<p>In terms of results, AC Milan’s U.S. tour was impeccable. They beat English Premier League powerhouse Manchester City before doing the same against LaLiga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. But, with a minute remaining from the regular 90, Milan was in danger of losing to Torino in the Serie A opener.&nbsp;</p>



<p>A win for the Turin side would’ve been their first in San Siro against AC Milan in league play since 1985, but Paulo Fonseca’s timely substitutions secured a point for last season’s runners-up.</p>



<h2>Supersubs for Milan against Torino</h2>



<p>In hindsight, the game’s two biggest turning points involved European champion Alvaro Morata. On his return to Serie A soccer, the Spaniard nearly leveled the score before a late intervention by Torino’s heroic debutant Saul Coco.</p>



<p>Duvan Zapata doubled the lead for the visitors moments later, but Morata, one of Fonseca’s first three substitutes, had a second bite of the cherry before Noah Okafor salvaged the point with a 95th-minute strike. As expected, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/pulisic-could-switch-to-new-position-in-milan/">Christian Pulisic</a> played in an attacking midfield role.</p>



<p>Curiously, all five changes by the former LOSC Lille coach impacted the late foray. Tijani Reijnders and Yunus Musah assisted the goals for the striking duo. It’d have been quite sensational had Theo Hernandez, who dropped to the bench in favor of Alexis Saelemaekers, grabbed a winner with a powerful hit. Ali Dembele prevented further damage for Torino.</p>



<p>For comparison, Milan only avoided defeat in half of the games they went behind last season under Stefano Pioli. Swiss international Okafor also had five goals off the bench in the 2023/24 campaign, which was only one short of the league’s best and Empoli’s lifesaver, M’Baye Niang.</p>



<h2>Memorable Musah cameo</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/08/16034041/Milan-Torino-1-1-1200x675-1200x675.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-523394" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></div></figure>



<p>Special appreciation will also be reserved for a USMNT midfielder. But not for the usual suspect. Pulisic had a couple of great chances to open his tally before exiting the pitch by a fellow American. Musah’s entrance galvanized Milan’s attempt at getting back into the game.</p>



<p>Musah involved himself in <a href="https://x.com/OptaJack/status/1824918199940337675" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seven shots</a> playing only for 35 minutes. With Youssouf Fofana joining Milan’s midfield, Musah has to prove his worth to the new coach.</p>



<p>Musah dominantly played from the right flank, a position he had to fill on a few occasions last season. Earlier in the summer, Milan declined offers for their midfielder. Musah tied with Milan until 2028 and this appearance could be a springboard.&nbsp;</p>



<h2>What’s next for the teams?</h2>



<p>AC Milan’s next Serie A fixture is expected to write a new chapter. Their game against Parma, who drew with Fiorentina on Saturday, will be the first Serie A fixture on CBS television. It could prompt a <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/cbs-primed-to-break-serie-a-tv-ratings-record-for-parma-milan/">potential record audience</a> for the league in this region.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Torino’s next game will see Zapata reunited with his former Atalanta teammates. The last time the two clubs met, the Colombian striker received a wine as a gift from the fans of the Europa League champions.</p>



<p>Earlier in the day, both teams completed transfers. Milan’s new midfielder Fofana and Borna Sosa, who replaced Ricardo Rodriguez at Torino, will likely debut against Parma and Atalanta, respectively.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em></p>


Subs saved the day for Milan in Paulo Fonseca's debut

Paulo Fonseca's Milan side drew 2-2 against mid-table Torino. Here's what happened in the Rossoneri's opener.

Subs saved the day for Milan in Paulo Fonseca's debut - World Soccer Talk

main

<p>According to Thursday’s Italian Referee Association (AIA) announcement, a referee crew consisting of only female officials will oversee a Serie A game this coming weekend.</p>



<p>After last Monday’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/history-of-the-milan-derby-the-derby-della-madonnina/">Derby della Madonnina</a> victory against AC Milan, Inter Milan was crowned <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule/">Serie A</a> champions. There was no more gratifying method for Inter to earn their 20th Scudetto in club history. With 19 league championships between them, the two Milan teams came into this season in a dead heat. Finally, Inter will get the second gold star on their club emblem before their arch-rivals.</p>



