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| Spotlight: Swede smell of Scudetto |
Monday 19 May, 2008
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| Football Italia rounds up the winners and the losers from Week 38 of the Serie A season |
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The winners…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. After six weeks on the sidelines watching his teammates flounder, Ibra returned to finish what he started. Entering as a substitute with the title drifting away, Zlatan did in 20 minutes what Inter had failed to do in 70. Were it not for his injury woes, Ibra could also be celebrating the Capocannoniere title, but he'll have to content himself with a Scudetto medal and Nerazzurri hero status.
Cesare Prandelli (Fiorentina)
Finally the gifted tactician will get the chance to lead his side into the Champions League after a tense triumph over Torino. Prandelli has transformed the Viola from Serie A strugglers into Italy's fourth superpower and nobody in the country will begrudge his side a place on Europe's biggest stage.
Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus)
It must be time for Alex to start packing for Austria and Switzerland. Juventus had nothing to play for against Samp but Del Piero's motivation was clear as he bagged a brace to win the Capocannoniere title. He recieved a standing ovation from everyone at Marassi and thoroughly deserves an Azzurri shirt.
The losers…
Cristiano Lucarelli (Parma)
There was such excitement when the No 99 returned to the peninsula in January, but he has failed to deliver. Sunday was Lucarelli's season in microcosm as he arrived in the second half as a substitute and couldn't find the heroics needed to save the Crociati. He says he'll stick with Parma in Serie B, we'll see...
Amantino Mancini (Roma)
The Brazilian wizard has been Roma's inspiration on so many occasions, but he didn't seem to have anything left in Catania. An unsually quiet performance ended with substitution early in the second half. A quiet end to a superb campaign.
Marco Borriello (Genoa)
Maybe the pressure of fighting for a place at Euro 2008 was too much for Marco. This season's revelation failed to find the net in any of his last five games and looked short of ideas against Atalanta as the Capocannoniere crown slipped away. Has he done enough to convince Donadoni?
The goals…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)
Both were pearls, but the opener has to stand out for its pure Ibra-ness. A goal out of absolutely nowhere, the giant Swede shrugged off opponents to smack a shot into the bottom corner and give Inter the spark of life they needed.
Daniel Pablo Osvaldo (Fiorentina)
What a way to send your team into the Champions League! The Under-21 international held the ball up with his head, teeing it just right for a spectacular overhead kick.
Mirko Vucinic (Roma)
For an hour it was worthy of Scudetto success, but as it stands this remains simply a fantastic goal. The Montenegrin went on a powerful run to dribble past a series of Catania shirts and knock a precise angled drive in off the inside of the far post.
The numbers…
The magic mumber
Never before have Inter won three consecutive Scudetti. However, the Nerazzurri's achievement is still dwarfed by Juventus' five in a row between 1931 and 1935, which Torino equalled from 1943 to 1949.
Alexander the Great
Alessandro Del Piero became the second man in history to win the Serie A and Serie B Capocannoniere titles in consecutive years. Paolo Rossi was the only other hitman to achieve that feat for Vicenza 30 years ago.
Parma plummet
Parma have been relegated to Serie B for the first time. The Ducali have enjoyed a 19-year residency in the top flight since winning their first promotion from the Second Division in 1990. |
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| Words: Paul Watson |
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Past Spotlights
A unique review of each round of the 2007-08 Serie A campaign. More |
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