⚽️🇮🇹 Christian Pulisic can't stop scoring!
👋 Ciao a tutti!
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🇺🇸 The Italy National team is in the USA!
The Azzurri is on American soil for the first time in 19 years for friendly matches against Venezuela and Ecuador.
🇻🇪 The friendly encounter with Venezuela will take place at 5pm ET tonight at Chase Stadium, home of Inter Miami.
🇪🇨 Luciano Spalletti’s side will face Ecuador at Red Bull Arena, home of the New York Red Bulls, on Sunday at 4pm ET.
🗽 Ecuador was Italy’s opponents the last time they played in the US, in New York in 2005.
📺 Both games will be broadcast on Fox Deportes.
🆕 Torino right back Raoul Bellanova, Hellas Verona midfielder Michael Folorunsho and Udinese forward Lorenzo Lucca have been called up to Italy’s squad for the first time for these games.
🎾 While in Miami, the Azzurri were able to meet up with 2024 Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, who is in town for the Miami Open.
👕 Italy will be using their stateside trip to debut their new Euro 2024 kits.
👏 Christian Pulisic’s scoring streak continues
Christian Pulisic’s terrific debut Serie A campaign showed no signs of slowing down last weekend when he slotted home his ninth league goal of the season in Milan’s 3-1 win at Verona.
😮 Pulisic has now scored in four consecutive games and is the joint-top scoring American in league history, alongside his USMNT teammate Weston McKennie.
Pulisic showed visible frustration when he was subbed just after the hour mark, but coach Stefano Pioli said he wanted to provide the American some rest: “I saw Loftus-Cheek and Pulisic were a little tired. It's normal because we had played 72 hours ago. So we needed freshness and the players who came in gave it to us."
✈️ Pulisic and McKennie have both reported for international duty ahead of the USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League Semifinal, along with Tim Weah and Yunus Musah.
😂 And yes, Pulisic is the guy who reclines his seat all the way on the flight!
❤️ Serie A mourns the loss of Joe Barone
Fiorentina General Manager Joe Barone has died following a cardiac arrest, the club announced on Tuesday.
Barone was rushed to the hospital a few hours before Fiorentina’s scheduled match with Atalanta, leading to the postponement of the game. The Viola figurehead passed at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, the day before his 58th birthday.
“Everyone associated with Fiorentina is utterly devastated by the terrible loss of a man who showed great professionalism and gave his heart and soul for these colors,” read a club statement. "The entire Viola world sends its heartfelt condolences to Giuseppe's wife Camilla, his children and the entire Barone family during this time of immense sorrow."
“You improved the world of football, who loses you too soon,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “Have a safe journey dear Joe, and a big hug to all the people who loved you."
Barone was born in Sicily, but raised in New York City. Prior to his 2019 appointment at Fiorentina, he was Vice President of the New York Cosmos.
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🏆 Europa League draw brings up tantilizing all-Italian tie
Milan and Roma will face off on the European stage after drawing one another in the Europa League quarterfinals.
🥊 The games will be held over two legs on April 11th and April 18th. The winner will face either West Ham or Bayer Leverkusen for a place in the final.
🇪🇺 Roma made the final of the competition last season, where they were defeated by Sevilla on penalties. Milan last featured in a continental final when they beat Sevilla in the 2007 UEFA Super Cup.
👏 Atalanta join Milan and Roma in the final eight, with the test of a clash against Liverpool ahead.
👋 Fiorentina are also still alive in European competition, with a Europa Conference League quarterfinal against Viktoria Plzeň on the horizon. La Viola were finalists in the competition last season.
🇮🇹 Abdou Harroui explores Frosinone
Midfielder Abdou Harroui has called Frosinone home since his arrival from Sassuolo last summer. In the latest episode of our Champions of Made in Italy series, the Moroccan international reflects on his Serie A career while touring his adopted home in the Lazio region.
🇮🇹 Serie A is partnering with the Italian government for the Champions of Made in Italy documentary series, which is bringing insight into the cities and cultures that surround every club in the league. More episodes below…
🔥 ICYMI: Daniel Maldini’s worldie free kick!
Monza earned a 1-0 victory over Cagliari in the most recent game week thanks to a sensational free kick from Daniel Maldini.
😮 Maldini is the son of Milan legend Paolo Maldini and grandson of Milan legend Cesare Maldini, and is currently on loan from the Rossoneri.
🤯 Paolo Maldini also scored a Serie A goal against Cagliari in February 1991. The two goals were 33 years apart, but Football Italia note that Claudio Ranieri was the coach of Cagliari in both instances!
💬 Calcio Conversations
With the Italy national team in the USA this week, now is a good time to ask: why are they known as the “Azzurri”?
🤷♂️ What does it mean? The “Azzurri” refers to their famous azure-blue kits. But, of course, blue isn’t one of the colors on the Italian flag.
The reason for the hue is historic: dark blue was the color of the Royal House of Savoy, so it is a nod to the pre-Republican days of the Italian monarchy.
Of course, Italy aren’t unique in having primary colors that don’t feature on their flag, with the likes of Germany (white), Japan (blue) and the Netherlands (orange) doing the same.
🇺🇸 Milan to tour NYC, Chicago and Baltimore this summer
After the success of their pre-season tour of the west coast in 2023, Milan are returning to the States this summer.
🗽 On Saturday, July 27, the Rossoneri will head to New York to face Manchester City at Yankee Stadium.
💨 The following Wednesday, July 31 will see Pioli’s side head to Chicago to face Real Madrid at Soldier Field.
🐦⬛ Milan wraps up its U.S. excursion on Tuesday, August 6 with a heavyweight clash against Barcelona at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.
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🦅 Lazio appoints Igor Tudor as head coach
Croatian coach Igor Tudor has been named as Maurizio Sarri’s successor at Lazio.
🇫🇷 Tudor most recently coached in Ligue 1, where he led Marseille to a third-placed finish and Champions League qualification last season.
👍 The 45-year-old previously coached at Udinese and Hellas Verona. He also served as Andrea Pirlo’s assistant at Juventus. Tudor also played in the Italian top flight with Juve and Siena.
🔄 Tudor replaces Sarri, who resigned last week following five defeats in six games.
👉 The Croatian will kick off his tenure with Lazio next Saturday March 30, with a home game against his former side Juventus (1pm ET on Paramount+).
📺 This weekend on CBS Sports and Paramount+
There are no Serie A games this weekend due to the international break. The league returns next weekend…
Saturday March 30th
Napoli v Atalanta (7.30am ET)
Genoa v Frosinone (10am ET)
Torino v Monza (10am ET)
Lazio v Juventus (1pm ET)
Fiorentina v Milan (3.45pm ET)
Monday April 1st
Bologna v Salernitana (6.30am ET)
Cagliari v Verona (9am ET)
Sassuolo v Udinese (9am ET)
Lecce v Roma (12pm ET)
Inter v Empoli (2.45pm ET)
🇨🇦 Reading this in Canada? Watch ALL Serie A games LIVE on Fubo - and try it for free! 🇨🇦
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