<h2>Unprecedented event in Italian soccer</h2>



<p>But before heading out on summer break, Simone Inzaghi’s squad still has five games to play. When Serie A kicks off early on Sunday, they will play host to Torino before taking an open-air bus parade across the city.</p>



<p>Sunday sees the newly crowned league winners play in a match that <a href="https://www.fcinternews.it/copertina/inter-torino-terna-arbitrale-tutta-femminile-dirige-maria-sole-ferrieri-caputi-al-var-la-coppia-di-paolo-aureliano-953135" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi will officiate</a>. Tiziana Trasciatti and Francesca Di Monte will be her assistants.</p>



<p>As Italian soccer struggles with concerns of representation and diversity, this momentous occasion occurs in a world that men have long controlled. With her call of Sassuolo vs Salernitana in 2022, 33-year-old Ferrieri Caputi became the first female referee in Serie A.</p>



<p>This season, she has presided over six games in Italy’s top division. That means she will be refereeing her seventh Serie A match of the season. Officiating a match for the Nerazzurri this season is something she has never done before.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/16042812/Maria-Sole-Ferrieri-Caputi-1200x670-1200x670.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-503842" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></div></figure>



<p>The 33-year-old had 31 yellow cards and 1 red card in her six appearances in Serie A. The referee even gave out penalty kicks twice. Additionally, Ferrieri Caputi presided over eight games in Serie B this year.</p>



<p>A FIFA-certified official, she oversaw a UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier. Along the lines, the Livorno native will have the support of Francesca Di Monte and Tiziana Trasciatti, rounding out the all-female squad.</p>



<p>With that said, Di Paolo and Aureliano will be in charge of the video assistant referee booth, while Matteo Marchetti will play the role of fourth official.</p>



<h2>Almost perfect record for Inter’s 20th title</h2>



<p>Going back to Inter Milan lifting the Scudetto, there was no more fulfilling way to earn it, in their minds. Inter missed a chance to become the first team to win the title in a <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/ac-milan-vs-inter-milan-where-to-watch-derby-della-madonnina-in-the-us/">Milan derby</a>. In May 2008, they eventually lost 2-1 to their rivals.</p>



<p>In a match played at the San Siro, where both take great pride, Inter came out on top, winning 2-1. Fikayo Tomori scored in stoppage time, but the visiting team’s goals from Francesco Acerbi and Marcus Thuram decided the game.</p>



<p>First to go earn marching orders were Denzel Dumfries and Theo Hernandez, who had been battling in the middle of the field since the beginning of injury time. Then, the Rossoneri captain Davide Calabria was the next to go down the chute a few minutes later after he smacked Davide Frattesi in the face in a corner.</p>



<p>Inter have had a remarkable season under manager Simone Inzaghi, finishing Serie A with only a single defeat. It was in September when they were host to Sassuolo and lost 2-1.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em></p>


Female referee crew to be in charge of Serie A for first time

Italian Referee Association (AIA) announced on Thursday that a female officiating crew will officially oversee a Serie A game.

<p>Nikola Vlasic, who did not succeed at West Ham, has launched a remarkable critique against the club.</p>



<p>The Hammers paid $33 million for the 25-year-old in 2021, but he saw little playing time and was loaned out to Torino for the 2022-23 season. While playing in Italy, for 34 games, he was credited with five goals and six assists.</p>



<p>But now that he is back in London, Vlasic has made it obvious that doesn’t intend to stay and plans to make a permanent switch to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule/">Serie A</a>. As a result, the two clubs are fighting over a transfer price since the Italian side wants to alter the previously agreed-upon deal.</p>



<h2>Vlasic asks for Torino move</h2>



<p>The reported offer from the Italians for Vlasic is just around $10.2 million, which is at least $3.8 million less than the Hammers are asking for his services. In an interview with <a href="https://www.tuttosport.com/news/calcio/calciomercato/torino/2023/07/28-110963253/lo_sfogo_di_vlasic_vendetemi_al_torino_non_ne_posso_piu_" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tuttosport</a>, the Croatia international slammed the club for failing to set clear transfer terms with Torino. He says they have offered a sum very close to the asking price.</p>



<p>Thus beginning an extraordinary tirade against <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/west-ham-tv-schedule">West Ham</a>, the attacking midfielder has made his voice heard: “I’m fed up with this dead-end situation. We all know, you first, that I’m not considered an important player here, I’m just one of many in the reserve group. I returned to London respecting the call-up with great fairness and I am training every day with the utmost professionalism, but this cannot be the solution.</p>



