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| | Tuesday 25 March, 2008 | | Blog: Fairytale Football | | The term ‘fairytale story’ is often applied to teams and Susy Campanale believes we could well have several of them in a thrilling Serie A finale. |  |  | | No side in recent years has looked more set for relegation than Cagliari. Rooted to the foot of the table for the entire campaign and having gone through another set of tacticians under the confused orders of President Massimo Cellino, they had to deal with an alleged attack organised by Pasquale Foggia on his teammate and just as they were starting to improve under Coach Davide Ballardini were docked three points over a legal loophole they forgot to tie up. One could easily have forgiven Sardinian supporters for hanging up a banner that read: ‘We’re doomed!’
Yet here we are, eight games to go and just three points adrift of safety, which would already be theirs were it not for that deduction. Since the midway stage of the season Cagliari have picked up 18 points from an available 30 and, if the campaign had started in Week 20, would be fighting for a Champions League spot. If they manage to survive such a disastrous start, it will be a true fairytale story. Once upon a time, there was a team that was terrible…
If Cagliari can avoid Serie B, then anything is possible, even Inter losing a Scudetto that was in their grasp. It wouldn’t be the first time and indeed such turnarounds have become common in Serie A over the past decade. Lazio were eight points clear of Milan with eight rounds to go and drew in a head-to-head in Week 27, but the Rossoneri won all seven remaining matches to take the 1998-99 title.
A year later Lazio were again involved, this time chasing Juventus and managing to overcome a nine-point gap in eight rounds. Nobody needs to remind Inter fans what happened on May 5, 2002, as a six-point lead over Juve with five games to go still didn’t guarantee the championship. A black and white fairytale, a Beneamata nightmare.
Logically Roma should have no chance. They are still distracted by the Champions League and the need for revenge against Manchester United, while Inter can focus solely on a third straight Scudetto – albeit the first ‘normal’ one since Calciopoli. Much will be revealed this weekend when the stories intersect. Luciano Spalletti travels to Cagliari and a dampener will inevitably be put on one or both of those fairytale runs. It all depends on who can cling to the beacon of hope the longest.
This weekend Inter also have to face their nightmare and try to make sure it’s not a recurring one. Just as on May 5, 2002, they visit a Lazio side who have nothing to lose. Having already seen off Roma in the derby, the Biancocelesti could become the deciding factor in this Scudetto race. The Nerazzurri also have a trickier run-in with trips to Atalanta, Torino, Parma and the derby against Milan on May 4, not to mention Fiorentina and that team Cagliari again at San Siro.
Roma follow their Sardinian jaunt by welcoming Genoa, Livorno, Torino and Atalanta. Their away games are at the extremely temperamental Udinese, Antonio Cassano’s Sampdoria and relegation strugglers Catania. Last season Catania were heading for Serie B before a final day victory over Chievo. Can they do it again to decide the Scudetto? At least for Inter that really would be a fairytale ending.
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Don't put Juve out of the title race. You gave away hints that you really aren't a Juventus fan, as you think Roma will be distracted, Inter have difficult matches, but what about the team that came from Serie B and only has Serie A matches to play? Wouldn't that be the ultimate fairytale?!!
Ali, Egypt
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