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Roberto D’Aversa feels Empoli leave the Coppa Italia semi-final against Bologna ‘with our heads held high’ and the regrets were for the first leg result.
The Tuscans had already performed a miracle by reaching their first ever Coppa Italia semi-final, eliminating Torino, Fiorentina and Juventus along the way.
However, the 3-0 first leg defeat at home was too much to overcome and they also capitulated 2-1 at the Stadio Dall’Ara this evening, going out 5-1 on aggregate.
Giovanni Fabbian and Thijs Dallinga headers proved decisive around a temporary Viktor Kovalenko equaliser, turning in the rebound from a parried Ola Solbakken strike.
D’Aversa took Empoli to first ever Coppa Italia semi-final
“We leave this historic semi-final with our heads held high,” D’Aversa told Sport Mediaset.
“The regret is the first leg, where we made unforced errors against one of the best teams in Italy right now. The lads played with focus this evening. If we have this same spirit in the remaining Serie A matches, then we can fight and prove that we deserve to stay in the top flight.”
With the relegation battles in mind, D’Aversa left out several players including Sebastiano Esposito and Tino Anjorin, on top of the on-going injury crisis.
“I chose Solbakken because I wanted to see what he could do, while Konate and Kovalenko had a good game. It’s hard to be happy after losing, but we gave it our all.”
D’Aversa had a very special message to conclude the interview, because he had experience as the coach of Lecce, so was particularly shaken by the news this morning that their historic physiotherapist Graziano Fiorita had died suddenly.
“I want to send an embrace to the Fiorita family, who suffered a terrible shock. He was someone I worked with and was very fond of.”
D’Aversa had also sent a message to Fiorita on his Instagram account earlier today.
“I am shocked, sad and profoundly pained by the loss of Graziano Fiorita. He was an excellent physiotherapist and a lovely person, who knew how to create team spirit, and I was very fond of him.
“He used to joke around, calling me ‘maestro,’ but had unbeatable professional rigor and focus too. Always ready to lend a helping hand, positive and competent.
“An exemplary father, husband and man. I will always carry Graziano in my heart, with the fun memory of our enjoyable video calls with Giovanni, the kit man.
“I send an embrace to his family, who he was in love with, and to all of Lecce.”
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Why Tottenham should sign wantaway Man Utd #9 to solve attacking problems – Opinion
Tottenham have been looking to bring in a new striker in the ongoing summer transfer window, and we have seen the North Londoners shuffling through a lot of possible targets along the window, given how Daniel Levy is looking to bring that quality and depth into the offensive roster. Now the North Londoners have been switching through the possible options again as they look to add some goalscoring player that can complement Dominik Solanke, given how he struggled to take the sole goalscoring burden upfront. Moreover, given that Dominic Solanke is already a bit of a doubt going into the season kick-off week, the North Londoners are still looking for someone who can bring that long-term goal threat leading the line in a Thomas Frank system. And this is where Manchester United striker Hojlund comes into the picture. The 22-year-old has been subject to links with a move away from Old Trafford this summer following the arrival of Benjamin Sesko at M16, and this is where Daniel Levy can put the Lilywhites’ name in contention for his signature. We know how the Dane head coach uses his forwards from his years at Gtech Community Stadium, where he always preferred to have strikers who have that physical presence but also have that mobility about their movements. Start thinking of Ivan Toney at his peak and how aggressive he was going into duels and yet how clever he was with back-to-goal play. Playing under Frank, he was also relentless in closing down defenders. And Hojlund fits that mould almost perfectly. How can Hojlund fit in at Tottenham? The Dane head coach likes to accommodate pressing triggers in his structures where the forward is more of a first man press to force the opponents into deploying wide centre-backs, so this is where the system follows and tries to rush the opponents into passes. Given the speed and work rate that we have seen from Hojlund in his time at M16, it makes him a natural fit for that role. But there is more… Frank also likes to have his #9 making those early and direct runs into space to stretch the pitch. And the 2003-born excels at timing runs beyond the last defender (which could come as a massive asset with the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, Tel or Brennan Johnson supplying balls in behind). Moreover, the North Londoners could be looking to use more variety in their attacking build-up while trying to put together a complement of crosses and set-piece routines. And given the height and athleticism of Hojlund, he would fit right into it. And then Hojlund’s ability to hold up the ball and bring wide forwards into sequences would be crucial in those transitions. Strengths The 22-year-old fits the long-term rebuild, and the Lilywhites could get five or six prime years from him before even thinking about any possible resale (like with Harry Kane). And then he is really good with his high presses and has that quick-transition style. Moreover, he has already been leading the line for a while for Denmark, and while he has not yet got going in the English top tier, he now has that experience in the Premier League, and he could be ready to take strides in his development in the upcoming years, especially under someone like Thomas Frank, who has that capacity to get the best out of young players and bring them to their potential. Weaknesses He would be a massive gamble given his performances for the Manchester Reds and then a physical risk as well given that the 22-year-old has been having niggling injuries every now and then. Author Opinion If Tottenham can sign Hojlund for a fee which is closer to £30–40m and then Levy ends up using the money saved on adding another creative midfielder, then the Dane would be a superb signing to lead the attack for a long time to come. But if he comes at a premium fee which works along with £50m+ and limits what else Frank can do this window, then is it a pointless risk to take?
