Dusan Vlahovic says he finds it "easier" to play in Serbia's tactical approach than at Juventus.

The striker has started all 16 games since Thiago Motta took over this season, scoring nine goals in all competitions, with six of those coming in Serie A.

His recent form saw him recalled to Serbia's squad for the Nations League matches this international break, and he got an assist for their equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Saturday.

Overall, Vlahovic has racked up 50 goals at Juve since his move from Fiorentina in January 2022, but he seemingly suggested his game would improve in a different system.

Motta favours a 4-2-3-1 system, with Vlahovic playing as a lone striker, whereas on international duty, he plays as part of a front two, most recently alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic.

"It is a bit easier for me when there is another striker because Mitrovic holds up the ball and engages in aerial duels, so I can make more of my own characteristics and qualities," Vlahovic told RSI when asked the differences between playing for Serbia and Juventus.

"The coach also does not require many defensive duties from me, so that makes it easier too.

"With my physicality, I can't really run that much and am not as fresh in my finishing when I've been working so hard."

Juventus and Paul Pogba have agreed to the mutual termination of the midfielder's contract after he was banned over a failed drugs test.

The 31-year-old will complete his suspension in March after testing positive for DHEA in September 2023, a banned substance that boosts testosterone levels.

He was initially banned for four years, only for his punishment to be reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in October.

Despite that reduction, Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli recently cast doubt on Pogba's chances of representing the Bianconeri again, and he has now been released by the club.

Pogba had a contract with Juventus to run until June 2026, but he will now train in Miami in the hope of finding a new club before his suspension ends.

"The club wishes Paul all the best for his professional future," Juventus said in a statement.

Pogba added in a statement of his own: "It has been a privilege to pull on the shirt of the Bianconeri and to share so many special moments together.

"I cherish the memories we made. They live on.

"Even in the most difficult moments over the past year, your support was crucial and I want to thank Juve fans around the world for their compassion.

"I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career and to stepping out on the pitch with my next club."

Injuries limited Pogba to just 162 minutes in five appearances across the 2022-23 season, his first campaign back in Turin after leaving Manchester United.

He then played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute before being suspended last season, reportedly agreeing to take a substantial pay cut while ineligible to represent the club.

Yann Bisseck has signed a new contract extension with Inter until 2029.

The defender joined the club in July 2023 from AGF for around €7million and has since made 32 appearances in all competitions.

His initial deal would keep him at Inter until 2028, but the 23-year-old has signed a one-year contract extension.

Bisseck has played 11 times for Inter so far this term, including all four of their Champions League matches, making the second-most blocks (four) and the most interceptions (five) among his team-mates in the competition.

"I feel that the club has confidence in me, as does the coach: everyone has contributed to this renewal, and I'm happy with the progress I've made. I think this deal is a positive moment for everyone," he told InterTV.

"There are many things I can still improve. I'm not a perfect player, but I'm still young and there are many aspects that I still need to work on, especially from a tactical and mental point of view.

"Technically and physically, I've reached a good level. I think my mentality will be key to my future growth."

Claudio Ranieri revealed he has turned down offers from other clubs since his retirement before answering Roma's call to be their new manager.

Ranieri announced his retirement at the end of last season after guiding Cagliari to Serie A safety, but after Roma sacked their second manager this season, the 73-year-old agreed on Thursday to take charge until the end of the campaign.

It is Ranieri's third spell as manager of Roma, the club where he began his playing career, and the Rome native will remain in a senior management role once his coaching term ends.

Across his previous two spells, Ranieri managed 96 games in all competitions, registering 53 wins, with a win percentage of 55.21%.

"I had stopped coaching, I have had more requests in recent months than when I won the league title with Leicester City," Ranieri told a press conference.

"I have always said no. I said only in two cases can I return to coaching, either for Roma or Cagliari, if something went wrong.

"I was convinced to have gone my own way, but fate wanted me to return home. I began at Roma as a player and I will finish there as an executive."

