Roma

The 36-year-old, who retired from football in January, opened up about the experience of ending his career at Boca, whom he joined on a free transfer in July 2019 when his contract at Roma expired.

He made just five appearances for Boca in the Superliga before cancelling his contract and returning to Italy to be with his family early in the new year, but said he had no regrets about the move.

"I would need a whole quarantine to describe the emotions I experienced in those six months," the 2006 World Cup winner told Sky Sport.

"It is a unique place, very similar to Italy - more than we think, also because half of them are of Italian origin. They live on passion for anything, from food to music, to a passion for football.

"It's a championship that can be technically and tactically discussed, but in six months I haven't seen a player pulling back his leg or not giving 200 per cent."

De Rossi scored on his Boca debut, in a 1-1 draw and penalty shoot-out defeat to Almagro in the Copa Argentina.

In March it was announced he would receive a league winner's medal after Boca clinched the Superliga title, giving him an honour he failed to achieve in 18 years as a Roma player.

But it was the atmosphere at La Bombonera that De Rossi said he would treasure above all else.

"It is not about being a ruffian, which I don't like," he said. "But the most beautiful thing is what you see in the stands.

"It is a warmth that we no longer have in Italy: it is pure and selfless passion.

"La Bombonera is the most absurd and sensational stadium in the world. I wish all fans to be able to visit it during a Boca match.

"I feel privileged to have played there, even if it didn't last long."

The 53-year-old alleged Giallorossi goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos assaulted him in the tunnel after the Norwegian champions claimed a 2-1 first-leg win over Roma in the competition's quarter-finals last week.

UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary body then provisionally suspended both men from all European competitions on Monday while its investigation into the incident continued, leading Bodo/Glimt to lodge an appeal.

However, European football's governing body has upheld its previous decision, announcing Knutsen "is provisionally suspended for the next UEFA club competition matches in which he would otherwise participate until the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body decides on the merits of the case".

Bodo/Glimt professed themselves "surprised and shocked" by the original decision to issue a ban to Knutsen, who accused Santos of grabbing him by the neck and pushing him against a wall after the match.

Roma were also accused by their rivals of "bombarding the media with untruths" relating to the incident, while Knutsen said he "considered whether it was really a good idea to continue working in football" after the altercation.

Bodo/Glimt travel to Rome for the decisive second leg of the tie on Thursday, having won 10 and drawn eight of their last 18 away games in all competitions.

The visitors claimed a 2-2 draw on their previous visit to the Stadio Olimpico in November and are unbeaten in three clashes with Jose Mourinho's team this season, winning two and drawing one. The Norwegian team have scored 10 goals and conceded just four in their head-to-head clashes with the Giallorossi.

Ranieri was tempted back into management by a return to where he began as a player. His third spell at Roma comes after the club sacked two coaches already this season and with the team 12th in the standings.

A trip to leaders Napoli is Ranieri's first task, and Conte is looking forward to meeting up with the 73-year-old.

"I am pleased to see Claudio, I have great esteem for him and there is also friendship," Conte told reporters ahead of Sunday's game.

"I am happy with the chance he has been given. It will be a tough game, for us and for them. Last year, Roma finished ahead of Napoli, they are in the Europa League and had a good transfer window.

"They are not performing according to expectations and I hope for Claudio that everything starts to work after Sunday's game."

The arrival of Ranieri in place of Ivan Juric brings with it not just the danger of the 'new manager bounce' but also upsets Conte's plans for the game.

"When a team changes coach there is an important input on a nervous level," Conte said.

"They are at the third change on the bench. It's inevitable that, if Juric had remained, we knew what kind of team we were going to face.

"Now it's an enigma, we don't have much information nor do we know how they will deal with us. So let's think about ourselves, there is a desire and enthusiasm to continue this path."

After a streak of 21 consecutive home wins in Serie A, Conte lost his last home league match (0-3 against Atalanta). Only once in his career has he recorded two consecutive home defeats in the competition: in November 2009, when he was in charge of Atalanta (against Juventus and Roma).

Napoli are top of the table, but Conte knows it is still early, and with just two points separating the top six clubs, which includes the likes of Atalanta, Fiorentina and Lazio, for now, it is a different title race than usual.

"Only 12 games have passed and there are many teams within very few points," he said.

"We are doing well, but so are the others. There isn't one team which has distanced the others. Perhaps there is a little amazement in seeing some teams in those positions in the standings."

