Internazionale

Worries over Inter's financial stability have been raised in recent weeks, with the Serie A champions not immune from the money worries that have blighted clubs globally during the COVID-19 crisis.

The club have asked players to accept a pay cut as part of a cost-cutting exercise, while the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez have been linked with moves away.

Giuseppe Marotta, CEO for the sporting side of the club, recently insisted all existing contracts will be respected by Inter should the players reject the club's request.

But amid such talk there is also concern about whether Conte sees his future with the Nerazzurri, and Marotta hopes the planned talks with Zhang prove beneficial.

"He is a winner and he has shown it here too," Marotta said of Conte.

"Coaches like this are very ambitious and his cycle has started very well and he will want to improve it."

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Marotta said: "As soon as possible there will be a meeting with the president, I hope we can continue."

Marotta was interviewed on the evening Inter lost 3-2 to Juventus, the club at which he and Conte first worked together.

Should Conte seek to leave Inter, where his contract runs to the end of next season, there would likely be several clubs interested in recruiting the 51-year-old.

He was linked in Spanish media on Saturday as a possible successor to Zinedine Zidane, whose time at Real Madrid looks to be coming to an end, although Raul is said to be a favourite for that position, should it come up.

Conte did not hold a news conference before the recent game against Roma, nor ahead of the Juventus clash, with Inter instead putting out match-focused comments from the coach on their website and club television station.

That meant Conte avoided being asked any uncomfortable questions by journalists about his or the club's future.

Assistant coach Cristian Stellini handled media duties following the Juventus game and was asked about Conte's well-being, saying: "He's in a calm frame of mind."

The 21-year-old joined the Serie A side in July for a reported €40million from Spanish champions Real Madrid, signing a five-year contract. 

The Spain-born Morocco international spent the past two seasons on loan at Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, particularly impressing last term when deployed as a right-sided wing-back ahead of a three-man defence.

On top of an impressive haul of five goals, Hakimi also had 10 assists in the Bundesliga last season – the best of any defender.

Conte guided Inter to a second-place finish in his maiden campaign and Hakimi is licking his lips at the prospect at playing under the 51-year-old. 

"I chose Inter because I think the coach's style is particularly suited to my way of playing and I can be of real help to this team," he said in a Q&A hosted on Inter's social media channels. "We'll try to achieve great results and certainly aim to win the Scudetto.

"Conte is a great coach, with a very competitive spirit. He has this extraordinary passion for football and transmits that to his players, fans, and everyone around the club. His motivation allows the side to be fired up for every game.

"I already played 3-5-2 at Borussia Dortmund. When the offer came, I thought this was a great opportunity for me to grow, as the fans here experience football in such a special way. I have joined a great club."

Hakimi had been at Madrid since 2006 and broke into the first-team squad in 2017-18, playing back-up to Dani Carvajal. 

He believes his two-year spell in the Bundesliga improved him as a player and hopes the experience will help him navigate a more "tactical league".

"Playing in Germany allowed me to mature as a player, gain experience and confidence," he added. "It was a wonderful experience; now I will go into a more tactical league like Serie A.

"Our objective is to win the Scudetto, make the fans happy, then go forward in the Champions League and do even better than last season.

"I am here to give my best, so we'll do great things together and try to win some trophies!"

Serie A has been put on hold until April 3 at the earliest due to the continued spread of the respiratory disease, which has resulted in almost 3,500 deaths in Italy.

Lukaku has been prevented from seeing his son, mother and brother since quarantining last week and said the experience has left him feeling humbled.

"You have to be very careful because you might touch somebody and they might have the virus," he said in an interview on Ian Wright's YouTube channel.

"My mum has diabetes and they have a higher risk to get into trouble when they get it. So I cannot even go home and touch her. 

"My mum is not even going out now. She's just going in the backyard or late at night she does her walk and then she comes back.

"I'm with my physio now. They bring me food every time as I'm on a strict diet. Every day around 12pm they send somebody from the training ground to give us the food so we keep our strict diet. I'm still on my fish and my veggies."

Lukaku, who has scored 23 goals in 35 outings for Inter this term, added: "I can't go outside, I can't train. It's been nine days. They got me a bike because the players live in the city centre in small apartments. 

"I didn't have space so in a group chat they said to the players 'who doesn't have a bike or a treadmill at the house?'. So there were loads of players like 'me, me ,me, me me'. Two hours later they brought every player a bike.

"I miss the regular life. Being with my mum and my son. Even being with my brother and people outside.