Ranieri has no interest in what has gone wrong for Roma this season, in which Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric have been dismissed.

"There are a thousand reasons, and honestly I don't care," he said.

"If I go looking at what happened yesterday, I won't achieve anything. I was given carte blanche and I have to do my best with these players. From now on, I am the one in charge.

"Changing two managers by November isn't easy for anyone, one wants to play in a certain manner, one wants to play another way, so there is a bit of an electroshock. That's normal."

Paulo Dybala's absence against Bologna led to speculation that it had more to do with his contract's automatic renewal clause on reaching a certain percentage of appearances than with the Argentine forward's physical fitness.

The Argentinian has made 12 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring twice in Serie A, including the only goal in their last win at the end of October.

Ranieri showed he means business when he revealed the conversation he had with Roma President Dan Friedkin.

"It's the first thing I asked the president," Ranieri said.

"I told him 'I do as I please, I don't want to know if he has clauses or not'.

"You can see that when Dybala is well he makes the difference. I wish he could always play, but he won't."

Ranieri's first game comes after the international break when Roma take on league leaders Napoli.

Scott McTominay says he has no regrets about leaving Manchester United to join Napoli after a lightning-quick start to life in Italy.

He has scored three goals in 10 appearances for the Italian club in all competitions, netting twice in Serie A to help them sit top of the table after 12 games.

Only Romelu Lukaku has scored more league goals for Napoli than him this season, while McTominay has also had the second-most big chances (four) among his team-mates, scoring two of them.

Before his transfer deadline day move, McTominay had spent 22 years at United, joining their academy aged five before making his debut in May 2017.

The Scotland international made 255 appearances for the senior team, scoring 29 goals, including 10 during his most prolific season in 2023-24, and providing eight assists.

While McTominay admitted leaving his boyhood club was not an easy choice, he is pleased with the outcome of the choice.

"Obviously, it's a big decision, there's no denying that. It was a huge decision for me and my family and my friends," he told The Times.

"At times like that in your life, you just have to say, 'Do I want to do it? Absolutely,' and go for it. There's no looking back. I've never had any regrets in my life, or my career and I continue that way to this day.

"I want my career to be successful, and I'm going to go out of my way to try and push myself to be the best football player and best person that I can possibly be."

Juventus' Juan Cabal will undergo surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, intensifying the Serie A giants' defensive injury crisis.

The 23-year-old was forced to return to Turin after injuring his knee during training with the Colombia national team ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Ecuador.

Cabal is the second Juventus defender to suffer an ACL injury this season after Gleison Bremer, who hurt his left knee during their 3-2 Champions League win over RB Leipzig last month.

Cabal has so far made nine appearances across all competitions this season.

Juventus are sixth in the Serie A standings and 11th in the Champions League's new-look league phase.

Claudio Ranieri has come out of retirement to take charge of Roma until the end of the season.

The Italian retired in May, calling time on a career in which he famously led Leicester City to a shock Premier League title in 2016 and coached a host of teams from Europe's top leagues, including Chelsea, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Inter and Monaco.

Ranieri, who last coached Cagliari in Serie A, returns for a third stint in charge of Roma, with whom he came agonisingly close to winning the Serie A title in his first spell between 2009 and 2011.

Across his previous two spells, the 73-year-old managed 96 games in all competitions, registering 53 wins, with a win percentage of 55.21%.

"Roma is pleased to announce that Claudio Ranieri is the new Technical Manager of the First Team," Roma said in a statement.

"At the end of the season he will take on a senior managerial role, he will be an advisor to the ownership for all sporting matters of the club.

"The search for a new coach will continue in the coming months and Claudio will also have a say in this decision."

Ranieri replaces Juric, who was sacked after Roma lost 3-2 at home against Bologna on Sunday, leaving them languishing in 12th place in the Serie A standings.

Juric, who won just four of his 12 games in charge of the club, was Roma's second coach to be fired this season, with Daniele De Rossi being sacked in September.

