Lazio director Igli Tare analyses their Champions League opponents Zenit, Borussia Dortmund and Club Brugge. ‘We can fight it out with anyone.’

The Aquile are in Group F and can be relatively pleased with the outcome of the draw in a potentially very balanced group.

“As a first impression, it’s a very good group,” Tare told Lazio Style Radio.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

Lazio have never faced Zenit or Club Brugge before, but have some bad memories of Ciro Immobile’s old club Borussia Dortmund.

The Aquile are back in the Champions League after a 13-year absence and can be relatively pleased with the luck of the draw.

This will be their first meeting with top seeds Zenit St Petersburg, although they have faced Russian clubs before with mixed results.

There was just one victory over Rotor Volgograd, 3-0 at home in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup, along with three draws.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

Zenit St Petersburg have reportedly offered €30m for Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, also a target for Leeds United, but it’s not enough.

The Argentina international had been widely expected to leave Udine this summer after four years at the club.

Leeds United were the favourites, while Tuttomercatoweb claim Zenit have now upgraded their proposal to €30m.

However, Udinese are holding out for closer to €40m for the 26-year-old, who can play in a variety of midfield roles.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul has reportedly turned down an offer from Zenit and would prefer to remain in Serie A.

The Argentina international is bound to move on this summer and the asking price is believed to be €35m.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, a proposal from Zenit St Petersburg was rejected because De Paul would prefer to continue his career in Italy.

That would also rule out the likes of Leeds United and Leicester City, who have also been linked from the Premier League.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

Roma are on red alert after reports Aleksandr Kokorin could leave Spartak Moscow just a month after arriving from Zenit.

The troubled 29-year-old striker spent some of last season on loan at Sochi, then was released by Zenit to join Spartak Moscow at the start of August.

Barely a month later, he is already thinking about a move elsewhere, with Sportitalia claiming there is a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for a minimal fee if a top five European league comes calling.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

Napoli face competition from Atletico Madrid and West Ham United for Zenit St Petersburg’s Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun.

The Partenopei have been repeatedly linked with an offer for Azmoun, who is 25 years old and spent practically his entire career in Russia with Rubin Kazan, Rostov and since 2019 Zenit.

According to the Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper, Napoli will engage in a bidding war with Atletico Madrid and West Ham.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

Lazio are interested in veteran Zenit St Petersburg centre-forward Artem Dzyuba, who will be a free agent at the end of the season.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Russia international is an option to act as understudy to Ciro Immobile upfront.

He turns 32 in August and has 24 goals in 42 senior caps for Russia.

His contract with Zenit runs until June 2020, so Dzyuba will be available in the summer.

He spent his entire career in Russia and has scored 15 goals with 12 assists in 28 competitive games so far this season.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

Sampdoria have officially scrapped their season-long loan with Emiliano Rigoni, sending the Argentina international back to Zenit.

The winger is set to turn 26 next week and had joined Samp on loan for €0.5m with option to buy for €9.5m, which would become an obligation after certain conditions were met.

However, he barely featured for Samp this season, managing eight Serie A games and one substitute appearance in the Coppa Italia.

This evening, Sampdoria terminated the loan deal and sent Rigoni back to Zenit St Petersburg five months early.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

Claudio Marchisio hasn’t yet decided on his future after retirement, but explains why he never moved to the Premier League. “My priority was Juventus.”

The midfielder retired at the age of 33 after numerous knee injuries during his final years at Juve and Zenit St Petersburg.

“I haven't ruled out anything, but for the moment I have not decided what I will do,” Marchisio told the Daily Mail when asked if he’d like to be a Coach.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow

The 2021 Champions League Final will be at Zenit’s Saint-Petersburg Stadium, the 2022 Final in Munich and 2023 at Wembley in London.

UEFA announced the assignment of the biggest matches in the club calendar during today’s Press conference.

The culmination of the 2020-21 campaign will be in Russia at Zenit’s Saint Petersburg Stadium.

In the 2021-22 season, the Champions League is to be decided at the Football Arena in Munich, more commonly known as Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow