Gasperini's homecoming heartbreak: Roma falls to Atalanta

MILAN (AP) — Gian Piero Gasperini’s return to Bergamo ended in defeat as his Roma lost at Atalanta 1-0 in Serie A on Saturday.

Giorgio Scalvini claimed the only goal in the 12th minute and Atalanta rose to eighth place.

Roma could have moved level with second-placed Inter Milan with a win but instead was left level on points with Juventus, which moved into fourth despite being held to a surprise 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Lecce.

Como was three points further back after a Lucas Da Cunha penalty gave it a 1-0 win over Udinese.

There was a minute’s silence before kickoff in every game in Serie A this weekend for the victims of the fire at a Crans-Montana bar.

It was Gasperini’s first match against Atalanta since leaving in the summer after nine high-scoring seasons in charge, during which he transformed the Bergamo team into a top contender in Italy and Europe.

Atalanta has struggled since his departure and is already on its second coach after Gasperini.

However, it was the home side which took the lead in the 12th minute when Scalvini managed to bundle in a corner.

Gianluca Scamacca thought he doubled Atalanta’s lead in the 28th but it was ruled out after a lengthy video review because the home forward was judged to be offside at the start of the movement.

Juventus dominated and had numerous chances but it was Lecce which took a surprise lead in first-half stoppage time.

There seemed little danger when Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso rolled a ball towards teammate Pierre Kalulu but it was underpowered and Lameck Banda rushed in to intercept before cutting past two opponents and firing into the near corner.

Juventus leveled almost immediately after the break as Weston McKennie touched on a cross and rushed into the area, right in front of goal, to control the return pass from Kenan Yıldız and fire home.

It was McKennie’s first goal in Serie A this season although the United States international has scored two in the Champions League.

Juventus had a chance to take the lead when it was awarded a penalty after Lecce midfielder Mohamed Kaba blocked Jonathan David’s effort with his arm. David stepped up but the Canada forward's penalty was central and weak and was saved by Falcone.

David almost atoned for his error late on but his fierce strike was brilliantly saved by Falcone. Yıldız also hit the post deep in stoppage time as Juventus laid siege to the goal.

Lecce inched five points above the relegation zone.

Genoa drew with Pisa 1-1 in a relegation tussle that will please neither side.

Pisa midfielder Mehdi Leris equalized in chaotic circumstances at the end of the first half to cancel out Lorenzo Colombo’s screamer.

Genoa, which occupies the last position of safety, was left three points ahead of Pisa and Hellas Verona, which has played two matches fewer than those two teams.

Parma was six points above the drop zone after drawing at mid-table Sassuolo 1-1.

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Juventus' head coach Luciano Spalletti during the Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Lecce in Turin, Italy, Saturday Jan. 3, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Atalanta's Giorgio Scalvini, left, and Roma's Devyne Rensch in action during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Roma in Bergamo, Italy, Saturday Jan. 3, 2026. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Atalanta's Giorgio Scalvini celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Roma in Bergamo, Italy, Saturday Jan. 3, 2026. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Juventus' Kenan Yildiz, left, and Lecce's Kialonda Gaspar in action during the Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Lecce in Turin, Italy, Saturday Jan. 3, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Lecce's Lameck Banda, right, celebrates scoring with teammates during the Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Lecce in Turin, Italy, Saturday Jan. 3, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Juventus' Weston McKennie celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Lecce in Turin, Italy, Saturday Jan. 3, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Fire safety inspections hadn't been carried out since 2019 at the Swiss bar where a fire at a New Year's party left 40 people dead and over 100 injured, local authorities said Tuesday.

Investigators have said they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire at Le Constellation in the resort town of Crans-Montana when they came too close to the ceiling. Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar.

Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the bar managers. The two are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire, according to the Valais region’s chief prosecutor.

Regional authorities have said that safety inspections are the responsibility of the municipality. On Tuesday, the Crans-Montana municipality said that inspections of Le Constellation that included fire safety checks had been carried out in 2016, 2018 and 2019, and that modifications had been requested — but no issues with soundproofing measures had been raised.

The local council discovered after consulting documents after the fire that “periodic checks were not carried out between 2020 and 2025,” the head of Crans-Montana’s municipal government, Nicolas Féraud, told a news conference.

“We regret this bitterly,” he said, adding that it will be up to judicial authorities to determine what influence that may have had on the events that led to the fire.

Féraud said he couldn't immediately explain why safety inspections hadn't been conducted for such a long time.

Féraud said that, in September last year, an external expert had been asked to carry out a soundproofing analysis and had concluded that the bar complied with anti-noise rules, without making further remarks.

The severity of burns made it difficult to identify some victims of the fire that broke out at about 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, requiring families to supply authorities with DNA samples.

Investigators finished identifying the 40 dead on Sunday and said on Monday that they had identified all 116 people who were injured, from several countries.

On Monday, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced that it was opening a probe to assist the Swiss investigation and make it easier for families of French victims to communicate with Swiss investigators. Nine French citizens were killed, the youngest 14, and 23 were injured.

Féraud said reports from the inspections that were carried out mentioned a maximum capacity of 100 people on the bar's ground floor and 100 in its basement. It's unclear how many people were in Le Constellation when the blaze broke out and investigators have said that may never be known.

The municipality said the bar's owner obtained a permit to build a veranda in 2015 and also carried out interior work at the bar that did not require a permit.

It said it has now decided to ban the use of fireworks indoors and commission an external agency to carry out inspections of such establishments.

John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.

Nicolas Feraud, Mayor of Crans-Montana speaks during a press conference of the Crans-Montana Municipal Council following the fire that broke out at a New Year's party, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

Police officers carry a coffin with the body of one of six Italians at the Military Airport in Sion, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, following a devastating fire in a bar in Crans-Montana during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Swiss Minister of Justice Beat Jans and State Councillor Mathias Reynard lay flowers at the sealed off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

People stand around floral tributes and candles placed outside the sealed off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni)