Joseph Casciaro

The Opening Whistle:

The marquee matchup of the final weekend of the season saw fourth-place Udinese host the newly crowned champions of AC Milan.

Milan, obviously, were playing for nothing except pride in their final match of the season, while Udinese could clinch fourth place and a Champions League playoff spot for next season with a point.

Much to the chagrin of Rossoneri supporters who might have wanted to close this championship season in style, Milan never looked serious about wanting three points from this match. They held over 60 per cent of the possession, but rarely seriously threatened and finished with just one measly shot on target.

Udinese, on the other hand, were pressing for a goal and a home win, which would have been a storybook ending to their storybook season. They came close, and were even awarded a penalty kick in the 74th minute, but Antonio Di Natale came up empty. Udinese’s efforts went unrewarded on the scoreboard, as both teams settled for a scoreless draw.

But as disappointing as the scoreline may have been, Udinese did what they needed to do to cap their incredible season, earning a Champions League playoff spot.

Bookings:

- Two more teams playing for nothing but pride on Sunday were Juventus and Napoli. Napoli were already assured third place and a trip to the Champions League next season, while Juventus wanted to get their disappointing season over with. Napoli used a pair of headed-in tallies from Christian Maggio and Cristiano Lucarelli to take a 1-0 lead and later a 2-1 lead, but both times, Juve responded to end both clubs’ seasons with a draw. The draw brings Juve manager Luigi Del Neri’s short tenure with the Bianconeri to an end. More on that later.

- Inter completed their somewhat disappointing Serie A season with a dominating 3-1 home victory over Catania. The five-time defending champions end the 2010-2011 Serie A campaign with 23 wins and a second-place finish.

In other action on Sunday, Lazio and Roma completed their fifth-place and sixth-place seasons with two-goal wins over Lecce and Sampdoria, respectively. Roma may be disappointed with their sixth-place finish, but I’d have to imagine that Lazio supporters are at least content with a top-five finish.

Free Kicks:

- While the Serie A season may be over and there are no Italian clubs left in the Champions League, there is still a very important match to be played in Italy. Next Sunday, the 2011 Coppa Italia final will be played in Rome, between Inter Milan and Palermo. That will signify the official end of another season of calcio.

- The biggest news of the final week of the season is that Juventus has decided to part ways with manager Luigi Del Neri. Juve had to deal with a ton of injuries this season and that unquestionably contributed to their disappointing seventh-place finish. But having said that, even when healthy, they just never looked “right,” and when that’s the case with a legendary team like Juventus, somebody is going to pay the price.

- Staying with Juventus, the Bianconeri have locked up Italian international midfielder Claudio Marchisio with a five-year extension.

- The other big news of the week is that Edinson Cavani has committed to Napoli long-term, until 2016. Cavani was easily the MVP of the Serie A season for me, and was the key spark for Napoli’s surprising run to third place, which included them staying in Scudetto contention for most of the year.

- Some transactions to go over relating to the newly crowned champions at AC Milan. It was revealed this week that Andrea Pirlo’s time with the club is up after 10 great years. While Pirlo is no longer close to his prime, it’s still a sad day for Rossoneri supporters who always saw in Pirlo the superbly talented and unselfish midfielder that others often over-looked. There were a few years where Andrea was among the best play-making midfielders in the world.

In other Milan news, Alessandro Nesta and Filippo Inzaghi will remain with the club for at least another year, as will Thiago Silva, Mark van Bommel and Massimo Ambrosini.

- If you haven’t read or seen any of The Footy Blog’s list of the top-50 Serie A players this season, I suggest you take a look. It’s a great read with some solid commentary.

The Final Whistle:

After 10 months of action and 38 matchdays, here’s how things shaped up in the table. Obviously, AC Milan took home an 18th Scudetto, with Inter and Napoli finishing second and third, respectively, and joining Milan in the 2011-2012 Champions League. Udinese’s fourth-place finish sees them qualify for a Champions League playoff spot, while Lazio and Roma round out the Italian clubs who will compete across Europe next season, with their fifth and sixth place finishes sending them to next season’s Europa League.

On the other end of the table, Bari, Brescia and Sampdoria will ply their trades in the Serie B next season after their 18th-20th place finishes ensure relegation. Bari was consistently the worst team all season long and Brescia was low on talent, but Sampdoria have no business in the bottom three. After a fourth-place finish last season and a Champions League birth, expectations were obviously high for the club coming into this season. While they probably were not a top-five club again, I still figured anything outside of the top-10 would be a disappointment. To finish with just eight wins after winning six of their first 19 matches is embarrassing for a decent, quality side like Sampdoria.

Atalanta and Siena will be moving up to the Serie A next season after finishing first and second in the Serie B, with Novara, Varese, Reggina and Padova looking like the four clubs who will play for the last Serie A spot in the promotion playoff.

And with that, the 2010-11 Serie A season is complete.

What a season it has been. For me, I’m thankful to the footy Gods for delivering one of the more exciting and unpredictable Serie A seasons I can remember, which made it easy and fun for me to write these recaps every weekend. Too many times in the top European football leagues, seasons drag on in predictable fashion, but the 2010-2011 Serie A season did anything but drag on.

There were surprising runs by smaller teams like Napoli and Udinese, well publicized stumbles by powerhouses like Juventus and Roma, and a champion other than Inter for the first time in six seasons.

It’s been a pleasure to be an indirect part of that Serie A magic this season, and it’s been a pleasure sharing my thoughts on all of the action with all of you.

Thanks for coming along for the ride, and enjoy your summer.

Boateng's contribution to the Weekend Roundup had nothing to do with his on-the-pitch performance.

The Opening Whistle:

With AC Milan ending the title race last weekend, the next biggest thing to decide was European competition spots, and to a further extent, second place for the 2010-2011 season. Well wouldn’t you know it, the battle for second place took centre stage this weekend, with Inter Milan and Napoli tangling on Sunday.

Samuel Eto’o opened the scoring 15 minutes in for the former five-time defending champions, but Zuniga leveled for the home side just before halftime. The second half lacked excitement, and in the end, the biggest match of the weekend ended in a 1-1 draw, clinching a second place finish for Inter and a third place finish for Napoli, with both heading to the Champions League next season.

While Inter only needed the draw and a point at Napoli is always a fine result, their overall performance was indicative of why they are not six-time champions. All season, I said that Inter’s problem this year was making something out of their wonderful possession. On Sunday, they held 54 per cent of the possession in Napoli, but only managed two shots on target, and were outshot, 12-7, overall.

Bookings:

- AC Milan celebrated their 18th Scudetto in style at home, easily disposing of Cagliari, 4-1, at the San Siro. For Rossoneri supporters, it was beautiful to watch Clarence Seedorf score the team’s fourth goal and see “Super Pippo” himself, Filippo Inzaghi, out there for a victory lap. An even bigger story than the game itself might have been how Kevin-Prince Boateng chose to celebrate the Scudetto – more on that later.

- Udinese hung onto fourth place, and clinched a European competition spot for next season, with a 2-0 victory over Chievo on Sunday. Whether they win or lose next weekend, whether they end up in the Champions League or the Europa League next season, at this point, it almost doesn’t matter. What Udinese have done this season is incredible in my eyes. A Serie A minnow bounces back from four straight losses to open the season (they didn’t record their first win until October) to finish with 20 wins and a top-five finish. What a story.

- Lazio also ensured a European competition spot for next season, and kept their Champions League playoff hopes alive, with a 4-2 home victory over Genoa on Saturday. After settling for a 1-1 draw at the half, Lazio exploded for three goals in a span of 14 minutes in the second half, en route to win no. 19 on the season.

- The two most disappointing clubs this season, Roma and Juventus, added to their woes with disheartening losses on Sunday. Roma fell, 2-1, at 11th-placed Catania, while Juve dropped a 1-0 decision at 12th-placed Parma. They sit sixth and seventh, respectively.

- Sticking with disappointment, Sampdoria ensured that they would join Brescia and Bari in Serie B next season, thanks to a 2-1 loss to Palermo on Sunday. Sampdoria had lost just twice in their first 15 matches, and looked like a potential dark horse threat early in the season, but they undid that strong start with poor play through the middle of the season, and have won just once in their last 13 matches.

Free Kicks:

- As mentioned earlier, Kevin-Prince Boateng had perhaps the most unique Scudetto celebration ever this weekend, as he delivered on his promise to dress like Michael Jackson and moonwalk if AC Milan won the championship. Full credit to Boateng on this one, not just for coming through on his promise, or for actually being a pretty talented dancer and MJ impersonator, but for putting so much into this performance. I expected a quick moonwalk – what we got was practically a full dance routine.

- Less than a week after clinching their 18th Scudetto, Milan were busy securing the services of two defenders – French defender, Philippe Mexes, from Roma and Nigerian defender, Taye Taiwo, from Marseille.

- Of course, I have to mention my favourite non-Serie A (but still Italian footy) talking point, Mario Balotelli. Most of my Balotelli talk this season has focused on potential and overcoming some silly mistakes. This week, we can talk about his Man of the Match performance in the FA Cup final and his phenomenal anti-bullying story. While we won’t know for a while whether this week was a turning point for young “Super Mario,” early indications are good. For example, while some chose to hate on Balotelli for “swearing” on live television after the FA Cup final, I found it encouraging that a man many consider to be egocentric was willing to give a blunt critique of himself on live TV. If Balotelli really is rounding into form, maturing and starting to realize his potential on the pitch, it can only mean good things for the future of Italian football and the Azzurri.

Also, while some want Balotelli in a Rossoneri jersey, ASAP (As a Milan supporter, I won’t complain), I’m actually quite content with Super Mario staying at City. The way I see it, he seems to really trust and respect Roberto Mancini, which should bring out the best in him. So let him learn and develop under Mancini for a couple more years, realize some of his superb potential, and then, in a year or two, when he’s ready for that pressure, he can come back and play in his homeland as a much more experienced and mature footballer.

The Final Whistle:

A champion has been crowned, the top-three are locked in and even the three relegation-bound teams are well aware of their position. The table is almost set.  I won’t lie and say that there is still much to be decided in the 38th and final matchday of the season next weekend.

But I will encourage you to return at the end of it for one last Green, White and Read Serie A Weekend Roundup. At least it will give us a chance to look back on the season that was and say goodbye for the summer.

Until then, ciao.

The Opening Whistle:

AC Milan needed just one point to clinch the Italian championship coming into their matchup with Roma, and they would not be denied in Italy’s capital.

I won’t lie, the match was anything but a championship-type football game. Both teams lacked invention, and despite the fact that they dominated time of possession, Milan never looked serious about going for three points.

Having said that, settling for a draw in an away match at Roma is usually both respectable and acceptable, so settling for an away draw at Roma when that’s all you need to clinch a Scudetto is nothing to apologize for.

When the dust settled and the final whistle sounded, the match had provided just five total shots on target, but Milan had their scoreless draw, and the party was on.

The 2010-2011 Scudetto winners, for the 18th time, AC Milan.

Bookings:

- While one Milan club was celebrating a championship, another, Inter Milan, was strengthening its hold on second place in the Serie A. Inter put together a solid 3-1 home victory over Fiorentina, using goals from three different goal scorers to pick up win no. 22 on the season.

- Napoli suffered a crushing blow in their pursuit of second place, falling 2-1 at possibly relegation-bound Lecce. In a chippy affair that featured 10 cards, including a red card to each team, Napoli found no reward for their mostly dominating play, and now look all but certain to finish third.

- After looking like they were all but done last week and over the last month or so, Udinese got back on track by holding on for dear life in a 2-1 home victory over Lazio. After building a comfortable 2-0 lead in the first half on a Di Natale brace, Gabriele Angella was sent off in the 66th minute and Udinese were forced to finish the match with 10 men. Despite conceding one and playing the final 30 minutes in their own half, the home side held on for the three points, and subsequently leaped Lazio in the standings.

Free Kicks:

- Alessandro Del Piero will continue his legendary career next season, as the 36-year-old Italian signed a one-year contract extension with Juventus this week. While Del Piero may not even be a shadow of his old self, he still has some finish left in him, as evidenced by his seven tallies for Juve this season.

- Daniele de Rossi and Simone Perrotta could miss the remainder of the Serie A schedule, as both Roma veterans were handed three-match bans this week, for throwing elbows and fists in Roma’s 3-2 win over Bari last weekend.

- Now that the season is almost over, we can begin looking at what’s happening below the Serie A, in the Serie B, and see who’s in the mix to join the top division next season. AC Siena and Atalanta will be moving up to Serie A next season, with Novara, Varese, Reggina and Turin currently in line (as the third through sixth seeds) to compete in a promotion playoff. The way it works in Serie B is that as long as third place doesn’t lead fourth place by 10 points or more, the third through sixth seeds go into a four-team playoff for the third and final promotion spot. If you’re wondering, I’m pulling for Reggina to claw their way in, as a Calabrese myself.

