Tag: Juventus

McKennie posts, deletes Manchester United jersey picture on Facebook

The photo was up for less than an hour before it was quickly deleted

There was a curious photo that briefly showed up on Weston McKennie’s Facebook account on Friday.

Accompanied by a caption of “I’m here!” was a photoshopped image of the Juventus midfielder wearing a Manchester United jersey. The profile picture was up for less than an hour before it was deleted.

According to Calciomercato, the explanation was the most obvious one: McKennie’s account was hacked.

The post certainly came at an interesting moment, with McKennie locked in contract talks with Juventus near the end of a standout season for the Serie A club.

The latest reports out of Italy suggested that the U.S. national team midfielder rejected the club’s most recent offer, which could see Juve look to sell him over the summer rather than lose him for free when his contract expires in 2025.

Among the clubs linked with a summer move for McKennie is, naturally, Manchester United, which GIVEMESPORT recently said was eyeing a transfer for the 25-year-old.

The report said that McKennie could be available for as little as £15 million despite his excellent campaign in Serie A.

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Weston McKennie played Fortnite during a World Cup final watch party

The USMNT midfielder isn’t interested in soccer unless he’s playing it

The 2018 World Cup final was a pretty enthralling game.

Aside from the simple fact it was a World Cup final, France and Croatia also played an open and entertaining match in Moscow, with France prevailing 4-2 to lift its second World Cup title.

Weston McKennie was at a watch party with some friends and teammates that day, but don’t ask him too much about that match. Because he was playing Fortnite.

In an interview with ESPN, the U.S. national team and Juventus midfielder professed to be among the group of pro players who give it their all between the lines — and then mostly ignore the sport when it’s not time to play.

Case in point: that watch party, which took place at Christian Pulisic’s house when he was still at Borussia Dortmund. McKennie, who played for nearby Schalke at the time, attended the event with several other players amid the teams’ preseason camps.

“Everyone was on the couch watching the game,” McKennie said. “There were a whole bunch of TVs.”

But the USMNT midfielder was playing Fortnite.

“They all just laughed at me,” he said. “Like, ‘How can you be playing that right now? This game is so good.’ And I would look up every once in a while. But it just doesn’t interest me. I’ll play soccer and give it everything I have. But that mentality when I’m not playing, I need to switch it off.”

Rabbi Matondo, who currently plays for Rangers and was a teammate of McKennie’s at the time, was dumbfounded.

“I used to ask him, ‘How do you play football the way you do and have no knowledge of anything going on in the sport?” Matondo said.

For McKennie, who has starred for Juventus this season and will be a major part of the USMNT during the upcoming Copa América, finding the right balance between off-field and on-field engagement is key.

“I enjoy playing football. I want to go as far as I can,” the 25-year-old said. “But honestly, if my career ended tomorrow, I would be happy. And I wouldn’t have regrets for anything that I’ve done.”

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Pioli explains why Pulisic continues to keep Chukwueze out of Milan lineup

The USMNT star is still undroppable for the AC Milan coach

Samuel Chukwueze has been in improved form for AC Milan in recent weeks, but he still has a major roadblock to increased playing time: Christian Pulisic.

The American forward started Saturday’s game against Juventus, and wasn’t replaced by Chukwueze until the 83rd minute despite a subdued performance in a 0-0 draw.

Pulisic has been an ever-present in Pioli’s side this season, and has rewarded his manager with a career season that has seen him score 13 goals in all competitions.

Chukwueze, who like Pulisic was a summer signing prior to this season, has started his Milan career much more slowly, totaling just three goals and two assists since his move from Villarreal.

Though he’s been improved lately, the Nigeria international continues to see limited minutes.

Pioli explained his thought process in his post-match interview with DAZN on Saturday.

“I liked Pulisic instead,” the coach said. “Chukwueze is also doing well but at the moment, I won’t give up an extra midfielder to play with four attacking players and therefore, [Chukwueze] is the one who was sacrificed.”

Pioli has started Chukwueze and Pulisic together before, which has worked to good effect as the USMNT star has moved inside to play as a No. 10. Playing the right wing spot that Pulisic normally occupies, Chukwueze assisted a goal for Pulisic against Lecce earlier this month.

Against a stronger opponent on Saturday, though, Pioli wasn’t ready to play such an attacking lineup.

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Is Weston McKennie dating an Inter player’s sister?

There’s no confirmation yet, but there’s an awful lot of smoke

Weston McKennie has been in the headlines in Italy lately, which isn’t unusual for a key player at Juventus. But many stories about McKennie recently have had little to do with his ability to kick a soccer ball.

The Italian press, boosted by some obsessive social media sleuths, recently started noticing the Juventus midfielder exchanging likes on social media with Chiara Frattesi, a model and the sister of Inter midfielder Davide Frattesi.

The talk started to heat up earlier this month when Frattesi was spotted in the stands for Juventus’s match against Fiorentina. Frattesi has been known to frequent Inter games to support her brother, but what would bring her to a Juventus match? Did she simply want to see Max Allegri’s 3-5-2 system in action?

But then, more smoke: Frattesi posted a picture of herself with two dogs on Instagram that several astute observers pointed out looked an awful lot like McKennie’s dogs.

Finally this weekend, there was more. McKennie posted a picture of a Lego model of the Eiffel Tower on Instagram with the caption: “Finally finished.”

Minutes later, Frattesi posted a picture of the very same Eiffel Tower from a slightly different angle.

McKennie and Frattesi have not come out publicly with any confirmation that they are a couple, so for now, they can only be considered two people in one other’s orbit.

But they do seem to be orbiting pretty closely at present.

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Late Weah assist sends Juventus to Coppa Italia final at Lazio’s expense

Weah’s 2023-24 hasn’t been ideal, but the USMNT winger helped Juventus advance to a cup final

Juventus is going through to the Coppa Italia final, and they have Tim Weah to thank for the opportunity.

The U.S. men’s national team winger came off the bench to produce a late assist on Arkadiusz Milik’s 83rd minute goal, which was just enough to get Juve past Lazio 3-2 on aggregate.

A 2-0 first-leg win earlier this month had set Juve up well, but Valentín Castellanos’ brace on Tuesday had levelled the tie at the Stadio Olimpico.

However, Massimiliano Allegri’s substitutions proved critical. Weah’s entry in the 70th minute was key, with the USMNT man fizzing a low cross in for Milik, who finished off a tap-in with what was his first touch.

Lazio would push for a late equalizer, but Juve held strong, clinching a place in May 15’s one-off final. That match will be held at the Stadio Olimpico, with either Fiorentina or Atalanta as Juventus’ opponent. I Viola holds a 1-0 edge after the first leg, with the second leg taking place on Wednesday at the Gewiss Stadium.

The assist may be Weah’s biggest moment of what has been a difficult season with Juventus. After toggling between Weah and Andrea Cambiaso for the starting job at right wingback, Allegri has generally preferred to start the Italian in recent months. Despite appearing in 29 of Juve’s 36 matches this season, Weah has just one goal and two assists.

Watch Weah help Juve to the Coppa Italia final

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Pulisic admits he’s been surprised by Serie A difficulty

The USMNT star has set a career high in goals this season, but says it hasn’t been easy

Christian Pulisic admitted he’s been surprised by how difficult Serie A has been during his debut campaign in the Italian top flight.

Pulisic has been a hit with AC Milan during his first season in Italy, scoring a career-best 13 goals in all competitions while adding eight assists.

The U.S. men’s national team star has been a fixture for the Rossoneri after several years at Chelsea where he struggled to lock down a regular place in the lineup.

Pulisic has been part of a growing trend of American players in Serie A, with Yunus Musah playing alongside him in Milan while Weston McKennie and Tim Weah feature for Juventus.

Those four players are set to clash on Saturday when Milan faces Juventus, with Pulisic and McKennie appearing on ESPN’s “Futbol Americas” ahead of the match.

“I’ve actually been surprised with how difficult a lot of the games are in this league,” Pulisic said. “I think it’s been a great test for me.”

Speaking about how he’s managed to have so much success in Milan, the USMNT star added: “I think a lot of that comes down to just being given the opportunities here. I’ve had a lot of time on the field to show what I can do and have been given a creative role and a lot of freedom as well at times, which has been a huge part of getting that self-belief back and growing that confidence.”

McKennie has always been known as a high-motor player, but said that playing in Italy has taught him how to run smarter, not necessarily harder.

“[Serie A] really helped me grow from more of a tactical standpoint and positional standpoint as well,” McKennie said.

“I was in Germany before and I was the workhorse still. I was running everywhere and trying to get into everything and maybe running 60 yards when I only needed to run 20 and get the same job done.

“So I think that Italy definitely helped me out that way, because this is a very tactical league, very defensive league as well. So for me, it helped me out a lot.”

With six matches to play, Milan and Juventus are battling for second place in Serie A. Milan currently holds a five-point lead over Juve, having fallen 2-1 to city rival Inter on Monday in a match that clinched the league title for the Nerazzurri.

Watch Pulisic and McKennie’s full interview

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Report: McKennie has Saudi Arabia, MLS offers as Juventus contract talks continue

The USMNT midfielder will have plenty of options as his contract nears its final year

Weston McKennie’s outstanding season with Juventus has left him with plenty of options.

One year after an ill-fated loan to Leeds, McKennie has become a fixture for Juve in 2023-24. The U.S. national team midfielder has started nearly all of the club’s matches while tallying a career-high 10 assists.

