Author: isport

Alberto Aquilani began his managerial journey at Fiorentina in the Italian Serie A in 2019 having spent the majority of his career in the division.

The former Italian national team midfielder was appointed the Fiorentina u-18 head coach on July 11, 2019 though he was in the position for some months before he was given a new role.

The ex-AS Roma and Liverpool star spent five months as the Fiorentina u-18 head coach before he joined the first team coaching crew where he was made the assistant manager to then manager Giuseppe Iachini.

In a matter of months, Alberto Aquilani was on the move again at Fiorentina as he was given another role. He occupied three different coaching roles at Fiorentina within the space of one year. On July 19, 2020, Alberto Aquilani was named the Fiorentina Primavera squad head coach and he went on to enjoy a successful first year in charge of the team.
Around five weeks after his appointment as the head coach of the Fiorentina Primavera squad, Alberto Aquilani lead the team to successfully defend their Coppa Italia Primavera title. Under his watch, Fiorentina Primavera saw off Hellas Verona in the final via a 1-0 scoreline to ensure that they retained their title.

Aquilani has been with the Fiorentina Primavera squad since his appointment two years ago.

Alberto Aquilani would be hoping that he continues to inspire the next generation of footballers. He was a fine footballer in his playing days though injuries affected his career. The Italian would have achieved more in the game if not for his injury woes. Aquilani started his career as a young player at capital club AS Roma and he would go on to play for the first team. The Italian was in the AS Roma first team for seven years before he left to sign for Liverpool in 2009.

Antonio Conte is believed to be willing to take charge at Manchester United and is waiting for the opportunity.

Conte has not coached any team for the last 12 months or so, but he is likely to start working soon and he already has a number of job offers on the table, most of which are from his own country Italy, but as per the reports, the 49-year old wants to coach in the English top tier and he sees Manchester United as a potential job destination.

Antonio Conte is believed to be willing to take charge at Manchester United and is waiting for the opportunity.

Conte has not coached any team for the last 12 months or so, but he is likely to start working soon and he already has a number of job offers on the table, most of which are from his own country Italy, but as per the reports, the 49-year old wants to coach in the English top tier and he sees Manchester United as a potential job destination.

And he has all the reasons to think so because despite the fact that the Red Devils have given Ole a permanent position, his job there is still vulnerable and that’s because United has had quite a few poor results on the bounce in the recent weeks.
And it is not sure if Ole is still going to be in his job when United start the next pre-season. If he is not, then Conte has every chance to come into the reckoning because he is a title winning coach in the Premiership and United won’t mind contemplating his name if he has shown the willingness from his side.

However it remains to be seen whether United loses their patience with Ole so soon because his stint so far has been a little bit hot and cold. Initially when he started, he managed to get some great performances out of the team which actually earned him that permanent position, but he couldn’t quite maintain that level of performance once he penned the permanent deal.

The challenge for him now is to make sure that United ends the season on a high and convince the hierarchy that he can turn things around for the team going forward.

AS Roma goalkeeper Roman Olsen has revealed his delight after bagging his first Serie A clean sheet for the Giallorossi.

The Capital outfit have endured a slow start to the season with just two wins from their opening six matches and the most recent came in midweek where they sealed a comfortable 4-0 win over newcomers Frosinone.

AS Roma goalkeeper Roman Olsen has revealed his delight after bagging his first Serie A clean sheet for the Giallorossi.

The Capital outfit have endured a slow start to the season with just two wins from their opening six matches and the most recent came in midweek where they sealed a comfortable 4-0 win over newcomers Frosinone.

Speaking after that game, the former Copenhagen man admitted that it was a relief to bag his first shutout for the club and he is hoping that the midweek’s result can change their fortunes for the rest of the campaign, he said: “It was a relief, we scored after a couple of minutes and it was clear that it would have been our night. We had a difficult start in the championship, but sometimes things change and I hope Wednesday’s match can keep us going. Saturday there is an important game, an extremely important derby to win, it could give us a great boost.”

Roma finished in the third position in the Serie A during the previous campaign and they also went on to make progress in the Champions League where they managed to reach the semi-final phase for the first time in three decades. However, the current season has not paved the way they would have hoped and they already find themselves 10 points behind league leaders Juventus after the first six games of the season.

Up next, the Giallorossi are scheduled to entertain Lazio in the Rome derby on Saturday and Eusebio Di Francesco’s side will be hoping that they can pick up another positive result against their cross-town rivals in order to avoid losing ground on the Champions League positions at such an early stage of the campaign. Roma are currently four points adrift of the top-four with the final spot being occupied by Lazio.

Former AC Milan midfielder Alberto Aquilani believes Lazio and Inter Milan will tussle it out for the fourth position in the Serie A standings. The Italian duo have been neck-to-neck with their performances in the backend of the campaign, and Aquilani feels the final Champions League spot could be decided between the two.

