Milan-Juve 0-0, an ugly draw on Italia football's black day

An ugly story, this last one of referees, which is intertwined with all the others that our football has been carrying for a long time. For example: where do we throw the money whenwe are in debt and our league has become one of the poorest in Europe? And the ultras, who do whatever they want? And force the state, week after week, to mobilise thousands of agents to prevent the worst? Who pays? Certainly not Rocchi, certainly not Gravina, certainly not the presidents or the footballers who, for them, the coach decides everything... No, it is us, the usual known, who, already paying taxes, cannot exempt ourselves from this umpteenth tax. Not to mention the violence and abuse we have to endure when we meet these madmen in trains and truck stops where they shout and smash everything.

Shall we also add the very sad story of footballers, more or less VIPs, who drink thousands of euros in trendy clubs with escorts, hypocritically called that, otherwise it is not smart and sounds bad?

Some say it is their business, that they commit no crime. Of course not, but isn't it unseemly that young millionaires, with all the green lights of life, throw money and dignity to the wind like this? Are these the role models of our young people? Then we are surprised at how it ended in Bosnia. But these challenges also require heart, courage, will. Moral qualities that the Bosnians have shown they possess, not us, retreating like disbanded soldiers

And Rocchi? Shall we burn another one for not changing anything or does he too have his skeletons in the wardrobe? Allegri comes to mind, at the end of Juve-Atalanta in the Italia Cup (2024), shouting like a madman: "Where is Rocchi? Where is Rocchi?" Here is Rocchi, now a symbol of a football, and a refereeing world, that is arrogant and bungling. Twenty years have already passed and nothing seems to have changed. Maybe Rocchi, 263 games as a referee in Serie A, is better than many others, but even this would not be good news.

That Italia football is not very well, scandals and poisons aside, can be seen in this faded draw between two big names who, for the sake of quiet life and not getting hurt, prefer to end Sunday with a point each that does not change the standings but avoids worse trouble.

A festival of boredom shaken every now and then by Conceicao's flashes, which stung without, however, reaching the decisive lunge. A script already written, to minimise risks without raising the bar of spectacle. Juve, especially in the final, tried harder without ever really bothering Maignan. Milan, on the other hand, were hardly ever present, their only merit being to have hit the crossbar with the Belgian Saelemakers at the end of a beautiful action. For the rest, little or nothing. The draw was more convenient for the Rossoneri, who remain third (67), three points more than the Bianconeri, who are still in fourth place (64). With four days to go, the games for the Champions League are not yet all done. Napoli and Milan, in second and third place, are almost in sight. Juventus, chased three points below by Roma and Como (61), will still have to sweat to win it.

If it weren't for the not exactly reassuring news coming from the referee investigation, to which Marotta responded without any qualms ("We have always acted with correctness, even suffering decisions against us"), this 2-2 draw achieved by Torino in a comeback, doesn't add much to Inter, who will still be able to celebrate the Scudetto next Sunday at the San Siro, if they win against Parma. Having taken the lead through Thuram and Bisseck, set up by Dimarco's usual assists (17 this year, a record), Chivu's team were a little distracted in the second half, conceding two goals in nine minutes (Simeone and Vlasic's penalty). Bravo to the granata for believing in it all the way. The work of D'Aversa, who took over from Baroni at the end of February, paid off: 14 points in eight matches.

What can I say? Napoli has risen again. After the skid with Lazio, with Giampaolo's team it has returned cheerful and bubbly. Evidently Antonio Conte knew how to find the right words to relaunch the troop, especially the Scot McTominay, the real dragger with Alisson and Gutierrez of the partenopei. With McTominay in the role of Anguissa, De Bruyne was able to range and even score a goal. Conte, past the euphoria of the national team, now says he is available, and that he will hear from the club before making any decisions. With the Champions League ever closer, Conte must have thought that this Napoli side is not so bad.

With Ranieri's farewell, certifying the club's trust in Gasperini, Roma came out of the impasse by sweeping away a Bologna booed also by its public, never in the game, and at its third defeat in a row. Roma, on the other hand, gave the impression of having closed with the past and of looking above all to Europe. However, in addition to the fact that the club has cleared the air, some of its most important players gave the Giallorossi wings, starting with the recovered El Aynaoul, formidable in midfield, and Malen, truly irrepressible with a goal and an assist. The Dutchman, with 11 goals in 14 games, has made an exceptional contribution to Roma's momentum in recent months. No small detail: Malen arrived in January for 25 million. A modest sum compared to other squanders in our league. One that shows how, even in Italia, money can be spent well.

The other results:

Parma-Pisa 1-0

Verona-Lecce 0-0

Fiorentina-Sassuolo 0-0

Genoa-Como 0-2

Today:

Cagliari-Atalanta (18.30)

Lazio-Udinese (20.45)