McKennie’s contract with Juve expires at the end of next season, making this upcoming summer crucial to his future with the team. Juventus has been in talks with McKennie over a new contract, but may be forced to sell if a deal can’t be reached.

Calciomercato has reported that Juventus made an offer to McKennie that would maintain his annual salary of €2.5 million and extend his deal by a season or two.

That offer was rejected by McKennie’s entourage, with further talks expected in the coming days.

In the meantime, the report says that the USMNT star already has offers on the table from MLS and Saudi Arabia — two leagues with a lower standard of play than Serie A which can undoubtedly offer more lucrative financial terms.

McKennie has never played in MLS, but came up through the FC Dallas academy before moving to Schalke in 2016.

Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is reportedly a fan of McKennie, and sees the American as an important part of the project regardless of whether head coach Massimiliano Allegri sticks around next season.

For now, it’s unclear how high Giuntoli may be willing to go. If McKennie can’t find the terms he’d like at Juventus, he’ll undoubtedly have plenty of suitors elsewhere.

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Juventus confirms McKennie racially abused by Lazio fans

The USMNT midfielder confirmed the incident during Tuesday’s Coppa Italia match

Juventus has said it will “take all necessary measures” after Weston McKennie confirmed he was racially abused by Lazio fans during Tuesday’s Coppa Italia match.

Video emerged on social media showing the American midfielder being targeted as he walked on the side of the pitch following his late substitution in a 2-0 Juventus win.

On Thursday, Juventus released a statement saying McKennie confirmed he had been subject to discriminatory chants from visiting Lazio fans at Allianz Stadium.

“Juventus Football Club takes note of the video circulated on social networks and reported by some media from which the intonation of discriminatory chants emerged coming from the visiting section, and directed at Weston McKennie during his substitution in the Juventus-Lazio semifinal first leg of the Italian Cup, played on April 2,” the statement said.

“Following confirmation of the incident by the player, the club communicates that it has activated all procedures aimed at verifying what happened and will fully cooperate in order to identify the persons responsible and, consequently, take all necessary measures in this regard.”

McKennie assisted Dušan Vlahović during the semifinal first leg, as Juve took a major step toward next month’s final.

The incident involving McKennie is far from the first time Lazio fans have been accused of racism recently. The club was hit with a partial stadium ban in January for racist chants toward Roma’s Romelu Lukaku, while fans brought Lecce’s Samuel Umtiti to tears early last year.

The club also has a recent history of run-ins with USMNT players, as its fans targeted Christian Pulisic with death threats last month after a game in which the American drew red cards from two Lazio players.

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McKennie reaches 10 assists as Juventus takes big step toward Coppa Italia final

The USMNT midfielder continued his standout campaign in the cup on Tuesday

Weston McKennie’s incredible season of assists continued on Tuesday, as the Juventus midfielder helped his side take a major step toward the Coppa Italia final.

Juventus defeated Lazio 2-0 in the first leg of the semifinal, with McKennie and Dušan Vlahović teaming up for the all-important second goal midway through the second half.

With Juve already up a goal, McKennie quickly helped the ball on with a one-touch pass for the striker, who carried the ball into the box before cutting onto his left foot and firing a shot into the far corner.

McKennie is tied for second in the Serie A assist chart with seven in league play, and the U.S. national team star has added three more in the Italian cup to reach double figures on the season — easily a career high for the 25-year-old.

Juventus will now take a two-goal advantage into the second leg, which will take place in Rome on April 23. The winner of the tie will face either Atalanta or Fiorentina in the final on May 15.

Watch McKennie’s 10th assist of the season

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Report: McKennie rejects Juventus contract offer with reduced salary

The USMNT midfielder could be on the move this summer

Could Juventus sell Weston McKennie after a season in which he’s become one of the club’s most vital players?

That seems to be a possibility after the U.S. men’s national team midfielder reportedly rejected the club’s latest contract offer that featured a reduced salary.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus offered the 25-year-old a new contract with lower terms that was swiftly turned down. With McKennie’s current deal expiring after next season, Juventus could look to sell the American this summer rather than risk losing him for free in 2025.

That would be a somewhat surprising development after McKennie has worked his way back to being a key player for Juve this season.

After returning from a half-season loan with Leeds last season, Juventus reportedly told McKennie that he wasn’t in the club’s plans for the 2023-24 campaign.

But despite a hostile reception (USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said McKennie didn’t even have a locker or parking spot at Juve), the midfielder has won over head coach Max Allegri to become one of the first names on the team sheet this season.

McKennie has started all but four of Juve’s league games this season, and has nine assists in all competitions. His seven Serie A assists is second in the league’s assist chart.

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