The Monday Scratch

On the Sunday of Bove's drama (serious damage excluded) Napoli goes ahead and Juventus brakes

The fact that everything is turning in Napoli's favour is also confirmed by Lazio's fall, who, after five consecutive successes, were thrashed by Parma who, in the end, scored a 3-1 victory that was a little excessive in terms of proportions but which rang alarm bells for the Biancocelesti, who were churned out by the Emilian's counterattacks.

2 December 2024

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5' min read

It comes so suddenly. Like the crash of lightning and you're close. While you're thinking about the usual chatter of a normal Sunday afternoon: the Scudetto race, Napoli in the lead going slowly ahead, Fiorentina and Inter trying to stay in the slipstream and give the championship a signal. And instead then at the Franchi what we saw happens. And it overwhelms everything;

We are not ready for the ambushes of life on a football pitch. So we all struggle to talk about a 24-year-old boy like the Florentine Edoardo Bove who for four minutes remains suspended in that strange frenetic limbo that is first aid and the subsequent ambulance ride to the Careggi hospital in Florence. With the shocked faces of his teammates and the tears of the public, immediately aware that there is something more important at stake than a goal given and not given;

The match is rightly suspended because, as Inter president Marotta says, 'the priority is the boy's health'. A palpable fear because Florence has already suffered other tragedies: that of captain Davide Astori, who passed away in Udine on 4 March 2018, and that of general manager viola, Joe Barone, who passed away before the match against Atalanta on 19 March 2024.

After being admitted to hospital, more reassuring news is arriving, with the exclusion of acute damage, although the Florentine midfielder, under pharmacological sedation, remains in intensive care awaiting new updates. Hundreds of messages of affection and closeness have arrived. One for a speedy recovery also appeared on the big screen at Lecce's stadium, before the post-match against Juventus, which ended in a 1-1 draw achieved in extremis by the Salentini;

Fiorentina-Inter has been postponed until a later date, but without controversy or the usual diatribes about who will suffer more from the postponement. Whether it will favour Tizio or whether it will favour Caio. There is often justifiably bad talk about the world of football, its self-referentiality, the fanaticism of the ultras and the lack of sensitivity of its protagonists. But this time everyone reacted well. And promptly. An unexpected solidarity that must be appreciated.

All agree to postpone Fiorentina-Inter

In the past, for similar incidents (the clash between Antognoni and Martina in Fiorentina-Genoa on 22 November 1981 was sensational), it had gone on until the end of the match. Now there is evidently a greater awareness that bodes well. 'The show must go on,' it used to be said to dismiss all talk. On this first Sunday in December, while waiting to see how Edoardo's course will evolve (there was also talk of an episode of epilepsy), sensitivity and good sense prevailed;

As for the other matches, returning to the championship, it was not a memorable Sunday. With Juventus' new draw in Lecce, the umpteenth this year, the Bianconeri lost another two points to Napoli, who now lead the standings with 32 points. Behind, with Inter and Fiorentina, all are stationary at 28 because Atalanta plays tonight at the Olimpico with Ranieri's Roma, while Lazio fell in Parma (3-1) after a long positive streak.

Conte wins, but with the handbrake

Basically, the one who comes out of this round well is once again Napoli who, having beaten the granata in Turin by one-nil (McTominay's goal after half an hour), brings home another three points that allow them to remain at the top despite doing almost nothing to please;

Sure, Napoli is solid, does not throw away even the crumbs, but it does not make its fans say 'wow'. Many somewhat pedantic commentators repeat: but that is its strength, to leave nothing on the road. In the end, say the professors, scudetti are won just like that. We shall see.

Antonio Conte himself keeps a low profile that, with the champions he has, almost seems like a mockery. Like those rich people who drive around in a Panda to keep a low profile. Surely it is better to be squashed than to play the fanfare, but how sad. Remember Spalletti's Napoli? And last year's Inter? No comparison, they had another flair, another pace. Something the Neapolitans are not showing at the moment. Perhaps they are waiting for the new year.

Juventine 'pareggitis'

We were talking about yet another draw for Juve in Lecce. It's true that the infirmary is full (nine absent) but this is the third draw in a row for Motta's team. That even when they play well they cannot win. This time, after having gone ahead with Cambiaso, they were caught in extremis by a goal of Rebic that made the Apulian fans go crazy with joy. The Bianconeri were above all wrong: that of not closing the match after the advantage. Thus giving Lecce the chance to try until the recovery, where Juve, usually very careful in defence, let themselves be ingenuously surprised. Napoli are now six points behind, and the gap is growing. The one who enjoys it is Giampaolo, the new coach from Salento: second match and second positive result: after the victory in Venice, a very heavy draw against Juve.

Lazio also falls

The fact that everything is turning in Napoli's favour is also confirmed by Lazio's downfall, who, after five consecutive successes, were thrashed by Parma who, in the end, scored a 3-1 victory that was a little excessive in terms of proportions but which rang alarm bells for the Biancocelesti, who were churned out by the Emilian's counterattacks;

It cannot be said that Baroni's team played poorly, it can instead be said that Parma were practically perfect - especially in defence - in a match spoilt by a few controversial episodes that played more in favour of the Gialloblu than the Lazio side. Curious this Parma: every now and then, it guesses the match of a lifetime. As for Lazio, perhaps it is just an accident on the road, but they too seemed on the launching pad. It goes up and down, up and down: is this a constant in a league where you still cannot feel who has the baton?

The Devil rears his head

Another team doing its utmost to confuse is AC Milan. After their brilliant success against Empoli (3-0), they finally seem to have emerged from the strange mire where they had been mired until now;

Led by an ever more incisive Reijnders (two goals) and a recovered Morata (author of the first goal), the Rossoneri this time could not be told anything. Three goals, faultless defence, a midfield well supported by Musah and Fofana, fans finally happy. A quiet Sunday, without those usual torments that usually plague the Diavolo's endings.

Everything OK, then? Has Fonseca found the balance? "Prima de parlar, tasi..." say the old mountain folk. Here, before we talk, let's see what happens on Friday with Atalanta in Bergamo. Surely for the Rossoneri it will be a good crash test. And perhaps also for Atalanta, who will meet Roma this evening. La Dea, despite losing a few points here and there, has so far been the most beautiful in the kingdom. Often even overwhelming. When she's on the ball she slaps everyone. Will she stay like that all year? Now we have two important junctures to figure it out;