AC Milan
Serie A Week 28 Preview: European Football At Stake As Lazio Host Fiorentina And Catania Face Leaders Juventus
Serie A gets an early start once again this week as the footballing feast commences on Friday for the second straight round.
Continental action served to whet the calcio appetite midweek as Juventus comfortably advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League with another shutout victory over a disheartened Celtic side, whilst Lazio conquered Stuttgart 2-0 on the road in the first leg of the their Europa League tie to firmly plant one foot in the final eight. Inter weren’t so fortunate as their fellow peninsula dwellers as they took the pitch at White Heart Lane to face Tottenham, also in the Europa League, suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to the Lilywhites highly reminiscent of their November 2010 drubbing in London as reigning title-holders of Europe’s elite competition.
AC Milan and Genoa get the Italian top flight’s twenty-eighth round under way Friday evening at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in a match crucial to the two clubs’ rather polarized ambitions. The Grifone will be keen to return to winning ways in as they continue their march for survival into the campaign’s home stretch, having been derailed last week in falling 3-1 to as resurgent Roma side.
Failure to come away with at least a point against the Rossoneri could see il Vecchio Balordo‘s first division status once again cast into serious doubt, as they could potentially sit just two points above the drop zone if other results were to be unfavorable. Massimiliano Allegri’s men will look to solidify their position amongst the Champions League places, having moved one point clear of fourth place Lazio in the previous week, not having lost in Serie A since 22 December.
The sides have split the last six editions of this fixture at the Marassi evenly down the middle, each winning twice to go along with a 1-1 draw in February 2011, but the Diavolo have emerged victorious in four of their six most recent meetings over all, conceding just two goals in the process.
The match will go ahead without heightened security despite the historically tense relationship between the teams’ ultras groups which saw Rossoblu supporter Vincenzo Spagnolo stabbed to death in January 1995, an incident that led to the banning of travelling followers at the Luigi Ferraris until 2010. In light of this strained rapport, Genoa mayor Marco Doria has called for the occasion to be “a festival of sport” in hopes of encouraging goodwill ahead of the encounter.
Roma visit the Stadio Friuli to take on Udinese Saturday night in a match-up that has provided great entertainment in recent memory. The Giallorossi will look to avenge a demoralizing loss earlier this year in their own friendly confines in which they squandered a 2-0 lead to be dispatched via a late Antonio Di Natale penalty, but face an uphill battle against a Zebrette side that is unbeaten in 12 home matches on the bounce.
Totti’s men travel to Udinese in an all important clash
A victory for Francesco Guidolin’s squad would send them level on 43 points with their rivals on the day, whilst the capital club will look to continue their charge towards the European places with a fourth straight win under caretaker boss Aurelio Andreazzoli.
The Lupi will be without suspended Michael Bradley and the hobbled Miralem Pjanic, but should be buoyed by the sparkling form of legendary captain Francesco Totti, who moved into joint second place on Serie A’s all-time goalscoring list last week with strike number 225 of his storied career. Er Pupone has notched four goals and four assists in his last six matches, raising his total in each statistical category to 10 on the campaign in defiance of his 36 years of age.
Atalanta welcome Pescara to the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia for Sunday’s lunchtime kickoff between two relegation-threatened sides. The Delfini are comparatively in far worse shape than their competitors however, sitting nine points adrift of the fifteenth place Orobici at the foot of the table with the unseasoned Cristian Bucchi taking over as coach following the dismissal of Cristiano Bergodi.
Delio Rossi’s well-oiled Sampdoria machine will do battle with turmoil-ridden Cagliari at the Is Arenas in the afternoon behind closed doors, a contentious detail which saw the Sardinian club’s entire board of directors resign en masse Wednesday amidst persistent frustration. The Blucerchiati‘s scintillating form in 2013 is tempered by a horrendous historical record with the Isolani, against whom they have triumphed just four times in the squads’ last 23 meetings dating back to 1998.
Ivo Pulga’s men succumbed to defeat at the hands of Bologna last week after going seven matches unbeaten and thus will be further motivated to rediscover their winning mindset, but will be forced to do so without injured captain Daniele Conti. Doria themselves will miss experienced defender Daniele Gastaldello and the inspirational Nenad Krsticic on matching suspensions, but receive a boost in having agreed new contracts with the Serbian midfielder, Pedro Obiang, and Eder midweek.