According to reports in Italian media, Roma found it difficult to sign a replacement for the Croatian before settling on Ranieri, with former Italy coach Roberto Mancini and Maurizio Sarri among the preferred candidates.

Ranieri's first game will be away to league leaders Napoli on November 24.

Rafael Leao has shrugged off suggestions of a feud between him and Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca despite starting fewer games in recent weeks.

The winger started three consecutive Serie A matches on the bench after the last international break, coming on to make substitute appearances in two of those.

He returned to the starting line-up for their 3-3 draw with Cagliari last time out, netting twice in the first half to bring his tally up to three goals for the season, and 50 overall in Serie A.

Leao has also provided three assists in the Italian top-flight, while he has both attempted (36) and completed (24) the most dribbles of any Milan player in the competition.

There were reports of tension between Leao and Fonseca due to the former's lack of playing time in recent weeks, but he brushed off the idea.

"These things happen during the season, I have nothing against him, and he has nothing against me," Leao said while at Portugal's training ground.

"It's all settled. I don't like being on the bench, obviously, but he makes the decisions and I, as a player, have to respect the coach.

"When I step onto the pitch, I have to do my best to help the team."

Leao has also impressed with performances in the Champions League this season, especially against Real Madrid in a 3-1 win, as he registered an assist for their third goal.

However, he has also come under criticism in Italy, with one pundit claiming he has a poor work ethic, suggesting he only puts in effort in big games.

"Clearly, I do not agree with that," Leao added about the recent comments.

"I have been having a great season at Milan but, like everyone else, there are ups and downs. The campaign has only just started. Look, I know that I am not the perfect player and sometimes I can do much better.

"I am not shaken by this criticism. I have people who help me to improve and those are the ones I have to listen to. This criticism just spurs me on to respond on the pitch."

Antonio Conte was frustrated that VAR did not reverse a penalty decision against Napoli as they played out a 1-1 draw with Inter on Sunday.

Hakan Calhanoglu failed to convert the spot kick in question late in the game, with the Turkish international having equalised for the hosts after Scott McTominay's opener.

Despite the decision not affecting the result in the end, Conte criticised VAR for not overruling the referee's decision to penalise Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa for a foul on Denzel Dumfries. 

"Can they [VAR] only intervene when it suits them? A decision from the referee like this can transform a match and VAR cannot do anything about it," Conte told DAZN.

"Either VAR is there to correct errors or it is not. If there is an error, it has to intervene. It really angers me, but it does to all coaches. It has to intervene if there is a mistake.

"If there is VAR, it must be used to correct errors or show the referee situations that he did not see. If it's a clear error, and it was, then why should [referee Maurizio] Mariani be allowed to just do that."

Despite his frustration with refereeing decisions, Conte was satisfied with his team's performance, as they held strong against a spirited second-half display from the Italian champions.

"I said that we would not come here to just be sparring partners against the strongest squad in Serie A, so it was important for us to face them with strength, character, accepting duels all over the field," he said.

"On that score, I am very satisfied. It was not easy to play here. We all know that we are making improvements and working hard, otherwise, you don't come to San Siro twice and also against Juventus without defeat.

"The lads are proving themselves, though, of course, we could've done much, much more in terms of quality today. There were too many errors, a lot of technical errors, but I am sure there will be further improvements."

Napoli's point ensured they stayed top of Serie A heading into the international break, moving them to 26 points in what is shaping up to be a tight title race. Conte's side sit one point clear of Atalanta, Fiorentina, Inter and Lazio.

Simone Inzaghi was proud of Inter's second-half performance but believes they should have come away with all three points from their 1-1 draw with Napoli. 

Hakan Calhanoglu scored with a stunning strike to cancel out Scott McTominay's opener for Napoli, but missed a penalty for the first time in eight years.

He had previously never missed a penalty in Serie A, netting 17 in a row before Sunday.

"I congratulated the team, if there was one side that should've won, then it was Inter. The second half was dominated by us," Inzaghi told DAZN.

