The dramatic end to the Milan 2-2 derby should not hide the fact that the now Chinese-owned clubs should be fighting over a greater prize than sixth place“Closing.” That English word has dominated the Italian sports pages for more than two years now: seven letters that became a shorthand for the day when Silvio Berlusconi would sell Milan. A good many people doubted it would ever arrive. The man they call Il Cavaliere was thought too proud to relinquish his favourite plaything: a football club that not so long ago billed itself as “the most titled in the world”.Owning Milan had granted Berlusconi not only the chance to demonstrate his self-touted sporting acumen but important social and political capital as...
The minnows were given next to no chance of staying up but a spirited manager and a prolific striker who helped slay a giant have made it a tangible prospectThink of Davide Nicola less as a football club manager than as a public servant. Speaking before his Crotone team’s match against Inter this weekend, he told reporters that his main goal was to “make this end to the season interesting”. Related: Robben and Ribéry party like it's 2013 as Ancelotti styles Bayern Munich his way | Andy Brassell Related: Barcelona's Neymar at risk of missing clásico after red card in Málaga defeat Continue reading...
The striker’s reception on Naples return was tamer than expected – as was his display – in a draw that suggested Juve may be slowing down at the wrong timeMaurizio Sarri was looking unusually smart last Monday, shedding his Napoli tracksuit in favour of a white shirt and blue jacket to collect the 2015-16 Panchina d’Oro (Golden Bench). He had pipped Juventus’s Massimiliano Allegri into second for the award, given each year to the best manager in Serie A – as chosen by a panel of their peers.Humble as ever, Sarri expressed surprise at his triumph, suggesting he would expect such a prize to go to the man who finished higher. But with mischief in his eyes he also looked...
Juventus’s last-gasp win over Milan all-but settled the title but the race is on for a top-three spot and Inter’s 7-1 destruction of Atalanta gives them reason to believeA stool smashed, a lamp shattered, graffiti scrawled across the walls. The only thing more dramatic than Juventus’s last-gasp win over Milan at J-Stadium were the reports of what came afterwards, with claims that members of the losing side had gone on a rampage in the changing rooms. Displays celebrating the Old Lady’s 2004-05 and 2005-06 title wins – officially revoked following the Calciopoli scandal – were said to have been daubed with the word “THIEVES”.Such actions cannot be condoned, but it was easy to understand how Milan might have felt robbed...
A remarkable save preserved the win for Napoli at Roma. It might yet prove a turning point for a side that had lost three games in fourWe’ll get to Dries Mertens and his two goals. We’ll get to the bit where he dropped on to all fours and cocked his leg towards the corner flag like a dog preparing to empty its bladder, as well. We’ll get to talking about 21-year-old Marko Rog, too, and his star turn in midfield. We’ll get to discussing how Maurizio Sarri nailed his team selection, while Luciano Spalletti’s gamble backfired.To tell the story of Napoli’s triumph over Roma in the Derby del Sole, however, it makes sense to start at the end. Because the...