The Monday Scratch

Tonight Napoli-Bologna in Riyadh, in January Como-Milan in Australia: the Odyssey of a football that has lost its bearings

In this halved, pre-Christmas round, what makes the most noise is Fiorentina's first league win, which, at the Franchi, made it five against Udinese

by Dario Ceccarelli

22 December 2025

7' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

7' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Pardon the unusual question, but do you, who do not read 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' every day and who are probably like everyone else in a state of distress with the arrival of the Christmas holidays, understand what is happening to Italian football?

Frankly, in this crazy mayonnaise, there is a headache to be had. Tonight, for example, Napoli and Bologna face each other in Riyadh for the Italian Super Cup final. All right, it's weird stuff, in front of an audience that goes to the stadium like it's to the cinema or the camel race, but we're used to it by now. It's not very involving, but whatever. After all, Napoli won the Scudetto, Bologna the Coppa Italia, so why should we be scandalised? Dollars don't suck for anyone, and off we go with the tango of globalisation that allows any weirdness.

But this weekend also saw the sixteenth day of the championship being played. That is, not quite all of it: there is a piece missing. Napoli-Parma and Inter-Lecce will be played on Wednesday 14 January. While Verona-Bologna and Como-Milan on the following day, Thursday 15 January. Is everything normal? No, because Como-Milan, which should have taken place on the shores of Lake Lombardy so dear to Manzoni and Clooney, will instead be played in Perth, the capital of Western Australia whose magnificent beaches overlook the Indian Ocean. Quite a change of plan, bearing in mind that Perth is about 14,000 km from Italy and that in January it is the height of summer there. That is, it is hot, so much so that bathing, experts advise, is best done with a T-shirt on to protect yourself from the hammering sun. Let us add a detail, surreal enough: that the match will be directed by an Asian referee. God, maybe he's better than ours (lately, it doesn't take much), but isn't it a bit strange that all the matches in our league are directed by Italian referees, except for one, i.e. Milan-Como? And the fans? Milan being much more popular than Como, most of the supporters will be all for the Diavolo who, in that hellish heat, should be just fine. In short: Australian weather, an away trip of 14,000 kilometres, the public in swimming costumes and flip-flops plus all the inconveniences you can imagine. But does it really make sense? Or is it just to please FIFA president Infantino, who, for a few extra dollars, would even organise the Intercontinental Cup on Mars?

We know: if you ask these questions you always come across as incurable past-timers, twentieth-century wrecks who don't see the new advancing and the discovery of new footballing worlds. No, we don't: this 'O famo strano' football we gladly leave to you. For one simple reason: that football is a popular game because it is passionate. If we do everything we can to take it away from those who love it and have followed it for years by family tradition, we are not doing a good deal.

Sure, the takings will be higher. But to do what with it? To buy more foreign players for the winter balance? Most of which (half of Milan's defence, Roma's forwards, to give a few examples) would have to be sent back immediately? Let's not complain if our national team then risks not going to the World Cup for the third consecutive time. Let's keep our fingers crossed, but would it change anything if it did? No, as we already did with Spalletti, Gattuso would be kicked out in a furore of the people and everything would start again as before.

Luciano Spalletti, yeah. Not even a month ago, when Juventus were beaten by Napoli, the former Azzurri coach was painted as a man in free fall. Banished from the national team, with little influence on Juve, he seemed ready for a serene retirement in his Tuscan hermitage among olive trees, donkeys and vineyards. Now, after defeating Gasperini's Roma (2-1) at the Stadium, he is once again the man of Providence. With his sixth success in the last seven matches, he is once again on the wave, some are recommending him not only for a place in the Champions League, but even for the Scudetto race. The Lady's stern censors, already back on the bandwagon, venture that anything is possible, that Paradise is not so far away, that five teams (Inter 33, Milan 32, Napoli 31, Roma 30, Juventus) 29 dance within the space of just four points. It is all very well for football to be written in the sand, but here the leap of the quail is a little exaggerated. Against Roma, Juve certainly deserved the victory. More solid, less fragile in defence with the return of Bremer, the Lady also impressed in terms of play and speed, thanks to the excellent performance of Conceicao (also good in the first goal), of the usual Yldiz and of the reborn Openda, quick in the occasion of the double. Perhaps the worst is over, but better to wait for some more convincing tests. Roma were in fact switched off. Lots of ball possession, but little substance in attack, where you can't always win with a false centre forward. It may be that Dybala is not at the top, however the absence of a centre forward is felt. Above all, Gasperini, who is used to winning with heavy bombers, feels it. "Fergusson and other newcomers are not convincing me," points out Gasp who has always lost with the strong teams (Milan, Inter and Napoli). It is a waning Roma that has also paid the price for the numerous injuries.

