Rasmus Hojlund produced a statement performance for Napoli in the Champions League, scoring twice against Sporting CP and celebrating by pointing to the competition’s badge. The on-loan Manchester United striker seemed to send a message to his parent club, who are enduring a season without European football under Ruben Amorim, which has not been going down well in Manchester.
Former Napoli chief Pierpaolo Marino has criticised Kevin De Bruyne, accusing the ex-Manchester City maestro of "stepping on Scott McTominay's toes" and hindering the Scot's impact. Marino also added that De Bruyne's current level at Napoli is nowhere near enough to warrant a comparison with the ageless Luka Modric, who has been off to a sensational start for AC Milan.
AC Milan took to social media to share a picture of actors Jared Leto and Jodie Turner posing with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Hollywood duo attended Milan’s game against Napoli as part of the promotion for their upcoming movie. It was a star-studded night that ended in delight for the Rossoneri, who claimed all three points against Napoli and moved to the top of the table.
Antonio Conte has warned Kevin De Bruyne that he will not escape punishment if he has another angry reaction to being substituted after the Napoli playmaker was taken off in the weekend's 2-1 loss to AC Milan. The Italian coach insists the issue has been resolved as he insisted his sentiments were aimed at the entire squad.
Romelu Lukaku is in mourning after the passing of his father, Roger, at just 58. The Napoli striker, currently sidelined with injury, removed all Instagram posts and left a single tribute to his late father. Lukaku, who played a key role in Napoli’s title-winning campaign last season, now faces a period of personal grief alongside his road to recovery.
In a thrilling Serie A encounter, AC Milan edged out Napoli 2-1 at the San Siro, with Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers putting Milan ahead before Kevin De Bruyne converted a penalty for Napoli. Despite the loss, De Bruyne shared a heartfelt message with Luka Modric, expressing admiration for the Croatian midfielder's exceptional talent.
GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave the comforts of Great Britain in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.
Liverpool weren't the only European team to lose their 100 percent record this weekend. Over in Italy, Napoli slipped to second in the Serie A table after being beaten 2-1 by a Christian Pulisici-inspired AC Milan at San Siro.
Kevin De Bruyne scored a second-half penalty to get Napoli back in the game against AC Milan before being subbed off by Antonio Conte in their first Serie A defeat. The Belgian looked frustrated as he walked off and went straight to the bench without acknowledging Conte. The coach said the decision was to bring fresh legs, adding he hoped De Bruyne’s displeasure was with the result, not him.
New Napoli signing Sam Beukema heaped praise on team-mate Kevin De Bruyne as the defender claimed that he was left "surprised" by the Manchester City legend's humility. De Bruyne, who left City after 10 years this summer to join Napoli on a free transfer, has made a bright start to his life in Italy as he has already scored two goals in five appearances for his club, across all competitions.
USMNT star Christian Pulisic delivered another outstanding performance for AC Milan, this time against Napoli as he assisted the Rossoneri's opener and then doubled the team's lead within 31 minutes. The American winger's goal and assist continued his exceptional start to the campaign that has seen him contribute eight goal involvements in his first six Serie A matches.
Antonio Conte’s Napoli have adapted seamlessly to Kevin De Bruyne’s arrival and Romelu Lukaku’s injury, with Fabio Capello praising the Italian tactician and his AC Milan counterpart Max Allegri. Napoli reshaped their attacking approach around the Belgian star, while Conte’s flexibility contrasts with Allegri’s composed style with Sunday’s Milan clash promises a tactical showdown and Serie A spectacle.
Rasmus Hojlund has revealed he plans on staying at Napoli after joining the Serie A champions from Manchester United in an initial loan transfer. After ending an unsuccessful period at Old Trafford at the end of the summer transfer window, the Danish striker is off to a strong start on his return to Italy and is feeling comfortable in Antonio Conte's side.
Rasmus Hojlund has opened up on his admiration for Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and the hard work that has driven his career. The Napoli striker, back in Serie A after two seasons at Manchester United, highlighted Erling Haaland and Viktor Gyokeres as the world’s best behind CR7. Hojlund also reflected on his early sporting life, and ambitions at Napoli.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has issued one of his starkest warnings to European football. Calling today’s game “too slow, outdated, and destined to die,” he argues young audiences are tuning out of a sport stuck in the past. From pushing a 16-team Serie A to free-to-air broadcasts, he insists football must reinvent itself with bold reforms before collapsing under its own weight.
Former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli praised AC Milan’s Luka Modric and Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne, insisting that class has no age amid the veteran midfielders' bright starts in Serie A. The duo moved to the Italian top-flight from Real Madrid and Manchester City respectively after their contracts expired and Prandelli says they bring an excitement to the league.
Napoli head coach Antonio Conte has claimed that his side are not a well-oiled machine after they registered a slender 3-2 win over Pisa in Serie A last night. Although Gli Azzuri sit comfortably at the top of the league table having won all four of their games, such a statement from the Serie A winner comes as a shock after their latest win.
The Ballon d'Or. Love it or loathe it, it's the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable 2024-25 campaign, the winner of the 2025 Golden Ball has been announced: Ousmane Dembele.
Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has finished ahead of big names such as Arsenal's Declan Rice, Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings. The Scotland international is ranked in 18th place after a stellar season that saw him score 12 Serie A goals and help deliver the Scudetto for Napoli.
Kevin De Bruyne’s emotional Etihad return lasted just 25 minutes as Napoli boss Antonio Conte sacrificed him following Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s red card in a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Manchester City. Conte admitted both he and De Bruyne were left “disappointed” after cutting short his appearance on a night City striker Erling Haaland made more history.
Erling Haaland has become the quickest player to reach 50 Champions League goals, after he scored the opener in Manchester City's 2-0 win over Napoli. The Norwegian reached the tally in just 49 games, easily surpassing Ruud van Nistelrooy's previous record. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid marksman reached his half-century in his first 62 appearances in the competition.
Manchester City opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win over 10-man Napoli on Thursday. Despite dominating the ball in the early stages, the visitors quickly became content to sit in a low block, soaking up City pressure before looking to hit on the counter. After a long range effort from Tijani Reijnders stung the gloves of Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action to stop a Sam Beukema header from a Napoli corner.
Peter Schmeichel admits that Antony was “never good enough for Manchester United” but the Red Devils legend has questioned why Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund were allowed to leave Old Trafford. The Scotland international midfielder and Danish striker are now team-mates again in Italy at Napoli after surprisingly being deemed surplus to requirements.