Tag: Serie A

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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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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Serie A 2023-24 top scorers: Tracking the Italian goalscoring race

Tracking all of the top scorers in Serie A during the 2023-24 season

Can Victor Osimhen make it back-to-back scoring titles in Serie A, or can someone else take the prize away from the Napoli star?

That’s the big question in 2023-24, after Osimhen scored 26 league goals last season to help his side win its first Serie A title in 33 years.

Inter’s Lautaro Martínez finished second last year and figures to be among the challengers again this time around.

Here is an updated list of the top scorers in Serie A for the 2023-24 season.

All stats updated as of April 22

Pulisic, Musah can do little as Inter beats AC Milan to clinch Serie A title

The USMNT pair was subdued as Inter clinched its 20th Serie A title

Inter clinched the Serie A championship in the most satisfying way possible, defeating arch-rival AC Milan 2-1 on Monday to lock up the title.

The destination of the Scudetto hasn’t been in doubt for months, as Simone Inzaghi’s side has enjoyed a commanding advantage atop the table for most of the season.

The Rossoneri at least wanted to prevent their rivals from clinching the title in the derby though, but could do little to slow down the Nerazzurri at the San Siro.

U.S. duo Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah both started the match for Milan in unfamiliar positions. Pulisic played wide left in the place of Rafael Leão, who started at striker. Musah, meanwhile, occupied Pulisic’s typical role out wide right.

Both had quiet games, especially Pulisic, who could hardly make an impact on the night as Inter’s league-best defense did well to bottle the American up.

Inter took the lead 18 minutes in after some disastrous Milan set-piece marking left Francesco Acerbi unmarked for a header on the doorstep.

The lead would be doubled minutes after the break, after a well-struck shot from Marcus Thuram beat Mike Maignan at his near post.

Fikayo Tomori gave Milan a lifeline with a close-range finish in the 80th minute, but the Rossoneri couldn’t find the second they needed to avoid watching their rivals kick off wild celebrations in front of their eyes.

The end of the match was marred by two separate clashes between the teams that resulted in a total of three red cards. Theo Hernández and Davide Calabria were sent off for Milan and Denzel Dumfries saw red for Inter.

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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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Roma defender Ndicka released from hospital after in-game collapse

The defender was rushed to the hospital after collapsing against Udinese on Sunday

Roma defender Evan Ndicka has been released from the hospital after a frightening collapse during Sunday’s match against Udinese.

Ndicka bent down and fell to the turf during the second half of the match with what Roma later said was a “medical emergency.” The 24-year-old was rushed to the hospital, and the match was abandoned with the score tied 1-1 at Bluenergy Stadium in Udine.

“Evan is feeling better and is in good spirits,” Roma posted on X in the aftermath of the match. “He will remain in the hospital for further observations. Forza Evan!”

On Monday, the club provided another update, saying that test had come out negative for “cardiac pathologies” and that he had suffered a collapsed lung.

According to a club statement:

Following acute precordial pain and atypical alternations in the EKG administered in the first aid room at the stadium, the player Evan Ndicka was hospitalized at the Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital in Udine.

First and second-level cardiological tests were administered that were negative for cardiac pathologies. In light of the last tests undergone this morning, the medical situation is compatible with a thoracic trauma with minimal left pneumothorax [collapsed lung].

The player was discharged and will undergo additional tests in Rome.

AS Roma wishes to thank Udinese Calcio, referee Mr. Pairetto, the public present at the stadium in Udine and the medical and health staff at the Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital in Udine for their great professionalism and availability.

In those frantic minutes of apprehension, we all together demonstrated sports values and placed protecting life at first place.

Ndicka was born in Paris, but plays internationally for Ivory Coast after representing France at various youth levels. He joined Roma as a free agent prior to the current season after spending five seasons in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt.

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Report: AC Milan prepared to extend Pulisic’s contract

Amid an outstanding season, the American star is already in line for an extension

AC Milan is reportedly prepared to extend Christian Pulisic’s contract by one season.

According to Monday’s edition of Corriere dello Sport, Milan has already been sufficiently impressed by the American to exercise its option to extend his deal by an extra campaign.

Pulisic signed a contract through 2027 when he joined the Rossoneri from Chelsea in the summer, and he could now see his deal extended through 2028.

