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Allegri unsure on Dybala future after Argentine shines in Salernitana win

Dybala's fifth-minute strike beat Luigi Sepe at his near post to set the Bianconeri on their way to a routine win, extending their unbeaten run to 16 Serie A games and keeping them within seven points of leaders Milan.

He has now scored eight league goals for Juventus this term, more than any other player (Alvaro Morata also has eight), but the 28-year-old has recently been linked with a move away from Turin.

The Argentine's contract with Juventus is set to expire at the end of the season, and he was reported to have clashed with Allegri over the Bianconeri's training schedule earlier this week.

Speaking after Dybala starred against Serie A's bottom club, the Bianconeri boss was unsure whether he would remain at the club.

"I don't know if he will be a Juventus player or not," Allegri told DAZN. "That's why there is the club, with which I am absolutely in line. 

"It is not just Paulo who is about to expire his contract, there are also [Juan] Cuadrado, [Federico] Bernardeschi, [Mattia] De Sciglio. 

"On my part and on the part of the team, there is only the will to do well now. I give evaluations of the players, but then there are also contracts and many other things to see."

Despite being unsure as to where the forward's future lay, Allegri was adamant that the pair have maintained a positive relationship.

"The relationship with Dybala and all the other players is good," the Bianconeri coach added.

"There are disagreements, exchanges of opinions, and I am quite direct in things. The players have to perform on the pitch, and they have to know that they have my respect, regardless. 

"Paulo arrived as a child from Palermo, then he grew up and became a great player."

Dybala was joined on the scoresheet by Dusan Vlahovic after 28 minutes.

The Serbia international's 21st Serie A goal of the campaign put him level with Adem Ljajic as the second-highest goalscorer from his nation in Italian top-flight history; his tally of 48 putting him just three behind Dejan Stankovic (51).

Allegri was keen to emphasise the importance of Vlahovic at the spearhead of his attack, but said the league's leading marksman still had room to improve. 

"He played a good game," Allegri said of the 22-year-old. "He's an important point of reference, then he comes back and covers. 

"Like everyone, I talk to him often, he needs to improve a lot on the cleanliness of the game. He knows this, and we are working on it."

Juventus have taken 35 points from their last 15 league games to give themselves an outside shot of the Serie A title, having taken just 24 points from their first 15 this season.

Leao crucial to Milan success as Tonali hopes for forward stay

The Portugal international inspired his side to a first win of 2023, scoring the opener in their 2-1 victory over Salernitana in Serie A.

His goal comes amid increased speculation Leao will be the subject of several big-money bids during the January transfer window.

Real Madrid and Chelsea have both been linked with moves for the forward, but Tonali believes the player's love for Milan will see him stay at San Siro.

"He's always been at the centre of the project here," he told DAZN. "He does not think about the transfer market.

"He's a Milan player, and he wants to stay with us. We saw it after he scored. We just have to keep him close and love him."

The win moved Stefano Pioli's side five points off league leaders Napoli, with the latter set to face Inter on Wednesday.

The gap to the Partenopei this season has seen suggestions Milan's Scudetto defence is already at an end, but Tonali has vowed they will not quit until the title race is done.

"We have to try, we want to repeat," he added. "It's not easy to win it and then defend it, but we have to do it because we are strong and it's one of our goals."

Milan next return home to San Siro to face Roma, in what will be another major test of their credentials, before they are then in Coppa Italia action against Torino.

Milan 1-1 Salernitana: Dia dents Rossoneri's top-four bid

Slip-ups from Inter, Lazio and Roma gave Milan the chance to strike an important blow in the Champions League race on Monday, and they looked set to do so when Giroud headed the opener on the stroke of half-time.

However, Salernitana hit back through Dia just after the hour mark, before a VAR review denied Milan a penalty when Ismael Bennacer went down easily under Domagoj Bradaric's challenge.

The result means Milan remain fourth, just a point clear of fifth-placed Roma in a tense battle for Champions League qualification.

While Milan dominated possession from the off, Salernitana kept them quiet until the half-hour mark, when Giroud sent a trademark overhead kick narrowly over the crossbar.

Salernitana then squandered two chances on the break, with Grigoris Kastanos' effort deflecting wide after a loose pass from Mike Maignan, before the Milan goalkeeper made a fine last-ditch challenge to prevent Dia rounding him.

The visitors' resistance was broken just before half-time as Giroud met Bennacer's corner at the near post to glance a header into the bottom-left corner. 

Salernitana hit back after the restart as Bradaric led a Salernitana break down the left, with his driven cross turned beyond Maignan by a stretching Dia.

Milan threw on Zlatan Ibrahimovic in search of a winner and saw referee Federico La Penna reverse a decision to award them a spot-kick, while Guillermo Ochoa denied Divock Origi with a fine save late on.

Ochoa was involved again as Milan went agonisingly close to a winner late on, somehow clawing the ball away from the goal line following a scramble.

Ribery reduced to tears after French great is denied farewell on his own terms

At the age of 39, Ribery hoped to play a full campaign with Salernitana in Serie A this season, and he was counting on being able to go out on his own terms.

Instead, a knee problem that first surfaced in July has finished off his playing career, with the Bayern Munich and France great admitting he has been reduced to tears this week.

He said he was not "really prepared" for the moment of calling time on his playing days, and explained that three months ago he was feeling healthy, only for problems to then begin.

Ribery featured in Salernitana's Serie A opener against Roma but conceded he "played in pain".

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Ribery said: "I'm not a fragile person, but for the next three days I couldn't move. The doctors said the situation was very serious.

"I tried to recover. I couldn't believe I was forced to stop. I wanted to choose when I would say enough. But my football career is over."

He was shown a video celebrating his career.

"And I cried," Ribery said. "I have a sensitivity, a heart. I knew this day would come, but this is bad. It all happened very quickly. Too much. And it hurts me."

On Saturday, he took an emotional bow before Salernitana's game against Spezia, appearing in full kit on the pitch to take applause from the crowd. This, too, was a tearful moment, as he had envisaged it being.

Ribery won 81 caps for France and played in the 2006 World Cup final, while at club level his greatest successes came at Bayern Munich, where he helped the German giants win nine Bundesliga titles in 12 years, as well as six DFB-Pokals, one Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and a Club World Cup.

In his time witht the Bavarian giants, Ribery made 273 Bundesliga appearances, recording 86 goals and 92 assists.

It was back to Bavaria that Ribery went recently in a last-ditch bid to extend his career.

"Less than a month ago I went to Munich for a consultation," Ribery said. "I thought: maybe a solution is found. Instead, I will have to be operated on, but only to be able to lead a normal life."

He thanked Salernitana for their support, after being promised another role within the club – "any other role I wanted" – and spoke of what he felt his legacy would be.

"My style of play, my mentality, my hunger," Ribery said. "I am someone who came from the street, and perhaps today there are not many who like me have the dribbling, the spark, the fantasy. I can't say I was the best, but I was certainly different."

Salernitana 1-2 Milan: Rossoneri keep up Napoli pursuit with win

First-half goals from Rafael Leao and Sandro Tonali looked to have been more than enough for Stefano Pioli's side to begin the new year with a comfortable win.

But Federico Bonazzoli's late finish set up a nervy finale at Stadio Arechi, with the Rossoneri just about able to hold their nerve and secure the three points.

Having survived a relegation battle last season, Salernitana came close to a major scalp and Davide Nicola will take heart from their late rally against the Scudetto holders.

The visitors did not have to wait long for the opener, with Leao rounding Guillermo Ochoa in the 10th minute to slide in a low finish after latching onto Tonali's looped pass.

Tonali got in on the act himself only five minutes later, Brahim Diaz pouncing after Ochoa's save and nudging it back for the midfielder to power home.

A chance to make it a three-goal lead was scuffed shortly after the restart, when Olivier Giroud tapped a shot straight to the goalkeeper.

That miss looked like it might come back to haunt Milan when Salernitana found an unexpected response heading into the closing stages through Bonazzoli's close-range finish.

But the hosts were unable to find a second to force a result as the Rossoneri hung on to take a win crucial to their ambitions of defending their title.

Spalletti apologises to Napoli fans after title celebrations temporarily halted

The Partenopei seemed on course to secure their first league title in 33 years after Mathias Olivera headed Napoli into the lead in the second half against Salernitana at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Lazio's 3-1 defeat earlier in the day at Inter meant a win would have been enough for Napoli, yet just as celebrations were starting in and around the stadium, Boulaye Dia snatched a 1-1 draw for Salernitana with a stunning 84th-minute equaliser.

Napoli could still clinch the title as soon as Wednesday if Lazio fail to beat Sassuolo, but Spalletti acknowledged his side had let their supporters down with the late concession.

The Napoli coach told DAZN: "We are very sorry for not giving the happiness [of winning the title] to this wonderful crowd.

"We represent what their dream is. It is right that they receive this dream they have. We are the ones who materialise the dreams of our fans.

"We have to score this extra goal to give it to them. From my point of view, the enjoyment is only delayed because I am very comfortable with the current standings.

"We postpone it for now but it is a lengthening of the celebrations because I am convinced we will get the two points [to win the league]."

Their surely imminent Scudetto triumph would mark Napoli's first such success since the Diego Maradona era.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen have led the way for the Partenopei on their quest for glory, but Spalletti emphasised the importance of his squad this term.

"It's clear that if it [winning the title] were to happen, I'd have some satisfaction too," he added. "But the players deserve it more because I've seen the attention, willingness and quality they have come to train.

"I'm referencing those who have played less because they force those who have played the most to keep the bar high and it becomes difficult to become a soft or demotivated team."

Napoli sit 18 points clear and could wrap up the title when they face Udinese on Thursday, albeit the championship could be settled a day earlier if Lazio falter against Sassuolo.