Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella has showered praise on two of his best players - Juventus youngster Kenan Yildiz and Inter playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu. He called Yildiz "a complete player" after his breakthrough at club level, and described Calhanoglu as "extraordinary" after the midfielder reclaimed a "fundamental" role at Inter. Montella’s backing comes as both men carry big club responsibilities and Turkey look ahead to World Cup qualifying tests.
AC Milan are preparing a new contract for Alexis Saelemaekers after turning down strong interest from Aston Villa, Juventus and Roma. The Belgian has quickly become a cornerstone under Max Allegri since returning from loan spells, impressing in a new 3-5-2 system and delivering decisive contributions in Serie A’s opening weeks.
Barcelona are reportedly keeping tabs on Dusan Vlahovic ahead of his contract expiry as the Catalan side eye him as Robert Lewandowski's potential successor. The Blaugrana are desperate to find a long-term replacement for their Polish goal machine, whose deal runs out next summer, and the Serbian sharpshooter has become an option.
Serhou Guirassy has apparently still not resolved the penalty dispute with Ramy Bensebaini. Although Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac recently emphasised that the penalty dispute between the duo in the 4-4 draw against Juventus in the Champions League had already been resolved, this does not seem to be the case after Dortmund squandered a two-goal advantage to share the points.
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has been linked with a free transfer to Juventus at the end of the season. The Portuguese international could follow in the footsteps of his former team-mate Kevin De Bruyne, who joined Serie A side Napoli on a free transfer in the summer. However, Silva is keeping his options open, with the possibility of a return to Portugal also on the table, and has yet to make a decision on his future.
Regarding Weston McKennie's role within the national team setup as well as for Juventus, former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas said that the veteran midfielder presents uniques challenges from a coaching perspective which have consistently clouded his club future. He noted that those challenges come despite the fact McKennie rarely misses time.
Inter head coach Cristian Chivu has urged the fans to stop "throwing stones" at goalkeeper Yann Sommer after his disastrous performance did little to prevent his side from losing to Juventus over the weekend. Chivu remains confident in the Swiss international's experience and abilities, adding that Sommer will retain his place in the starting lineup against Ajax in the Champions League opener.
Karim Adeyemi and Kenan Yildiz shared a light-hearted exchange in the pulsating 4-4 Champions League draw between Borussia Dortmund and Juventus. The pair, who once attended the same school in Germany, traded words after each scored spectacular goals. Both later clarified their comments, with Adeyemi jokingly telling Yildiz not to score again, while the Juve youngster recalled admiring his old friend as a role model.
Juventus fought back with two stoppage-time goals to draw 4-4 with Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday's Champions League thriller, but coach Igor Tudor was furious after the game. The Croatian blasted referee Francois Letexier and VAR for missing a first-half handball that he felt should have given his side a penalty that would have changed the course of the game.
Describing Roberto Baggio to those who did not experience him is a sort of generational challenge, an arduous attempt at conveying something that is too difficult to explain in words. But we will try - because Roberto Baggio was, especially for Italians, a symbol, a standard-bearer, an icon and an emotion.
Juventus head coach Igor Tudor has claimed Inter are the strongest Serie A side, and perhaps they are better than last season’s champions Napoli. This comment comes after the Bianconeri defeated their archrivals on Saturday, as the Derby d'Italia ended in a seven-goal thriller at the Allianz Stadium, giving them a perfect send-off for their Champions League opener.
In the fiercely contested derby between Inter and Juventus, an exchange between brothers Marcus and Khephren Thuram drew the attention of Inter fans. Moments after Juventus scored the match-winning goal in stoppage time, Marcus was spotted laughing with Khephren, sparking unrest among supporters who suspected foul play. However, tensions eased once the details of the brothers’ conversation came to light.
Juventus midfielder Vasilije Adzic’s former coach, Ivan Brnovic, claims he wasn’t surprised when the youngster struck a long range winner against Inter in the derby. The Montenegrin coach believes Adzic has all the qualities to become one of the top three players in the world and even compared him to former Juventus star Paul Pogba.