10,000 fans provided the striker with an emperor-like reception

Roma presented new signing Paulo Dybala in breathtaking fashion on Tuesday night, as the striker was given an emperor-like welcome in the Eternal City.

The club said that more than 10,000 fans were present the Palazzo della Civilta Italiana, also known as the Square Colosseum, as Dybala was unveiled in front of flags, flares, songs and lights.

“Having now had the privilege of feeling your support and passion, I’m realizing that I just cannot wait to run out at the Olimpico in front of the Curva Sud,” the striker told supporters.

Dybala, 28, officially signed for Roma last week on a three-year contract after spending seven seasons with Juventus. The Argentine scored 115 goals in 293 games with Juve, winning five Serie A titles and four Coppa Italia trophies.

Watch Dybala’s epic Roma presentation

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Max Allegri thinks Weston McKennie is the best American player in Europe

Perhaps Christian Pulisic would like a word?

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri has called Weston McKennie the best American player in Europe at present.

McKennie has been linked with a move away from Juventus this summer but earlier this month, Allegri reiterated his stance that the U.S. men’s national team star would be staying with the Serie A giants.

On Thursday, ahead of Juventus facing Chivas in Las Vegas in the first match of their preseason tour of the U.S., Allegri gave some major praise to the 23-year-old.

“McKennie is probably the best American player playing in Europe,” Allegri said at a press conference. “I think it’s very important for him to continue showing the high levels that he has at Juve.”

The USMNT midfielder was in the midst of a standout campaign last year when he suffered a broken metatarsal in his foot in February, an injury that kept him out for most of the rest of the season.

Even with the addition of Paul Pogba this summer, McKennie figures to be a key part of a Juventus squad looking to bounce back in 2022-23 after its first season without a trophy in 10 years.

“Our duty is to win this year, and after 10 years in a row last year was our first without trophies,” Allegri said. “We are obligated to win and we will know that it’s an important year for us.”

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Milan police defend viral video of Tiémoué Bakayoko being pulled over

The AC Milan man was searched while police aimed a gun at a passenger in his car

Milan police have been put on the defensive after a video showed AC Milan midfielder Tiémoué Bakayoko being searched while police aimed a gun at a passenger in his car.

The video made its rounds on social media Monday, though the incident took place in early July.

Police said that Bakayoko and his companion were victims of a case of mistaken identity, and told ANSA that accusations of racism were “out of place.”

In a statement to Reuters, Milan police added: “It should be noted that the search occurred in an operational context that justified the adoption of the highest security measures.

“Also as a function of self-protection, [it] was carried out in a manner absolutely consistent with the type of alarm in progress.

“Once the person had been identified and established that he was not involved, the service was resumed without any kind of remark from the person concerned.”

A spokesperson for AC Milan told the BBC that there had been a shooting in the area and police were checking several vehicles nearby for suspects.

“After a shootout in the area where the midfielder happened to be, the police started making checks,” the spokesperson said.

“The player was stopped but as soon as the police verified that he had nothing to do with what happened, they apologized and let him go.”

Bakayoko joined Milan ahead of last season on a two-year loan from Chelsea. He made 14 league appearances in 2021-22 as Milan won the Serie A title.

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