The Final Whistle:

With the Scudetto already decided, some may feel the final two weekends of the season are worthless, but I assure you, that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s important to remember that there are still European competition spots for next season up for grabs, and of course, an intriguing race at the bottom of the table to avoid relegation.

It looks as though Inter and Napoli should claim the final two automatic Champions League spots, along with newly crowned champions, AC Milan. As it currently stands, Udinese would be in line for a Champions League playoff spot, with Lazio, Roma and Juventus right on their tail. Only three of those four teams will gain entry into European competition, so Juventus’ Monday match versus Chievo is definitely a big one for the Bianconeri.

At the bottom of the table, Bari and Brescia have already guaranteed themselves relegation, while Sampdoria, with their loss at Genoa on Sunday, look destined to join them in Serie B next season. The only teams Sampdoria can realistically catch are Lecce, Cesena and maybe Bologna. But with two matches remaining against Palermo and at Roma, it’s hard to see Sampdoria avoiding relegation.

Also, as noted, keep an eye on the conclusion of the Serie B season to see who will be joining the Serie A next season.

The championship may have been decided this week, but there are still two weeks of calcio to be played. I hope you come back to join me for those final two weekend roundups.

Until then, ciao.

So close, they can taste it

The Opening Whistle:

AC Milan came into the weekend knowing that any combination of their own wins plus Inter losses equal to two would mean their first Italian championship in seven years. On Sunday, they did their part.

Mathieu Flamini provided an unlikely source of scoring, but provided the only goal Milan would need in yet another dominating performance against an inferior opponent.

The Rossoneri held 63 per cent of the possession against middle-of-the-pack Bologna, and did not allow the away side to muster a single shot on target. I’d say that’s a Scudetto-worthy defensive act.

Bookings:

- Unfortunately for AC Milan, their city rivals, Inter, had already picked up three points on Saturday in a dramatic away victory at Cesena. After falling behind in the 56th minute and failing to equalize after 90 minutes, Inter used two stoppage time tallies from Giampaolo Pazzini to sneak out of Cesena with the victory.

- Napoli used a dominating performance of their own, a 1-0 victory over Genoa that included 23 Napoli shots, to remain in third place, just one point back of Inter for second.

- Any questions about whether or not Udinese have anything left in the tank after their miraculous run should have been answered this weekend, as the fifth-place club dropped a 5-2 result at ninth-placed Fiorentina. Udinese have now lost four of five after going 13 matches without a loss, and they lead seventh-placed Juventus by just six points, so it’s not like they have a European competition spot wrapped up. If that doesn’t make Udinese fans worry, two of their last three matches see them host Lazio and front-running Milan with a date at Chievo sandwiched in the middle. This team is very capable of losing all three of those games, and subsequently falling out of a European competition spot.

- It certainly wasn’t pretty or impressive, but Roma moved into a tie for fifth with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory at last-placed Bari. The chippy affair featured three red cards and included a Franceso Totti brace, as the veteran Roman responded to Bari’s two goals within five minutes and fifteen minutes, respectively. Aleandro Rossi completed the comeback with a stoppage time winner for Roma, who sit just one point out of fourth place and a Champions League spot.

Free Kicks:

- In injury news, Dejan Stankovic could miss up to three weeks with a thigh injury he sustained in Inter’s win over Lazio last weekend. The Serbian midfielder did not attempt to play in Inter’s match at Cesena this weekend.

- In other news, Clarence Seedorf is apparently on his way to a historically lengthy career. According to AC Milan president (he also holds another important Italian position) and always outspoken Silvio Berlusconi, Seedorf will “play until he’s 52.” This is great news for Rossoneri supporters, as it ensures Milan a strong veteran presence within the club for the next 17 years. In all seriousness though, I’m now beginning to wonder when the 35-year-old Seedorf really will call it a career.

The Final Whistle:

As you can see, it wasn’t a very newsy week in the Serie A, and there weren’t many stunning results in the league either. But important matches were played, and that is only going to continue with just three weeks left in the 2010-2011 season.

With five straight victories, AC Milan are now just one point or Inter loss away from the club’s 18th Scudetto, and first since 2004. Inter and Napoli continue to battle for second place, but in all honesty, both likely have Champions League spots wrapped up, so I’d have to assume a second-place finish means more to underdog Napoli than it does to the five-time defending champions.

