Italian Journalist Alessandro Barbano: “Inter Have Already Won Scudetto, Introducing Play-Offs Would Make Serie A More Interesting”

With Inter on course for the Scudetto, the lack of competitiveness at the end of the Serie A season should be combatted by the introduction of play-offs, according to Italian journalist Alessandro Barbano.

Antonio Conte’s side go into this weekend’s round of fixtures 11 points clear at the top of the table with nine games remaining, as they close in on a first league title since 2010.

At the other end, Crotone have been cut adrift whilst Parma and Cagliari are in danger of falling into Serie B, with only the battle for Champions League qualification still tight and involving several teams.

In a column published in today’s newspaper edition of Corriere dello Sport, Barbano claimed that implementing play-offs to decide key positions would retain interest in Serie A until the conclusion of the season, rather than having everything decided weeks in advance.

“Nine matches before the end of the season we practically know everything already. Nobody would bet against Inter winning the Scudetto. It seems Crotone and Parma will be relegated, whilst the last place will be decided between Cagliari and Torino, as Spezia have opened up a seven-point gap,” Barbano claimed.

“The Champions League qualification will be decided over the next two months, but the suspense is reduced to this. The contest of the title is over and the competitiveness dormant. With the stadiums closed, one wonders how much it will decline in television viewing figures.”

Barbano instead suggested that having play-offs at this stage of the season would ensure there was still much to play for and keep the league interesting, with teams rewarded for a higher finish in the table.

“Let’s imagine that Serie A was decided at the end by a six-team play-off, with a match between third and sixth, and fourth and fifth, before semi-finals against the first and second teams.

“It is easy to predict that in the nine remaining games, the top seven clubs between Inter and Roma would give everything to secure a place to fight for the Scudetto. Even the race for second would become more important, as it would grant direct access to the semi-final.

“The advantage given to the top two would be of sporting merit achieved up to that point, but leaving open the possibility that even the team in sixth could win the title. If the final table was as it is now, the play-offs would see Juventus vs Lazio and Atalanta vs Napoli, and the winners of which they would face Inter and Milan in the semi-finals. On paper, Lazio could also aim to win the tournament.”