Napoli today, and a hard draw for the women

Napoli come to a sold-out San Siro this afternoon — 12:00 PM ET, 18:00 in Milan — with Simone Sozza refereeing and Inter on six points from six. Inter Women learned their Champions League opponents in Nyon yesterday and drew about as hard as Pot 3 allows: Arsenal, Manchester City and Häcken at home, Lyon, Real Madrid and Austria Wien away. And a Swedish defender signed this morning who has already played for one of those six.

CONFIRMED  ·  CLUB · LEAGUE · UEFA

Friday's league-phase draw in Nyon gave Inter six opponents in their first season at this stage. At home: Arsenal, Manchester City and Häcken. Away: Lyon, Real Madrid and Austria Wien. It is about the worst that Pot 3 could have handed them.

The six matchdays run September 22–23, September 30–October 1, October 28–29, November 10–11, November 18–19 and December 16.

UEFA writes the French club as OL Lyonnes and Inter's own piece calls them Lione — the same club, renamed. Neither UEFA nor Inter has published kickoff times for the six matchdays yet.

INTER.IT / UEFA.COM · SEPT 4

Inter announced the Swedish defender this morning. Kullberg, born in 1991, has signed a contract to June 30, 2027. She arrives from Juventus after two seasons there that brought a Serie A title, the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. Before Italy she spent two seasons at Brighton, and before that she won the Swedish championship with Häcken.

The club kept the announcement short: “Il difensore svedese classe 1991 ha firmato con il Club un contratto fino al 30 giugno 2027” — the Swedish defender, born in 1991, has signed through June 30, 2027.

No fee was disclosed. Häcken, the club where she won her title, are one of the three sides Inter will host in the league phase.

INTER.IT · SEPT 5

Matchday 3, Saturday, September 5, at 12:00 PM ET — 18:00 in Milan. Gates open at 10:00 AM ET, 16:00 in Milan. Simone Sozza of the Seregno section referees, with Peretti and Baccini on the lines, Doveri as fourth official, Di Paolo on VAR and Dionisi assisting him.

Inter say the stadium is sold out. The only seats that came free late were season tickets put back by their holders, and the visiting section has gone as well. DAZN has the match exclusively in Italy, and Inter TV starts its pre-match show at 10:45 AM ET, 16:45 in Milan. Parking around the stadium is limited while the site is prepared for construction of the new one.

INTER.IT · SEPT 5

From Friday's press conference at Appiano Gentile. On his team: “Fiduciosa, ha lavorato bene” — confident, and it has trained well. On the opponent: “Il Napoli è arrivata seconda e due anni fa ha vinto il campionato, sappiamo quanto è forte ma dobbiamo essere all'altezza” — Napoli finished second last season and won the title the year before that; we know how strong they are, but we have to be up to it.

On the two Englishmen: “Stanno bene, li abbiamo visti in campo per qualche tratto, avranno la possibilità di far vedere quanto valgono” — they are in good shape, we have seen them in stretches, and they will get their chance to show what they are worth. On Djed Spence: “Spence sta facendo riatletizzazione e smaltendo il suo problema, quando sarà pronto vedrete anche lui” — he is working his way back to full fitness, and you will see him when he is ready.

On the eleven he would say only this: “ho 25 giocatori tutti bravi e le scelte le faccio all'ultimo” — twenty-five good players, and he picks the team at the last minute. Everything the papers have on the lineup prints on pink below.

INTER.IT · SEPT 4

Inter presented Dario Baccin as Chief Sport Officer on Friday at Appiano Gentile, with Giuseppe Marotta beside him. Marotta: “Dario Baccin è una persona e un volto che conoscete bene… Gli diamo un grande benvenuto in questa nuova veste” — a person and a face you know well, and we welcome him warmly in this new role. Baccin: “Sono profondamente grato per questa bellissima opportunità” — profoundly grateful for this beautiful opportunity.

He said the timing meant something to him: it was twenty years to the day since Giacinto Facchetti died. He also credited a decade working alongside Piero Ausilio. Marotta translated the title for anyone who prefers the older vocabulary — Chief Sport Officer is what an earlier generation called the sporting director. Baccin worked with Cristian Chivu in the academy, years before either of them held these jobs.

