The long-serving Juventus defender is delighted to be a team-mate rather than a rival of the Portuguese and has also discussed his own future Giorgio Chiellini admits he is relieved to be on the same side as Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus, with the Portuguese having broken his dreams ‘many times’ in the past. A five-time Ballon d’Or winner proved to be a serious thorn in the Bianconeri’s side during his trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid. He would regularly dash Juve’s European aspirations, with crucial – and often stunning – goals recorded in Champions League finals and various stages of the knockout rounds. Article continues below Editors' Picks Sarri vindicated for…

Former team-mate Tonito, who was in Portugal when a five-time Ballon d’Or winner was starting out, has lifted the lid on the Juventus star’s work rate Cristiano Ronaldo is now a five-time Ballon d’Or winner with spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus on his CV, but he had to be talked out of training while starting out at Sporting. The Portuguese burst onto the scene after stepping out of a famed academy system in Lisbon. It did not take long for his potential to be noted, with Sir Alex Ferguson taking him to Old Trafford in 2003. Article continues below Editors' Picks Sarri vindicated for dropping Kepa as…

As most of the continent’s ‘Big Five’ leagues reach their respective halfway points, Goal picks out the most impressive performers in all competitions Getty Images GK: Alisson Alisson may have made a couple of errors since joining Liverpool during the summer but the Brazilian has had a massive impact on Merseyside. His excellent distribution has added a new dimension to the Reds' play, as so spectacularly underlined by his role in the first penalty won in the rout of Arsenal on Saturday. Alisson has also exhibited a helpful habit of making big saves at big times – it was his ast-minute save against Napoli that saw the Reds through to the…

The former Roma manager reflected on the deal following a 2-2 draw between the two sides at the Stadio Olimpico Luciano Spalletti claims he’s happy to see Nicolo Zaniolo flourishing with Roma after he was part of a swap deal involving Radja Nainggolan during the summer transfer window. Roma and Inter played out a 2-2 draw in Serie A on Sunday, with the home side coming from behind to level the scoring on two separate occasions. Promising midfielder Zaniolo played 77 minutes for Roma and has become an increasingly important part of their team in recent weeks. Article continues below Editors' Picks Sarri vindicated for dropping Kepa as Chelsea & Pedro…

The forward enjoyed a fine spell at the Serie A club before making the switch to France, and the 59-year-old would be welcome him back with open arms Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that he would like to coach Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani amid reports linking the Uruguay international with a return to Stadio San Paolo. The forward enjoyed three of his best seasons at the Serie A club, netting 78 league goals to establish himself as one of Europe’s most feared marksmen, subsequently making a big-money switch to PSG in 2013. Though he failed to exceed 20 Ligue 1 scores in a single season during his first three years…

The Argentine will likely not be moving to Stamford Bridge, with the Rossoneri’s sporting director now imploring him to improve at San Siro AC Milan sporting director Leonardo has fired a warming to Gonzalo Higuain, saying the striker must get to work and improve at San Siro.  The 31-year-old has been targeted by Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, who wants to sign his former charge from Napoli in an effort to improve his club’s striker situation.  However, Goal understands that Chelsea will not be signing Higuain during the January transfer window, with a deal proving too complicated due to the Argentine being on loan at Milan from Juventus.  Article continues below Editors' Picks…

AC Milan have made a habit of battling until the very end in recent weeks, with their former defender believing that it is because of their coach Under-fire coach Gennaro Gattuso has restored AC Milan’s soul and dignity, according to club great Arrigo Sacchi. Gattuso turned the Rossoneri’s fortunes around last season, earning qualification for the Europa League, but he endured a tough start this time around and has found his future repeatedly brought into question. An improved run has propelled Milan into Serie A’s top four, though, and Sacchi – who coached the club to two European Cup triumphs – believes Gattuso deserves great credit. Article continues below Editors' Picks…

He is currently serving a domestic ban, but the Argentine striker is available for the Rossoneri’s Europa League clash with Dudelange AC Milan striker Gonzalo Higuain says he has learned his lesson after an on-field meltdown against parent club Juventus earned a two-match ban. Higuain is available for Thursday’s Europa League tie at home to Dudelange, who have already been knocked out of the competition, as his ban does not cover European games. The striker, who saw an appeal against the ban rejected, has hit two goals in three Europa League appearances so far this season and is hoping to justify the faith of head coach Gennaro Gattuso. Article continues…

The Swedish striker has been linked with a return to Europe after impressing in America, but he claims it is his intention to remain in California Zlatan Ibrahimovic admits he is a man in demand, amid links to the likes of Manchester United and AC Milan, but claims to have no interest in a loan move. The 37-year-old has seen his exploits in MLS with the LA Galaxy spark talk of a possible return to Europe now that his 2018 commitments in America have come to a close after missing out on a play-off spot. Potential returns to Old Trafford or San Siro have been mooted, with previous employers in…

The highly rated forward made his senior debut for Italy on Tuesday but has struggled for regular minutes at club level Juventus are considering loaning out highly rated youngster Moise Kean in January, Goal understands. Kean, a product of the Bianconeri’s youth system, is being tipped to embark on a successful career in the future. The 18-year-old made his debut for the Italy senior side against the United States on Tuesday, coming off the bench for his country. Article continues below 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 five-star show…