Juventus appear to be suffering from a predictable early-season slump in the wake of a summer spent fumbling around the transfer market in a bid to rebuild a team that had grown to dominate Serie A.
- 'We will have to play with a lot of intelligence' - 'We will be able to see a fantastic footballer on the pitch'
A stunning first-half strike by Kwadwo Asamoah gave Serie A leaders Juventus a 1-0 win over Fiorentina as they maintained their 100 percent home record in the league in Sunday.
England great Frank Lampard will have to wait to make his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut after he was ruled out of New York City FC's match against Toronto FC on Sunday with a calf strain.
Europe is preparing for UEFA's first full-blown 'week of football' as the marathon Euro 2016 qualifying competition gets into full swing - although it promises to be a distinctly underwhelming experience.
"It's an honour to welcome Didier Drogba to the Impact," said team president Joey Saputo.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is expecting a "boring" match against AS Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday, believing that both sides will adopt a cautious approach.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney would be a "great signing" for Major League Soccer, Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson said, adding that the 30-year-old still has plenty to offer.
Brazilian veteran Kaka is the highest paid player in Major League Soccer, with a 2016 guaranteed salary of $7.167 million, according to figures released by the Players' Union on Thursday.
Italy's famously demanding coach Antonio Conte is not letting up at his players even after they made sure of a place in the round of 16, and top spot in their group at Euro 2016, with one match to spare. Midfielder Marco Parolo told reporters on Sunday that Conte, whose halftime tirades are part of Italian football folklore, was still hammering away at his squad and keeping them on their toes. Italy, who are considered dark horses rather than one of the favourites to win the tournament, face Ireland in Group E in Lille on Wednesday, having already beaten Belgium and Sweden without conceding a goal.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri complained about his team's finishing after the Serie A leaders were held to a goalless draw at Fiorentina.
The club said in a statement that they will observe a period of self-isolation in accordance with league and UK Government protocols on quarantine.
Juventus scored twice in a minute as they came from behind to clinch a dramatic 3-2 win over Olympiakos after Andrea Pirlo had celebrated his 100th Champions League appearance by scoring from a characteristically effortless free kick on Tuesday.
Midfielder Riccardo Montolivo missed out on his second straight major tournament due to injury on Tuesday while Daniele De Rossi was included in Italy's 23-man squad for next month's European Championship in France.
'Betrayed by Ronaldo'
Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has said he is discussing his future with Major League Soccer team Montreal Impact but that retirement talk was premature. French media reported on Wednesday that the 37-year-old Ivorian was to quit playing and join the coaching staff of Premier League champions Chelsea under interim manager Guus Hiddink. "Lovely to receive these messages but I have not yet announced my retirement and am still in discussion with @impactmontreal about my future," Drogba, who has a contract with Montreal Impact through to December, posted on Twitter.
Mandzukic signing adds to the Serie A champs' big haul of strikers as Paul Pogba is targetted by Barca and PSG among other clubs
The league, which is now conducting tests twice per week, did not name the people who tested positive but said they will self-isolate for 10 days.
Italy coach Antonio Conte is among 130 people who face formal investigation.
Cristiano Ronaldo marked his 600th league appearance with his 20th Serie A goal of the season as Juventus beat Spezia 3-0 on Tuesday to move within three points of second-placed AC Milan.
Seydou Keita cancelled out a superb Carlos Tevez free kick as second-placed AS Roma fought back with 10 men for a fiery 1-1 draw at home to leaders Juventus who stayed on course for a fourth successive Serie A title on Monday.
Javier Hernandez's late strike kept Real Madrid on course for a record-extending 11th European Cup crown with a 1-0 win over 10-man Atletico Madrid in a tense quarter-final at the Bernebau on Wednesday.
A bizarre own goal briefly gave Serie A leaders Juventus the jitters, triggering memories of last week's dramatic collapse at Verona, before they recovered to beat lowly Chievo 3-1 on Sunday.
Defender Diego Godin scored a dramatic goal nine minutes from time to send Uruguay through to the World Cup last 16 after a 1-0 win over Italy, on Tuesday, which sent the four-times champions home.
Brazil playmaker Kaka scored his first goal, a delightful curling shot, since his return to AC Milan at the start of the season but his struggling team were held 1-1 at home by Lazio in Serie A on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi scored a 50th freekick goal for Barcelona as he led his side to a quick-fire comeback to win 3-2 at Valencia on Sunday and keep the pressure on La Liga title rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
IMAGES from football matches played across Europe on Sunday.
Banned UEFA president Michel Platini could face further investigation from FIFA's Ethics Committee after attending an awards ceremony and conference in Dubai despite being barred from "all football activity".
Real Madrid top Forbes' most valuable soccer teams list, followed by their La Liga counterparts, FC Barcelona. Here is the list of the 10 most valuable soccer teams (in billions):
Costa Rica made it to the last 16 of the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over four-times winners Italy in their Group D clash on Friday. Captain Bryan Ruiz headed the team to victory with a 44th-minute goal.
Italy and Nigeria played out a thrilling 2-2 draw which included a goal-of-the-season contender from Shola Ameobi in an entertaining friendly at Fulham's Craven Cottage on Monday.
Juventus need to beat Manchester City to reach the Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday and many fans still believe the best way to achieve this is by fielding Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala together in attack.
Real Madrid's Welsh winger Gareth Bale has joined Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for FIFA's Ballon d'Or award.
Carlos Tevez scored twice to give Serie A leaders Juventus a 3-2 win over Fiorentina on Wednesday but Lazio prevented them from celebrating the title by thumping bottom club Parma 4-0, which condemned their opponents to Serie B.
The Czech Republic snatched a last-gasp 2-1 win over the Netherlands thanks to Vaclav Pilar's added time goal after a dreadful mistake by Daryl Janmaat in their opening Euro 2016 qualifier on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi dragged a nervous Barcelona to a 1-0 win at home to Levante in La Liga, while Cristiano Ronaldo converted two late penalties on his 100th appearance for Juventus in all competitions as the Serie A titleholders ground out a 3-1 win away to a dogged Genoa side.
Chelsea beat Sheffield United 2-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the fourth time in five seasons.
Juventus may have become the only club to lose six European Cup finals but they took heart from pushing Barcelona to the limit in Saturday's riveting final and restoring the honour of Italian football, coach Massimiliano Allegri said.
Barcelona have emerged as favourites to be crowned champions after one defeat in their last 22 Liga games.
