News about Dries Mertens

OLIVER HOLT CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: A referee is sucker-punched by a club president at the end of a thrilling match in a major European football league, and if we are short-sighted, complacent, or stupid, we could risk treating it as a distant curiosity, dismiss it because it occurred in Turkey, and think, 'it could never happen here,'. The truth is, however, that it could happen here. The truth is that if players, coaches, and administrators in English football begin to change their attitude towards match officials, it will happen here. The truth is that at the grassroots level of our game, where players and managers are heavily influenced by the increasing unboundaried behaviour they see in the Premier League, and referees are not guaranteed to have as much protection.

Galatasaray has been caught up in an unfortunate racial storm on social media. Dries Mertens, a Turkish club member, was seen wearing a hat and a snood in a picture shared on Instagram. The post's caption read: "Tahmin et, ben kimim," was followed by a ninja emoji.

Manchester United players arrived in training on Wednesday with glum faces after a humiliating start to the season with a 3-2 loss at home to Galatasaray. In their Champions League group stage match against the Turkish team in Old Trafford on Tuesday, the Red Devils suffered their sixth defeat in ten games against the Turkish side, putting the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag. When arriving in Carrington the next day with blank faces ahead of a likely inquest into how the team came to give their opponents all three points, the players seemed to be feeling the heat.

After the former Crystal Palace star struggled to hold a pass during their team's 1-0 Champions League qualifier victory over NK Olimpija Ljubljana, Mauro Icardi and Dries Mertens were seen laughing at their Galatasaray teammate Wilfried Zaha. It was the Ivorian forward's second run out in an orange jacket, and he had a field day. The 30-year-old displayed his lightning footwork to his new fan base inside Ali Sami Yen Stadium, skilfully evading multiple Ljubljana players during the match.

Cristiano Giuntoli departed Naples and returned to Turin for two reasons. The first was a desire to lead Italy's most important team, which his family is devoted to. The second was fear of losing the Scudetto with Napoli. The 51-year-old's Napoli's retirement was silent but significant for the Serie A champions, who needed to keep the Giuntoli brand with the fans. A Scudetto in Naples is the equivalent of five league titles at AC Milan or Juventus, and it was made even more impressive by the way it was obtained.

The eight teams that have qualified to the quarterfinals of the Champions League have a bit of an old school feel to them. Although Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Man City, and Chelsea are all regulars at this stage of the competition, it's been a long time since Italy is the most represented country on this stage. For the first time since 2006, AC Milan and Inter Milan have met in the quarter-finals, the first time either Italian sides have qualified for the first time since 2006 - the first time any Italian team has qualified for the competition in this period. For the first time in history, Napoli has the dark horses to win it all.

ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, who was savvy with sports manager Cristiano Giuntoli, and Napoli's leadership Luciano Spalletti, have ushered in a new age in which they could claim their first Scudetto victory in 33 years. Napoli owe a lot to De Laurentiis' decision to break with Kalidou Koulibaly, Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens, and David Ospina over the summer, which has resulted in a carefree squad without selfish heroes. The team has been a symbol of hope and optimism in just a few months, now with a 13-point lead at the top of Serie A after their 2-1 victory over Roma last Sunday.

On Friday night, ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Napoli takes on Juventus in a thrilling match between the top two teams in the Serie A table. It's also a clash between two competing philosophies with both having Scudetto aspirations. Napoli hasn't won the Scudetto for more than 30 years, and they're getting even closer this time than they did when Maurizio Sarri was boss. Despite numerous layoffs in the summer of 2022, Luciano Spalletti's team has been able to find a more balanced pitch and hasn't been harmed by the departure of three legendary figures, Lorenzo Insigne, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Dries Mertens. Napoli now have to be concerned with the achievements they require and maintain a continuity with which they haven't ever been concerned in their post-Maradona existence. Juventus will have to fight Spalletti's guys' onslaught, which will be sure to crush them. Max Allegri's crew will keep a chance of replacing the leaders if they can do so without losing. Here are the contests that may be both won and lost on Friday night.

Despite assisting Belgium's losing World Cup campaign in Qatar, Roberto Martinez has reportedly emerged as a candidate for the vacant Portugal post. Martinez has been 'on the radar' of the Portuguese Football Federation as they look for a new head coach,' according to the Telegraph. The Spaniard could be forced to choose either a return to club leadership or a stay with international football.

Roberto Martinez has revealed that the Belgium team was aware he was stepping down as head coach ahead of the country's vital World Cup group stage match against Croatia. Martinez resigned as Belgium's president after the country's disappointing World Cup experience, with the country suffering a group stage exit despite being ranked second in the world by FIFA at the time. After losing in group stage to Morocco, the Spanish coach told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws that he had notified players of his decision to leave the tournament after losing on group stage to Morocco.

