Injuries hit Inter as Milan eye title
Reuters - Friday 29 April 2011, 09:49
MILAN - Brief news before this
weekend's Serie A matches.
If Inter Milan fail to win at Cesena on Saturday and AC Milan defeat Bologna at home on Sunday, the
Rossoneri will be champions because of their better head to head
record if they finish level at the end of the season.
Defending champions Inter's hopes of taking the title race
into another weekend have been hit by a suspension to goalkeeper
Julio Cesar and injuries to Dejan Stankovic and Ivan Cordoba but
midfielder Thiago Motta may return.
Milan, eight points clear, are bidding to wrap up their
first scudetto since 2004 with three games to go and owner
Silvio Berlusconi has no doubts.
"Now, it's done, the scudetto is ours," he said at a
function for Milan midfielder Clarance Seedorf, who was
receiving a special Dutch honour from the country's embassy in
Rome.
Seedorf's contract is up at the end of the season and he has
been linked in the media with a move to Brazil.
"I don't intend to quit," the 35-year-old would only say.
Third-placed Napoli still have an outside chance of the
scudetto and have no injuries or suspensions for Saturday's
visit of Genoa.
Juventus owner John Elkann predicted it will take three
years for Juventus to become competitive again at the top of
Serie A.
"The changes happening at Juve means it will take time to
have a younger and more competitive squad," he told
shareholders.
"Our prospects are linked to the great event this year -
the opening of our new stadium - and a plan which will last
until 2014. I expect a lot from Juve."
The seventh-placed side, who visit Lazio in fourth on Sunday, are still suffering the after-effects of their 2006
match-fixing demotion and a bungled transfer policy since.
Palermo's late bid for a Europa League place has been
given a boost ahead of Sunday's game at Parma with highly
rated Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore telling reporters he
wants to stay in Sicily next season.
Sergio Campana, the head of the Italian players'
association which threatened to strike twice this season after a
row over contracts, has announced he will step down next month.