Mario Balotelli came off the bench to help 10-man AC Milan record a 2-0 victory at Genoa on Friday that tightened their grip on third place in Serie A ahead of Tuesday's Champions League return match with Barcelona.
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.
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.
The fixture list is ready and the restart date is confirmed but the Italian football federation (FIGC) is still worried that the Serie A season might not finish due to rules for quarantining players infected with COVID-19. In most countries where football has restarted, such as Germany, the general rule is that when a player tests positive for coronavirus, he has to be quarantined but his team mates can continue training and playing provided they test negative. However, in Italy, where Serie A is due to resume on June 20, the government rule is that the entire squad must be quarantined for 14 days.
Lionel Messi has rarely been accused of failing to deliver in big games, having scored in two European Cup finals, but after subdued performances against AC Milan and Real Madrid, questions are being asked.
If Mario Balotelli had left his "Why Always Me?" T-shirt behind in Manchester, his former manager Roberto Mancini might well have fancied wearing it on Friday.
Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari put Ghana in the Champions League spotlight as they scored the goals which gave AC Milan a shock 2-0 win over Barcelona on Wednesday.
Images from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
Jose Mourinho has rejected the notion Roman Abramovich interfered in team affairs in his first spell as Chelsea manager and also denied the Russian owner went over his head to land big-money buy Andriy Shevchenko in 2006.
Silvio Berlusconi remains committed to his AC Milan soccer team, one of the club's directors said, playing down speculation that the former Italian prime minister was ready to sell up.
After a glittering career spent at European giants Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan, former Dutch international Edgar Davids has dropped to the basement of English soccer to join fourth tier side Barnet.
Inter Milan have been fined 15,000 euros after fans chanted racist slogans about their former striker Mario Balotelli during a Serie A match on Sunday.
Holders Corinthians slumped to their second consecutive 1-0 defeat in the Brazilian championship, where the highlight of the weekend's matches was a spectacular bicycle kick by Vasco da Gama's Alecsandro.
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Second-placed Sevilla were held to a 1-1 draw by Barcelona, while Juventus registered a routine 2-0 win over struggling Cagliari.
Deducting points from teams whose fans or players are guilty of racism is a better way of tackling the problem than players walking off the pitch and abandoning matches, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Monday.
Racist chanting that led AC Milan players to walk off the pitch during a friendly match provoked howls of outrage in Italy on Friday, while club owner Silvio Berlusconi vowed his team would abandon all matches where they suffer similar abuse.
Paraguay striker Oscar Cardozo's well-taken double fired Benfica into a Europa League final with Chelsea after they beat Fenerbahce 3-1 in Lisbon to win their semi-final 3-2 on aggregate.
Juventus closed on their 29th Italian title with a 1-0 win over AC Milan thanks to Arturo Vidal's second-half penalty on Sunday.
Mathieu Flamini scored and was sent off as AC Milan were held 1-1 by Napoli in a third-versus-second battle in Serie A on Sunday while Inter Milan were on the wrong end of another controversial penalty in a 2-0 loss at Cagliari.
Fiorentina, two goals down and reduced to 10 men, converted two quickfire penalties to draw 2-2 with AC Milan in Serie A on Sunday while a 12-minute hat-trick by German Denis gave Atalanta a 4-3 win at a stunned Inter Milan after they had trailed 3-1.
AC Milan's maverick forward Mario Balotelli was caught smoking in the toilet on the train during the team's journey to Florence and will be fined, chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Sunday.
Qatari-backed Paris St Germain's mission to be considered one of Europe's top clubs faces its toughest test yet when they host Barcelona in an intriguing Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.
Retired Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko has been asked to coach the national team seeking to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil, the Ukraine soccer federation said on Monday.
Barcelona pulled off a remarkable Champions League comeback when Lionel Messi scored twice in a thrilling 4-0 victory at home to AC Milan on Tuesday that sent the Spanish club through to the last eight 4-2 on aggregate.
Lionel Messi's Barcelona gave an emphatic response to the doubters when they made Champions League history by overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit to oust seven-times European Cup winners AC Milan on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi has often said personal accolades are secondary to the fortunes of the team and Barcelona's Argentina forward would probably swap all four of his World Player of the Year awards for a comeback success against AC Milan on Tuesday.
Former World Footballer of the Year Rivaldo, 40, has left Kabuscorp after completing a short-term contract with the Angolan team.
Cristiano Ronaldo converted two penalties as he scored for the ninth Serie A game in a row on Sunday to give Juventus a somewhat flattering 3-0 win over Fiorentina which kept them top of Serie A.
Juventus playmaker Andrea Pirlo could be forgiven for having the 2005 Champions League final on his mind when the Italian side take a 3-0 advantage into their last-16 second-leg clash against Celtic on Wednesday.
Barcelona need to be more efficient in front of goal and iron out defensive lapses if they are to beat Real Madrid in the King's Cup last four, assistant coach Jordi Roura and midfielder Cesc Fabregas said on Monday.
Lionel Messi helped Barcelona shake off the hangover from their midweek defeat by AC Milan as the leaders rallied to a 2-1 win at home to fellow King's Cup semi-finalists Sevilla in La Liga on Saturday.
Barcelona's dismay at losing 2-0 at AC Milan in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg was offset on Thursday by the news that defender Eric Abidal had been cleared to play after almost a year out to undergo a liver transplant.
Manchester United will be without world record signing Paul Pogba for their Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Sunday due to a suspension, the Football Association said on Friday.
Barcelona's Champions League match at AC Milan on Wednesday will be a poignant affair for interim coach Jordi Roura as he returns to the stadium where he suffered an injury that ultimately forced him to end his career.
AC Milan have been left dwelling on the past as they prepare to host Barcelona in a Champions League last-16 first leg tie on Wednesday when Lionel Messi will try to score for the Catalans for the 15th match in a row.
A stunning Mario Balotelli free-kick gave AC Milan a 2-1 win over mid-table Parma in Serie A on Friday that put them level with third-placed Lazio and a point ahead of rivals Inter Milan in the race for European places.
Images from the football matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
Mario Balotelli's troubles have followed him back to Italy after media reports on Thursday said the AC Milan striker was fined by police following a row over his parked car at a city airport.
Manchester City's volatile striker Mario Balotelli could soon be on his way back to his native Italy with sources familiar with the talks saying AC Milan and Juventus are interested in a deal.
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