Romelu Lukaku's second-half goal handed Napoli a 1-0 win over Roma on Sunday.

That victory sent Napoli back to the summit of Serie A, with Conte's side one point ahead of Atalanta, Inter, Fiorentina and Lazio, while Juventus are only four points back in a six-team title race.

Napoli needed to get back to winning ways after a draw against Inter and a 3-0 loss to Atalanta before the international break, and Conte insists his team must sharpen up.

"Before the match, I told the lads not to look at the table, but to focus on ourselves and improving what we are working on," Conte told Sky Sport Italia.

"I maintain that now too because we need to take a series of steps to raise the level.

"I was satisfied with the performance for a good 65 minutes today, we could’ve taken more of our chances and were up against a strong Roma who have great players.

"Roma were also making their debut under a new coach and therefore were very eager to prove themselves, but we still should've dealt with the final 15-20 minutes better, as we sat too deep and made it complicated for ourselves."

Roma, playing under new boss Claudio Ranieri, came close to equalising when Artem Dovbyk hit the woodwork with a header. 

Ranieri came out of retirement to take charge of Roma following Ivan Juric's dismissal earlier in November, though the visitors had just six shots and accumulated only 0.6 expected goals (xG) at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

"If we look back, we have some problems and that is why I was called. We were up against a team that is fighting to win the Scudetto," Ranieri told Sky Sport Italia.

"Having said all of that, I am happy with the performance from my players. We made some mistakes that we will talk about during the week, but the hunger, the determination to get back on track was there.

"We have a lot of work to do, but I feel positive.

"We know there is work to be done, we have to focus on reacting rather than sitting there feeling sorry for ourselves.

"The [players] need the right character to help themselves and then others. Naturally, when I arrived, the team was a little closed up, but I think we started to open up a bit by the second half."

Further matches have been postponed while others appear unable to go ahead due to increased travel restrictions between affected countries.

Governing bodies are also taking steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by cancelling planned meetings, while others are calling for further changes to the calendar.

Here are some of the latest events to be impacted.

Football's governing body has decided to cancel the next FIFA Congress in Addis Ababa on June 5. It has also pushed back the coming FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, due to be on March 20, until June or July. Attendees may be required to join via a video link.

In France, the Coupe de la Ligue final on April 4 between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon has been postponed. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) said a new date would be announced in due course. It means the PSG-Metz and Lyon-Nimes Ligue 1 matches will be moved to the weekend of April 4-5 but be held behind closed doors. PSG will have Kylian Mbappe available against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, though: the striker is in the squad after overcoming illness, with L'Equipe among those to report he had tested negative for coronavirus.

Germany has seen the first confirmed instance of a footballer contracting coronavirus. Hannover defender Timo Hubers has tested positive but been praised by the club for his "absolutely exemplary" behaviour, as he immediately self-isolated before coming into contact with the rest of the squad.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will face Union Berlin on Saturday behind closed doors, and the latter's derby with Hertha Berlin on March 21 will take place under the same circumstances. Borussia Monchengladbach have urged fans not to gather outside the stadium ahead of Wednesday's match with Cologne.

FIFPro, the footballers' union, has urged governing bodies across the world "to respect the wishes of players to take short-term precautionary measures including suspending training or competitions". Steps are certainly being taken in Spain, where the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has recommended football at all levels beneath the top two professional leagues to be called off for two weeks. The RFEF will reportedly meet with league officials to discuss similar proposals for LaLiga and the Segunda Division.

Meanwhile, Roma's match with Sevilla in the Europa League last 16 on Thursday is off after the Italian club confirmed they had not been given permission by the government to fly to Andalusia. Getafe had already refused to travel for their game with Inter in Italy.

The big news in Englandwas that Manchester City versus Arsenal was called off as a precaution after the Gunners came into contact with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who announced on Tuesday that he had caught the disease. In general, though, the UKhas not been following the same stringent protocols as some other European nations and that is continuing for now. Arsenal's match with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday has not been called off, while England's planned friendlies at Wembley this month against Italy and Denmark are, at present, going ahead. Forest have also confirmed all players and staff have tested negative for coronavirus.

In Scotland, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard says the domestic season must be completed, even if behind closed doors, "because people have earned the opportunity to get to the stage where everyone is at". League chief executive Neil Doncaster claimed last week that completing the Premiership season could become "very difficult".