In an interview covered by Gazzetta dello Sport, Aquilani appeared to dismiss AC Milan’s chances of reaching the top-four by saying: “I think Di Francesco will secure Champions League for Roma, while fourth place will be played for until the end between Lazio and Inter.”

Former AC Milan midfielder Alberto Aquilani believes Lazio and Inter Milan will tussle it out for the fourth position in the Serie A standings. The Italian duo have been neck-to-neck with their performances in the backend of the campaign, and Aquilani feels the final Champions League spot could be decided between the two.

In an interview covered by Gazzetta dello Sport, Aquilani appeared to dismiss AC Milan’s chances of reaching the top-four by saying: “I think Di Francesco will secure Champions League for Roma, while fourth place will be played for until the end between Lazio and Inter.”

The Rossoneri were obviously one of the most in-form sides heading into the last international break but their form has since dwindled with no victories in four league games.

As a result, they have dropped seven points behind arch-rivals Inter Milan, who are presently fifth on the table. Luciano Spalletti’s side are currently separated from both Lazio and AS Roma by a solitary point but the former are likely to pose their main rivals for the fourth spot, considering they face each other in the final gameweek of the Serie A season.

Unlike Inter, Lazio were also banking on their progress in the Europa League but their dreams were shattered in the quarter-final stage where they suffered a shocking exit at the hands of Red Bull Salzburg. The Rome-based outfit had a 4-2 advantage from their home-leg of the quarter-final but they failed to show up on the road as they succumbed to a heavy 5-1 defeat.

With the loss, Lazio have no other commitments other than the Serie A and they will be hoping for better luck via the VAR. The Capital outfit have not had the best of times with the refereeing decisions in recent months and much of this has resulted from other teams benefiting from the review system.

Juventus chief executive Beppe Marotta has stressed that the club are not interested in a summer move for Nice striker Mario Balotelli.

The Italy international is eyeing a return to the Serie A after a two-year stint in the south of the France, and he has talked up Juve and Napoli as probable destinations he would prefer.

Juventus chief executive Beppe Marotta has stressed that the club are not interested in a summer move for Nice striker Mario Balotelli.

The Italy international is eyeing a return to the Serie A after a two-year stint in the south of the France, and he has talked up Juve and Napoli as probable destinations he would prefer.

However, Marotta has appeared to have dismissed the possibility of Juventus making a contract offer with the player not fitting into their scheme of things. Nonetheless, the Bianconeri chief hailed the 27-year-old as a great player, and believes he could be of importance to the national side, who are headed for a transition phase after their shock failure to qualify for the summer World Cup. He told Mediaset Premium: “Balotelli? It’s great to watch him play, he’s a great player, but we aren’t following him at this moment. I repeat, he’s an important player and he could be useful to the national team in the near future.

Balotelli’s future appeared to be on a downslide after finding himself surplus to requirements for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, but his move to France with Nice has done him wonders. The former Premier League winner has contributed 39 goals in 58 appearances for the club in the space of 18 months, and his form has caught the eye of manager Eusebio Di Francesco, who has admitted that Roma could discuss terms over Bosman move.

At 27, Balotelli is probably approaching the prime of his career, and he will hope to re-establish himself in the Italian top-flight, where he initially made a name for himself with Inter Milan. Balotelli’s work rate had often come for criticism during his time in the Premier League, but he has managed to cover up some of his flaws by improving his conversion rate in front of goal.

Second-placed side in the Serie A, AS Roma have crushed their opponent lowly-placed Pescara 4-1 in an away game. The visitors thought they had sealed the game with four unreplied goals before Ahmad Benali got a consolation for the home side.

The victory sends them back within eight points of leaders Juventus. The Serie A defending champs still have a considerable chance of cruising to a sixth successive Serie A title this term.

Both giants will clash in an epic game on May 14, with tickets available here, though by then it may be too late for Roma, with Juventus having to win just one of their next 3 games to be assured of the title.

Kevin Strootman scored the opener at the stroke of half time. He scored from a central position and before Pescara could compose themselves, Chelsea target Radja Nainggolan added the second the next minute.

After the break, Mohammed Salah scored the third of the match as he hit a shot from outside the area. He grabbed his brace in the 60th minute to complete the 4-0 rout. Roma could have added more but they blew their chances before Pescara got a consolation through Benali.

The result ended the hopes of Pescara in the top flight of Italian football. They would have to play in the Serie B from next season. They would also lose players that are loaned out like Alberto Acquilani to Sassuolo, and some Serie A sides could snatch some more top players as their funding is cut short.

Napoli remain in third place with Lazio following closely. It seems the log is stable and it would pan out this way when the season ends.

Alberto Aquilani was just the Prince that never was. The Italian was just the perfect Roman that excelled at AS Roma but then he decided to pitch his tent elsewhere without properly assessing or being ready for it.