"I'm thinking about everybody. It is bad. You can have no more contact with a human being. I miss training and playing games in front of fans. Now you start appreciating what you have."

A government decree issued by Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday put Italy on lockdown, with over 9,000 people becoming infected with COVID-19.

All domestic sporting events have been postponed until April 3, but Thursday's Europa League meeting between Inter and Getafe at San Siro is still due to go ahead behind closed doors.

Getafe chief Torres is refusing to let his team travel to Milan, however, accepting his actions could result in the Madrid-based side forfeiting the opening leg of their round-of-16 tie.

Speaking on the Onda Cero radio show El Transistor, Torres said: "Unless things change, tomorrow [Wednesday] Getafe will not travel to Italy.

"We have asked UEFA to look for an alternative to play in Milan. We do not want to get into the middle of the coronavirus, we have no need.

"We have also asked the [Royal Spanish Football] Federation for help to demand the suspension.

"If we have to lose the tie, we will lose it. I will not be the one to assume any risk. It makes us very emotional, but if it has to be this way, it will be.

"I have been told to ask the Ministry of Public Works for a special permit [to allow travel to Italy], but I will not ask for any permission. I will not go to a place where I do not want to go.

"The people of Inter with whom we have spoken recognise that it is incomprehensible that we have to travel there. I am not going to consent.

"Getafe will not fly. We are not going to go to Italy. Either the game is moved from there, or it is postponed. The most sensible thing would be to postpone it.

"UEFA tells us to ask the government for a special permit [to travel]. I will not do it, I will stick to the laws of my country."

In a bid to contain the spread of the virus, competitions have steadily been halted over recent weeks.

Each of Europe's top five football leagues are off, along with the Champions League, while the NBA came to a sudden stop on Wednesday.

Motorsport was hit as Formula One's Australian Grand Prix was postponed, while cricket, tennis, golf, hockey and, initially to a lesser extent, rugby all also took stock.

In a peculiar period with a vastly reduced sporting schedule, a number of stars were therefore left to make alternative plans.

Reigning NBA MVP and leading 2019-20 candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo did not last long before he commented on the boredom he was enduring in the absence of basketball.

The Greek Freak posted on Twitter late on Friday: "If this is how my life is going to be after basketball, I'm not retiring for a long time. #25yearCareer"

Antetokounmpo tagged his girlfriend Mariah Riddlesprigger, who replied: "You will literally drive me crazy so the longer the better."

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was revelling in some family time, however, marking Friday 13 by watching a horror movie.

James then filmed his children as they performed a dance for their TikTok accounts, which their famous father promoted on his Instagram story.

F1 champion Lewis Hamilton found a different way to spend his time as the start of the new season was delayed, meanwhile.

"Gutted to not be qualifying today," he wrote on Saturday. "I decided to stick around Melbourne and go indoor rock climbing. It's a great way for me to keep focused."

Hamilton may not have been out on the track, but European Tour golfer Matthias Schwab was – virtually.

The Austrian shared a clip as he multi-tasked, playing a motorsport videogame while keeping fit on his exercise bike.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid had been due to take to the field on Friday before LaLiga went into lockdown, but Sergio Ramos entertained himself and his family.

The Madrid captain uploaded an image to his Instagram story of he and two of his children sporting matching hairstyles.

Ramos added two hashtags, reading, "I stay at home," "We stay at home".

Inter's on-loan Manchester United striker Alexis Sanchez was among the other players left to train at home, and he called his dogs in to help.

The Chile international posted a video, set to Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Want To Have Fun, as he juggled a ball with his dogs in pursuit.

Outside of China, Italy has been the hardest hit by the virus – named COVID-19 – with more than 1,400 deaths from at least 21,100 cases.

The global pandemic has forced the postponement of all sport, including Serie A, until April 3 in Italy, where the country is in lockdown with all shops except food stores and pharmacies closing.

"Please stay home and respect the rules," Conte said in a video message posted via Inter's official channels.

"That's the only way to confront this emergency.

"It's difficult and tough moment but if we stick together, we'll get through it. Don't give up!"

Conte is in isolation, along with his Inter team, after coming into contact with Juventus defender Daniele Rugani – who contracted coronavirus.

Rugani was the first Serie A player to test positive for COVID-19, which has spread alarmingly quickly in the country, while Manolo Gabbiadini is among a number of Sampdoria players to contract the virus.

Juve confirmed on Wednesday that Rugani had contracted for the COVID-19 virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.

