Milan close in on Serie A crown
Reuters - Thursday 28 April 2011, 10:46
ROME - AC Milan will be crowned Italian
champions on Sunday if they beat Bologna and Inter fail to win
at Cesena and coach Massimiliano Allegri has no doubt the club's
transfer strategy is behind their impending success.
Milan, seeking their first title since the 2003/04 season,
are eight points clear of their city rivals, who have dominated
the scudetto for the past five seasons. With four matches left
they are also nine ahead of Napoli.
Much of the praise for the club's success this campaign has
been heaped on new coach Allegri, who has handled his top
players well and managed to give little away to Italy's
demanding media.
"I feel lucky to have arrived in a year when Milan made such
a big investment," the 43-year-old ex-Cagliari coach told the
Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.
"The club signed important players both in August and
January, which has left its mark. Don't forget Inter were big
favourites at the start of the season.
"I'd love to be part of a new era here. We have a strong
squad and I'm sure the club will continue to build. Next season
the Champions League will be our main goal."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's arrival from Barcelona to partner
another summer signing, Robinho, paid instant dividends. The
mid-season signing of Antonio Cassano and the return of Pato
from injury have made sure goals have continued to flow freely.
Robinho scored the winner last Saturday at Brescia and Milan
are looking for their fifth consecutive win when they host
Bologna on Sunday.
Ibrahimovic will miss the game due to suspension, as does
Mark van Bommel, while midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea
Pirlo are back in contention.
After back-to-back defeats, third-placed Napoli host Genoa
on Saturday while fourth-placed Lazio, a point above Udinese and
four clear of rivals Roma, face seventh-placed Juventus at the
Stadio Olimpico on Monday in the battle for next season's
European spots.