There are the sterling ones like the Tottis, the De Rossi and the likes that are consistently up there for the Serie A side. Surely there are the ones that always disappointed in a Giallorossi shirt. Then there is this class of average players. That was where Aquilani was.

Alberto Aquilani was just the Prince that never was. The Italian was just the perfect Roman that excelled at AS Roma but then he decided to pitch his tent elsewhere without properly assessing or being ready for it.

There are the sterling ones like the Tottis, the De Rossi and the likes that are consistently up there for the Serie A side. Surely there are the ones that always disappointed in a Giallorossi shirt. Then there is this class of average players. That was where Aquilani was.

For over six years, the Italian had the usual highs and lows. He was there when Roma humbled the super AC Milan side, he was lost in some games, his celebrations were special and he seemed to connect with the Roma fans.

Then the Prince decided to move to England. For titles? A different test? Growth? The questions are endless but it is likely that he is regretting that move as his career went south from then.

Liverpool came and swooped him for a whopping €20 million ahead of the 2009/10 season. The 2005 European Champions had read and seen enough of the central midfielder. He failed colossally, and not even a return to play for Juventus, Milan and Fiorentina could help his ill-fated career. The Prince never matched his average at Roma and till date at 32 years he is still struggling.

After getting frustrated at Anfield, he moved to Fiorentina spent three years before moving to Portugal to play for Sporting. He moved back to Pescara before joining Sassuolo yet nothing. Maybe he should never have left.

Former AS Roma, Liverpool and AC Milan player Alberto Aquilani has approved of the move to Serie A club Pescara. The player was linked with the club, but according to Gazzetta World, the long standing deal the Italian had with Sporting CP was a hindrance.

The report claimed the president of Pescara said that Mario Balotelli and Pablo Osvaldo are great players but just not suited to play for the club. It was also added that the club was open to a possible move of Aquilani if he would return to Italy.

Former AS Roma, Liverpool and AC Milan player Alberto Aquilani has approved of the move to Serie A club Pescara. The player was linked with the club, but according to Gazzetta World, the long standing deal the Italian had with Sporting CP was a hindrance.

The report claimed the president of Pescara said that Mario Balotelli and Pablo Osvaldo are great players but just not suited to play for the club. It was also added that the club was open to a possible move of Aquilani if he would return to Italy.

La Gazzetta dello report now that the former Fiorentina player has now given the go ahead for the deal despite spending just the 2015/16 season with the Portuguese side. Coach Massimo Oddo is open to Aquilani joining the Pescara team for the upcoming season. The club and player are still hoping to finalize the deal but it seems the player could book a one-way ticket back to his native soonest.

The 32-year old player still has to round off talks with Sporting as he is still contracted to them after joining on a free transfer last term. Since joining the Portuguese outfit, the central midfielder

Conte, who has signed a deal to take over at Chelsea after the tournament, has a tough decision to make on who deserves a place in Italy’s 23-man squad and Alberto Aquilani is one of those players currently on the cusp of an inclusion.

The Sporting Lisbon midfielder is one of the best defensive midfielders in the Portuguese league but he is often overlooked due to the fact that he’s not competing in one of Europe’s elite divisions. Having said that, Aquilani has earned 38 caps for the Italian side and Conte will be aware of his skillset and how the 31-year-old could help Italy reach the latter stages of the competition.

Right now, Italy are priced at 16/1 with Coral to go on and win the tournament. To put their odds into perspective, Roy Hodgson’s men, who haven’t won a major competition since lifting the World Cup in 1966, are priced at 9/1 and many punters are already placing wagers on England betting markets despite their poor recent record at major tournaments.

Italian football isn’t exactly flourishing new stars out of the woodwork right now and it might be wise of Conte to look towards old campaigners, such as Aquilani. The former Liverpool man has enjoyed one of his best seasons at Sporting this year and he still believes that he has a huge role to play in the national set-up, providing Conte is willing to select him in the 23-man squad.

Whether Aquilani makes the squad or not, Italy will be looking to advance past the group stages – something both they and England failed to do at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Right now, the Italians are valued at 3/1 to crash out at the first hurdle whilst many will be tempted by the England betting odds of 6/1 to suffer elimination in the group stages as well.

If truth be told, there’s no excuse for Italy to struggle in the opening round. While they face tough fixtures against both Belgium and Sweden, they should ease past the Republic of Ireland. In fact, with the likes of Stephan El Shaarawy and Lorenzo Insigne in the squad, it’ll be like David vs Goliath and Italy will expect to secure all three points against Martin O’Neill’s side.

Aquilani will be desperate to appear for his nation this summer and if it came down to his passion and enthusiasm, the Sporting star would be one of the first names on Conte’s team sheet. As it is, his position remains unclear but whatever happens, he’ll be cheering Italy on – whether that’s on the field or from the comfort of his own home!