Milan goad Inter with celebratory banner
Reuters - Saturday 14 May 2011, 21:32
MILAN - AC Milan goaded rivals Inter Milan
by displaying a banner reading "18 titles all on the pitch" as
the Rossoneri celebrated their scudetto triumph with a bus tour
through the city before a 4-1 win over Cagliari on Saturday.
Milan, who won their first championship since 2004 last
weekend, delighted thousands of flag-waving fans in the main
square by using the sign to remind Inter one of their 18 titles
was won in a courtroom in the 2006 match-fixing scandal.
Inter, who went on to win four more titles in a row,
finished third that year but were declared Serie A winners after
Juventus were demoted in the 'Calciopoli' affair and
second-placed Milan had points deducted.
Saturday's other game saw Lazio's Brazilian midfielder
Hernanes score twice in a 4-2 home win over Genoa to lift his
side into the fourth Champions League qualifying spot.
Another weekend of matches remain in Italy but the San Siro
game meant nothing with Cagliari wallowing in mid-table so a
party atmosphere was assured from the off, despite Milan missing
out on a double by losing to Palermo in Tuesday's Cup semi.
SAMBA RHYTHM
Brazil's Robinho scored twice in the first half to add a
samba rhythm to the festivities while Gennaro Gattuso, in bother
for a foul-mouthed rant against Inter coach and ex-Milan boss
Leonardo last weekend, popped up with a rare goal in between.
Andrea Cossu pulled one back for Cagliari, bossed by former
Milan hero Roberto Donadoni and the previous employers of Milan
coach Massimiliano Allegri, but the celebrations were not to be
dampened as a sea of red and black clad fans sang their hearts
out.
Clarence Seedorf, one of a number of elder statesmen at
Milan whose contracts are up, bagged the fourth after the break
while Filippo Inzaghi received a standing ovation after making
his comeback from a knee injury sustained in November.
Milan were awarded the Serie A trophy amid a fanfare after
the match with proud owner and Italian prime minister Silvio
Berlusconi in attendance.
"I above all wanted the lads to finish off in style at home,
in front of the fans and the club president who came to see his
team, and they've done it in the best of ways," Allegri told
reporters.
HERNANES BRACE
Lazio, who visit struggling Lecce in their final game next
weekend, moved to 63 points. Giuseppe Biava had put the hosts ahead after six minutes but
Rodrigo Palacio soon levelled for mid-table Genoa only for
Tommaso Rocchi and Hernanes with a brace to net for Lazio in the
second half. Antonio Floro Flores grabbed a late consolation.
Lazio, who flirted with the drop last term, lost 2-1 at
Udinese last weekend,
Club president Claudio Lotito was booed by his own fans
during the Genoa game amid speculation the Romans may be forced
to play European games in Florence next season due to unpaid
bills at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.