The England and Wales Cricket Board has told supporters "to maintain good levels of hygiene" during England's tour of Sri Lanka. As a precaution, players and staff have been told to avoid casual interaction with fans, such as selfies and autographs.

In Bangladesh, the World XI v Asia XI matches that would have marked the birthday celebrations of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been postponed, while the Indian Open has been called off following a consultation between the Indian Golf Union, the European Tour, the Asian Tour and tournament sponsors.

MotoGP has also announced that the ArgentinaGrand Prix has been moved to November. The opening race of the season in Qatar and the Grand Prix of the Americas have already been rescheduled.

Italy has been in lockdown for almost two weeks as its government attempt to contain the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 4,800 people in the country.

There were over 790 deaths recorded in Italy on Saturday, with sport across the globe put on hold – Serie A has been suspended until at least April while UEFA postponed Euro 2020 until next year.

Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) president Damiano Tommasi said the Serie A season could resume in May or June if all goes well amid the COVID-19 emergency, but Pastore has serious doubts over the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign.

"We'll see if we play again from this season or the next. To be honest, I think it'll be impossible to finish the season, as we need at least 20-30 days of training to be ready," the Argentina international told Radio Impacto.

"All the clubs will lose money, but I think it's pretty much impossible to resume where we left off. It would mean ending later and later, so having to move the start of the next campaign.

"But we can't do that, because next summer there's the Euros, the Copa America, etc."

Prior to the Serie A hiatus, defending champions Juventus topped the table by one point ahead of Lazio.

The last top-flight fixture was between Sassuolo and Brescia, with the former winning 3-0 on March 9.

The two matches on Thursday are the latest to be impacted by the coronavirus crisis.

The Greek government enforced a temporary suspension of spectators attending sporting events on Sunday, with 73 confirmed cases of the virus in the country as of Monday.

UEFA subsequently affirmed the decision would affect Olympiacos in European competition, and Wolves will refund travelling fans who bought tickets.

Meanwhile, Roma's trip to Sevilla likewise will not allow supporters, following the example of Valencia v Atalanta – a Champions League encounter between Spanish and Italian teams.

The fixture will go ahead in Spain, where there are 999 cases and 16 deaths, although sporting events in Italy have been halted until April 3.

Italy is the European country most heavily affected by the virus, with 7,375 cases and 366 deaths.

A number of Serie A fixtures had been postponed even before Monday's decision to implement a four-week stoppage.

They have also agreed to top up the salaries of Roma employees placed on the Italian government's job retention scheme so they receive their usual net pay while football is suspended.

Serie A was put on hold in March after initially playing some games behind closed doors, but it is hoped teams will be able to return to training on May 4.

If the 2019-20 season does continue and is completed, the club, players, coach and his staff have agreed an incentive plan to be paid upon attaining unspecified sporting objectives.

Roma CEO Guido Fienga said: "We always talk about unity at Roma and in volunteering to cut their salaries for the rest of the season, the players, the coach, and his staff, have all proved that we really are in this together.

"Edin [Dzeko], all the players and Paulo [Fonseca] have demonstrated they understand what this club stands for and we also thank them all for their superb gesture towards the employees at this club."

The Giallorossi have not played a competitive match since March 1.

Italy has over 175,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with more than 23,000 people having died after testing positive.

In a letter to Fienga, the players wrote: "We are writing to express our support to the company for all that it is doing in this period to overcome the difficulties created by the COVID-19 emergency.

"We players are ready to start playing as soon as possible, giving the maximum to achieve our goals, but we also realise that all this will not be enough to face the economic consequences of the current emergency.

"With the hope of doing something that will help the company to better restart the Roma project that we all share, we offer this financial proposal.

"We also confirm all of our support for the initiatives of Roma and Roma Cares to help those who find themselves in difficulty because of the virus. Forza Roma!"

Elite sport has been halted by the global crisis, with more than 650,000 confirmed cases and over 30,000 deaths.

Only the United States has more cases than Italy, where Serie A has been suspended until at least May 3.

Roma last played at Cagliari on March 1, winning 4-3, but the club have a plan for their next game in front of a packed crowd at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Serie A side said they will dedicate their "first home match in front of fans after football returns to honouring and celebrating the medical workers who have been on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19".

A statement added it was "an extension of the club's 'HEROES' series on social media, which pays tribute to individual doctors, nurses and medics in Italy and around the world".

The promise of 5,000 free tickets for medical workers would "allow fans to show their appreciation for the selfless efforts of the medics during this crisis", Roma explained.