Rugani was an unused substitute on Sunday, as Juve saw off Inter 2-0 in a top-of-the-table clash played behind closed doors.

Following Juve's announcement over Rugani, Inter confirmed they will suspend all competitive activities until further notice.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now declared the spread of the illness as a global pandemic, with people urged to self-isolate for 14 days if they have come into contract with someone suffering from the virus.

Italy has responded strongly to the outbreak, with the country placed on lockdown and the government having now suspended all domestic sport until April 3.

Serie A clubs are allowed to resume group training from Monday, having been permitted to return to team bases for individual sessions on May 4.

Every team in Italy's top flight is conducting testing as Serie A works towards a resumption of the 2019-20 season, which has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

An Inter statement read: "FC Internazionale Milano announces that all of the results from Friday's medical tests on the club's players, coaching staff, management staff and the remainder of the team group have returned as negative."

The league and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) are yet to agree on medical protocols set by the government for the competition's return.

The health ministry wants entire teams to be quarantined for 14 days if a player tests positive, while clubs and the league believe such measures would make a restart impractical and favour a scenario where only the individual in question is isolated.

A June 13 resumption has been suggested, with inter-regional movement to remain limited until June 3.

On Saturday, Parma confirmed two players had been placed in quarantine ahead of the return to group sessions.

The impact of coronavirus has been devastating, with more than 18,600 deaths globally and at least 418,270 confirmed cases.

COVID-19 has brought sport to a standstill, with Serie A among the professional leagues on hiatus amid the global health crisis.

Italy – particularly Milan and the Lombardy region – has been the hardest hit, with almost 7,000 casualties and over 69,100 cases.

Former Manchester United star Young, who left Old Trafford for Antonio Conte's Inter in January, shared his own advice from Milan, where a lockdown has been enforced.

"Hi everyone, just wanted to share my thoughts given I'm currently living in Italy, the epicentre of the virus," the 34-year-old Englishman wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. "Realistically a supermarket is now your main risk at spreading this virus and even catching it. Speaking with family and friends at home it sounds like going to get food is just crazy. Remember, lockdown means lockdown!

"In Italy going to the supermarket is surprisingly calm... no fights over food, no stripped shelves and most certainly no abusing staff members for limiting food or any reason at all! And in almost every case it's usually just one person shopping for a household!

"Please read the following and share this if you haven't already, it really is time to do your bit to help tackle this awful global crisis we are in!

"Queuing to go into supermarket is standard, but not because it's for stockpiling or greed. Supermarkets have limited the number of people entering at any time so it's never over-crowded! So wait and be patient to go in if your supermarket is doing this.

"If you have to get in the lift only get in with one more person, two people per lift at one time. And stand on opposite sides of the lift and face the wall – don't breathe outwards towards that stranger.

"Always use gloves from moment you get out of your car! You don't want to touch trolleys that other hands have been on. Keep the gloves on until you are getting back in the car.

"Use a face mask or scarf to keep your nose and mouth covered. Always keep your distance at the till. Keep the trolley behind you when you unpack at the till as it stops people from being able to get too close.

"Don't unpack your shopping right on top of somebody else's, make a gap between theirs and yours so none of your shopping touches theirs. Here we can't put our groceries on the belt until the person in front has finished paying.

"This may sound harsh but treat everybody that's not in your household as if they have the virus, you just don't know!!! Most importantly, just stay safe! This is what we are doing here, it's not an overreaction, it's staying safe. And just remember others should be looking at you in this way as well. It's not horrible, it's a way of keeping your distance to ultimately help save lives."

The 2019-20 Serie A season has been suspended amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 53,100 people worldwide.

Juventus defender Daniele Rugani was listed as the first Serie A player to contract coronavirus following the club's 2-0 win over Inter behind closed doors on March 8.

With Italy hit hardest by the virus – more than 13,910 deaths – Belgium star Lukaku questioned why the league was not postponed sooner.

"Health comes first. Why should we play if there are people in the world who are risking their lives?" Lukaku said in an interview with Thierry Henry via Puma's Instagram.

"Why was it only necessary for a player to test positive in order for football to stop? It's not normal.

"I will admit that I do miss football, but now the most important thing is people's health. Everything else comes secondary to that."

Amid the hiatus, Lukaku told Henry: "What I miss most is competing with opponents, being in full stadiums and feeling the support from the fans.

"I am using this time to analyse my performances and indeed, more generally, everything I have done in the last six months. You can always improve in football."

The CONI announcement on Monday confirmed a suspension, subject to government ratification, that many had expected.