The derby of the defeated

A few words about AC Milan and Inter Milan who returned head to head from Saudi Arabia. Allegri's team, defeated by Napoli, was never in the game. Even Maignan seemed distracted. Without Modric and Leao, with Pulisc unloaded, Milan more or less rightly returned to concentrating on the championship. They lack a striker and at least one reliable defender. They are looking for them, we will see. Allegri's intemperate behaviour towards Lele Oriali is surprising. It's becoming a vice, Max's. He goes mad a little too easily. An indicator of a deeper malaise?

Of Inter, little to say. In big appointments, it short-circuits. With Bologna, wrong penalties, fragile defence, lack of determination. The Super Cup is always a trophy to put in the trophy cabinet. Letting it slip away reconfirms that 2025, for the Nerazzurri, is a year to be cancelled. Too many ups and downs. Now Chivu will have to refocus his goals. Already some say that losing another Scudetto would be a defeat. Chivu, until yesterday hailed, is back in the spinner again.

Fiorentina-Udinese 5-1. In this halved, pre-Christmas round, what makes the noise is the first victory in the championship of the violets who, at the Franchi, make even five against Udinese. A breath of fresh air for Fiorentina, who had not won since last May, right at home to Udinese, which evidently, for the Tuscans, is a formidable panacea. Buoyed almost immediately by the expulsion of the Friulian goalkeeper Okoye, Fiorentina finally pulled out their nails, scoring with Mandragora, Gudmundsson and Ndour. In the second half, after a two-month fast, a double from Kean also arrived. The classification is still heavy (last at nine) but the air is becoming more breathable. Whether something has really unlocked, and it is not just a Christmas present, will be seen in the next round when the Viola meet Parma, who are currently five points above them.

Genoa-Atalanta 0-1. In the end, but really in the end, it was the Bergamasks who celebrated a victory that came in extremis (Hien's goal in the 94th minute) and not so well deserved given that the hosts played with ten men from the third minute due to the expulsion of goalkeeper Leali, guilty of having knocked down Maldini after a mess by Norton Cuffy. Genoa, who De Rossi played with one defender less to make room for the second goalkeeper (Sommariva), almost always held the ball but wasted several chances that were well neutralised by goalkeeper Carnasecchi. In the midst of recovery, however, Atalanta took advantage of Sommariva's corner and found three unhoped-for points and an away victory that had been missing since 21 September. "A defeat that stings, but what a great heart my Genoa team had," commented De Rossi, the red and blue coach

Sassuolo-Torino 0-1. Precious blow for the granata who, with a penalty by Vlasic, obtained the second consecutive victory after the one against Cremonese. Not very responsive the Emiliani, who perhaps, thanks to the good classification, felt the festivities in advance. Toro had been awarded another penalty in the 23rd minute for a foul by Tameze, but it was cancelled out after the Var call. For Barone's team three precious points that bring them up the standings.

Lazio-Cremonese 0-0. A dull, colourless match. One point gained for Nicola's team, two lost for Sarri's.

Cagliari-Pisa 2-2. Many upsets and twists. The Tuscans immediately scored with Tramoni but suffered a comeback with Folorunsho and Kilicsoy. In the final, however, reach the 2-2 with Moreno, recently entered. The Pisa remains penultimate but gives some signs of life by breaking a negative series of three consecutive defeats. The Cagliari, despite seeing the victory fade in closing, still holds rivals to 4 points

Shots from a car on cyclists

We conclude with a folly, which has nothing to do with football, but which is unbelievable: in Veneto a car fired on a group of Sc Padovani cyclists who were training in Val d'Adige, along the SS12 near Dolcè. The car first came alongside and then fired two shots, probably blanks. No one was injured, but as seen in a video, one of the riders ducked to avoid being hit. The list of cyclists run over by hit-and-run drivers is unfortunately a long one. But being shot at is a disturbing development in a world that has lost its compass.