INTER.IT · SEPT 4

REPORTED  ·  PRESS ONLY · NOT YET OFFICIAL

Sky Sport Italia, read by FCInterNews on Friday evening, calls the front two “una delle poche certezze” — one of the few things that is settled: Francesco Pio Esposito alongside Lautaro Martínez. In the back three, the report has John Stones as “il prescelto per guidare la difesa al posto di Manuel Akanji” — the one picked to lead the defense in Akanji's place, with Tuesday at the Bernabéu already in mind.

The rest of the reported eleven: Josep Martínez in goal, Benjamin Pavard continuing from Cagliari, Andy Diouf on a flank, and Piotr Zieliński back in midfield with Nicolò Barella and Hakan Çalhanoğlu.

Chivu said on Friday that he picks the team at the last minute. Inter have published no lineup and no fitness bulletin.

SKY SPORT ITALIA, VIA FCINTERNEWS · SEPT 4

Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by FCIN1908, has the midfield settled in Zieliński's favor — “il polacco sembra un passo avanti agli altri”, he looks a step ahead of the rest — because he can play as one of the two central midfielders and also drop into Çalhanoğlu's deeper role on the days Çalhanoğlu needs a rest.

Curtis Jones is not being held back so much as held for later, in the paper's reading: “l'alta nobiltà del Bernabeu chiama” — the Bernabéu is calling. His turn is coming, but not this afternoon.

GAZZETTA DELLO SPORT, VIA FCIN1908 · SEPT 4

Sportmediaset, read by FCInterNews, reports that there will be no tribute to Piero Ausilio at the Meazza this afternoon. The club's public moment went instead to Baccin's presentation on Friday. Ausilio left Appiano Gentile the same day, after twenty-eight years at Inter and fourteen as sporting director.

Inter have said nothing either way about a farewell.

SPORTMEDIASET, VIA FCINTERNEWS · SEPT 4

LATEST RESULT  ·  SERIE A · MATCHDAY 2 · SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 · UNIPOL DOMUS

10′  Hakan Çalhanoğlu

A right-footed shot from outside the box, past Caprile, and Inter controlled the rest of the afternoon. Six points from two matchdays and five goals scored. There has been no match since, and Napoli is the next one.

Inter.it times the goal at ten minutes and credits no assist; that is the version printed here, as always. The Lega's own table has Inter third after two matchdays.

SERIE A FORM W W · TWO FROM TWO · SIX POINTS

NEXT UP  ·  SEPTEMBER & INTO OCTOBER · EASTERN TIME FIRST, MILAN SECOND

Men's first team. Eastern Time is New York; CEST is Milan. Every hour here comes from Inter's own published Serie A schedule or the club's Champions League calendar. The women's league phase opens on September 22–23; kickoff times for it are not yet published.

THE SUMMER, IN AND OUT  ·  WINDOW CLOSED · CONFIRMED ONLY

Men's first team, senior moves only, and only those announced by a club; fees are quoted in the currency the announcing source used. The men's window shut on Tuesday, September 1, so this table cannot change until January. Emma Kullberg's arrival is a women's-team signing and is not counted here.

THE POLL  ·  ONE TAP · NO SIGN-IN · RESULTS TOMORROW

YESTERDAY’S POLL · EVERY VOTE WENT TO CURTIS JONES — ON A TURNOUT OF ONE.

YOUR CALL FOR SATURDAY · SIX POINTS FROM SIX, A FULL HOUSE, AND ALLEGRI IN THE OTHER DUGOUT.

Reply to this email and tell me where you're reading from, and how Inter got you. I read every one.

NEXT EDITION: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 — NAPOLI AT SAN SIRO IN FULL, THE TEAM NEWS WHEN IT IS THE CLUB'S, AND THE ROAD TO THE BERNABÉU

SOURCES: Inter.it (women's CL draw) · UEFA.com (league phase draw) · Inter.it (Kullberg signs) · Inter.it (Inter-Napoli match guide) · Inter.it (San Siro info) · Inter.it (Chivu press conference) · FCInterNews (press conference live) · Inter.it (Baccin presented) · Inter.it (training) · Inter.it (Serie A schedule to MD12) · Inter.it (Champions League schedule) · Inter.it (Cagliari-Inter report) · Lega Serie A (Inter) · FCInterNews (Sky on the lineup) · FCIN1908 (GdS on Zielinski) · FCInterNews (Sportmediaset on Ausilio)