Serie A and the Coppa Italia had already been heavily affected by postponements and matches being played behind closed doors, with Sunday's Derby d'Italia played in front of an eerily empty stadium.

A government decree had already confirmed there were to be no spectators at any sporting events until April 3, but the latest announcement followed a significant increase in coronavirus cases, with 7,375 Italians having been infected.

Many wider sporting events in Italy had already been postponed, but the suspension is arguably set to have the biggest knock-on effect in football, as it throws the Serie A title race – and relegation tussle – into chaos due to an ever-growing fixture pile-up.

Following Monday's news, here are the biggest clubs' Serie A and Coppa Italia matches set to be affected:

Juventus:

Bologna v Juventus, March 13

Juventus v Lecce, March 21

Juventus v Milan (Coppa Italia semi-final second leg), TBC

Lazio:

Atalanta v Lazio, March 15

Lazio v Fiorentina, March 20

Inter:

Inter v Sassuolo, March 15

Parma v Inter, March 22

Napoli v Inter (Coppa Italia semi-final second leg), TBC

Milan:

Lecce v Milan, March 15

Milan v Roma, March 22

Juventus v Milan (Coppa Italia semi-final second leg), TBC

With no matches set to take place until April 3, a deadline that could feasibly be pushed back even further, teams will resume the Serie A season with between 12 and 14 matches still to play.

With Euro 2020 set to begin on June 12, it leaves just 70 days between the two key dates, though facilities will have to be handed over to UEFA well before the tournament's kick-off.

If Champions League and Europa League matches continue to go ahead as planned, some Italian teams could have many as 20 matches across all competitions to cram into their schedules.

Juventus lead the way in Serie A on 63 points, and look set to be pushed the distance by Lazio. The Rome-based club are just a point shy, while Inter have fallen adrift of the top by nine.

Among the wider sporting events previously postponed through March and early April were: 

CYCLING

Tirreno-Adriatico, March 11-17

Milan-San Remo, March 21

Giro di Sicilia, April 1-4

SKIING

Alpine Skiing World Cup finals, March 18-22

RUGBY UNION

Italy v England, March 14

Like all major competitions across the world, Serie A is on hiatus as part of efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19, with northern Italy particularly badly affected by the virus.

Mancini was due to lead the Azzurri at Euro 2020 in June, but the tournament has been put back 12 months.

The former Inter and Manchester City boss believes sport can act as a social boost for a population hit hard by the events of recent weeks.

"It is a terrible thing for many families who have lost loved ones," Mancini told SportMediaset.

"I hope everything returns as before. I heard some guys [players], they are all well and I hope we can go back to playing as soon as possible.

"I hope it starts because football is also a very important social thing, then we'll see what will happen.

"And I hope this terrible thing will end soon. It will take a little more attention, but we deserve to go back to living as before. Everything that happened was unjust."

Serie A paused in the midst of a gripping title race, with long-reigning champions Juventus one point ahead of surprise package Lazio with 12 games remaining.

Mancini believes the unscheduled and lengthy break will lead to unpredictability if the action resumes, meaning he refuses to rule former employers Inter in third and free-scoring Atalanta in fourth out of contention.

"I think anything can happen because there has never been such an upheaval," he said.

"It's difficult to make predictions. Juventus are in the lead and remain the strongest, but anything can happen.

"Inter could also be back in the race and Atalanta. When you stop for so long it can change everything. Nothing is excluded."

Spain and Italy have been two of the hardest-hit European nations during the COVID-19 outbreak, recording 27,709 and 32,007 deaths, respectively.

Everyday life – including sport – has seen massive changes across both countries over the past two months, with lockdown measures only recently beginning to be eased.

The three European giants will play matches next year to determine the winner of the European Solidary Cup, but the main purpose will be to aid the purchasing of healthcare supplies and express gratitude to medical professionals for their work during the pandemic.

The matches will be played across each of the three cities, with the tournament announced for 2021 in the hope fans will once again be able to attend.

A statement released by Los Blancos read: "Real Madrid are set to team up with Bayern Munich and Inter to host the European Solidarity Cup in 2021. The three clubs will come together to send out a message of solidarity and fraternity to the people of Europe.

"The solidarity event will see three football matches held during 2021 in the cities of Madrid, Munich and Milan. The dates for these games will depend on the competitive calendar and of course will take place when the fans are able to return to the stands.