Elsewhere, four teams – Lazio, Udinese, Roma and Juventus – will battle for three remaining European competition spots. Given one’s recent string of poor play and the other’s injury woes, I’d bet that Udinese or Juventus end up on the outside looking in.

And speaking of Juve, if you were wondering what they did this weekend, the answer is nothing. That’s because Juventus and Lazio will close the 35th matchday out on Monday, with a crucial tilt in Rome.

After that match, our focus will shift to next weekend and the 36th matchday, where Milan should wrap up the Scudetto.

Until then, ciao.

Samuel Eto'o and Inter showed they still have something left in the tank

The Opening Whistle:

The most anticipated Serie A match of Easter weekend was a top-five battle between Inter and Lazio from Milan.

This match featured entertaining action from the get-go, but things really heated up when Inter goaltender, Julio Cesar, was given a straight red card for a 22nd minute challenge. Lazio took the lead with the ensuing penalty kick, and Inter now faced a 0-1 hole with only 10 men.

But lo and behold, the five-time defending champions refused to lay down, and after Wesley Sneijder equalized in the 40th minute, Samuel Eto’o finally broke out of his scoring slump with what proved to be the winner in the 53rd minute.

Stefano Mauri’s red card less than 15 minutes later ensured both teams would finish the match with 10 men, and Inter held on for a big three points in the race for second place. For Lazio, a missed opportunity sees them remain in fourth place, six points back of Inter.

Bookings:

- The other high-profile match of the weekend took place in Palermo, where the Sicilian side continued their strong play of late with a big 2-1 victory over Napoli. Edinson Cavani had Napoli on the board in just the second minute, but Palermo stormed back to take the three points at home. For Napoli, who looked to have legitimate Scudetto aspirations just a few weeks ago, a second straight loss all but buries those hopes.

- AC Milan took another step towards their first Scudetto in seven years with a dominating performance at Brescia. The Rossoneri scored just once, but proved that’s all they needed against the relegation-bound club.

- The most disappointing result of the weekend came from Udinese, as the fifth-place club dropped a home match to 14th-placed Parma. With Udinese already down 1-0, Gokhan Inler was sent off for bumping the referee while arguing a yellow card in the 21st minute, and the home side could never recover. That’s now three losses in four matches for the surprising club that had gone 13 straight without defeat.

- Rounding out the results for the big boys, Roma remained in sixth place with a 1-0 home win over Chievo, while Juventus settled for yet another disappointing draw, this time at home to lowly Catania.

Free Kicks:

- While Milan took a step towards securing the championship on the pitch, they received some troubling news off of it, as Pato could miss up to three weeks with a thigh strain that he suffered last weekend. While some may say good riddance in a season that looks all but locked up for Milan, Rossoneri supporters have reason to worry, as the other Italian competition, the Coppa Italia, is far from wrapped up.

- Speaking of the Coppa Italia, the first legs of the semifinals were played this past week, with Inter taking a 1-0 away victory at Roma on Tuesday before Milan and Palermo played to a 2-2 draw at the San Siro on Wednesday. The second legs will be played in two weeks, on May 10 and 11.

The Final Whistle:

After a full slate of matches on Easter Saturday in Italy, the 2010-2011 Serie A season has just four matchdays remaining over the course of the next month.

With their win at Brescia, and the fortunate circumstances of having most of the teams around them stumble, AC Milan are now shining up the Scudetto. Inter’s victory over Lazio saw the defending champions leap-frog into second place, but even they trail their Milan rivals by eight points.

Quite simply, Milan needs just five points, or any combination of wins and Inter losses equal to two, to clinch their first championship since 2004.

The bottom of the table leaves much more to be determined, as seven clubs are separated by just five points in the “race” for the last relegation spot. Bari and Brescia look to be all but dead.

So that’s it for another weekend. Join me again next weekend, when we may already have a newly crowned champion.

The disappointment of a lost season has finally dawned on Inter

The Opening Whistle:

Inter had to know that their hopes of a sixth straight Scudetto were on life support, and they could not afford any missteps. Luckily for them, they only had to worry about possibly relegation-bound Parma this weekend.

Oh, never mind.

Sebastian Giovinco opened the scoring for the home side, Parma, in the 35th minute, shaking the defending champions. Inter dominated possession throughout the match and created scoring opportunities, but only managed a measly three shots on target, which were all handled by Antonio Mirante.

