Chievo have appointed Rolando Maran as their new head coach.
The 51-year-old replaces Eugenio Corini after the 3-0 defeat at Roma left Chievo perched just outside the Serie A drop zone.
Maran had been out of work since leaving Catania in April.
“This is an incredibly emotional moment for me,” Maran, who made almost 300 appearances for Chievo as a defender, said.
“It fills me with joy because I spent nearly all of my playing career with Chievo. Now that I’m returning as a coach, I hope to experience all the good feelings I felt when I played here.”
Mazzarri drained
Inter coach Walter Mazzarri was so drained after his team snatched a last-gasp 2-2 draw at home to Napoli that he declined to face the media on Sunday.
Mazzarri, whose relationship with the media has become increasingly testy, was also sent off during the match, where all four goals came in the final 12 minutes.
“Mazzarri is wrecked, he apologises but he has given everything and is exhausted,” Inter’s sporting director Piero Ausilio told reporters.
“It’s been a special match for our coach. The team gave everything and they showed their unity on the pitch.”
Mannone wants to refund fans
Vito Mannone believes he and his team-mates should reimburse all the Sunderland fans who witnessed the 8-0 hammering at Southampton.
The Sunderland supporters continued to cheer for their players until the final whistle and former Arsenal keeper Mannone insisted he wants to meet the costs of the 700-mile away day for the 2,500 fans.
“I will personally talk to the team to see if it is possible to pay for their trip,” he said.
“I really mean that we should pay their tickets and travel. We should do it because we didn’t put a foot in, we didn’t work hard and I include myself.”
Redknapp blasts Taarabt’s fitness
Harry Redknapp has launched an extraordinary rant against his QPR star Adel Taarabt.
A furious Redknapp snapped when quizzed on Morocco forward Taarabt’s injury status after QPR’s gut-wrenching 3-2 home defeat to Liverpool.
“No, he’s not fit: he’s not fit to play football, unfortunately,” said Redknapp of the 25-year-old, who has only featured three times this season due to persistent ankle problems.
“He played in a reserve team game the other day, and I could have run about more than he did.
“So no, I can’t pick him.
“I pick people who come in every day and want to work, and train, and show a good attitude. When he starts doing that... maybe he’ll get a game.”
Ancelotti open to English return
Carlo Ancelotti has revealed he would like to return to England should he leave Real Madrid before he retires.
The former Chelsea boss won the Premier League and FA Cup in his first year in charge at Stamford Bridge in 2010 but was sacked by Roman Abramovich a year later.
Despite his controversial exit from Stamford Bridge, Ancelotti still harbours the ambition of once again managing in English Premier League.
“I loved England I was very happy at Chelsea,” he said.
“I liked the atmosphere, the supporters... I’d like to return. It depends how long this adventure lasts. If it lasts a long time I will retire after it. But if it doesn’t then I will go to England. For sure.”
Galatasaray fined over crowd trouble
Galatasaray have been fined €50,000 and ordered to pay Arsenal for damages after their fans set off fireworks and caused trouble at their Champions League in London this month.
UEFA’s disciplinary panel found Galatasaray fans guilty of “setting off/throwing of fireworks and missiles” and “crowd disturbance” during the Turkish side’s 4-1 defeat in a Group D match at the Emirates Stadium on Oct. 1.
No measures were taken against Arsenal who had been charged with insufficient organisation due to an alleged lack of body searching, UEFA said.
FC Basel were fined €40,000 after their fans threw objects onto the field during the 1-0 home win over Liverpool the same evening.
Supporter killed in pre-match clashes
Violence overshadowed Brazilian soccer on Sunday when a man was hit and killed by a car during clashes before the Palmeiras-Santos game, police said.
The 21-year old was run over as fans fought on the highway bringing Santos supporters into Sao Paulo for the state derby.
Two others suffered injuries after being hit by cars while one fan was injured after being shot.
Police closed parts of the road while the battles ensued in the hours before the kick-off.
It was just the latest in a string of deaths connected with Brazilian soccer in recent years with local sports newspaper Lance reporting that more than 200 fans have been killed in violence since 1988.
Santos won the match 3-1.