Inter Milan News

Defending champions Manchester City have been grouped with Juventus for next summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, while Chelsea have been drawn in the same group as Flamengo.

City will also play UAE side Al Ain, and face Moroccan team Wydad AC in their Group G opener.

Chelsea will come up against Esperance Sportive de Tunis in Group D in addition to Rio-based Flamengo and will open their Club World Cup campaign against Mexican side Club Leon.

The new 32-team competition, to be hosted in the United States next summer, has been championed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino – but is the subject of two legal challenges in Europe, which both involve players’ union FIFPRO.

City and Chelsea qualified as 2023 and 2021 Champions League winners respectively, but were kept apart in the draw for the group stage as part of FIFA’s complicated regional constraints.

Should both English clubs progress to the knockout stages as group winners, they would go into opposite sides of the draw and would then not meet until the final.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will open the tournament with a Group A clash against Egyptian club Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on June 15. Palmeiras and Porto are the other teams that make up Group A.

The draw for next year’s tournament took place in Miami and was conducted by Juventus and Italy legend Alessandro Del Piero.

The innovative new FIFA Club World Cup Trophy, designed by FIFA and crafted in collaboration with global luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co, was unveiled for the first time by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and former Brazil striker Ronaldo ahead of the draw.

Club World Cup draw in full

Group A: Palmeiras (Brz), Porto (Por), Al Ahly (Egy), Inter Miami (USA)

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain (Fra), Atletico Madrid (Esp), Botafogo (Brz), Seattle Sounders (USA)

Group C: Bayern Munich (Ger), Benfica (Por), Boca Juniors (Arg), Auckland City (Nzl)

Group D: Flamengo (Brz), Chelsea (Eng), Club Leon (Mex), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tun)

Group E: River Plate (Arg), Inter Milan (Ita), CF Monterrey (Mex), Urawa Red Diamonds (Jpn)

Group F: Fluminense (Brz), Borussia Dortmund (Ger), Ulsan HD (Kor), Mamelodi Sundowns (Rsa)

Group G: Man City (Eng), Juventus (Ita), Wydad AC (Mor), Al Ain (UAE)

Group H: Real Madrid (Esp), FC Salzburg (Aut), Al Hilal (Rsa), CF Pachuca (Mex)

Trump: Soccer is going through the roof

The audience at the FIFA Club World Cup draw in Miami watched a pre-recorded video message from US president-elect Donald Trump in which he said soccer is going “through the roof.”

Ivanka Trump, her husband, Jared Kushner, and their son, Theo, were among those at the event to draw groups for the expanded 32-team tournament that will be played in the United States next year.

Trump complimented FIFA president Infantino in his address.

He said: “I will try and be there if I can, I would. We’ll see what happens. But I just want to say you’re led by a man named Gianni. I just know him as Gianni and he’s a winner and he’s the president, and I’m the president.

“We’ve known each other a long time, and I’m so honoured to have this kind of a relationship because soccer is going through the roof. As everybody knows, it’s been doing fantastically well.”

Trump also noted the 2026 men’s World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“I want to say my highest regards in respect to Gianni, and it’s an honour to be with you and we’ll be with you very soon,” Trump said.

“And we’re going to be watching the World Cup, very importantly, also very soon. And I was very responsible, along with Gianni in getting it. And it’s going to be a fantastic thing.”

When is the 2025 Club World Cup?

The Club World Cup will take place over 29 days in the summer of 2025.

The tournament starts on June 15, with the final taking place on July 13.

Where is the 2025 Club World Cup?

The 2025 Club World Cup takes place in the United States across 12 stadiums:

• Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
• Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)
• TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
• Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles)
• Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)
• GEODIS Park (Nashville)
• Camping World Stadium (Orlando)
• Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando)
• Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
• Lumen Field (Seattle)
• Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)

What’s the format of the Club World Cup?

The tournament format works exactly the same as the FIFA World Cup, only for clubs.

The 32 teams have been divided into eight groups of four teams, with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the knockout stage.

The last-16 stage – the first single knockout round – then moves to the quarter-final, semi-final and then final. There is no third-place play-off between the two losing semi-final teams.

Fiorentina have announced midfielder Edoardo Bove is awake and “alert” after being placed in a medically-induced coma following his collapse during a game on Sunday.

Bove’s team-mates immediately called for medical help and surrounded the 22-year-old while he was being treated, before he was swiftly stretchered off to an ambulance near the pitch.

Fiorentina players were distraught on the field and were comforted by staff members as well as Inter players. Several were openly sobbing before both sets of players filed off the field. Bove was then transported to the Careggi University Hospital in Florence.

“Edoardo Bove, following an uneventful night, was awakened and extubated this morning. He is currently awake, alert and oriented,” Fiorentina said on X .

“He has spoken with his family, club management, the coach and his team-mates, who all rushed to go and see him as soon as they heard the good news. Further tests will be carried out in the coming days to establish what led to the critical situation that took place yesterday.

“The doctors at Careggi University Hospital who are treating the player have confirmed that diagnostic tests are ongoing. Fiorentina would like to thank Careggi University Hospital and all of the doctors and staff for the wonderful humanity and professionalism they have shown.

“The club would also like to thank the wider Fiorentina family and the entire world of football who, during this difficult time, have shown great sympathy and care through their messages and support, which have been of great comfort to both to the club and Edoardo and his family.”