"The three teams will all come up against each other: Madrid vs Inter will happen in Madrid, Inter vs Bayern is set for Milan and Bayern vs Madrid will be held in Munich. The proceeds from these games will go towards the purchase of healthcare resources in Italy and Spain.

"Healthcare staff who continue to fight the pandemic will be represented at all of the games. The three clubs wish to demonstrate to these heroes all of our solidarity, respect and gratitude."

Bayern resumed their 2019-20 Bundesliga campaign on Sunday with a 2-0 win over Union Berlin.

LaLiga and Serie A are not expected to recommence until next month at the earliest, however.

Following a government decree issued on Monday, Italy is on lockdown and all public gatherings are banned until April 3.

This development also means all sporting events in that timeframe have been postponed, throwing Serie A – which had previously been due to continue behind closed doors – into doubt.

Should Serie A resume on April 4, teams will have between 12 and 14 matches to cram in before the end of May, while some sides also have European ties to contend with.

FIGC has a limited amount of time to work with too, given Euro 2020 is set to begin in Rome on June 12, meaning facilities will need to be handed over to UEFA well in advance.

Italy's governing body is considering its options, accepting Serie A could either: finish early; be decided by play-offs; or simply halted and the title would go to no one.

A statement on the FIGC website read: "With reference to the recovery of Serie A matches, taking into account that the other leagues [Serie B, Serie C et cetera] have no international deadlines and therefore a wider margin of programming, the federal president proposed to the Serie A league to take advantage of all the dates available until May 31.

"If the COVID-19 emergency does not allow the conclusion of the championships, president Gabriele Gravina has submitted to the attention of the leagues concerned some hypotheses on which to discuss in the meeting of the Federal Council on 23 March.

"Without any order of priority, a hypothesis could be the non-assignment of the title of Campione of Italy and consequent communication to UEFA of the teams that qualified for the European competitions [Champions League and Europa League]; another would be to refer to the rankings accrued up to the moment of interruption; third and last hypothesis, to play only the play-offs for the title of Campione d'Italia and the play-offs for relegation to Serie B."

As it stands, Juventus are top of Serie A with 63 points – one clear of Lazio. Brescia, SPAL and Lecce occupy the three relegation spots, with the latter tied on 25 points with 17th-placed Genoa.

As of Tuesday, Italy is the most-affected European nation, with 9,172 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The Europa League last-16 first legs have been called off due to new travel restrictions imposed by the Spanish government on flights to and from Italy in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

"Further decisions on the two matches will be communicated in due course," UEFA said in a statement.

Earlier on Wednesday, Roma confirmed they had been unable to travel for the match at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan as they had not been granted permission to fly to Andalusia.

Getafe's meeting with Inter had also been in doubt as the LaLiga club's president, Angel Torres, said they would not travel to Italy.

Torres told Onda Cero that he was not prepared to put the health of his players and staff at risk, adding: "If we have to lose the tie, we will lose it."

Italy has been in lockdown since Monday in a bid to curb the rapid spread of coronavirus.

A statement from Italy's Home Office on Sunday declared individual athletes - including those who play for teams - can undertake sports activities again, provided they maintain social distancing.

On Saturday, Sassuolo became the first Serie A club to confirm they would be going back to training since the season was halted due to the coronavirus crisis.

Others in the top tier have since followed suit, including Inter, who will make pitches at their Appiano Gentile available to first-team squad members, albeit on a voluntary basis.

"The resumption of competitive activities will be determined and communicated as soon as the relevant regulatory framework is finalised," Inter said in a statement. 

"All the other areas of the centre will remain closed with the exception of the on-site health and technical facility, which is required to ensure a safe environment and safeguard the athletes."

It is also reported table-topping Juventus - who sit one point clear of nearest rivals Lazio at the summit - have asked their players who are currently abroad to return to Italy, allowing them to undergo a period of isolation ahead of a potential resumption.

However, Spadafora had made clear full training will not be allowed before the country's lockdown measures expire on May 17. 

"I read strange things around but nothing has changed compared to what I have always said about football: the teams' training will not resume before 18 May and the resumption of the championship for now is not really talked about," he wrote on Facebook.

"Now sorry but I'm going back to deal with all the other sports and sports centres (gyms, dance centres, swimming pools, etc) that must reopen as soon as possible!"

Italy has been one of the countries to suffer the most during the health crisis, with over 28,000 deaths related to COVID-19.

Serie A was suspended on March 9 due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit Italy hard.

A day earlier, Inter suffered a 2-0 loss to Juventus and on March 12, defender Daniele Rugani tested positive for COVID-19.