They will also honour workers who have lost their lives, introduce a reduced price rate for medical staff from the start of next season, and donate a proportion of each ticket sale to the club's fundraising campaign.

Roma president James Pallotta added: "It is impossible to overstate just how much we appreciate the work of the medical staff in Italy and around the world."

Pallotta has donated €75,000 to the club's COVID-19 fundraising project, which has brought in more than €530,000.

The 2019-20 Serie A season has been suspended since March due to the COVID-19 crisis, which has killed more than 244,500 people worldwide.

All teams in Italy are set to return to training on May 18, the day after the government's existing lockdown measures expire, but some are scheduled to resume earlier.

A decree issued by the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy on Thursday opened the door for Sassuolo, SPAL, Bologna and Parma to return to training next week.

Sassuolo were the first team to announce a resumption of training on Saturday, although social distancing rules must be complied with and there can be no mass gatherings.

And Roma followed suit, saying in a statement: "#ASRoma would like to thank the Lazio Regione for its sensitivity towards team sports.

"Next week, Roma players will undergo medical assessments and begin individual training sessions – observing safe distancing guidelines – at the Trigoria training centre."

An emergency meeting of Lega Serie A was held on Friday during which it was reported all 20 teams agreed to resume the campaign rather than follow the examples of the Eredivisie and Ligue 1, which ended their respective seasons amid the coronavirus pandemic.

After Italy's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora warned the government could step in to bring the season to a conclusion if an agreement on medical protocols for the resumption of matches was not reached, Lega Serie A president Paolo Dal Pino's call for a united approach was seemingly heeded.

Defending champions Juventus were a point clear of Lazio through 26 games at the time of postponement.

The Italian club said on Twitter on Wednesday that their "plane from Italy was not authorised to land in Spain", adding UEFA would provide a further update.

Both legs of the tie had been due to take place behind closed doors.

Italy is in lockdown over the coronavirus outbreak, with significant travel restrictions in place across the country.

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.

Florenzi, who joined Valencia on loan in January, was speaking about various subjects during an Instagram Live session earlier this week – one focus being his time at Valencia, his first non-Italian club.

He suggested there was not as much passion for the team as he experienced towards his hometown club Roma, but pointed out the players were subsequently able to enjoy more freedom.

Florenzi has already indicated he expects to return to Roma at the end of the season, with the Italian struggling to make much of an impression on the pitch at Mestalla.

Di Vaio holds fond memories of Valencia and its people following two years with the club until 2006, but he also understands why Florenzi might not appreciate it as much, such is his love for the Eternal City and Roma.

Speaking to Stats Perform, Di Vaio said: "Valencia is a beautiful city, sunny as its citizens.

"Florenzi comes from Rome and when you leave the place you love, it is always hard to appreciate where you are and what you have.

"It happened to me too and to other players I played with, despite arriving in great cities with clubs in favourable conditions.

"When you leave your heart there [where you were], you can't appreciate here [where you are]. What happened in the last six months haven't helped Florenzi to appreciate Valencia at its best.

"He went there to play enough to be at the Euros, but then when it all stopped he may have gone back home and couldn't probably appreciate the city.

"I realise it may have not been easy. But for sure, he will have noticed how warm the city, the people and the fans are and how wonderful the stadium is and how organised the club is."

Maradona – arguably football's greatest ever player who led Napoli to their only Scudetto honours in 1987 and 1990 – died of natural causes at the age of 60 on Wednesday.

After beating Rijeka in the Europa League on Thursday, Napoli played their first Serie A match since Maradona's passing on Sunday and it was an emotional occasion at the Stadio San Paolo.

Napoli sported a Maradona-themed jersey, which consisted of light blue and white stripes instead of the iconic all-blue shirt and it proved an inspirational strip as the Partenopei equalled their largest margin of victory against Roma in Serie A, having also routed the capital club 4-0 in 1980 and 1971.

Insigne – born and bred in Naples – opened the scoring with a free-kick on the half-hour mark before reaching for a Maradona shirt and kissing it as he celebrated.

Fabian Ruiz, Napoli's all-time leading goalscorer Dries Mertens and Matteo Politano were also on target.

"The atmosphere certainly gave us extra motivation, as we wanted to pay homage to our idol," Insigne, the only player since 2012-13 to score at least one goal and assist at least one in each of the past nine seasons, told Sky Sport Italia.