"We went behind on a set play situation where we should've done better, but we kept our heads and did not allow Napoli practically anything.

"We hit the woodwork twice, missed a penalty, so I don’t know what more we could've done."

While Inter dominated the second half, the strike duo of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram were largely kept quiet.

Martinez managed just two shots, worth 0.24 expected goals (xG), hitting the target with neither, while Thuram did not manage a single attempt, though Inzaghi was still impressed by their displays.

"They worked hard for the team and kept us solid," Inzaghi said.

"As a coach, I have to leave the result aside and focus on the performance, which was excellent against a quality opponent."

With nearly a third of the Serie A season completed, the title race is shaping up to be tight with Napoli leading the way on 26 points. Atalanta, Fiorentina, Inter and Lazio, meanwhile, are all on 25.

"I said this would be a very balanced campaign and that is proving to be true, but I saw a wonderful Inter tonight," Inzaghi said.

"We could probably have made more of our chances, but let us not forget the strength of the side we were facing." 

Hakan Calhanoglu went from hero to villain as Inter drew 1-1 with Serie A title rivals Napoli, scoring a stunning equaliser then missing a late penalty. 

Inter had fallen behind against the run of play in the 23rd minute, with Scott McTominay continuing his fine form by poking home from close range after a Napoli corner was flicked on.

Two minutes before the break, Calhanoglu equalised with a powerful strike from outside the box, which beat Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret before nestling in the top corner.

The Turkey international, who had scored 17 successive spot-kicks in the league for Inter, then had the chance to win it in the 74th minute after Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa fouled Denzel Dumfries.

However, he left San Siro in stunned silence when he hit the post from 12 yards, ensuring the two Scudetto contenders had to settle for a point apiece.

Napoli top the table with 26 points from 12 games, while Inter sit fourth with 25, with the Nerazzurri also behind Atalanta and Fiorentina on goal difference.

Data Debrief: Nothing to separate title rivals

Napoli may have retained their slender lead at the top of Serie A, but their failure to take all three points ensured Atalanta and Fiorentina ended the matchday two points closer than they started it.

The Partenopei have gone two straight games in Serie A without winning for the first time under Conte, having also lost 3-0 to Atalanta last time out. 

They have, however, remained unbeaten in their last two games against Inter when starting the matchday top of Serie A (one win, one draw), after two such defeats versus the Nerazzurri. If the teams are to go head-to-head for the title, this could prove an important point.

Roma have parted company with boss Ivan Juric, the second head coach the Giallorossi have sacked already this season.

Juric took charge in September, becoming their third permanent boss in the space of eight months when he succeeded Danielle De Rossi, who himself took the reigns after Jose Mourinho was fired in January.

However, he failed to inspire an upturn in their fortunes, with Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico being their fourth in their last five league matches.

That is more losses than they suffered in their previous 13 Serie A outings (four wins, six draws, three defeats). Since the start of matchday eight, only Como (one) have earned fewer points than the Giallorossi's three.

Sitting 12th in Serie A, this is their joint-worst start to a campaign in the last 20 years, having also taken 13 points from their first 12 matches in 2004-05.

"We would like to thank Ivan Juric for his hard work these past weeks," Roma said in a statement.

"He handled a difficult environment with the utmost professionalism, and for that we are grateful...

"The search for a new head coach has already begun and an announcement will be made in the coming days."

Reports in Italy have suggested Roberto Mancini, who left his role as Saudi Arabia head coach earlier this month, is locked in negotiations with the club and could take the reins.

Roma face a challenging set of fixtures after the international break, as they visit Scudetto contenders Napoli on November 24, before going to Tottenham in the Europa League and hosting high-flying Atalanta in the league.

The Giallorossi's owners, the Friedkin Group, are currently locked in talks to purchase Farhad Moshiri's controlling 94% stake in Premier League club Everton.

Thiago Motta hailed Juventus' "solid and concrete" display on their way to victory over Torino in Derby della Mole.

