When Rafa Benitez quit Naples for Madrid last summer, everyone naturally focused on how he would fare in his dream job. As for his replacement at Napoli, Maurizio Sarri, the most usual reaction was “who?”

Mario Balotelli watched on as goals from fellow forwards Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano earned AC Milan their first win of the new Serie A season – 2-1 against Empoli.

It’s another long goodbye.

Relegation-threatened Cagliari have sacked coach Gianfranco Zola after less than three months in charge following a miserable run of results.

Once upon a time, Georgia had a team to be feared.

Soccer writer, Ger McCarthy, highlights the three Georgian players he feels will deserve some special attention from the Irish players.

Vif Monsieur was sensationally awarded the Group 1 Preis von Europa at Cologne yesterday after both winner Meandre and second Empoli were demoted for interference.

Frankie Dettori looks to have a fairly remote chance of a first European Classic success this year aboard Bermuda Reef in Sunday’s Deutsches Derby with his trainer Peter Schiergen fielding two more strongly fancied stablemates.

Italian club Fiorentina are considering a formal complaint to FIFA over the signing of teenage defender Michele Fornasier by Manchester United.

Empoli youngster Alberto Massacci claims he has signed for Barclays Premier League champions Manchester United.

ARE Internazionale cracking? A title race that looked like being a procession for the second year running has been thrown into doubt after a week of results that reduced the gap at the top to four points.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said yesterday his team need to fight for their lives to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

REAL MADRID’S 2-0 defeat at Almeria on Saturday night has to be the result of the season so far in Spain. Unbeaten in three months, the league leaders were expecting a straightforward three points.

Middlesbrough target Afonso Alves was undergoing a medical this evening as the Teessiders attempted to push through a club record signing.

Can Inter be caught? Just before Christmas when they beat Milan there were few who thought so, but a 0-0 draw against Udinese yesterday cut their lead to five points, providing a glimmer of hope for the chasing group, above all Roma.

MIDDLESBROUGH boss Gareth Southgate is targeting firepower as he attempts to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window.

Inter Milan maintained their unbeaten start to the Serie A season with an impressive 2-0 win at Fiorentina this afternoon.

DAVID Bentley expects Blackburn to overturn their 2-0 deficit against Greece‘s Larissa at Ewood Park. “It was totally unacceptable with the way we performed over there,” he said. “But it is about how you react, how you respond. It is only the first half, it is 2-0 with 90 minutes to go, I don’t see 2-0 as a big deficit for us to overcome.

SEVILLA showed they are in fine shape ahead of Wednesday’s tough Champions League match against Arsenal with an impressive 4-1 home win over Recreativo Huelva last night.

David Trezeguet has extinguished speculation linking him with Arsenal by signing a contract extension with Juventus.

Carlo Ancelotti hailed his "greatest victory" with AC Milan as his side beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Olympic stadium to lift the European Champions Cup for the seventh time.

REAL MADRID beat Sevilla 3-2 in a topsy-turvy match at the Santiago Bernabeu to go second in La Liga.

Capital rivals Roma and Lazio picked up valuable wins yesterday but failed to make up any ground on Inter Milan after the leaders emerged victorious from the Milan derby.

Christian Rigano scored twice as struggling Messina boosted their survival hopes with a surprise 2-0 victory over 10-man Palermo today.

REAL Madrid coach Fabio Capello praised David Beckham after the former England captain marked his return with a goal in a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad.

Massimo Maccarone’s move to Siena is in the balance, with Middlesbrough yet to deliver the relevant paperwork to the Serie A club.

Middlesbrough striker Massimo Maccarone is set to join Serie A club Siena on a free transfer early next week, according to his agent.

Roma have confirmed that they expect Vincenzo Montella to tie up a six-month loan deal with Fulham later today.

DUTCH striker Ruud van Nistelrooy scored four times as Real Madrid beat Osasuna 4-1 yesterday to move third in La Liga.

Palermo continue to keep pace with Internazionale at the top of Serie A after a late goal from Carvalho Amauri earned them a 3-2 win over Fiorentina.

CHAMPIONS Barcelona came unstuck last night as Real Madrid triumphed 2-0 in El Classico at the Bernabeu.

THE cheers in the Santiago Bernabeu that greeted Real Madrid’s 5-1 Champions League win over Dynamo Kiev in midweek turned to jeers yesterday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by local rivals Atletico Madrid.

WEST HAM manager Alan Pardew is confident his team can finally hit their stride when they take on Palermo in tonight’s UEFA Cup return leg.

Internazionale regained top spot in Serie A after a thrilling 4-3 victory over Chievo at the San Siro tonight.

Newcastle are set to open talks with Empoli about a move for Francesco Tavano, according to the striker’s agent.

AC Milan are still clinging to the hope they could play European football next season.

Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli reacted angrily and vowed to appeal against the club’s relegation following the investigation into match-fixing.

AN Italian sports tribunal announced guilty verdicts against four top Serie A clubs and various prominent soccer officials at the end of a trial into match-fixing on Friday.

Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has announced his club will appeal against the punishment handed out following the investigation into match-fixing.

It may have been one of the murkier days in the history of Italian football but there were at least some winners emerging from the wreckage of the Serie A match-fixing scandal.

INTER-MILAN have completed the signings of Olivier Dacourt and Brazilian duo Maicon and Maxwell.

GERMAN playmaker Michael Ballack’s move to Chelsea is “set in stone”, according to Bayern Munich director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Juventus drew at home against 10-man Lazio and saw their lead in Serie A over AC Milan reduced to just three points with three rounds remaining after the Rossoneri triumphed 3-1 at Messina.

JUVENTUS and AC Milan failed to beat the bottom two clubs in Serie A on Saturday, with Milan suffering a humiliating defeat.