Godin said there was a push for football to continue until the situation was no longer under control.

"We were exposed until the last moment. They kept pulling the rope to see if you could continue playing, until the situation was unsustainable," he told ESPN.

"The health system collapsed, there are no intensive care beds to attend so many critically ill people and people who may have another illness, they cannot attend to them, so many professional doctors."

Godin added: "We continued playing for several weeks, we continued training, playing behind closed doors, until the positive of a Juventus player was detected and we and the Juventus players were quarantined.

"There the championship was stopped. Surely in that match there were other players who would already be infected, so they directly quarantined all of us."

Italy has recorded more than 92,400 cases of coronavirus, reporting 10,023 deaths.

The Argentine made his first start of the season, scoring a goal, registering two assists and striking the woodwork twice, as he stepped in for the absent Lautaro Martinez and helped Inter move top of the table.

Each of Correa's three away goals for Inter in Serie A have come at the Bentegodi against Verona, while he both scored and assisted in a single Serie A match for only the second time, after July 2020, for Lazio against Brescia.

"Correa deserved this chance for how he's been working since June, he showed what he can do," Inzaghi told a press conference.

"I'm happy for him. In addition to being a great player, he's a good guy who continued with his work despite some mistrust."

Inter scored at least five goals in the first half of an away league game for only the second time in their history in Serie A, after their 5-1 win against Sampdoria in the first 45 minutes of play back in March 1964.

Last season, Correa was sent on a one-year loan to Marseille and was expected to leave Inter for good as the French club had an option to buy the player.

Upon his return, the 30-year-old made three appearances in the first 12 league games, entering from the bench at Monza, Udinese and Roma before he was selected to pair up with Marcus Thuram from the start against Verona.

Correa opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a chipped finish after a precise pass from Thuram. He then returned the favour and teed the Frenchman up to double the lead in the 22nd, before setting up Yann Bisseck for the fifth before the break.

"It wasn't difficult because my team-mates helped me and were happy when I scored," Correa said.

"I wanted to do the back heel for Bisseck, but there was also a bit of luck. There are a lot of good guys here, we have to continue like this."

Inter next host RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday, and they may still be without Martinez, who fell sick when he returned from international duty.

"We need to see how the virus evolves," Inzaghi said. "Last night he had chills and this morning he had a fever of almost 38 degrees.

"I had [the same virus] too, skipping training on Monday and Tuesday. In any case, he would have been [resting] on the bench today even if he had been here. We'll see."

Martinez scored in both of Argentina's World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay (2-1) and Peru (1-0).

The full-back was due to see his previous deal expire at the end of the season, although it was widely expected fresh terms would be agreed.

Inter announced the news on Thursday, less than 48 hours after Darmian scored the winning goal in the Coppa Italia quarter-final against Atalanta.

"Hi Inter fans. I'm delighted to keep on wearing these colours. See you at the stadium," Darmian said in a video posted on social media.

Darmian joined Inter in 2020 from Manchester United, initially on loan before making a permanent move the following year.

He was part of the Serie A winning side in his first year at the club and lifted the Coppa Italia last season, as well as the Supercoppa Italiana – a trophy Inter retained last month by beating rivals Milan.

Juventus are poised to re-sign Pogba following his departure from Manchester United, while Inter are pushing to bring Lukaku back from Chelsea following a disappointing year in the Premier League.

Both players will represent marquee additions for the two Serie A title hopefuls as they seek to knock Milan off their perch next season, while also boosting them in the hunt for glory in the Champions League.

Juventus legend Del Piero believes the deals have further significance, however, as he feels they can help to push Italian football to compete with the other top leagues in Europe following a number of years off the pace.

"Now the Premier League is the best football you can see in terms of number of teams that can perform at a high level and what happened in the Champions League, in the Europa League how they performed is the answer," he told ESPN.

“It's a different kind of sport in some moments. It seems in the Premier League you run more, you have more physicality, you are more spectacular. 

"It's not exactly like this because in Italy we have this kind of thing but Italy is struggling now: the national team and also in the club teams.  

"So last season showed a little bit more. Roma's win [in the Europa Conference League] is a good hope for the future in the Europa competitions. 

"So Lukaku for Inter and Pogba for Juve could be a great move also for Italian football to become again stronger and have a voice in the Champions League especially."

Since Inter won the Champions League under Jose Mourinho in 2009-10, Juventus are the only Italian side to have reached the final – losing to Barcelona in 2014-15 and then to Real Madrid two years later.