The return of Italian football is now just a few days away. This weekend will see the Coppa Italia semi-finals between Juventus and AC Milan and Inter and Napoli, while Serie A will restart its season the following week on June 20.
But even though the games haven’t started yet, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to make headlines. This is after the Juventus superstar reached another remarkable milestone that no other footballer has ever achieved.
Meanwhile, Juventus team-mate Paulo Dybala shared how his recovery from the coronavirus is going. Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli also gave updates on the futures of some of the club’s top stars, including Dries Mertens and Kalidou Koulibaly.
As always, SBOBET is here with all the big Serie A 2020 news to get you all caught up before the season restarts in a few weeks.
Ronaldo becomes first footballer to reach billionaire status
Cristiano Ronaldo is officially football’s first billionaire.
Forbes reports that the Portuguese superstar made $105 million before tax in the last year, which saw him ranked second on the list of highest-paid athletes behind tennis superstar Roger Federer. That was enough to bump his career earnings up over the $1 billion mark.
The 35-year-old Ronaldo becomes just the third athlete after golfer Tiger Woods and boxer Floyd Mayweather to reach the billion-dollar club during their career and is the first to do so while playing a team sport.
Although, Ronaldo’s chief rival, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, is expected to join that exclusive list of billionaire athletes as soon as next year.
Right now, Ronaldo is getting ready to return to action and help Juventus win their ninth straight Serie A title. The Serie A 2020 odds have the Old Lady as clear favourites as they are a point ahead of second-placed Lazio with 12 games left.
Ronaldo has had another stellar season with 21 goals in 22 games, second in the league behind Lazio’s Ciro Immobile.
Paulo Dybala still not 100 per cent fit after coronavirus scare
Paulo Dybala is similarly preparing to play a starring role for Juventus once the season restarts. However, the Argentine forward has admitted that he is still not quite back to full fitness since he tested positive for the coronavirus.
“I had coronavirus, but I feel much better now,” Dybala said during the Instagram Live transmission.
“I am still not quite at 100 per cent, but I’m pretty good. We’ve started training again and football is coming back, so soon we will be able to do what we love the most.”
Dybala was one of three Juventus players — Daniele Rugani and Blaise Matiudi the other two — who tested positive for COVID-19. It took him close to two months to fully recover from the virus.
Dybala has had a fine season for Juve, scoring seven league goals in 24 appearances. That includes his brilliant strike to seal Juventus’ 2-0 win over Inter in the Derby d’Italia, their last game before the coronavirus-induced break.
Napoli boss discusses stars’ futures
There has been much speculation this season surrounding Napoli. A couple of big-name players such as Dries Mertens and Jose Callejon are out of contract at the end of the season, while stars Kalidou Koulibaly and Fabian Ruiz have also been linked with big-money moves abroad.
Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has recently come out and addressed the futures of those stars. Giuntoli says contract talks with Mertens have been progressing and expects the Belgian striker to sign a new contract. However, Callejon’s fate remains unclear.
“Things are moving forward with Mertens. There’s a will on both sides to continue together,” Giuntoli told Sky Sport. “We hope to formalise the renewal shortly.
“With Callejon, we’re waiting. He hasn’t decided what he wants to do with his future.”
Regarding the future of Koulibaly, Giuntoli has made it clear that they won’t sell their star defender at a reduced price despite the coronavirus pandemic.
As for Ruiz, Giuntoli points out that the Spanish midfielder still has a three-year deal with the club and will discuss a contract renewal next season.
Giuntoli also added that the club has been pleased with the job manager Gennaro Gattuso has done since coming in and hopes he will stay on to lead the team toward the future.
Gattuso is grieving the passing of his sister Francesca, who passed away at the age of 37 after an illness.
Gattuso took charge of Napoli in December after the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti. The club has won nine of his 15 games in charge, with one draw and five losses.
He has a chance to land Napoli’s first piece of silverware in six years with the Coppa Italia. Napoli have a 1-0 lead over Inter heading into the second leg at home.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
