Daniele de Rossi is the highest earner in the Serie A according to a report in Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday.
The Italy and Roma midfielder is currently on a contract that sees him pocketing €6.5m a year, the findings show.
He is top of the list with Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain second, €1.0m behind De Rossi.
The report shows that Serie A’s total yearly salary expenses has fallen and now the 20 clubs hand out €849m each year, €63m less than the previous season.
Podolski committed
Germany forward Lukas Podolski insisted retiring from international duty has never crossed his mind after helping the world champions kick off their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a win over Scotland.
Unlike Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose, who all called it a day this summer, 29-year-old Podolski has not pondered hanging up his international boots.
“I’m still as hungry as ever,” said the Arsenal player.
“My next big goal is the Euro Championship. I’m not here just because I’m the joker who raises everybody’s spirits… I’m here because I deserve to be here.”
Deschamps rues missed chances
France coach Didier Deschamps believes the final scoreline was anecdotal after the 2016 European Championship hosts were held to a 1-1 friendly draw in Serbia.
Les Bleus were unable to follow up their encouraging 1-0 victory over Spain as Paul Pogba saw his early goal cancelled out by Aleksandar Kolarov’s late equaliser in Belgrade.
Deschamps’s men had other chances to score but they could not force the issue.
“If I have any regrets, then it was the start of the of second half when we had two great chances,” the France boss said.
“Our aim was to win and I must not forget that Hugo Lloris made a double save, but we should have been more effective.”
Young Rabiot still on the Roma radar
Roma have declared an interest in signing French midfielder Adrien Rabiot next year, but deny any agreement has been reached with his club Paris St Germain.
Reports in Italy claim the Serie A side have a deal in place with the Ligue 1 champions to acquire the 19-year-old’s services in the winter transfer window.
Rabiot, who is also a reported target for Arsenal and Chelsea, has yet to pen a contract extension with PSG, where his current deal expires at the end of the season.
“We have no secret agreement regarding Rabiot,” Roma’s French coach Rudi Garcia said.
“The reports in the media are simply rumours. It’s true that we are interested in him, but he is not our player.”
Germany’s Reus out for a month
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marco Reus has been ruled out for at least four weeks after he picked up an ankle injury in Germany’s 2-1 win over Scotland on Sunday in a Euro 2016 qualifier, his club said yesterday.
“Team doctor Markus Braun diagnosed a partial tear and stretching of ligaments. The club expects the player to undergo a rehabilitation programme of four weeks,” Dortmund said in a statement.
The 25-year-old had missed the World Cup which Germany won in July after injuring the same left ankle in their final warm-up game against Armenia and had only recently returned to action.
Full-back Fabinho gets Brazil call-up
Brazil have called up 20-year-old full-back Fabinho for tonight’s friendly against Ecuador, the Brazilian Football Confederation said.
“It took me by surprise, it’s incredible, my first call up for the full national team,” said the Monaco player, who was with the Under-21 squad when he got the news.
“I was playing video games when they told me, no one could believe it.”
Although the CBF did not say why he was unexpectedly called up, local news reports said he was replacing Maicon, who was sent home for undisclosed disciplinary reasons.
New coach Dunga, who led Brazil to a 1-0 win over Colombia last Friday, is known as a strict disciplinarian.
Kayal names son after Italy’s Pirlo
Celtic midfielder Beram Kayal celebrated the birth of his first baby on Sunday and named him Pirlo in a tribute to the Juventus and Italy star.
“Today I have been graced with the birth of my first child Pirlo Kayal,” he wrote on twitter.
“My wife Angela and Pirlo are both doing well.
“It’s been an emotional day, especially for my parents who came to see the birth of their first grandchild.”
Just in case there was any uncertainty over whether or not it is in homage to Italy’s bearded playmaker, Kayal finished the message with the hashtags ‘#nopirlo #noparty’.