Francesco Calvo, managing director of commercial and institutional relations at Juventus, has resigned from his role with two games of the 2024-25 season left to go and is reportedly close to joining Premier League outfit Aston Villa instead, with Giorgio Chiellini poised to take over some of his responsibilities in Turin.

Juventus director Calvo resigns amidst Aston Villa links
According to Tuesday’s reports, Calvo has decided to resign from his position with Juventus. The Bianconeri director is not only in charge of the commercial side of the football club, but also sits on the board of the FIGC.

Tuttosport claims that if/when Calvo’s departure is made official, Chiellini is likely to take on his responsibilities with the FIGC, although Juventus will still need to hire a permanent commercial director.

Juventus directors at annual shareholders’ meeting in November 2024 (picture via www.juventus.com/it)
Bianconeri directors at annual shareholders’ meeting in November 2024
Monday’s report suggests that Calvo’s departure could also bring a restructuring of Juve’s senior management team.

Calvo’s colleagues are set to meet in the coming days in order to organise the running of the club from a commercial perspective and to discuss potential replacements.

Football-italia.net

Hamburger SV ‘s long-awaited return to the German Bundesliga was marred by tragic incidents following the club’s 6-1 win over Ulm that secured them automatic promotion.

One supporter suffered “life-threatening injuries”, and 19 others were seriously hurt during post-match celebrations gone wrong as thousands of ecstatic fans stormed the Volksparkstadion pitch in chaotic scenes.

The celebration quickly descended into dangerous mayhem, forcing the Hamburg Fire Department to launch a “major emergency response” as the situation spiraled out of control. In total, 44 supporters required medical attention, with 25 transported to local hospitals.

Disturbing footage showed fans recklessly jumping from elevated stands, collapsing advertising boards, tearing out chunks of turf, and completely destroying both goals in a frenzied hunt for souvenirs.

Hamburg SV, one of Germany’s most decorated clubs with three Bundesliga titles, three German Cups, a European Cup Winners’ Cup, and their crowning achievement – the 1983 European Cup triumph over Juventus – now face serious questions about security protocols.

While pitch invasions have become commonplace throughout football when teams secure promotions, championships or survival, these harrowing scenes will undoubtedly prompt German authorities to implement stricter safety measures and sanctions against clubs unable to control their supporters.

Elsewhere in German, Heidenheim have accused Berlin police of extreme violence leaving some of their fans needing medical treatment following Saturday’s game at Union Berlin.

Five Heidenheim supporters were arrested and three of them charged, two for alleged vandalism and another for alleged insulting behaviour, the police told news agency dpa on Sunday.

The club said the police detained several of their supporters before the match for the “unauthorised posting of stickers during the fan march, which had previously passed without incident.”

“The police also acted with extreme violence without any apparent reason or clear communication after the game, directly before we left the guests’ parking lot,” Heidenheim board member Petra Saretz said in a club statement.

Insideworldfootball.com

Atalanta have mathematically guaranteed Champions League football with Ademola Lookman and Ibrahim Sulemana goals, ending Roma’s 19-match unbeaten Serie A run.

This was a huge fight between third and joint-fourth, as the Giallorossi had the opportunity to leapfrog both Lazio and Juventus after their 1-1 draw. La Dea had Isak Hien suspended, Juan Cuadrado, Sead Kolasinac, Marco Palestra, Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca injured, while Ademola Lookman and Odilon Kossounou started despite not being at 100 per cent. Roma were unbeaten in 19 Serie A rounds, but the season was over for Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala, so they moved to a 3-4-2-1 formation with Matias Soulé in a more advanced role.

Charles De Ketelaere just failed to get on the end of a flicked on cross at the back post, while Bryan Cristante stung Marco Carnesecchi’s gloves from distance.

Lookman was in doubt to feature with an Achilles tendon inflammation, but he opened the scoring when gathering with his back to goal from De Ketelaere, turning Devyn Rensch and firing in from 13 yards.

Ederson almost made it 2-0 after nutmegging a defender, but fired over the bar, with Manu Kone’s strike deflected over after Kossounou was caught napping and De Ketelaere prodding wide from six yards on an Ederson lay-off.

Atalanta wasted a big double opportunity, as first Mile Svilar got down to parry the De Ketelaere finish from 10 yards, then Mateo Retegui fired the rebound over.

Those chances were costly, because a corner was cleared with difficulty and Soulé put the cross onto the head of Bryan Cristante, who with his back to goal flicked it into the far top corner from eight yards.

Roma should’ve turned it around on the stroke of half-time when Eldor Shomurodov skinned a defender, but Manu Kone’s first touch on the assist was awful and the chance went begging.

Shomurodov tested Carnesecchi after the restart and the referee pointed to the spot on 63 minutes when Manu Kone win it back in midfield, combined with Angelino and went down under a Mario Pasalic challenge. However, the penalty was revoked following a VAR On-Field Review, as Kone ran into Pasalic.

Ibrahim Sulemana’s control and half-volley from the edge of the area was deflected by a desperate Rensch sliding block and on the resulting corner Berat Djimsiti nodded over.

Lookman also bent his finish just wide of the far post and Atalanta finally made the pressure count when Lookman ran down the left, rolled across for Lazar Samardzic to lay it off, allowing Sulemana to drill through a sea of legs from the edge of the area.

There was a bizarre moment during the celebration, as an Atalanta supporter ran onto the pitch and ‘scored’ by kicking the ball past Svilar.

Roma pushed hard with a Soulé free kick sailing just wide of the far top corner and Alexis Saelemaekers pulling back from the by-line to force a desperate clearance.

In stoppages Svilar went up for a corner and Carnesecchi fingertipped it off his head, the Pisilli overhead kick charged down by Berat Djimsiti’s face. They suffered their first Serie A defeat since 2-0 away to Como on December 15 and slipped down to sixth place.

Atalanta 2-1 Roma
Lookman 9 (A), Cristante 32 (R), Sulemana 76 (A)

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