"It hurts and we cared more than ever tonight to put in a great performance for him and the city that is suffering."

Napoli moved up to fifth position in Serie A, six points adrift of unbeaten leaders Milan.

Gennaro Gattuso also earned his 50th career victory as a head coach in the Italian top flight, while becoming the first Napoli boss to win his first two Serie A encounters against Roma.

"There is a sense of sadness, but at this moment I think the city must also show common sense," Gattuso said. "I am seeing too many people going around without their masks.

"Maradona is a legend, everyone knows that, and I understand the desire to express that affection, but I hope from tomorrow the city will get back to being sensible, or we'll all pay the consequences later."

The 34-year-old former Morocco captain played a part in five consecutive league championship wins, firstly when landing two Bundesliga titles at Bayern in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

He joined Juventus from the German giants and featured in each of the next three campaigns as the Turin giants mopped up successive Scudetto triumphs, also leading his country at the 2018 World Cup.

Benatia was born in France and began his career in the Marseille youth set-up. He shot to prominence after a move from Clermont to Udinese in 2010, which paved the way for a switch to Roma in 2013, and one year later he was prised away by Bayern amid a scramble by elite clubs for his services.

After a double-winning second season, Benatia moved on to Juventus in 2016, before leaving the Bianconeri to sign for Qatari outfit Al-Duhail midway through the 2018-19 season.

While at Juventus, he was part of the squad that reached the 2016-17 Champions League final and also won the Coppa Italia twice. Most recently he has been with Turkish Super Lig side Fatih Karagumruk, who said Benatia had retired because of injury.

Responding to Benatia's announcement, which he revealed on Instagram, Juventus striker Paulo Dybala sent a heart emoji to his former team-mate. Ex-Bayern winger Franck Ribery did likewise, with current Juve full-back Juan Cuadrado and former favourite Sami Khedira also among those that sent greetings.

Blaise Matuidi, the former Juventus and France midfield general, wrote: "What a career, my brother. I remember those days at [French national football centre] Clairefontaine where we began to dream of being a professional footballer, but by dint of work you did much more than that. Incredible clubs, captain of a nation and having won a good number of titles, you can only be proud brother."

Manchester United defender Eric Bailly joined in the praise, writing: "Bravo capitano. Great man, great career, very good player and finally an example."

Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi praised his former national team skipper, with the message: "Capitanooo. Good luck in your new stage big bro."

Announcing his decision to retire, Benatia said: "From a young age I had only one dream, to become a professional footballer. To get there, I had to force myself to work hard, make sacrifices, but above all set new goals at each stage of my career.

"This job has also allowed me to defend and represent my country, Morocco, with whom I have experienced unforgettable moments... in particular the 2018 World Cup."

The Argentina international has made an impressive start to life in the Italian capital, scoring four goals and providing two assists in seven Serie A appearances since his free transfer from Juventus.

The former Bianconeri forward has also netted twice in the Europa League and his impact has caught the eye of Voller, who scored 68 goals in 198 games for Roma between 1987 and 1992.

"He's one of the most important signings in Roma's history," he told Corriere dello Sport. "The fans were waiting for a big hit, and he arrived. [He is] magnificent, and he is fulfilling expectations.

"I hope he can continue like this and not have any physical problems. If Paulo is physically well, he can be devastating with that exceptional left foot."

Voller, who was also briefly head coach of Roma in 2004, offered words of encouragement to striker Tammy Abraham following his steady start to the campaign.

The England international top-scored for the club last season with 17 goals - a tally only bettered by Ciro Immobile (27), Dusan Vlahovic (24) and Lautaro Martinez (21) in Serie A - but has netted just twice in 10 appearances across all competitions this term.

"He must believe in himself; never stop having faith in his abilities because these moments happen to all strikers, even the strongest ones," Voller added. "Then comes the match when you score a hat-trick and everything changes, especially in your head.

"The important thing is to always remain focused on the tasks and duties, even if he doesn't score, Abraham must continue to work for the team, give everything on the pitch."

Roma welcome Lecce to Stadio Olimpico on Sunday aiming to bounce back from their Europa League defeat by Real Betis in midweek, and Voller believes that Champions League qualification should be the Giallorossi's minimum aim this season.

"The victory against Inter was exciting for the fans and put the team back in a good position in the standings," he said. "They have a very good chance of at least making it to the Champions League spots. 

