Italian journalist Mario Sconcerti feels that the fact that the title rivals in Serie A play at different times constitutes an unfair point in the Scudetto race.
Writing in his column in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera, Sconcerti argues that the current format of matches piles too much pressure on the teams who go last in the race.
The Nerazzurri got their match for the weekend early on, beating Verona, and now it will be up to Napoli and Milan to respond in their clashes with Fiorentina and Torino respectively today.
Ultimately, the teams’ fates are in their own hands, but there is also the possibility that the Nerazzurri, this weekend, would feel mentally freer as they fought for three points against the Gialloblu than the Rossoneri will against the Granata.
Ultimately, as Sconcerti points out, the full significance of results from earlier on in the weekend, in this case Inter’s win yesterday evening, is only revealed when the full round of matches is through.
“For the second time Milan will have to play under the obligation to win,” he writes. “Perhaps titles are not decided by this, but the duty is to give everyone the same rules and the same possibilities, of time, of weather, of consciousness of the result.”
He goes on that “There’s no reason to postpone the matches, not even the much-complained matter of television needs.”
“There would be no more compelling spectacle than three title-deciding matches played at the same time,” he adds. “It would be a spectacular event for Italian football for six rounds – even abroad.”
“Today, on the other hand, we have to talk about Inter without knowing the result of Napoli and Milan yet,” he continues.
