The Sweetest One

By Mirko Corli, an ecstatic Inter supporter writing from Italy 

I know, you’re expecting a normal recap of the last Serie A matchday. But I’m sorry, I can’t do it.

I think it’s time to celebrate the best team Italy offered to both Italian and European fans this year: José Mourinho’s Inter.

The last matchday of the season was terrific: for 20 neverending minutes AS Roma was in charge of the Italian title. By scoring in Verona against Chievo, Roma had 80 points in the table, the same amount as Inter, which was getting a draw in Siena. There is no word to describe the feelings that were going through Italian fans at that moment.

Then, Diego Milito came. Twelve minutes into the second half Javier Zanetti, the Captain, stole a ball in the midfield, went forward as he usually does, then flicked a short pass through to Diego Milito who took position in front of the defender and then scored, killing all the ghosts and all the fears; everything was tossed aside.

From that point the only task was controlling the game until the final whistle of the season. 
This is José Mourinho’s scudetto: he did exactly what was needed to win the title without the player who made Inter winning them in recent years: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. And the best way to win was to change the team and reverse it upside-down. No more long passing in search of the striker, this year’s Inter has been the one you all saw in Stamford Bridge. Wesley Sneijder (with Milito, the crack of the season) playing behind Milito, Eto'o (what a fantastic season for him, immense) and Pandev (or Balotelli). Attacking as the first form of defense: that’s because the three strikers have been both attacking and defending all the season. That has been the key to Inter’s successes. 

In second place came Roma. After a terrific season, Roma only lost one crucial game, the one at home against Sampdoria when they were one point above Inter.

Sampdoria secured the fourth place in the table by winning 1-0 at home against Napoli: and the man who scored was again Giampaolo Pazzini, the man who also condemned Roma to the second place by scoring a double against the Giallorossi.

Atalanta, Siena and Livorno will play next season in Serie B, Italy’s second division, and Palermo, Napoli and Juventus will play into the Europa League.

The top scorer this season is Antonio Di Natale with 29 goals. Huge scoring performances also by Diego Milito (22), Fabrizio Miccoli (19), Giampaolo Pazzini (19), and Paulo Barreto (14).

I think it’s enough for now, I still have to recover from the stress of the day and then focus (as José will do) on next Saturday’s game in Madrid. Never, an Italian team achieved a treble in the past. Inter is in the right position to do this for the first time: it’s a dream. But you know, sometimes, dreams come true.