Parma, on the other hand, made the most of their low share of possession and completed the upset with an Amauri tally in the 86th minute. Parma celebrated just their second win in 12 matches, while Inter had to deal with the sudden realization that their reign atop the Serie A is likely over.

Bookings:
- Even worse for the defending champs was that as they were watching their season and hold on the Serie A slip away at Parma, their bitter rivals, AC Milan, were strengthening their position at the top of the table. The Rossoneri used goals from Clarence Seedorf, Antonio Cassano and Robinho to cake-walk past Sampdoria, 3-0, on Saturday, in one of the most dominating performances I’ve witnessed in a while.

- With Milan gaining three points, Napoli needed a victory to remain just three points back of the table leaders. In one of the weekend’s marquee matches, second-place Napoli fell at home, 2-1, to fifth-place Udinese. It’s a horrible result for Napoli, who might have seen their Scudetto hopes evaporate on Sunday. As for Udinese, after having their 13-match unbeaten streak snapped two weeks ago and dropping another game last weekend, they responded with an impressive away performance, and now sit within six points of second place.

- The other big match this weekend took place in Rome, where sixth-place Roma hosted eighth-place Palermo at the Stadio Olimpico. Francesco Totti converted a 20th minute penalty to put the home side on top, but Palermo responded with three straight goals, while Roma squandered opportunity after opportunity in a 3-2 loss.

- Lazio remained comfortable in fourth place with a 4-1 victory at Catania on Sunday, using goals from four different players. The win, coupled with Inter’s disappointing loss, means that Lazio now trail Inter by just three points for third place.

- Juventus’ disappointing season continued with a scoreless draw at Fiorentina, as the Bianconeri remain in a non-European qualification spot, in seventh place.

Free Kicks:
- Inter’s stunning loss at Parma on Saturday was just the icing on a horribly rotten cake, as they were also embarrassed earlier in the week, in the Champions League quarterfinals. With a 2-1 loss at Schalke in the second leg of their quarterfinal matchup, Inter was eliminated by the smaller German club, 7-3, on aggregate.

- In off-pitch news, Thomas DiBenedetto and his group of American investors finally signed off on a deal to purchase a 67 per cent controlling share in Roma, for 70.3 million Euros. The deal makes Roma the first of the Serie A superpowers to be bought by foreign owners, something that has become commonplace in other top leagues around Europe.

- Even though he doesn’t ply his trade in the Serie A anymore, those who have been reading my recaps all season know that I will use any excuse to discuss everyone’s favourite young, enigmatic Italian, Mario Balotelli. This weekend, “Super Mario” has come under fire and English criticism for “popping” his jersey (or flashing his badge, however you want to term it) at rival Manchester United fans after Balotelli’s Manchester City won a monumental FA Cup semifinal match, as well as for sarcastically winking at Rio Ferdinand.

Ferdinand over-reacted and went ballistic over the innocent gesture, a fact the English media seem to have missed, but it’s Balotelli who is being ripped. Here’s my take on the matter. Balotelli does need to mature, and quickly, if he ever wants to become the legendary talent he is capable of becoming. He made a couple of questionable decisions in the match on Saturday, including selfish, long-distance attempts on goal while his team was trying to hang on to a 1-0 lead. But he also played pretty well on Saturday, and there was nothing wrong with his post-match antics.

If United fans can’t deal with some trash-talk after a loss, or if Ferdinand can’t handle being mildly provoked, then that’s their problem. It doesn’t mean that Balotelli’s actions were actually worse than they really were.

So criticize Mario if you will – he’s opened himself up to that with some of his actions – but don’t start ripping him for things that you wouldn’t rip others for just because he is who he is.

And that’s my Balotelli rant for this week.

The Final Whistle:
Back to the matter at hand now, the Serie A. With just five matches left to play, AC Milan has opened up a six-point lead atop the table.

But the real story of the week in Italy is the fall of mighty Inter Milan. In European football, like all sports, superpowers emerge every so many years, enjoy their stay at the top, and ultimately, crash back down to earth.

This week, it looks like we witnessed Inter’s crash. After five straight Scudettos and a Champions League title last season, Inter head into the final five matches of the season eight points behind rival AC Milan, and watching the Champions League from home.

Next weekend is Easter weekend, and there will be no matches on Sunday. But there will still be a full slate of 10 games, beginning with the aforementioned Inter taking on Lazio on Friday.

Until then, ciao.