Serie A findings: Round 15 – What we learned from this week’s fixtures (Part 2)
Juventus join title contenders
Bianconeri are the most successful side in the Italian Serie with 27 league titles. The Old Lady has left the likes of AC Milan and Inter a distant second as Nerazzuri have gathered 17 titles. Following the 2006 Calciopoli scandal, Juventus were stripped
of two Scudetti and had to face the humiliation of relegation. A host of star players such as Lilian Thuram, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Emerson and Patrick Viera deserted the ship and left for pastures new.
Despite being deducted 17 points at the start of the Serie B season, the club, much to their credit, won the Serie B and bounced back the very next year. As if immediate promotion wasn’t impressive enough, Bianconeri qualified for the Champions League in
the return season as things looked set for yet another Juve dominant era. The early success however was short-lived as La Vecchia Signora’s squad quality wasn’t good enough to be appearing in the primary continental competition. Disastrous management on the
part of Alessio Secco and his friends in charge of the club didn’t help the club much either as Bianconeri failed to qualify for the 2010/2011 Champions League.
A wave of changes took place in Turin prior to the season and coupled with some inspired bargain signings, the club is now firmly back on track. The likes of Milos Krasic and fit-again Alberto Aquilani have been true stars for the men in black and white
as Juve currently stand third in the league. With the likes of Inter and Roma struggling for from at the moment, Juve appear to be the only team which will challenge league leaders AC Milan for the Scudetto.
Inter Milan should sack Rafa Benitez
Inter Milan 2010/2011 season as of round 15:
15 played, 6 won, 5 drawn, 4 lost
Inter Milan for the same period last season
13 played, 10 won, 1 drawn, 2 lost
The statistics speak volumes regarding Rafa Benitez’s struggles in charge of the Milan Based club. While replacing Jose Mourinho was never going to be easy for any manager, few expected such a poor start from the Champions League winning manager.
Rafa has frequently held injuries responsible for such a start but as it so happens, the Spaniard is to be blamed for most of the injuries. Where Jose Mourinho focussed primarily on ball exercises and tactics, Rafa reportedly made weight training his primary
fitness drill. The results are there for the entire world to see.
As things stand, the reigning Italian and European Champions lag league leaders AC Milan by a whopping 10 points and it’s highly unlikely that Nerazzuri will cut down on such a lead. Friday night’s defeat by Lazio should be enough for Massimo Morrati to
seal Rafa’s fate for Inter Milan cannot afford any more slip-ups especially since Champions League knock-out stage will start in the New Year.
What has happened to Daniele De Rossi?
Just a couple of seasons back, Daniele De Rossi was one of the most sought after midfielders on the planet. The likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona hovered like vultures over the midfielder’s head in hope that the Romanista will decide to leave the club.
That did not happen as Il Capitano Futuro’s fairy tale with the club looked set to continue. Only that it did not.
De Rossi has been a shadow of the all-conquering beast we all had come to know in earlier days of Luciano Spalletti’s management. Slack passing coupled with moments of madness here and there has made De Rossi a liability in recent weeks. One can certainly
hope Daniele can return to his older days for he is still 27 and has a lot to give not just to AS Roma but to this beautiful game as a whole.
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