Elsewhere, Parma and Torino are set to duke it out at the Ennio Tardini for sole possession of eleventh place in a quintessential mid-table matchup, whilst faltering Chievo have the unfortunate pleasure of inviting a vexed giant, Napoli, into their humble abode in Verona.
Siena will pay a visit to the Stadio Renzo Barbera to cross swords with Palermo in a match crucial to each side’s hopes of beating the drop. Defeat for either would essentially ensure damnation to Serie B for next season, so the two clubs are likely to be aggressive in the pursuit of securing full points. Robur revelation Innocent Emeghara could be key to deciding the encounter, as he will be looking to return to the score sheet after being held without a goal for two matches after enjoying a flying start to life in Serie A.
Juventus manager Conte: “we always have to be hungry because we’ve just started eating”
Catania are eager to resume their dream hunt for European football after falling to a heartbreaking loss against Inter in round 27, but face an uphill battle against leaders Juventus at the Turin outfit’s eponymous stadium. The Bianconeri are sure to be brimming with confidence after easing into the final eight of the Champions League Wednesday, completing their mastery over Scottish titans Celtic with a final aggregate score of 5-0.
Coach Antonio Conte illustrated his side’s ultimate desire to win with a gastronomic metaphor this week, telling the media that “we always have to be hungry because we’ve just started eating”. Rolando Maran’s disciplined players will certainly not serve themselves up marinated and grilled to the Scudetto holders, and will find an extra incentive in the desire to avenge a controversial loss to the Old Lady earlier this campaign at the Stadio Massimino.
The Elefanti have not beaten Juventus on the road since 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino, followed by two losses and a draw in Turin between Serie A and the Coppa Italia. Conte will not have Arturo Vidal at his disposal as the Chilean serves a suspension, whilst Catania recover Nicola Legrottaglie from the same fate and have almost their full squad available.
Lazio and Fiorentina come together on Sunday afternoon at the Stadio Olimpico as they vie for the third and final Champions League place. The Aquile will be in good spirits after scalping Stuttgart in Germany in the Europa League, yet will in turn be fatigued whilst they confront their dubious domestic form of late against Vincenzo Montella’s seemingly bipolar side. The Viola are winless in their last five trips to Rome to face the Biancocelesti, not having claimed three points in this fixture since 2007, and have dropped four straight away matches in Serie A at present.
Jovetic and Co have everything to play for this sunday
Each club will be without a mainstay in midfield, as Antonio Candreva and Alberto Aquilani are both suspended, but counterpart playmakers Hernanes and David Pizarro should feature as the architects in the center of the park. A victory for either squad would have massive implications at the top of the table, with the winner potentially able to lay claim to third place. Conversely, a loss would leave Fiorentina, and quite possibly Lazio, on the outside looking in with respect to the chase for European football.
Capping off the weekend is Bologna’s encounter with Inter at the San Siro, a match-up quite favorable for the Nerazzurri based on the recent past, but quite dangerous under present circumstances. Italy international Alessandro Diamanti has been in blistering form for the Rossoblu for nearly two months now, and could pose a serious threat to a Beneamata side that saw its confidence comprehensively stripped away in a toothless performance against Tottenham on Thursday.
Andrea Stramaccioni continues to face an injury crisis that has now pervaded all thirds of the pitch, and will also have to contend with the suspension of savior between the sticks Samir Handanovic. The Milanese giants have beaten Bologna in 11 of their last 13 contests, whilst the Emilia-Romagna based outfit have tasted defeat in nine of their last 11 on the road. Indicators from previous meetings thus seem to favor the hosts, but Inter’s calamitous state at the moment mixed with a strong Rossoblu run in 2013 could produce the perfect conditions for an upset.
The number eight shirt is worn by box-to-box midfielders with a sharp eye for goal and here we learn about the top 10 best number 8 football players of all time.
The number 8 soccer shirt isn’t as well-known as the numbers 7 (wings or second strikers), 9 (centre striker), or 10 (goalkeeper) (playmaker). However, everybody who wears this shirt has a significant role to play in the game. These midfielders are eager to create scoring opportunities for the club. Other soccer players have worn the number 8 shirt in positions other than the midfield.
10. Marco Tardelli
During his tenure with Juventus, the former midfielder is one of the few players in history to have won every major European title as well as everything there is in Italy. In addition, Marco Tardelli led Italy to victory in the 1982 World Cup. Tardelli, one of the most decorated players in football history, began his career with Pisa in Serie C and subsequently moved to Como in Serie B before joining Juventus in 1975.
Before joining Internazionale in 1985, he spent most of his career with the Turin club, collecting several titles. Tardelli is largely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in history. Tardelli was a versatile midfielder who could play in a variety of positions. He was a hard-tackling midfielder who was also technically skilled.
9. Juninho Pernambucano
Juninho was a fantastic playmaker who went on to become one of Olympique Lyon’s all-time greats, giving countless assists and scoring over 100 goals throughout his career. He was hailed as the most stylish player of his team.
Juninho’s arrival rejuvenated the Lyon team, which had never won a domestic title previously. Juninho would go on to lead his team to seven straight Ligue 1 victories. He was chosen to the Ligue 1 team of the year three times and earned the player of the year award once.
8. Ian Wright
Ian Wright is a television personality and former soccer player. Following his playing career, he became heavily involved in soccer-related media. He is presently a BBC Sports and ITV commentator.
During his career, he played for Crystal Palace, Arsenal, West Ham, Celtic, Burnley, and Nottingham Forest. He was able to win the Premier League while at Arsenal.
His finishing ferocity, quickness, and agility have made him a household name. Wright is Arsenal’s second-highest goal scorer and Crystal Palace’s third.
Wright scored nine goals in 33 appearances for England at the international level.
7. Gennaro Gattuso
On the field, the no-nonsense, uncompromising former AC Milan midfielder was an utter menace. His all-action, tough-tackling approach made him a fan favourite at San Siro. Gattuso was clearly identifiable by his number eight. In the mid-2000s, he was a vital player of the Rossoneri squad, which was very successful.
6. Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo was a productive forward, earning him the nickname El Pistolero (The Gunslinger), but he was also a fiery player, earning him the moniker “The Dagger.” Hristo competed in the FIFA World Cup for Bulgaria in 1994. Despite his team’s fourth-place result, he was awarded the World Cup Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in the tournament and the World Cup Bronze Ball for being the tournament’s third-best player.
Hristo earned the European Golden Shoe in 1990 as the highest scorer in Europe while playing for CSKA Sofia. He became a member of the Barcelona club that won four straight La Liga titles after arriving later in 1990. He presently works as a football analyst for TUDN.
5. Steven Gerrard
For many years, the ex-England star was the soul of his childhood club, Liverpool. While wearing his legendary number 8 shirt, the great Reds bestrode the Anfield turf. During his tenure at Liverpool, Gerrard was an inspirational captain who scored many key goals. Despite the fact that he did not win any league titles, he was able to lead his side to a UEFA Champions League victory in 2005.
4. Lothar Matthaus
Lothar Matthaus is regarded as one of the best midfielders of all time, having participated in five FIFA World Cups with Mexico’s Rafael Marquez. In 1990, Matthaus guided West Germany to World Cup victory. In his club career, he has represented Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern Munich, and Inter Milan.
In 1990, he was voted European Player of the Year, and in 1991, he won the inaugural FIFA Player of the Year title. At the age of 38, he even received the German Footballer of the Year award in 1999. That only goes to demonstrate how reliable a performer he was on stage.
Matthaus is known for his marauding runs from midfield when his exceptional control and acceleration leave opponents for dead. The German legend has exceptional positional awareness, vision, and the ability to smash the ball into the back of the net from any distance. He was also a fantastic tackler and an all-around midfielder.
3. Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos is a World Cup champion and one of the best midfielders of his generation. He has been Real Madrid’s number eight for over a decade. Before joining Real Madrid in 2014 and wearing the number 8, he won the World Cup with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.
Toni Kroos is a deep-lying playmaker who has led Real Madrid’s attacking squads for the past seven or eight seasons. Kroos, unlike many of the other players on this list, does not wow football fans with his ability, but he is the team’s beating heart, connecting the defensive line to the attack and beginning build-up play.
