Ibrahimovic’s farewell to football, San Siro in tears. Scudetto party in Naples

A surprising and anomalous championship, because in the middle there was an even more anomalous World Cup with the new exclusion of the Italian national team. The second oddity is that, however, in this storm, our clubs have brilliantly carried on in Europe. Especially considering the enormous economic gap between Italian companies and the more famous European ones.

June 10 the Champions League final in Istanbul

The Champions League final between Inter and Manchester City will be staged in Istanbul in five days. Beyond the fact that City have a bench as long as the Trans-Siberian, what is impressive is the economic gap: the global valuation of the English company is almost one and a half billion, that of Inter is just over 400 million . City, as reported by my colleague Sebastiano Vernazza, taking a cue from a Cies ranking, is the first club in the world. Inter, on the other hand, occupies only 18th place. This is why, if Inzaghi’s team manages to beat Guardiola’s, we are close to an almost legendary feat.

Let’s be clear: the beauty of football is precisely its unpredictability. It’s not an exact science. Inter then experienced a magical moment, as they also demonstrated in Turin, winning (0-1) easily against the not at all resigned granades. Inter have so far won all the finals they have played. He has an attack with Lautaro, Lukalu and Dzeko that scares anyone. At the slightest uncertainty it punishes you. So much so that Inzaghi’s only doubt will be who to leave on the bench. In short, we are not David and Goliath. They are two different worlds, of course, but in a final that cannot be filled. Guardiola this Saturday at Wembely won the second trophy of the season (The Fa Cup) against the other Manchester team, Ferguson’s United. A 2-1 not very brilliant for the parameters of the City. Someone looked tired. Details, sure. But Guardiola also has bad thoughts of him: not least that he won the Champions League only on the Barcelona bench. Even the great Pep therefore has a worm that gnaws at him. It’s up to Inter to make it big enough. But before Inter, it will be up to Fiorentina, on Wednesday in Prague, to keep the flag of Italian football high. Up for grabs is the Conference League. The challenge is with the English of West Ham. The British are strong but affordable for the purples. Bookmakers also give them near parity. If Italian ticked, his stock would skyrocket. Napoli, Juve, anyone who has a free bench likes him. Such is the strange life of coaches. One day on the gridiron (like Inzaghi two months ago) another beatified but knowing full well that two games are enough to end up in the storm again.

Mourinho: when the Vate is always right

One in the storm, but in the end always in the saddle is Mourinho, Vate by definition. Special regardless. Any of his colleagues, we think Allegri, who had lost the Europa League final with Sevilla like this, would have been hit by fierce criticism. Both for some unfortunate substitutions and for having left too much initiative to the opponents. Last but not least, the choice of the penalty takers, also not very appropriate. Nothing bad, things happen. Losing on penalties is not the end of the world. However, the end of the world was unleashed by Mourinho himself first against the referee Taylor, then leaving the field before the award ceremony of the Spaniards. There is a lot of talk about education in sportsmanship and then the winners are not honored? A bad gesture, like that continuous inciting fans against Taylor with the inevitable consequences we know. It is one thing to point out the double standards of the referee, another to expose him to public ridicule. Without anyone, among a thousand commentators and commentators on Rai, raising a single word of criticism against his Majesty Mou to whom, in addition to the 8 million per season, everything is granted.

Ibrahimovic’s tearful farewell

The Great Ibra, the Swedish giant who lifted a Milan that looked like a poor devil onto his shoulders, was hailed by the Rossoneri people as a rock star. Tears, choirs and gratitude. With a banner from the Curva Sud (“Godbye”) which well summarizes with a play on words how much the bomber is now ready for beatification. The last match at San Siro against Verona (3-1, penalty from Giroud and sparkling brace from Leao) opened with the tears of the great Zlatan, who for once was also tender of heart. “I’m leaving football but not you …”, he said with a gasp to the 70,000 Rossoneri fans, adding that he “will miss going to Milanello every day and that not even his family knew of his retirement …”. What Ibra will do now, we still don’t know. No matter how old he is, he too will have to decide what he will do when he grows up.