"The beauty of Italian football is that right now there is no Bayern Munich that is superior to all the others. Here, there are five-six teams that can fight for the Scudetto. 

"Roma must now aim for fourth place, then once they've stabilised and found their balance they'll be able to think about even more important objectives."

After winning 95 caps for Armenia, who have never qualified for a World Cup or European Championship, the former Manchester United and Arsenal midfielder will end his career in club football.

Mkhitaryan was captain of his country and a record goalscorer for the national team after netting 32 times.

He announced his retirement from the team on social media, writing a message that he titled, "Farewell my beloved national team".

The 33-year-old wrote: "I wanted to win every step of my career, no matter how difficult that would be. It was an honour to play for my nation for the past 15 years and even more so of an honour to captain it for the last six years.

"After 95 international caps, hard work, passion and unprecedented ups and downs along the journey representing my country on the field, I have taken the decision to retire from my international career with the Armenian national team.

"I came to this decision after my last game against Germany in November. I think it is the right time. I've given everything I can possibly give to my national team. For the coming years, I will therefore be fully focused on my club career.

"My soccer nest was woven in Armenia, my homeland, and I will forever be grateful to every single person who supported me, who coached me, who I played with and who contributed to my growth as a footballer and as a person."

Mkhitaryan is approaching the end of a one-year extension to his Roma contract and has performed well for head coach Mourinho.

He has started 24 Serie A games this season, with just two Roma players (Rui Patricio and Tammy Abraham) making Mourinho's starting XI more often. He has contributed five assists and three goals, with only Jordan Veretout and Lorenzo Pellegrini creating more than the 37 chances Mkhitaryan has teed up.

Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport reported on Thursday that a deal to keep Mkhitaryan at the capital club is increasingly likely to be agreed at the end of the season.

It said there had been interest from Russian clubs Krasnodar and Spartak Moscow but that the possibility of either move has diminished amid the conflict involving Russia and Ukraine, with Mkhitaryan said to be happy about the prospect of an extended Serie A stay.

Former Tottenham midfielder Eriksen netted a trademark set-piece effort to settle Tuesday's fiery Coppa Italia derby against Milan deep into stoppage time.

The Denmark international was understandably mobbed by his team-mates and Conte said afterwards that the Inter squad "love" a player whose career at San Siro has failed to catch fire since joining from Spurs 12 months ago.

Nevertheless, he struck a more measured tone ahead of Saturday's home game against Benevento.

"In rugby they have players who are kickers and are set-piece specialists. Football is very different," he said, when asked at a pre-match news conference whether Eriksen might start.

"We hope to have him play a part in all areas, not just from free-kicks and set-plays.

"We know that Inter have struggled from free-kicks until recently. It is an extra weapon to have a free-kick specialist."

Conte is also reportedly keen on an extra weapon in attack, although he refused to be drawn too far into discussing speculation that Inter might sign out-of-favour Roma striker Edin Dzeko, with Alexis Sanchez moving in the opposite direction.

"I have not asked for anything from the club, let us start by saying that," he said.

"If someone has said that, then it is not the case. We have this squad and that is the way it is.

"It is not the coach who goes asking for players all the time. I have had little to say so far this season

"Dzeko is a Roma player I have respect for him. I have respect for my players too

"The situation is clear – this is our squad and that is the situation. If someone is unhappy and ask to go then that is different.

"We will make that player happy. Otherwise I cannot foresee changes.

"We know the situation we find ourselves in. We cannot create situations that are not there. We need to focus on working hard.

"We need to look ahead and accept this situation we are in.

"It is not right to talk about things that can distract the side. I do not want distractions from my players."

On Sanchez, he added: "Sanchez is an Inter player and needs to stay focused."

Conte will be absent from the bench against Benevento as he serves a touchline ban, while top scorer Romelu Lukaku is also suspended after collecting his fifth booking of the season against Milan.

That followed a heated confrontation with Zlatan Ibrahimovic that continued after the half-time whistle.

The veteran Milan striker was sent off for a second booking when he fouled Aleksandar Kolarov during the second half and has been forced to deny allegations that he racially abused Lukaku.

"It has been spoken about a lot," Conte said.

"I do not know and I'm not interested. My task is to be a coach and I focus on that area."

Hummels has been without a club since he was surprisingly released by Dortmund in June, having helped them reach the Champions League final last season.

He led all centre-backs in the competition for line-breaking passes, with 133, but was unable to lead them to victory against Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium, where they were beaten 2-0.