Green Bay Packers Veteran WR In Danger Of Being Cut After Poor Showing Against Jets
A veteran Green Bay Packers wide receiver didn’t leave a good impression on head coach Matt LaFleur’s coaching staff on Saturday when he took on his old team in front of 71,501 fans at Lambeau Field on Saturday night. Mecole Hardman, who has had flashes of being a strong contributor to the Packers during training camp, struggled in the Packers’ 30-10 loss to the New York Jets. The 2019 second-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs dropped his only target of the night and made a poor decision as a punt returner on special teams before muffing a punt on his second punt return opportunity. The Green Bay Packers coaching staff has a decision to make Matt Schneidman of The Athletic suggested that Hardman’s performance will prompt the Packers’ coaching staff to reevaluate the receiver depth chart. “Hardman, too, seemed penciled into the 53-man roster before Saturday night,” Schneidman wrote. “For a player who probably wasn’t slated to contribute much as a wide receiver come the regular season but still provided value because of his return experience, the preseason opener was a disaster. “Hardman fielded a punt on the fly at his 5-yard line (that’s a no-no) with a Jet and two Packers nearby and was tackled immediately for no gain by the Jets’ Qwan’tez Stiggers after he beat Packers rookie seventh-round cornerback Micah Robinson.” “I made two bad decisions, so that’s on me,” Hardman told reporters after the game. Hardman wasn’t the only Packers receiver to have issues against the Jets, as an issue from 2024, dropped passes, continued to plague the offense in their first preseason game of 2025. It’s an issue Hardman and the team will want to show improvement on when they play the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.
Notable PFF grades, standouts from Vikings' preseason win over Texans
The big storyline from Saturday's Vikings preseason opener was how J.J. McCarthy looked in his first game since tearing his meniscus a year ago. But what the preseason is really about are younger players and guys on the roster bubble looking to make an impression. After some starters played a bit in the first quarter, it was the second and third and fourth-stringers who got the rest of the work in the Vikings' 20-10 win over the Texans. Let's take a look at the Pro Football Focus grades from the game to see who stood out. Top 5 grades on offense (minimum 10 snaps) 1. RG Joe Huber — 94.7 (55 snaps) 2. C Michael Jurgens — 80.0 (43) 3. WR Jordan Addison — 79.6 (12) 4. LT/RT Walter Rouse — 78.4 (36) 5. WR Myles Price — 76.8 (15) Huber, an undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin, played more snaps than any other Viking in this game, so his team-best 94.7 grade is incredibly impressive. He was PFF's highest-graded rookie across all eight games in the NFL on Saturday. The catalyst was his 93.9 grade in the run blocking phase. Huber still faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, but he's a lock to at least stick around on the practice squad if the Vikings try to get him through waivers. Jurgens and Rouse also impressing is an encouraging sign for the Vikings' offensive line depth. Those two second-year players should have a good shot to make the roster alongside veteran backups Justin Skule and Blake Brandel if the Vikings keep nine offensive linemen. Price, who has had a solid camp, caught a couple passes from Max Brosmer in the fourth quarter, including a touchdown. He feels like a strong practice squad candidate. Two other standouts on offense who finished just outside of the top five were RB Zavier Scott (75.9) and QB Sam Howell (75.8). Scott racked up 51 yards from scrimmage on eight touches and stated his case to be the Vikings' No. 3 running back this year. Howell was 11 of 13 for 105 yards and at least temporarily quieted some of the doubts about his ability to be an adequate backup. The five lowest grades on offense went to WR Silas Bolden, WR Thayer Thomas, WR Dontae Fleming, TE Giovanni Ricci, and RG Will Fries (all on fewer than 20 snaps). Top 5 grades on defense (minimum 10 snaps) 1. OLB Gabriel Murphy — 80.2 (30 snaps) 2. DL Elijah Williams — 79.9 (21) 3. CB Reddy Steward — 76.5 (11) 4. S Tavierre