The Inter striker appeared to have been reintegrated smoothly back into the squad but Luciano Spalletti’s decision not to play him in the defeat to Lazio seemed strangeInter were poised, at last, to put this season’s most disruptive soap opera behind them. Mauro Icardi had returned to first-team training on Tuesday, ending a 40-day absence that began when he was stripped of the club captaincy. It felt like an opportune moment: spirits were high following a win over Milan, and half the squad was away on international duty, including colleagues with whom he had clashed.The striker appeared to reintegrate smoothly. News outlets circulated videos of him passing the ball to Ivan Perisic – his purported personal rival – during a...
Defeat was hardly catastrophic for Milan, but they have failed to beat Inter now in any of their last six Serie A meetingsThe choreography produced by Milan’s Ultras for Sunday’s derby had been months in the making. As kick-off approached, a colossal depiction of Hellboy was unveiled: stretching from the top of the second tier in San Siro’s Curva Sud all the way down to ground level. The demon crashed his fist on to a pile of skulls, interwoven with an Inter scarf. “Send them to Hell,” read the accompanying slogan.The banner left on display in the same section at full-time cannot have taken quite so long to prepare: a single word spelled out in letters as tall as your...
Two goals against Udinese suggest Juventus’s forgotten wonderkid may just be their Champions League saviourAt a glance, Juventus’s preparations for a season-defining showdown with Atlético Madrid appear almost ideal. After losing 2-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano, Massimiliano Allegri tweeted that his team had 20 days to “GET READY for a [return leg] TO LIVE and TO WIN”. Since then, the Bianconeri have won three games out of three.They have triumphed away to Napoli, and since extended their lead atop Serie A to 18 points. On Friday, Juventus beat Udinese 4-1. Repeat that scoreline on Tuesday and they will go through to the quarter-finals. Related: Angry Bayern let it all out and nudge Dortmund off their throne | Andy Brassell Related:...
Inter dug deep to see off Sampdoria, but without their forward after he was stripped of the captaincyThe first time the big screen cut to Mauro Icardi, it stayed with him for only a few seconds. He had arrived just before kick-off for Inter’s game against Sampdoria, taking a seat beside his wife, and agent, Wanda in the stands at San Siro. Neither seemed to notice when the cameras picked them out, provoking brief jeers from the home crowd.But the camera lingered a little longer the second time around. Play had stopped, and the mood inside the stadium was restless, with the score still goalless after the interval. This time the whistles were ear-splitting. Wanda glanced up at the screen,...
Away games against Milan are a daunting prospect at the best of times, let alone when you’re stuck in the middle of a protestIt began like so many other Saturdays at Cagliari’s practice facility, the manager Rolando Maran coming in from training to update reporters on the injuries and fitness concerns affecting his first-team squad. It took a turn towards atypical shortly afterwards, as players lined up in the street to kick over milk churns and spill their contents into the road.This was not on the schedule. After speaking to the press, Maran was supposed to board the team bus with his players and head to the airport for a flight to Milan – where they would play the following...