The Bianconeri claimed bragging rights in the Turin derby, with goals from Timothy Weah and Kenan Yildiz sealing all three points.

Juve climbed to third place - a point behind leaders Napoli - after extending their unbeaten start in Serie A, while earning a ninth clean sheet - the most of any side in Europe's top five leagues.

And Motta paid tribute to his players for their performance levels at the end of a busy seven days.

"It's always important to play with balance, and today, we put in an excellent performance, bringing home three precious points," he said.

"I am happy both for the result and for the level of play expressed in front of our fans, who supported us a lot. We have to thank them, as well as the boys, because it was not easy.

"It was the third game of the week, we were able to manage our energy well, and we were solid and concrete for the whole 95 minutes. A well-deserved victory."

Weah became only the second American to score for Juventus against Torino after Weston McKennie in 2020.

Next up for the Bianconeri after the international break is a showdown with AC Milan at San Siro, where Weah's father George played a starring role during the 1990s.

"Today I'm happy," he said. "We have to continue like this, because when we play like tonight, we're strong.

"Now, the match against Milan awaits us. It's important, also for me and for the history of my family."

Juventus climbed to third place in Serie A following a 2-0 victory over rivals Torino at the Allianz Stadium.

A goal in either half from Timothy Weah and Kenan Yildiz settled the Derby della Mole, and saw Thiago Motta's side extend their unbeaten start to the league season.

The Bianconeri broke through in the 18th minute when Vanja Milinkovic-Savic spilt a shot straight to Weah, who made no mistake from close range.

Weah thought he had doubled the lead in the 72nd minute, but the USA international was penalised for handball in the build-up to the opportunity.

However, Juve did put the contest to bed six minutes from time, when Yildiz nodded in Francisco Conceicao's deep cross at the far post.

Extending their unbeaten streak against Torino to 18 matches, Motta's side moved to within a point of Serie A leaders Napoli.

Data Debrief: Bianconeri extend unbeaten start with yet another clean sheet

Juventus have now registered nine clean sheets in Serie A this season, the most by any team in the big five European leagues.

Weah got the ball rolling, as he became the second American after Weston McKennie in December 2020 to score for the Bianconeri against Torino in Serie A.

Yildiz then sealed the victory. The 19-year-old became the third-youngest Juventus player to find the net in the Derby della Mole, after Felice Placido Borel (18 years and 243 days in 1932) and Bruno Nicole (18 years and 244 days in 1958).

Meanwhile, Torino have now suffered three successive defeats without scoring in Serie A for the first time since 2014.

Paulo Fonseca thinks AC Milan "lacked aggression" during their 3-3 draw with Cagliari.

The Rossoneri had won four of their five previous games in all competitions, but fell behind after just two minutes at Unipol Domus to Nadir Zortea.

Rafael Leao's brace turned the contest around before half-time, while Tammy Abraham regained the visitors' lead after Gabriele Zappa pulled the hosts level.

However, Milan could not hold on as Zappa equalised in the 89th minute to ensure the spoils were shared, and Fonseca rued his side's defensive frailties.

"I think the problem wasn't with the ball or offensively, but defensively. We had great difficulty with Cagliari's crosses," Fonseca told DAZN.

"We lacked aggression. You can't win a match like that, especially when you lose aerial duels. I think the mistake was there. It's difficult to win this way.

"We did good things in attack, scoring three goals, but we could not draw this match. It’s a step back, and we can’t concede three goals if we want to win."

Meanwhile, Cagliari ended a run of three successive defeats, and Davide Nicola saluted his team's efforts.

"There was courage, but today I appreciated the ability to interpret the match with a consistent performance," he said.

"My team played football today, even though we must acknowledge Milan's quality and work on improving certain things. We’re growing. We had the right attitude and tried to create chances.

"If we look at the numbers, it's almost a shame to have drawn, but we must humbly remember we were up against a great team. We are satisfied."