THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF NICLAS FULLKRUG’S FIRST GOAL SINCE APRIL DESPITE HIS RECENT TRAGEDIES
Niclas Fullkrug overcomes injury and a €500k robbery to score Milan’s winner. Plus, Paulo Dybala inspires Roma to a crucial win.
Germany’s Fullkrug, on loan from West Ham, finally broke his long goal drought—his first since last April—giving Milan a much-needed win over a stubborn Lecce. With that goal, he kept Milan right on Inter’s heels, just three points behind.
Fullkrug—big guy, 32—nodded in Alexis Saelemaekers’s clever cross in the 76th minute. The San Siro erupted. Relief, mostly, after watching Milan struggle to break Lecce down.
“I got an incredible assist from Ale. Honestly, this is what every striker dreams of—a ball like that,” Fullkrug told DAZN. “I’m just grateful to be here, wearing this shirt, getting the trust a striker needs. The group’s great; the atmosphere’s even better. I’m totally happy.”
Wladimiro Falcone tried his best to keep Lecce alive, pulling off two ridiculous saves against Samuel Ricci and Christian Pulisic. But when Fullkrug got his chance, Falcone couldn’t do a thing—especially considering what Fullkrug’s been through since moving to Milan.
He broke a toe not long after arriving, and then, as if that wasn’t enough, local news says thieves stole half a million euros’ worth of watches and jewellery from his hotel room while Milan played at Como.
But Fullkrug made sure Milan didn’t slip up again against a struggling side. Lecce ended up dropping into the relegation zone, right behind Fiorentina, who had beaten Bologna 2-0 earlier that day.
When DAZN asked if his goal made up for all the recent bad luck, Fullkrug just grinned. “Yeah, it’s enough.”
Up next for Milan? Roma, who just handled Torino 2-0, thanks to Paulo Dybala’s standout game. He set up Donyell Malen for a slick close-range finish in the first half, then put the match away himself in the 72nd minute.
Dybala’s been struggling this season—injuries, a new coach in Gian Piero Gasperini, and the feeling that Matias Soule’s rise could spell the end for him in Rome. But against Torino, Dybala looked sharp. He scored his first goal in almost three months, finishing off Devyne Rensch’s cross with style. That win put Roma at 42 points, still four behind Milan but three clear of Juventus in the Champions League race.
“Dybala was really good today. Our first goal? Just fantastic,” Gasperini said. “You can see he and Malen are really starting to click.”
Roma have seen some European success lately—Conference League winners, Europa League finalists—but haven’t played in the Champions League since 2018/19, when Porto knocked them out in the last 16.
Fiorentina’s win in Bologna meant a lot, especially after the news that American media tycoon Rocco Commisso passed away at 76. The club honoured him with a minute’s silence before the match.
Commisso, born in Italy, built Mediacom into one of the biggest cable TV companies in America. He loved football—owned the New York Cosmos before buying Fiorentina in 2019. He hired Vincenzo Italiano, now Bologna’s coach, who led Fiorentina to three finals: two Conference League and one Italian Cup.
Italiano, who lifted a cup with Bologna last season, has found this winter tough. After a strong start, his team managed just five points in nine matches since December.
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
_1777371632.webp)