The Italian's latest contract is set to expire in the summer, and with the club arranging a transfer for Benfica's Enzo Fernandez, a transfer may be headed to Stamford Bridge next year. If Chelsea does not renew his contract, his agent has already been looking at prospective options for the midfielder, and a return to Italy appears to be the most favored option - if Chelsea does not renew his contract. Chelsea are able to broker a contract extension with the midfielder, according to Sky Italy, but only a call from Napoli would make the player reconsider his options.

After the match in Qatar, Kevin De Bruyne, Jan Vertonghen, and Eden Hazard clashed in the dressing room, an inquest into the African team's shock 2-0 loss. Vertonghen fired a jibe at De Bruyne in his post-match interview in reaction to the Manchester City actor's tense words that claimed that the Belgian team was 'too old' to win the World Cup, according to him. Kat Kerkhofs, Mertens' wife, has confirmed that the issues were also evident at a BBQ held at their team hotel just hours after losing to Morocco.

Napoli is interested in signing Wolves' Adama Traore, despite growing rumors about the star man Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's future. Dries Mertens, David Ospina, Faouzi Ghoulam, and Lorenzo Insigne all left Luciano Spalletti's side after their employment came to an end, but Traore's contract with Molineux came to an end. According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, the Wolves winger is Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis' dream signing. Traore, a Wolves contract whose deal came to an end in June 2023, will return to Serie A next season as a valuable resource in Spalletti's case.

After Giacomo Raspadori's late winner secured their three points at home to Spezia, Napoli leapt to the top of the Serie A table. At the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, there was a goalless first half as the main hosts failed to capitalize despite raising more of the chances. And although Napoli were unable to score until late in the Champions League, despite beating four times Liverpool in midweek, they stayed on the front foot for the remainder of the game.

ALVISE CAGNAZZO IN ITALY: Liverpool lost in Naples in 2018-19 and then again in 2019-20, but this third loss sparked an emotional earthquake that will never be forgotten. This victory, a little like David and Goliath's biblical tale, was encapsulated by the smaller team's extraordinary intelligence, which shocked its massive adversary with speed, endurance, and surgical precision. There is talk of nothing else in Naples today. In honor of a triumphant display, news stands feature the club's badge and newspaper front pages. On full throttle, fireworks were set off and horns were blasting on the streets - it was as if Napoli had won more than a group-opening Champions League match.

According to sources, Juan Mata is expected to sign for Galatasaray on a free transfer after deciding personal terms with the Turkish side. According to reports, the Spanish playmaker, who called an end to his eight-year contract with Manchester United at the end of June, will arrive in Istanbul this week before Galatasaray announces his transfer. Mata played in 285 games during his time at Old Trafford, scoring 51 and assisting 47 under the direction of Manuel Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, and Ralf Rangnick.

IN ITALY, ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Napoli is the worst team to have been paired with in Group A, according to A. The argument has been advanced that Napoli is the worst team Liverpool may have been paired with in Group A. Five starters have moved on in David Ospina, Dries Mertens, Kalidou Koulibaly, Fabian Ruiz, and Lorenzo Insigne, while five others have undergone dramatic changes in the summer. And yet, Napoli has emerged from it as robust and reliable as ever.

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) of Manchester United has been trying to get out of Manchester United for the whole summer, but time is running out for the 37-year-old to move away from Old Trafford. However, with the transfer window set to close on Thursday, it seems there could be a escape route for the former Juventus star, with reports describing his move back to Serie A with Napoli, which are managed by Luciano Spalletti (inset). The Manchester United star will be heir to club legend Diego Maradona (right), but it will be impossible to adjust, and a comparison with the club's most popular player would be detrimental to everybody.

With the Champions League group stage draw, just 90 days after Vinicius Junior's champion for Real Madrid against Liverpool in the Paris final. The draw in Istanbul on Thursday evening will determine the final on June 10 next year, and the cream of European football will await the outcome. Sportsmail has the inside scoop on each of the 32 teams that will participate in the draw at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Both Napoli and Inter Milan's second weekend of Serie A season saw them get off to a soaring start in home with emphatic victories. However, defending champions AC Milan lost their first points in a draw at Atalanta, while newly promoted Lecce and Monza's still look a little troubling. ALVISE CAGNAZZO of Sportsmail takes you through ten things we learned in the second installment of our weekly review.

Sergio Reguilon, Harry Winks, and Giovani Lo Celso, Ndombele was barred from first-team training by Conte at the start of the summer, along with fellow outcasts Sergio Reguilon, Harry Winks, and Giovani Lo Celso. Since his £55 million transfer to north London in 2019, the Frenchman has failed to secure a starting spot in the Spurs. Following Tottenham boss Antonio Conte's arrival in the second half of last season, the 25-year-old was sent out on loan to Lyon in the second half of the season. He made 11 Ligue 1 appearances for Les Gones.

The Italian team is secure in securing the player's signature, though the Frenchman is said to have alerted colleagues that he is headed for Campania. Negotiations in Naples slowed after Napoli's opening weekend victory over Verona, which brought some of the simmering dissatisfaction that has raged in the city this summer.