Serie A referees will start announcing VAR decisions directly to fans in stadiums and to TV audiences from next season. Referee chief Gianluca Rocchi announced to the Italian media on Tuesday. Rocchi described the change as an important step in improving communication between match officials and the public. He also noted that the goal is to make decisions faster and easier to understand. “We have a selected group of referees and we want to ensure their language is as consistent as possible so the public can clearly understand the calls,” Rocchi said. Similar initiatives, where referees explain their decisions to spectators, have also been tested in countries like England and Germany.

Manchester City ended their pre-season with a 3-0 victory against sister club Palermo in the first Anglo-Palermitan Trophy. Nearly 35,000 fans attended the match, which celebrated Palermo’s 125th anniversary. Pep Guardiola’s side dominated the contest, providing a strong test for Pippo Inzaghi’s team despite the gulf in quality. Palermo will begin their Coppa Italia campaign away to Cremonese next Saturday.

Manchester City’s summer signing Tijjani Reijnders says he is prepared to take on any midfield role under Pep Guardiola following another injury setback for Rodri. The 27-year-old joined from AC Milan for a reported £46.6m to boost City’s midfield depth. Last season, City endured their worst campaign under Guardiola after Rodri suffered an ACL injury, and the Spaniard is now out again until at least September. “In the Club World Cup, I played three different midfield roles and I want to be able to perform in all of them,” Reijnders told reporters. “I’ll play wherever the manager wants me and give my best.” He said the squad have been focusing on ball possession, breaking down low blocks, and quick ball recovery in training. “We’ve got to know each other better and I can see he has a lot of qualities, which makes it easier for us midfielders to play alongside him,” he added.