SCUDETTO CHARGE: LUCIANO SPALLETTI WARNS JUVENTUS TO PEDAL HARDER IN THE 2026 TITLE RACE
Luciano Spalletti challenges Juventus to embrace the Scudetto race. Can the Old Lady close the gap on Napoli and Roma?
Luciano Spalletti isn’t shy about it. He says Juventus shouldn’t be scared to jump right into the Scudetto race. But he’s also not sugarcoating tonight’s challenge against Cremonese—it’s going to be a battle everywhere you look on the pitch.
Juventus has a real shot tonight. The top three all drew over the weekend, so there’s a big chance to close the gap. If they grab a win, they’ll move up to 39 points, right alongside Roma and Napoli. Sure, Antonio Conte’s team still has a game in hand, but that just adds to the drama.
Spalletti wants to keep everyone fired up. “We dreamed about having this bike; now we’ve got to pedal even harder,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “When you’re up against teams chasing the Champions League, you’ve got to make your mark.”
Is chasing the title instead of just a top-four spot going to give the Old Lady an extra push? Spalletti thinks so. “We need to keep pushing naturally, stay ambitious, and remember that wanting to improve is part of what made this club great. There’s no reason to be afraid of stepping up and becoming part of that story.”
They’ll have to do it without Francisco Conceicao, Dusan Vlahovic, Federico Gatti, Daniele Rugani, and Arek Milik, who are all still sidelined. On the bright side, Lloyd Kelly is back to strengthen the defence.
Fabio Miretti gets another run as the trequartista, playing just behind Jonathan David—who finally broke his goal drought with that 3-0 win over Sassuolo.
Cremonese, with Davide Nicola at the helm, have been surprising people this season and have taken down some big names. Spalletti knows they can be tricky. “Football teaches us a lot. We’ve got great young coaches in Italy, and sometimes it’s their intuition that changes everything.”
He wants his players to step up and take control. “They’re the ones who decide things out there. It’s about winning those ten battles all over the field—whoever comes out on top tips the game in their team’s favour.”
THE SAN SIRO BLUEPRINT: WHY CASEMIRO BELIEVES SERIE A IS PERFECT FOR HIS CAREER FINALE
Discover why Casemiro is snubbing MLS for a move to AC Milan and a reunion with teammate Luka Modric.
Casemiro looks set to leave Manchester United this summer, and it sounds like he already knows where he wants to go next. The former Real Madrid midfielder is eyeing a move to AC Milan once his contract runs out. MLS clubs in North America have shown interest; teams like Inter Miami and LA Galaxy are in the mix, but Milan is pushing hard, too. Right now, they’re sitting second in Serie A and have a reputation for bringing in experienced players.
United made it official back in January: Casemiro won’t be sticking around after this season. He’s spent four years at Old Trafford, played 146 games, and scored 21 goals. Fans took to him pretty quickly; he’s always been a fighter on the pitch and knows how to pop up with a goal when it matters most.
Under Michael Carrick, Casemiro’s been a key figure, especially in recent wins over Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham, Spurs, and Everton. Sure, there was a rough patch late in Erik ten Hag’s reign, and even during Ruben Amorim’s brief time, when critics said he looked exposed. But lately, he’s bounced back.
Rumours about his next move have been flying. People spotted Casemiro and his family in Florida, and his wife Ana was seen in Las Vegas. MLS seemed like a real possibility, especially with talk of him teaming up with Messi at Inter Miami. But now, reports say Casemiro wants to stay in Europe. At 34, he still believes he can play at the top level, and a stint in Italy makes a lot of sense for him.
AC Milan could be a great fit. They’ve brought in veterans before; just look at Luka Modric, another ex-Real Madrid star, who signed with Milan and is already making a big impact. Casemiro would also join Christian Pulisic, who has found new life at San Siro after leaving Chelsea and is now one of Milan’s main men, with ten goals this season.
Milan is ten points behind Inter in the league, but bringing in someone like Casemiro could give them the boost they need for another title push next year.
RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK FRACTURES JAW: AC MILAN STAR HOSPITALIZED AFTER SICKENING SAN SIRO COLLISION
A brutal blow: Discover the details of Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s fractured jaw and why he’s missing England's March friendlies.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has opened up about the brutal injuries he suffered after a nasty head clash while playing for AC Milan. He’s now facing at least two months out.
Last night at the San Siro, Loftus-Cheek collided with Parma’s goalkeeper, Edoardo Corvi, going up for a ball. He was taken off the pitch on a stretcher, neck and head strapped tightly. It looked bad right away. Now it’s confirmed: he broke his jaw and lost several teeth. He ended up in the hospital, and doctors say he’ll need around eight weeks to recover.
That rules him out of England’s upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan scheduled for the end of March.
Milan released a statement: Loftus-Cheek suffered “significant facial trauma” and had a fractured jaw. Surgeons at ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo performed the surgery, and the club reports that it went perfectly. He’s already been discharged from the hospital.
Loftus-Cheek posted on Instagram, “It was a tough blow, but the worst is behind me.” He thanked the medical staff, fans, and his teammates, saying their support gave him strength. “We are a team; we are a family. Now, forward towards our goals, strong and united, together.”
Milan lost 1-0 without him, which leaves them in second place in Serie A, ten points behind their big rivals, Inter.
Loftus-Cheek, who grew up in London, has played 27 games for Milan this season, scoring three goals and picking up an assist. He’s now in his third year at the club and just six matches away from hitting 100 appearances.
Before moving to Italy, he spent nearly a decade in and around Chelsea’s first team, with loan spells at Crystal Palace and Fulham. After 19 years at Chelsea, where he progressed through their academy, he joined Milan in June 2023 for £15 million.
He’s played for England 11 times since debuting in 2017, but was out of the squad for six years before Thomas Tuchel, now England’s manager, called him back last September to fill in for Adam Wharton.
Back then, Loftus-Cheek admitted he’d stopped thinking about England selection: “You still want to push in club football, hoping you might get a look-in. But honestly, I just forgot about it and became a fan instead.”
He’s played all over the pitch under Tuchel, sometimes higher up, closer to the striker, and other times deeper in midfield. Asked if his versatility might help his World Cup chances, Loftus-Cheek said, “Who knows? I can play different positions. Since joining AC Milan, I’ve played higher up to score goals and help the team in the final third. Under Tuchel, I played deeper. I can do both, and in a tournament, being versatile is a good thing. I’m happy to play anywhere for the team and give it everything, whatever the position.”