The country’s second highest ranking official has attempted to play down the firestorm surrounding Wednesday’s match at San Siro Italy’s deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini has attempted to downplay the racist abuse directed at Napoli defender ​Kalidou Koulibaly.  Koulibaly was subject to monkey chants in Wednesday’s match against Inter at San Siro, with Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti complaining that the game should have been stopped.  The incident has led to an outpouring of support for the Senegal international, who was sent off during the game.  Editors' Picks Sarri vindicated for dropping Kepa as Chelsea & Pedro impress in Spurs win Magnificent Mane takes centre stage as league leaders Liverpool put on a…

Big deals are sure to be on the horizon as the January transfer window has opened its gates The January transfer window is open and the football world is eagerly anticipating more high-profile deals to take place. Last year, soap operas surrounding the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Virgil van Dijk and Diego Costa all took place in January as Barcelona, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid spent big money to get their most important deals finished within the first week. But now, this year, with the rest of Europe’s top sides gearing up for an intense end to the season with their domestic and Champions League campaigns to think about, some other big…

The forward has already had an impact at AC Milan, prompting his manager to recognise similarities with a former Champions League winner Gennaro Gattuso has been impressed by Krzysztof Piatek’s attitude since arriving at AC Milan, comparing the forward to Champions League winner Jon Dahl Tomasson. Piatek arrived at San Siro last week, joining from Genoa in a reported €35million move, and made his debut off the bench in a goalless Serie A draw against Napoli on Saturday. The two sides will go head to head once more in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday, with Piatek potentially in line for his full Rossoneri bow. Article continues below Editors' Picks Sarri…

With the 10th UEFA Benchmarking report being released, Goal looks at the teams spending the most on player salaries UEFA has released the 10th edition of its benchmarking report, documenting the ever changing world of football finances. Unsurprisingly, the list is dominated by clubs from the Premier League and Europe’s elite. The Premier League has seen a lot of wage drops due to the lower value of the pound but that has not stopped its clubs taking up nine out of 20 spots on the list. Editors' Picks Sarri vindicated for dropping Kepa as Chelsea & Pedro impress in Spurs win Magnificent Mane takes centre stage as league leaders Liverpool put on…

The solo artist sat down with Goal to discuss his new album, his love for Genoa and sharing a pitch – and shower! – with an Italy legend Singer and football fanatic Jack Savoretti labels scoring sensation Krzysztof Piatek as the “real deal” as he discussed his love for Genoa, watching his team knock Liverpool out of Europe and sharing a pitch – and shower – with Alessandro Del Piero. The English-Italian solo artist – whose new album ‘Singing to Strangers’ is released on March 15 ahead of a European tour – already has two UK Top 10 albums to his name. But away from his music he is also a massive…

The 22-year-old midfielder has caught the eye of several Premier League teams and has been linked to Juventus and his current coach understands why Tanguy Ndombele “can be a new Paul Pogba” according to Lyon coach Bruno Genesio, who is unsurprised that the France midfielder has been linked with Juventus. Ndombele has thrived since arriving at Lyon – initially on loan from Amiens – in 2017 and has impressed in the Champions League as well as Ligue 1 this term, also catching the eye of Manchester City and Juve among others. The 22-year-old received his first call up for Les Bleus in October and Genesio believes Ndombele has every chance of replicating…

The striker will miss AC Milan’s next two Serie A matches against Lazio and Parma after seeing his appeal dismissed AC Milan striker Gonzalo Higuain’s appeal against a two-match ban for a red card and on-pitch meltdown against Juventus has been rejected by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). The FIGC’s decision means Milan will be without the Argentine striker for the team’s upcoming matches against Lazio and Parma. Higuain endured a nightmare showing against parent club Juve on November 11, missing a penalty before being sent off in the second half. Article continues below Editors' Picks Sarri vindicated for dropping Kepa as Chelsea & Pedro impress in Spurs win Magnificent Mane takes centre stage…

The Portuguese superstar rose to the occasion again in a Supercoppa Italiana final date with AC Milan, much to the delight of his coach at Juventus Massimiliano Allegri says Cristiano Ronaldo was signed exactly for the kind of match-winning impact he made for Juventus against AC Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana. In a contest that lacked fast tempo for large parts, Ronaldo headed home the decisive goal in the 61st minute to seal a 1-0 triumph in Jeddah. Franck Kessie was later sent off for Milan, as Ronaldo was able to celebrate a first trophy since joining from Real Madrid in a €112 million deal from Real Madrid. Article continues…

The Swedish striker, who has distanced himself from a Milan move once more, has suggested that he will not return to France until hanging up his boots Zlatan Ibrahimovic claims to be wanted back at Paris Saint-Germain, but the LA Galaxy striker says he will only return to the Ligue 1 champions “to be the boss”. At 37 years of age, the enigmatic Swede is approaching the end of his playing career. He is, however, prepared to delay retirement plans for the foreseeable future, with his efforts in MLS – which have delivered 22 goals in 2018 – proving that he still has plenty to offer. Article continues below Editors'…

Gennaro Gattuso is a good fit for AC Milan and deserves the club’s backing to continue as head coach, according to Andriy Shevchenko. Former AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko is convinced that under-pressure head coach Gennaro Gattuso possesses the right qualities to lead the club forward. Gattuso’s position has been a source of speculation for much of his first full season in charge at San Siro and he narrowly avoided a fresh wave of scrutiny thanks to a come-from-behind 2-1 defeat of SPAL last month. The Rossoneri had failed to win any of their previous five matches in all competitions and remain a point adrift of Serie A’s top four.…