2. Frank Lampard
The Chelsea icon is widely regarded as one of the best English midfielders of all time. When he played for the Blues and England, the all-action goal-scoring box-to-box midfielder was known for wearing the number 8 shirt. Lampard has exceptional skill and vision, which enabled him to assist and score several goals throughout his illustrious career.
1. Andres Iniesta
The former Barcelona midfielder was one of the finest number 8 players in contemporary history. For rival defenders and midfielders alike, the twinkle-toed ex-Spanish international was a nightmare to face. His dribbling skill and penchant for always finding a way out of tight circumstances made him one of football’s most dangerous opponents.
He established a deadly midfield triangle with Xavi Hernández and Sergio Busquets that helped Barcelona win several La Liga, Copa Del Rey, and UEFA Champions League trophies. Andres also demonstrated his knack for scoring crucial goals. Take, for example, a crucial goal that helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Not to mention his two goals in the 4-0 thrashing of fellow finalists in the 2012 Euro final in Italy. He has been one of the best footballers in history. Iniesta was the greatest player of Spain during his days.
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Who Is Carol Dias? Meet The Wife Of Kaka
Carol Dias is famous for being the wife of Brazilian legend Kaka. Read on to learn more about her nationality, net worth, facts and family.
Despite coming from a humble background, Carol Dias has already made millions in the modelling and acting industry. Later on, in this article, we will learn more about her profession. But our main focus will be the beautiful relationship between Romarey and Brazilian legend Kaka.
Kaka is considered one of the greatest attacking midfielders Brazil ever produced. Playing with AC Milan, Kaka has achieved major triumphs. However, his greatest display came for the national team, when he helped them to win the 2002 World Cup. Kaka became a family man in 2019 when he married Carol Dias. So, let’s find out more about the stunning wife of Kaka.
Carol Dias Childhood and Family
Carol Dias was born on August 11, 1995, in Goiania, Brazil, making her Brazilian nationality. Despite having a significant online presence, she never discussed her private life on any public media. That’s why we currently don’t know the name of her parents and their occupations.
Whether she has any siblings is also unknown. We believe she didn’t have an entirely comfortable childhood, but her parents did everything to make sure she got a good headstart in her life. We are still looking for the missing information and will update the article if we find something new. So stay tuned to learn more about the stunning girlfriend of Kaka.
Carol Dias Education
Carol went to a local high school in her hometown. She was a curious student who always looked for explanations. Once she found something interesting, she would spend hours reading and researching the topic. Even though we don’t know whether the Brazilian beauty went to college, we believe she must have skipped higher studies in order to pursue a career in modelling.
Carol Dias career
Carol is a professional model. She was passionate about modelling from childhood. After deciding to go forward with modelling in her career, she started shooting for local photographers, which earned her a reasonable amount. Due to her striking looks and photogenic body, she gained popularity among experienced photographers. The Ford Modeling Agency represents her.
Her work includes collaborating with brands like Eve Beauty and EasySim 4U. She acts as a brand ambassador for many famous brands, including Soller Assessoria and Choisir. After her modelling career took off, Carol decided to take a shot at acting. She has featured in several episodes of ‘Pânico na TV’.
Carol Dias Net Worth
Carol hasn’t shared any information about her earnings. We couldn’t calculate her net worth as we don’t have the exact number of her yearly wages. However, we believe she has accumulated a large sum from her modelling gigs and acting roles.
She enjoys a luxurious lifestyle, which comes at an attractive price. So she might have a significant net worth. We are looking for more information and will update the article if we find reliable data. Carol’s husband, Kaka, has accumulated a significant sum during his peak years.
Carol Dias and Kaka relationship
Kaka met his girlfriend in 2019 after getting separated from his childhood sweetheart, Caroline Celico. We are not pretty sure how they met. But we believe it was love at first sight as the duo was instantly attracted to each other’s charm, and it was only a matter of time before anyone made a move. The pair finally communicated each other’s feelings, and it was an accurate match.
After they started going out together more often, they realised that they had to spend the rest of their lives together. They finally tied the knot in 2019 at an extravagant marriage ceremony where all their friends and family members were invited.
Carol Dias and Kaka Children
The duo welcomed their first child, Esther Leite, on October 8, 2020. Kaka also has two children from his previous wife, Caroline Celico.
Carol Dias Social media
Kaka’s alluring looks became a hit on social media. She gained immense popularity on Instagram. She mostly shares images of herself in fashionable attires. She also adds snaps from her gym activities. Due to her large audience, she has a great potential of earning money if she starts monetising. She also has a couple of collaborations. Carolina Dias shares her activities on stories and posts.
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Asmir Begovic is a Bosnian professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL Championship club Leicester City and for the Bosnian national team and in this article, we will see more about the player’s Net Worth, Salary, Sponsors, Wife, Tattoos, Cars, and more.
Asmir Begovic joined the Premier League club Everton from Italian club AC Milan in 2021. He is a talented and experienced goalkeeper who has established himself as one of the best in the Premier League and Europe. He is currently the backup goalkeeper for the English keeper Jordan Pickford at Everton.
Asmir represents Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national team and has been a great leader for the team with experience over 50 appearances for the national team. Let us get to know more about the player’s profile in the following paragraphs.
Asmir Begovic’s Net Worth and Salary
Asmir is a young player and footballing has contributed much to his earnings. The player’s net worth is estimated to be £22 m as of 2026. The market value of the player in 2026 is valued at €3.00m by Transfermarkt. He currently earns a salary of £676,000 per year playing for Leicester City.
Asmir Begovic Club Career
Asmir began his career at Portsmouth, before moving to Stoke City in 2010. He spent five seasons with the Potters, becoming their first-choice goalkeeper and earning a reputation as one of the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League.
In 2015, Begovic joined Chelsea as a backup to Thibaut Courtois, but still managed to make over 50 appearances for the club across all competitions, including starting in the Premier League and Champions League. He then moved on to AFC Bournemouth in 2017, where he played for two seasons before joining AC Milan in 2019.
After a loan period with AC Milan for 6 months, he joined the Premier League club Everton on 20 July 2021 on a 12-month contract with an option to extend for a further year. He made his premier league for Everton debut against Aston Villa on 18 September 18 and the match resulted in a 3-0 loss. The footballer moved to Leicester City for the 2025 EFL Championship season.
Asmir Begovic International Career
Begovic has represented Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2008, earning over 50 caps and serving as their captain. He played a crucial role in their qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, their first major tournament as an independent nation.
After the World Cup, Begovic continued to be a regular starter for the national team, helping them qualify for the 2016 European Championship and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He was also appointed as the team’s captain, a role he held for several years. The goalkeeper was a part of the national team for 11 years.
Asmir Begovic Family
Asmir was born on 20 June 1987 in Trebinje, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia. His parents are Amir and Ajnija Begovic. His father Amir, was also a goalkeeper who played for Leotar and Iskra Bugojno whilst his mother, Ajnija, hails from Stolac.
The Begović family fled the Bosnian War to Germany when Asmir was four years old, where he began to play organized football with the local youth club FC Kirchhausen in Heilbronn. When he was 10, his family moved to Edmonton in Canada. Throughout Asmirs football career, they have always supported him both mentally and financially.
Asmir Begovic’s Wife – Nicolle Begovic
Asmir Begovic is married to Nicolle Begovic. She is a dedicated equestrian athlete with a resolute approach and commitment to the much-loved sport of Dressage. With a strong commitment and high expectations of the sport to which she has dedicated herself full-time, Nicolle demands high expectations of herself and her approach to the discipline she loves with a passion. The couple also has two daughters. the name of the eldest daughter is Taylor. The youngest one’s name is not available.
Asmir Begovic Sponsors and Endorsements
The Goalkeeper has not been seen endorsing any company on his social media accounts. But Asmir is the founder of the Asmir Begovic Foundation. This is a non-profit organization that has been created to help needy children. It also helps to build and rebuild recreational facilities in England and Bosnia.
Asmir Begovic Cars and Tattoos
Asmir Begovic has been spotted driving a Jeep in the streets of Bournemouth. Unlike many footballers, the player seems not fond of tattooing his body.
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