<p>“I’ve been telling you for two months that I want to play for Torino, that I no longer want to stay at West Ham under these conditions, on the sidelines. And also, that my own family never wants to go back to live in England.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Nikola Vlasic puts cherry on top of West Ham win over Watford | Premier League | NBC Sports" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-G5wazCwDsU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<h5>Player demands explanation from West Ham</h5>



<p>“And also, that I’m not interested in evaluating other market hypotheses if ever there were. Your behavior is incomprehensible. I know that Torino has already offered you $9.9 million for a long time, an important figure, respectful of my value and your needs.</p>



<p>“But you don’t intend to negotiate with Torino, you repeat that it’s not enough, but you still don’t communicate to the Italian club what the right figure is, in your opinion. I’m worried: I will continue training with great seriousness, but it cannot go on like this.”</p>



<p><em>Photo: IMAGO / PRiME Media Images</em></p>


West Ham flop lashes out at club, seeks imminent exit

A West Ham flop signing has finally spoken up, and his desire to quit the club this summer is crystal plain in a furious rant.

West Ham flop lashes out at club, seeks imminent exit - World Soccer Talk

<p>Enzo Bearzot, a legend of Italian coaching, died today. While I can’t say much about what I remember of him, I can say that he is certainly one of the greatest influences on Italian football. Although many coaches focus on drills, tactics, and fitness, Bearzot also made sure he created a tightly-knit group. One of the most human and relatable people to grace the game, Bearzot made sure that people understood his ideas, becoming like an older brother or a father for his players, and ultimately for all of Italy.</p>
<p>As a player Enzo Bearzot was hard-working and versatile. Bearzot had 251 appearances in the Serie A, playing for Inter Milan, Catania, and most notably Torino. He was an important piece in Torino’s side, playing often as a central defender, and helping rebuild the team after the tragic Superga air disaster. In his playing career he also earned one cap for the Italian National team in 1955. He wasn’t a truly fantastic player, but he had great ideas and skills which he utilized in his coaching career.</p>
<p>Bearzot’s greatest moment as a coach was without a doubt when he won the 1982 World Cup at the helm of Italy’s national team. When he first took the job, he was scrutinized by the media due to his, lack of inexperience in big coaching jobs. Italy had a poor start to the 1982 World Cup, and as the Italian media was wildly criticizing Bearzot, the coach issued a “silenzio stampa”, which means “silence to the press”, allowing him and his side to work in temporary silence. Bearzot eventually found the perfect combination with time, and Italy defeated favorites Brazil, then Argentina, and finally West Germany in the final. Enzo Bearzot conquered the 1982 World Cup, Italy’s third, ending 44 years of drought in which the Azzurri hadn’t been crowned as world champions.</p>
<p>There weren’t many other highlights like 1982 in Bearzot’s coaching career, nonetheless he was a man with the right ideals.</p>
<blockquote><p>“The player profile has also changed, especially regarding loyalty to clubs, which have themselves become profit-making businesses. What’s more, football has now become a science, if not always exact, but for me, it’s</p>
<p>still first and foremost a game.”</p></blockquote>
<p>I mentioned before that Enzo Bearzot was more than just a coach. He did his best to rid Italy of the tight and defensive <em>catenaccio</em>, instead trying to imprint a more fluid and attacking style, inspired by the Netherlands which played <em>total football</em> in 1974. While the Azzurri didn’t play<em> total football</em>, they became a more attacking side, entertaining crowds with exciting performances. In the end Enzo Bearzot had a simple philosophy regarding how his teams should play,</p>
<blockquote><p>“For me, football should be played with two wingers, a centre forward and a playmaker. That’s the way I see the game. I select my players and then I let them play the game, without trying to impose tactical plans on them. You can’t tell Maradona, ‘Play the way I tell you.’ You have to leave him free to express himself. The rest will take care of itself,”</p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left">A simple yet wonderful idea of football from a true legend of the game. While Bearzot was often criticized at the beginning of the campaign of 1982, every Italian loved him by the end of the tournament. It wasn’t love just because of what he achieved, but it was a love which extends past the fact that many never knew him. Bearzot was a father figure for all of Italy, guiding the country while taking criticism by ones which would ultimately be proven wrong. Not only did Bearzot create a family with his players, he brought all of Italy closer together, winning a tournament which lives in a nation’s hearts.</p>
<p>Enzo Bearzot, born 27 September 1927, died 21 December 2010.</p>


