Italy look rested and rather comfortable in Euro 2020 qualifying right now. It’s a refreshing change after failing to reach the 2018 World Cup.
Perhaps it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to hear Roberto Mancini say “I prefer the blue.”
His opinion on Italy’s new green shirt, which the team will wear for Saturday’s qualifier with Greece — stream live: 2.45 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (U.S. only) — isn’t necessarily that of a traditionalist. Mancio won league titles as a player in the blue of Sampdoria and Lazio and his greatest successes as a coach came in the same hue at Inter and Man City. Superstition is the way.
“We’ll see what it looks…
Gab Marcotti praises Maurizio Sarri for his tactics in Juventus’ 2-1 win over Inter. 
Antonio Conte admits that facing Juventus, the team he captained and coached, will be “emotional.” How could it be any other way after 17 years in black and white? But when the Derby d’Italia kicks off on Sunday (stream live on ESPN+, 2:45 p.m. ET), the Inter coach claims the moment will pass and his old club will become “just another opponent.”
Fabian Ruiz has been a revelation in the Napoli midfield and was recently scouted by Barcelona.
Antonio Conte’s Inter remain perfect in Serie A with a 2-0 win over Marco Giampaolo’s lackluster Milan. To watch Serie A subscribe to ESPN+.
TURIN, Italy — Maurizio Sarri’s predecessor at Juventus, Massimiliano Allegri, liked to say “if you want to be entertained, go to the circus.” To him, the result tended to be all that mattered. How Juventus arrived at it obviously held an importance. Allegri never wanted the team to put in a bad performance as they catch up with you in the end, but winning ugly never bothered him.
Shortly after being named Massimiliano Allegri’s successor at Juventus, Maurizio Sarri boarded a private jet to the Cote d’Azur. The 60-year-old former foreign exchange dealer was off to introduce himself to Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and most expensive signing in the history of Serie A. On the yacht Ronaldo had rented for his post-Nations League holiday, Sarri explained his plans for Juventus and the team’s superstar.
Lazio’s inscrutable general manager Igli Tare rated last season a seven out of 10. It was a year of “ups and downs.” The club finished eighth, missing out on the Champions League places by 10 points, while key difference-makers Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Luis Alberto and Ciro Immobile all struggled to hit the heights of the year before.
The mind games began at the end of May. Not from a pretender to the Juventus throne, but from Maurizio Sarri’s predecessor.
Antonio Conte’s reputation has a lot to do with how well he took Juventus to three straight league titles. Now he’s tasked with taking that superclub down as Inter’s new boss.