Thomas — 76.5 (32) 5. CB Ambry Thomas — 75.4 (12) Murphy had 1.5 sacks and a team-high five pressures on just 19 pass-rush snaps. The second-year undrafted player out of UCLA was fantastic for the Vikings and looks like the obvious candidate to be the team's No. 4 outside linebacker this season, which is a role that comes with real playing time. "Gabe’s been a guy that has shown up daily at camp, I've highlighted it in front of the team," head coach Kevin O'Connell said. "He's, it feels like a man on a mission right now, in a lot of ways. And I'm just proud of him, proud of where he's at in camp right now, and now he's just gotta set his sights on continuing to compete." Williams was also outstanding. He had four pressures on 15 pass-rushing snaps. Williams, who starred at FCS Morgan State, signed with the Vikings after attending their rookie minicamp as a tryout player. "I remember vividly (assistant D-line coach) Marcus Dixon coming to me after day one of that tryout," O'Connell said. "And I always like to check in with all the coaches. 'Anybody catch your eye for me to look at tomorrow?' Just observing (Williams), the effort, had a little pop to him throughout the drills, and that's really what's shown up throughout training camp. He sits in the first row of my team meetings every single day. There's a lot to like about him, and it was good to see him make some plays tonight, too." Steward, Tavierre Thomas, and Ambry Thomas are veteran defensive backs hoping to make the roster. Another player in that category, safety Kahlef Hailassie, had two interceptions and nearly made the top five with a 75.1 grade. The five lowest grades on defense went to S Theo Jackson, LB Eric Wilson, S Jay Ward, DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, and CB Jeff Okudah. Most of those guys have had strong training camps, so there's no need to put much stock into this one-game sample. More Vikings coverage
NFL Teams Think Blockbuster Tyreek Hill Trade Might Be Coming
The Cheetah could be on the move. If Miami is looking to unload the Cheetah, then other NFL teams are willing to pounce. With vibes at an all-time low in South Beach following Tyreek Hill's late-season comments about being "out" last year, and lots of fences that need mending, many around the league are reportedly keeping their eye on the All-Pro's situation with the Dolphins in hopes of potentially adding him at the deadline — if not, sooner. Following the Fins' Week 17 loss to the Jets last January, Hill basically told the world that he no longer wanted to be with the team. Telling media members after the game, "I'm out, bro. It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, I gotta do what's best for my career because I'm too much of a competitor to be just out there." The eight-time Pro Bowler has since apologized for those remarks and said that he didn't mean them. But others in the locker room, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, believe there's a lot more that needs to be done on Hill's end before its aqua water under the MacArthur Causeway. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, several teams have mentioned that they're taking a look at the situation in Miami and have an interest in making a move for Hill should one become available. "I have talked to a few teams who are at least monitoring his future a little bit," Fowler revealed on "SportsCenter." "Could he be a potential trade target? Now, I know the Dolphins earlier this summer were telling teams, 'No, we're not trading Tyreek Hill.' But they just wonder, is he going to be available?" "It could be wishful thinking, maybe they want him to be available," the insider added. "But he's a player, when I bring up to teams, 'Hey, who is sort of a trade target you're watching?' — they bring up Tyreek Hill. So, we'll see. He's a big option for Tua [Tagovailoa], that would be a major move if they did move away from him." The all-decade receiver is entering his fourth season with the Dolphins after posting some of the lowest numbers of his career in 2024. We'll see how long it takes before Miami is willing to pick up the phone on Tyreek-related calls — especially if the team gets off to a bad start over the next few months.
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