Enzo Bearzot Dies At 83

Enzo Bearzot Dies At 83 - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_2030" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41431715@N07/3818654099/"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2030" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-2030" src="/files/2010/01/Zaccheroni-300x221.jpg" alt="Flickr/Photo by Sergio138" width="300" height="221"></figure></div></a><p id="caption-attachment-2030" class="wp-caption-text">Flickr/Photo by Sergio138</p></div>
<p>According to numerous Italian sites and <a href="http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2010/01/29/1766092/alberto-zaccheroni-to-be-appointed-new-juventus-coach-on" target="_blank">Goal.com</a>, former AC Milan manager Alberto Zaccheroni will be named Juventus manager on Friday, replacing embattled Ciro Ferrara.</p>
<p>The tipping point seemingly was Juve’s 2-1 Coppa Italia loss to Inter Thursday, seemingly eliminating the proud club from any chance at any titles this year.&nbsp; For a club that has a host of Italian national team players, including possibly the best keeper in the world, this was an unacceptable situation.&nbsp; For a full breakdown of Ferrara’s situation, check out Rami’s <a href="http://www.serieatalk.com/the-errors-of-juves-management/2013" target="_blank">excellent</a> <a href="http://www.serieatalk.com/juves-struggles-to-hurt-italy-in-south-africa/2010" target="_blank">posts</a>.</p>
<p>The 56 year-old Zaccheroni reportedly will take over Juventus through the end of the season.&nbsp; He began his managerial career by guiding Udinese to a UEFA Cup spot in 1998, and won a <em>scudetto</em> with AC Milan in 1999.&nbsp; He bounced around Italian soccer with stops in Inter and Lazio, but was repeatedly fired for major losses and clashes with owners.&nbsp; His last stop was with Torino in Serie B, where he was fired in 2007.</p>
<p>Baring a miraculous run at the <em>scudetto</em>, this position could be a chance for Zaccheroni to showcase his managerial skills for his next club.&nbsp; The Juventus board would then interview all the major names that are unemployed (or, in the case of Rafa Bentitez, tentatively employed) to be the permanent manager.&nbsp; So stay tuned – the Juventus soap opera will likely continue.</p>


Zaccheroni To Be New Juventus Manager &#8211; Italian Press

Zaccheroni To Be New Juventus Manager - Italian Press - World Soccer Talk

Zaccheroni To Be New Juventus Manager – Italian Press

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1256" src="/files/2009/05/0291-225x300.jpg" alt="Superga 60th Anniversary" width="225" height="300"></figure></div>
<p>The story has been told a million times before. The greatest team in football, on their flight home from an exhibition game in Lisbon, meet with a premature end when their G-212&nbsp; plane smashes into the Basilica di Superga. All 31 passengers died, including the entire Torino squad. Sixty years on, the pain felt on 4 May 1949 is still very much in evidence in the city of Turin.</p>
<p>Monday saw the anniversary of the darkest day in Italian football history, with around 1500 people making the arduous trek up to the site of the crash. As&nbsp;the public&nbsp;arrived ahead of a commemorative Mass inside the church, the heavens opened and a thunderstorm raged, recreating the treacherous conditions which had plagued the flight in question and caused the deathly impact at the rear of the building. There now stands a memorial to the victims at that exact spot, and mourners braved the weather to leave floral tributes and pay their respects to <em>I Caduti</em> (the fallen) before making their way&nbsp;to the front of the&nbsp;church. Here a giant TV screen had been erected to allow the public to watch the service.</p>
<p>As members of the Torino club staff arrived, including the entire playing squad, the skies cleared, allowing many fans to emerge from makeshift shelter under trees to greet their modern heroes. The Torino players have been under intense pressure of late as they battle to stay in Serie A, their&nbsp;quest helped&nbsp;by consecutive home wins which have given them a one-point advantage over Bologna, their visitors to the Olimpico&nbsp;next Sunday. But as they made their way into the church under the re-emerging sunlight, they were subject to no pressure, only handshakes and slaps on the back from fans eager to show their thanks for their attendance.</p>
<p>As the crowd watched the service it was difficult not to cast an eye around those gathered and wonder how many were old enough to remember the day itself. Do they remember being told of the demise of their team by a friend or loved one?&nbsp;Maybe even by the special news bulletins which had been broadcast on the radio moments after the crash? Perhaps they used to go down to the Stadio Filadelfia to watch the likes of Ezio Loik, Franco Ossola, Romeo Menti and the inspirational Valentino Mazzola rip opposing teams apart on their march to five successive Italian league titles.</p>
<p>Those who did see Il Grande Torino play were the lucky ones. A team of such style, grace, elegance and raw talent that they were revered around a world which at that time was exposed to very little football outside its own community, let alone its country. A team which would surely have gone on to challenge the great Real Madrid as the game’s superpower in the early days of European club competition in the 1950s. Instead Torino have struggled ever since their great loss, adding only the 1976 league title and three Coppa Italia triumphs. This&nbsp;month they face one of their toughest tests in attempting to stay in Italy’s top flight. But if the club shows the same unity on the pitch as they did at Superga yesterday, <em>La Salvezza</em> should be a formality.</p>


Torino look to spirit of I Caduti in battle for survival

Torino look to spirit of I Caduti in battle for survival - World Soccer Talk

<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-647" href="http://www.serieatalk.com/catania-win-match-by-dropping-shorts/646/bum-deal-for-torino/" title="Bum Deal for Torino"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/files/2008/11/bum-deal-catania.jpg" alt="Bum Deal for Torino"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>Catania striker Gianvito Plasmati, dropped his shorts at Torino goalkeeper Matteo Sereni, as team-mate Giuseppe Mascara&nbsp;scores on&nbsp;a free-kick during the Southerner’s 3-2 win. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Dreamed up by&nbsp;former Italian national goalkeeper Walter Zenga, this tactic was employed to&nbsp;great success against the visitors.&nbsp;Chief executive Pietro Lo Monaco speaking yesterday to RAI said,&nbsp;<em>“This is a strategy that (Catania coach Walter) Zenga tries continually in training.”</em></p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-654" href="http://www.serieatalk.com/catania-win-match-by-dropping-shorts/646/casarin-says-bum-deal/" title="Casarin says “bum deal”"></a><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" border="0" width="223" src="/files/2008/11/foxnews-comments-plasmati-bum-deal.jpg" hspace="45" alt="Casarin says “bum deal”" height="166"></figure></div></p>
<p><em><a rel="attachment wp-att-648" href="http://www.serieatalk.com/?attachment_id=648" title="serieaweekly-responses to foxnews-Casarin comments"></a></em></p>
<p><em><a rel="attachment wp-att-648" href="http://www.serieatalk.com/?attachment_id=648" title="serieaweekly-responses to foxnews-Casarin comments"></a></em></p>
<p>Former referees coordinator Paolo Casarin called the move <em>“unsportsmanlike and in bad taste. “It’s a trick that should not be tolerated anymore by the referees”</em>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>Video Highlights of Goals</h4>
<p>[display_podcast]</p>
<h4>Related Articles</h4>
<p>Serie A Talk – <a href="http://www.serieatalk.com/is-the-south-rising-upon-serie-a/539">Is The South Rising Upon Serie A?</a><br>
The Sun – <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1943693.ece">Italian side get a bum deal</a><br>
Mirror UK –&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/11/18/italian-footballers-drop-their-shorts-for-new-free-kick-routine-3pm-video-115875-20905583/">Italian footballers drop their shorts for new free-kick routine: 3pm video</a></p>
<p>(AP photo by Francesco Pecoraro)</p>


Catania Win Match By Dropping Shorts

Catania Win Match By Dropping Shorts - World Soccer Talk

Latest news from Torino. Find out about all the news related to Torino on worldsoccertalk.com

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Torino - Page 2"

News

Subs saved the day for Milan in Paulo Fonseca's debut

News

Female referee crew to be in charge of Serie A for first time

News

West Ham flop lashes out at club, seeks imminent exit

News

Enzo Bearzot Dies At 83

News

Zaccheroni To Be New Juventus Manager – Italian Press

News

Torino look to spirit of I Caduti in battle for survival

News

Catania Win Match By Dropping Shorts