Play was down the other end when Bove dropped to the ground in the 16th minute and the match was immediately halted by referee Daniel Doveri, before being abandoned. The score at the time of Bove’s collapse was 0-0.

Inter president Giuseppe Marotta, said: “From Inter and the entire football world, we want to express how close we are to the player’s family and Fiorentina.

“The postponement was a spontaneous decision from all the parties involved: we are a community and when something like this happens, I believe it’s normal to make this kind of decision while hoping that the situation is not too serious.

“I want to underline the support of Inter, the management, the staff, the team and the entire football world for this young man, who is only 22 years old. We hope he can recover quickly and in the best way possible.”

Bove, a product of Roma’s youth system, joined Fiorentina from the Giallorossi in August on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

It is the second incident this year of a player collapsing during a Serie A match. It happened to Roma defender Evan Ndicka during his team’s match at Udinese in April.

Fiorentina have confirmed that Wednesday’s Serie A match against Empoli will go ahead.

A club statement said: “Fiorentina have announced that, following the reassuring news that came today and after the video call that Edoardo Bove had with all his team-mates, the coach and his staff as well as the team have decided to return to the pitch immediately and prepare for the match against Empoli on Wednesday.

“President Rocco Commisso is in constant contact with the club’s directors and Edoardo’s family and has been reassured by the boy’s father about his health conditions, while waiting to be able to speak directly to him in the coming hours.”

Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch during the Serie A match at home to Inter Milan, with the game abandoned shortly afterwards.

Bove’s team-mates immediately called for medical help and surrounded the 22-year-old while he was being treated, before he was swiftly stretchered off to an ambulance near the pitch.

Fiorentina players were distraught on the field and were comforted by staff members as well as Inter players. Several were openly sobbing before both sets of players filed off the field.

Play was down the other end when Bove dropped to the ground in the 16th minute and the match was immediately halted by referee Daniel Doveri, before being abandoned. The score at the time of Bove’s collapse was 0-0.

Sky Italy reported that Bove had been transported to the Careggi University Hospital in Florence.

A Fiorentina club statement on Sunday evening read: “ACF Fiorentina and the Careggi University Hospital have announced that footballer Edoardo Bove, who was treated on the pitch following a loss of consciousness during the Fiorentina v Inter match, is currently under sedation and is hospitalised in intensive care.

“The Viola player arrived at the emergency department in stable haemodynamic conditions and initial cardiological and neurological tests have ruled out acute damage to the central nervous system and the cardio-respiratory system. Bove will be re-evaluated in the next 24 hrs.”

Fiorentina also said club president Rocco Commisso was “in constant contact with Florence from the United States to support Edoardo and his family”, with Commisso saying: “Forza Edoardo, we’re with you. You’re a strong boy with a great character. We’re reaching out to the boy’s family during these moments.”

Inter President and CEO Sport, Giuseppe Marotta, said: “From Inter and the entire football world, we want to express how close we are to the player’s family and Fiorentina.

“The postponement was a spontaneous decision from all the parties involved: we are a community, and when something like this happens, I believe it’s normal to make this kind of decision while hoping that the situation is not too serious.

“I want to underline the support of Inter, the management, the staff, the team and the entire football world for this young man, who is only 22 years old. We hope he can recover quickly and in the best way possible.”

A post from Serie A on X read: “Forza Edoardo. We’re all with you.”

Bove, a product of Roma’s youth system, joined Fiorentina from the Giallorossi in August on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

It is the second incident this year of a player collapsing during a Serie A match. It happened to Roma defender Evan Ndicka during his team’s match at Udinese in April.

Arsenal fell to a second consecutive defeat as Inter Milan beat them 1-0 at San Siro in the Champions League thanks to Hakan Calhanoglu’s first-half penalty.

Mikel Arteta’s side arrived in Italy without Declan Rice because of an injury on a week when they head to Chelsea in the Premier League off the back of a damaging defeat at Newcastle, and his absence was felt as the Gunners lost in Europe for the first time this season.

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino was hooked at half-time after his handball gave away the spot-kick, although there was little he could do to move his hand out of the way of Mehdi Taremi’s flick. It is one that likely would not have been awarded in the Premier League.

Merino felt he should have had a penalty earlier in the first half when Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer connected with his head as he punched clear Gabriel Martinelli’s cross, but VAR did not see enough to overturn the on-field decision.

Arsenal pushed for an equaliser but failed to score for the second game running as William Saliba spurned a good headed chance and Kai Havertz was expertly denied by Inter defender Yann Bisseck, preferred ahead of the impressive Alessandro Bastoni.

Not even the introduction of captain Martin Odegaard, out for the last 12 games through injury, could inspire a late comeback as Arsenal drop down to 12th in the Champions League table after gameweek four.

Inter, meanwhile, move up to fifth, into the automatic qualification spots, with 10 points from their opening four games, maintaining their unbeaten start to the competition despite having played Arsenal and Premier League champions Manchester City.

More to follow.

Story of the match in stats…

What’s coming up in the Champions League?

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Paul Merson couldn’t believe Arsenal weren’t awarded a penalty as Yann Sommer appeared to hit Mikel Merino in the head and feels his former club were hard done by to give a penalty away to Inter Milan.