The report comes amid a season in which Pulisic has already set a career high for goals with 13 in all competitions, including 10 in Serie A. Only three players have more non-penalty Serie A goals than Pulisic this season, and only five have more combined goals and assists.

Corriere dello Sport called Pulisic his club’s “best summer signing,” adding that the 25-year-old is feeling settled and happy with life in Italy after spending four seasons in England.

Milan head coach Stefano Pioli was full of praise for Pulisic after his latest goal, which came in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Lecce.

“I must say that when I have video meetings to explain to a player what our path and ideas are, I’m rarely wrong about personal and character sensations,” the coach told DAZN. “Pulisic is a quality player, I already knew him. But when we spoke two or three times I heard something very positive. I saw desire and curiosity in him. I found everything I had heard.

“He’s not a guy who opens up a lot, it’s not what makes the difference but his attitude does. He has a fantastic attitude, about the team and about everyone. An exemplary worker and professional like all Milan players, this has raised the level of professionalism and seriousness that will help the group become ever stronger.”

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Pulisic’s banner season continues with sensational strike at Lecce

The USMNT star scored his 13th goal of the season just six minutes in

The Christian Pulisic at No. 10 experiment didn’t take long to prove a huge success.

The U.S. men’s national team star was played at the trequartista role for AC Milan’s match against Lecce on Saturday, and he only took six minutes to find the net with an outstanding strike.

Samuel Chukwueze did some great work on the right flank before cutting a pass back to Pulisic at the top of the box. From there, the American cut onto his left foot and fired a shot that took a slight deflection on the way into the far corner.

It was the 13th goal of the season for Pulisic in all competitions, and his 10th in Serie A. Having already set a career high for total goals, the Pennsylvania native has now reached double figures in league goals for the first time in his career.

Pulisic has been used as a wide attacker in Stefano Pioli’s 4-2-3-1 setup this season, but with normal No. 10 Ruben Loftus-Cheek suspended on Saturday, Pioli gave the USMNT star the chance to play inside.

Pioli’s decision paid off quickly at the San Siro. Milan would go on to win 3-0, as Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leão added goals in a comfortable victory.

Speaking to DAZN after the game, Pioli was full of praise for his American forward.

“I must say that when I have video meetings to explain to a player what our path and ideas are, I’m rarely wrong about personal and character sensations,” the coach said. “Pulisic is a quality player, I already knew him. But when we spoke two or three times I heard something very positive. I saw desire and curiosity in him. I found everything I had heard.

“He’s not a guy who opens up a lot, it’s not what makes the difference but his attitude does. He has a fantastic attitude, about the team and about everyone. An exemplary worker and professional like all Milan players, this has raised the level of professionalism and seriousness that will help the group become ever stronger.”

Watch Pulisic’s goal vs. Lecce

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AC Milan boss Pioli: Pulisic could play No. 10 role vs. Lecce

The USMNT star may get a shot at a new role this weekend

Christian Pulisic has excelled for AC Milan this season as a wide attacking player, but it appears he could get a shot to play as a No. 10 this weekend.

Milan will face Lecce in a Serie A match on Saturday at San Siro, with the club’s usual No. 10, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, suspended after picking up a yellow card last weekend.

That leaves head coach Stefano Pioli with a conundrum. With three in-form attacking players in Pulisic, Samuel Chukwueze and Rafael Leão, Pioli could be tempted to try and fit them all into the same lineup in Loftus-Cheek’s absence.

The coach said at his pre-match press conference that he could play Pulisic as the No. 10 in his 4-2-3-1 formation, with Chukwueze and Leão on either side and Olivier Giroud at striker.

“It’s a solution we are evaluating,” said Pioli of the setup.

Chukwueze has struggled for much of his first season at Milan after a summer move from Villarreal, but the Nigeria winger has started to turn things around over the past several games.

“I am delighted with Chukwu,” Pioli said. “My collaborators showed him some videos today, and the stats we collected in the last three games are even superior to those from his time at Villarreal. He is fit, physically and mentally, he must continue like this. He has important characteristics for the attack.”

In January, Pioli indicated he’d like to try Pulisic as the No. 10 — or trequartista — at some stage, but he couldn’t at that point with Chukwueze away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

It seems like Saturday could be the time for Pulisic to play his first minutes in Milan as a trequartista.

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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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