The anticipation is growing for Italy’s double challenge under Gennaro Gattuso. For the Azzurri, qualification for the 2026 World Cup is at stake—an objective missed in the last two editions of the competition.
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While waiting for Gattuso’s Italy to face Estonia and Israel in their double fixture, there’s plenty of important news regarding the top clubs. Here are the main headlines.
Juventus, Ottolini in pole position for the sporting director role
Juventus is accelerating the search for their new sporting director. According to Tuttosport, Matteo Ottolini, currently at Genoa, is ahead of the other candidates, with the official announcement expected soon. Comolli is finalizing the last evaluations, but the RossoblĂą executive appears to have overtaken the competition.
Other options remain alive, however. Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto report that Diego Lopez, former Lens and only 35 years old, is still a highly regarded profile, as is Viktor Bezhani, already a collaborator of Comolli at Toulouse. The list includes about ten names, but Juventus seems intent on focusing on Ottolini.
Milan, Ibrahimovic on his new role
Zlatan Ibrahimovic spoke as a Milan consultant, sharing his new management experience on the sidelines of the ECA assembly in Rome. “Italy is my second home, I played here for the three main clubs. Now I’m at Milan and working with an extraordinary team. I don’t have the same adrenaline, which is why I go to the gym every day,” he told Sky Sport.
Ibra recalled his early years in Serie A and a behind-the-scenes story about a missed move to one of the Roman teams, without revealing the name. On the European future, he added: “In the Champions League I’ll support the teams I played for. The strongest doesn’t always win, but from January you have to be at your best.”
Inter, eyes on Idzes
Next summer could mark a revolution in Inter’s defense. As Calciomercato.com writes, Darmian, Acerbi, and de Vrij are close to leaving, while the department would remain composed of Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni, Carlos Augusto, and Pavard, for whom negotiations are ongoing with Marseille for a permanent deal.
Market priorities will therefore focus on two new center-backs. Among the names monitored are Muharemovic and Idzes from Sassuolo, but management is also considering experienced profiles to balance the back line. Akanji’s confirmation is considered beyond question.
Napoli, the Atubolu backstory
Napoli had been following Noah Atubolu before securing the goal with Meret and Milinkovic-Savic. Fabrizio Romano, on his YouTube channel, revealed that the German goalkeeper had been observed but there was never any concrete negotiation.
Atubolu, currently at Freiburg, has also been followed by Inter for two years. This interest confirms how the young shot-stopper is considered one of the most interesting prospects on the European scene.
Roma, Dybala’s renewal on stand-by
The future of Paulo Dybala at Roma remains uncertain. According to Sky Sport, the club does not currently consider opening renewal talks a priority, preferring to monitor the physical and technical consistency of the number 21.
Dybala has had seasons marked by too many injuries, and the club wants to assess his reliability in the medium term. Only if concrete guarantees are provided will they move on to discuss an extension, which would involve a significant financial commitment. For now, no meeting has been scheduled.
Lazio, Rovella opts for conservative therapy
Nicolò Rovella will not undergo surgery. Sidelined by pubalgia, the Lazio midfielder has decided, after various consultations, to continue with conservative therapies. According to Il Corriere dello Sport, he will be out for at least a month, making a return before the November break unlikely.
The option of surgery, preferred by the club, was rejected by the player. Rovella hopes to reduce recovery time by gradually increasing his workload, but further tests will be decisive in understanding how things evolve.
Fiorentina, Nicolussi Caviglia speaks
Hans Nicolussi Caviglia spoke about his current moment at a press conference from the national team training camp. “I’m honored by this call-up, it’s like a film full of obstacles that then turn into opportunities,” said the Fiorentina midfielder, also mentioning his passions for literature and cinema.
About his teammate Kean, he said: “I’ve known him forever, he’s very valuable and this year he’ll prove himself again. He’s also shown leadership after the step he took last year.” Regarding the club, he admitted: “It’s not an easy time at Fiorentina, but I prefer to keep the two experiences separate out of respect.”
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
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