Hummels made a total of 508 appearances across two spells with Dortmund, winning two Bundesliga titles and finishing as a Champions League runner-up on two occasions.

The 2014 World Cup winner was linked with a move to Bologna last month after they sold Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal, only to fail to agree terms with the Rossoblu.

He has instead joined Danielle De Rossi's Roma, who were in need of defensive reinforcements after allowing Chris Smalling to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Fayha.

Reports suggest he has penned a one-year deal with an option to extend his stay in the Italian capital by a further 12 months, with Roma announcing he will wear the number 15 shirt.

Hummels' debut could come at Genoa on September 15, with his first home outing potentially coming against Udinese one week later.

The Giallorossi failed to secure Champions League qualification last season and will play in the Europa League, with Athletic Bilbao their first opponents on September 26.

Mourinho was on track to become the most decorated European manager in history with six trophies when Paulo Dybala defied an ankle injury he has been carrying for the last month to put the Serie A side in front in a scrappy affair in Budapest.

Gianluca Mancini, who had provided the assist for Dybala, put into his own net as the game finished 1-1 after 120 minutes then missed from the spot, as did Roger Ibanez, before Montiel scored the decisive penalty to secure a 4-1 shootout win for the Spaniards.

The Argentinian, who scored the winning spot-kick in last year’s World Cup final, initially missed from 12 yards but Rui Patricio coming off his line before the ball was struck meant a retake, and Montiel this time made no mistake.

While Sevilla claimed a record-extending seventh Europa League crown and qualify for next season’s Champions League, they had to do it in ugly fashion, with regular stoppages in play and players and coaches on both sides spoken to or warned by referee Anthony Taylor and fourth official Michael Oliver.

There were few openings as both sides started tentatively while there were regular interruptions, with both benches tetchy from the off, aware of what was at stake, and keeping Taylor on his toes.

The English referee had his first major decision when checking VAR after his countryman Tammy Abraham took a blow to the head but Nemanja Gudelj winning the ball meant no penalty was given.

The game came to life when Ivan Rakitic was dispossessed in his own half and while Sevilla’s defence seemed to anticipate a foul being given, Mancini took advantage and his through ball allowed Dybala to slot across Bono in the 35th minute. Amid howls of protest from Sevilla, substitute Rafa Mir was booked.

Lorenzo Pellegrini was cautioned for diving in the area and the constant breaks in play meant seven minutes were tagged on at the end of the first half, when Rakitic’s thundering effort from 25 yards thudded low off Patricio’s left-hand post.

Erik Lamela and Suso were brought on after the interval as Sevilla flew out of the traps, penning back Roma in their own half. The pressure told in the 55th minute as Mancini turned into his own net as he sought to stop Lucas Ocampos from latching on to Jesus Navas’ devilish whipped cross.

Sevilla were shown plenty of the ball but Roma almost scored again as a free-kick from Dybala, in his last involvement of the night before he was substituted, saw Abraham stab at Bono and amid a goalmouth scramble, the ball fell to an off-balance Ibanez, who sliced the rebound wide.

Ibanez’s night might have gotten worse when, with a quarter of an hour left, Ocampos went over the Roma defender’s trailing leg and Taylor pointed to the spot. With Mourinho and his coaches incandescent on the touchline, Taylor rescinded the penalty after a VAR check highlighted minimal, if any, contact.

It was Roma’s turn to appeal for a penalty soon after when the ball hit Fernando’s arm by his side. Taylor was unconvinced and then, not for the first time, headed to the Roma bench brandishing his yellow card.

While the names piled up in the official’s notebook, Roma almost had the last laugh but Andrea Belotti, on for Abraham, miscued a volley after a cute free-kick over the wall.

Fernando flashed wide as the match went to an additional 30 minutes, where both teams seemed reluctant to gamble.

Mourinho was booked for one of several confrontations with fourth official Oliver but after little action, Chris Smalling almost won it at the death but his looping header in the 10th minute of time added on from a corner came back off the bar.

The shootout started with Ocampos and Lamela netting either side of Bryan Cristante doing so for Roma but it was first blood to Sevilla when Mancini’s thunderous effort came back off a diving Bono’s legs.

Ibanez then saw his effort come back off the post and while Patricio seemed to have given Roma a glimmer when tipping Montiel’s spot-kick on to the post, the Portuguese’s encroachment gave the LaLiga player another chance he did not spurn.