New FIGC President Gabriele Gravina has announced his intention to keep Serie A at 20 teams.

Gravina’s predecessor Carlo Tavecchio made downsizing Serie A to 18 sides one of his election pledges, but the 65-year-old suggested tackling grassroots was more of a pressing concern.

“That 97.2 percent voted for me? I have the responsibility to fulfil an task assigned to me with such a high percentage, as well as the awareness of having to give concrete answers, at a time when the chips are down,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

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Cagliari President Tommaso Giulini insists Nicolo Barella is ‘very happy’ at the club and ‘won’t leave in January’.

Barella’s breakthrough campaign for Cagliari and Italy has made him one of the most sought-after players in European football, but Giulini asserted the midfield prodigy could have a ‘long’ career with the Rossoblu.

“It’s been like this for months,” he told Radiolina.

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Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini names Mauro Icardi of Inter as his toughest opponent - other than teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.

The centre-back was imperious against Icardi in the Derby d’Italia last Friday, but is full of respect for the Argentine.

“In my opinion, Icardi is the second best striker in the penalty box who I’ve ever marked,” Chiellini told DAZN.

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Mario Balotelli reaches out to the youth of Italy after the recent nightclub tragedy, telling them to stop using pepper spray - “there’s nothing funny about it”.

On Friday six people were killed in a stampede in a nightclub near Ancona, and it’s believed the panic started after someone set off pepper spray.

“I’m not the kind to give moral lessons or education, if I need to do that I do it with my own children,” Balotelli said in a video published on his Instagram page.

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Reports in Italy state Chelsea are interested in Cagliari talent Nicolò Barella but so far there hasn’t been any official offer.

The 21-year-old is an Italian international, and has been attracting the interest of several top Serie A clubs.

Now calciomercato.com is reporting that Chelsea are also interested, with both Coach Maurizio Sarri and his assistant, former Cagliari star Gianfranco Zola, impressed by Barella.

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The dates of Italy’s Euro 2020 fixtures have been confirmed, starting with a home tie against Finland on Saturday March 23.

The Azzurri have been drawn with Bosnia & Herzegovina, Greece, Armenia, Finland and Liechtenstein, and only have to finish in the top two to qualify.

The first match of Euro 2020 will be at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and will almost certainly feature Italy as long as they qualify.

The qualifying campaign starts with a home match with Finland, and ends on November 11 with a home tie with Armenia.

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Tests allegedly show former Fiorentina defender Davide Astori had extra heartbeats less than a year before his tragic death in March.

According to La Nazione, Astori took two electrocardiograms in July 2016 and July 2017 so he could be declared fit to play football.

However, both ‘highlighted ventricular extrasystoles’, while the second test showed ‘an extrasystole with two morphologies’, described as ‘a small clue that his heart didn’t work as it should have’.

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FIGC director general Michele Uva has confirmed that the third UEFA tournament will permit a seventh Italian team in Europe.

UEFA recently confirmed that a new competition, tentatively named Europa League 2, would complement its namesake and the Champions League, and Uva believes it can only ‘improve’ the fans’ experience.

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Matteo Darmian is “proud to be at Manchester United, but I really do miss Italy now” amid Juventus, Inter, Napoli and Roma rumours.

The 29-year-old versatile full-back has been at Old Trafford since his €18m transfer from Torino in 2015.

He received only three Premier League appearances this season, yet summer proposals were rejected because Manchester United want €20m for him.

“I must say, I really do miss Serie A and Italy now,” Darmian told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

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