Ciro Ferrara’s troubled reign as Juventus coach could end this weekend, even before tomorrow’s Serie A home clash against Lazio.
Ferrara’s position has looked increasingly untenable in recent weeks as his side have slipped to sixth in the standings after losing five of their last six league games.
They have also been knocked out of the Champions League and exited the Italian Cup.
PHOTO: AFP
Some commentators even used the term “dead coach walking” to describe his situation ahead of Thursday’s Italian Cup quarter-final at league leaders Inter, which they lost 2-1.
The former Italy and Juventus defender, who was handed the job despite his lack of experience near the end of last season when Claudio Ranieri was fired, has accepted his time in charge may be up.
“This experience will be useful for me in the future,” he told a press conference. “Six months at Juve are worth 10 years elsewhere. When, and if, someone says something [about my position] I’ll accept it serenely. Even if the club bring in another coach, I’ll always be grateful to them.”
Former Italy Under 21 coach Claudio Gentile is the favorite to take over until the end of the season, when the Turin giants reportedly hope to lure Rafael Benitez from Liverpool.
Whoever is in charge tomorrow will have to cope without a long list of injured players, including forward David Trezeguet and Italy winger Mauro Camoranesi, while keeper Gianluigi Buffon and defender Fabio Grosso are suspended.
Lazio are also in the doldrums after last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Chievo left the Roman club just two points above the relegation zone in 15th. It is a big change from the build-up to the early-season fixture between the sides after two league games, when they both had perfect records before a match that Juve won 2-0.
Second-placed AC Milan are looking for a response against Livorno tomorrow after their title ambitions suffered a massive blow with last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Inter.
They also went out of the Italian Cup with a 1-0 loss to Udinese on Wednesday.
Brazil forward Pato is still unavailable with a thigh problem while influential centerback Alessandro Nesta, badly missed against Inter, is fighting to shake off a leg muscle strain.
Struggling Livorno will visit the San Siro under Serse Cosmi, who made peace with club president Aldo Spinelli on Tuesday, having resigned as coach after last Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Napoli. But they cannot count on first-choice goalkeeper Alfonso De Lucia and Brazilian midfielder Mozart because of suspensions. Inter, who are nine points clear after having played one game more than their city rivals, will be without Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder and Brazil defender Lucio at Parma tomorrow after their red cards in the derby.
But coach Jose Mourinho may be able to field Samuel Eto’o, who has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon, if an ankle knock is not too bad. AS Roma, who are two points behind Milan in third, face Siena at home tomorrow.
Fourth-placed Napoli, who, like Roma, are in excellent form, entertain Genoa today, with fifth-placed Palermo visiting Bari.
Fiorentina, who have slipped down to ninth after some poor recent performances, are unlikely to be able to field Adrian Mutu at Cagliari after it was announced on Thursday that the Romania striker had failed a drugs test.
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia yesterday advanced to the women’s doubles final at the Australian Open after defeating New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 in their semi-final. Hsieh has won nine Grand Slam doubles titles and has a shot at a 10th tomorrow, when the Latvian-Taiwanese duo are to play Taylor Townsend of the US and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the championship match at the A$96.5 million (US$61 million) outdoor hard court tournament at Melbourne Park. Townsend and Siniakova eliminated Russian pair Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva 6-7
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
FINAL WEEK LOOMS: PSG rose to 22nd place to set up another tense challenge against 24th-placed Stuttgart, while Man City require victory against Club Brugge Manchester City are on the brink of a humiliating UEFA Champions League exit after a stunning loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, while Real Madrid is no longer at risk after routing Salzburg. Man City blew a two-goal lead in a high-stakes clash of super-wealthy underachievers that PSG won 4-2 in Paris, who could still be eliminated alongside the English champions after the final round of games next week. Only the top 24 in the 36-team standings are to advance. Man City, the 2023 champions, are in 25th place, but could squeeze into the knockout playoffs round by beating Club Brugge. “We will
Things are somewhat out of control at the Australian Open this year, and that has only a little to do with the results on the courts. Yes, there were some upsets, including Madison Keys eliminating No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the women’s singles semi-finals on Thursday. It also was the first time since 1990 that three teenagers beat top-10 men’s seeds at a Grand Slam tennis tournament. The loser of one of those matches, Daniil Medvedev, got fined US$76,000 for behaving badly. Last year’s women’s singles runner-up exited in the first round. However, the real fuss is happening elsewhere. The rowdy fans, for one
RSS