19 h. ago Serie A title decider: Napoli win the Scudetto to deny Inter – as it happened

Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku scored the goals against Cagliari that claimed a second title in three yearsCaledonia’s Simon McMahon gets in touch: “Gilmour and McTominay starting for Napoli and on the verge of winning Serie A is just insane, John. Really hope they do it, got the pizza and beers in, COME ON NAPOLI!!!”Naples is getting game ready, too. Mathías Olivera is being given a penant for his 100th game. The sound of Live Is Life can be heard at the Diego Armando Maradona. Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago Napoli secure Serie A title after Scott McTominay’s stunner sees off Cagliari

Napoli win league by point from Inter, who beat ComoMcTominay also named Serie A player of the seasonA spectacular scissor kick from Scott McTominay set Napoli on their way to a 2-0 win over Cagliari that sealed the Serie A title for Antonio Conte’s side in their final league game of the season.Napoli went into the match leading the Italian table by just one point from Inter, who kicked off at the same time on Friday night away to Como. When Stefan de Vrij put Inter ahead via a corner after 20 minutes, they leapfrogged Napoli in the live standings, but the goal from the former Manchester United midfielder McTominay in the 42nd minute, acrobatically converting Matteo Politano’s cross, eased nerves in Naples. Continue reading...

Politics

21 h. ago Serie A title decider: Napoli win the Scudetto to deny Inter – live reaction

Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku scored the goals against Cagliari that claimed a second title in three yearsAny comments? You can email John your thoughtsCaledonia’s Simon McMahon gets in touch: “Gilmour and McTominay starting for Napoli and on the verge of winning Serie A is just insane, John. Really hope they do it, got the pizza and beers in, COME ON NAPOLI!!!”Naples is getting game ready, too. Mathías Olivera is being given a penant for his 100th game. The sound of Live Is Life can be heard at the Diego Armando Maradona. Continue reading...

Politics

34 h. ago Serie A title race permutations: How Napoli and Inter Milan can win Scudetto on a thrilling Friday finale

Napoli lead Serie A by one point heading into the final-day shootout

Sport

3 d. ago Serie A title race permutations: How Napoli and Inter Milan can win the Scudetto on a thrilling Friday finale

Napoli lead Serie A by one point heading into the final-day shootout

Sport

5 d. ago Pedro steps up for old mate Conte to enrage Inter and put Napoli one win from title | Nicky Bandini

The 37-year-old former Chelsea winger had the final say amid controversy, bitterness and regret in Milan and ParmaAntonio Conte looked like a man who just wanted to be tucked up in bed, sinking into his seat in the Stadio Tardini’s press conference room instead and dropping his head between his hands. “Very tired,” he replied when a journalist asked how he was feeling. He kept repeating those words while the next question was being asked, a quiet little chant: “Very tired. Very tired. Very tired.”Even a neutral spectator might have felt exhausted from keeping up with all the twists and turns on a night when Conte’s Napoli twice lost control of the Serie A title race and twice got it back – all without scoring or conceding any goals. A night of VAR controversies, penalties awarded then unawarded and deep, bitter regret. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Napoli fail to make ‘bonus’ game pay as uncertainty swirls at top of Serie A | Nicky Bandini

An astonishing array of outcomes remain possible with two games left in tantalisingly unpredictable end to seasonAntonio Conte characterised it as Napoli’s “bonus” game, a free swing, the mistake they could yet afford. A 2-2 draw at home to Genoa left a bitter taste, after having taken the lead in both halves, but this was no time to panic. “Before this we needed seven points to win the Scudetto,” said Conte. “We took one, so now we must win our last two games.”It sounded so simple, put like that, but we had just been reminded of why it will not be. Genoa at home was supposed to be the most straightforward of Napoli’s remaining fixtures, against opponents with no objectives left to play for. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago European football: Serie A title race hots up after Napoli draw and Inter win

Genoa’s Johan Vásquez scores late equaliserDortmund spoil Alonso’s Leverkusen leaving partyNapoli’s Serie A title hopes suffered a late setback on Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Genoa, setting up a thrilling season finale as Inter are just one point behind. Napoli remain top on 78 points, holding a slim lead over Inter, who won 2-0 at Torino earlier in the day, with two rounds remaining.Scott McTominay delivered a perfect pass into the box where Romelu Lukaku got rid of his marker before guiding his shot into the bottom corner to give Napoli the lead in the 15th minute. Genoa equalised in the 32nd minute when the Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret initially parried Honest Ahanor’s header on to the post, only for the rebound to bounce off his body and into the net for an own goal. Continue reading...

Sport

2 w. ago Arsenal down and out in Paris. What now? Football Weekly Extra

Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Nicky Bandini and Philippe Auclair reflect on Arsenal being knocked out of the Champions League by PSGRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.On the podcast today: ultimately it proves quite comfortable for PSG, who win their semi-final tie 3-1 on aggregate. Arsenal have chances early on that they fail to make count, thanks largely to another incredible Gianluigi Donnarumma performance. After that PSG find their feet and Fabián Ruiz’s goal puts it beyond reach. Inter await in the final. Continue reading...

Sport

2 w. ago ‘The real Inter’ prepare for Champions League showdown with Barcelona | Nicky Bandini

Simone Inzaghi dreamed of a quadruple but European success is now the Nerazzurri’s best chance of silverwareThe Inter team that lined up to face Verona on Saturday was so heavily rotated it even included a back-up manager. OK, their first-choice boss Simone Inzaghi was technically suspended, but seeing his assistant Massimiliano Farris trot out for the pre-game interview only reinforced a feeling that we were not about to watch the real thing.For months, Inter had tried to compete at full focus on every front, Inzaghi speaking of the ambition to win a quadruple. Then they lost three games in a week, falling behind Napoli at the top of Serie A and suffering elimination from the Coppa Italia by neighbours Milan. Suddenly their most ambitious target, the Champions League, looked like it might be their most realistic shot at claiming any silverware. Continue reading...

Sport

3 w. ago What Scott McTominay and Napoli must do to win Serie A title, remaining fixtures and points needed

Scotland and Napoli duo Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour are on course to win the Italian Serie A in their debut season at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Politics

3 w. ago Scott McTominay bathes in the adoration as Napoli leap clear in title race | Nicky Bandini

Midfielder keeps collecting nicknames – and goals – as he drives his side towards a title that would be his ownScott McTominay could have said anything and a whole city still would have loved him: the man who fired Napoli clear at the top of Serie A with four rounds of games left to go. His first-half strikes delivered a 2-0 win over Torino on Sunday. He had scored the only goal as Napoli won away to Monza in their previous fixture, and two out of three in a rout of Empoli before that.Carrying his team towards the finish line, in other words, though McTominay has been decisive from the start. He scored within 28 seconds of coming off the bench for his home debut in September and his goals have broken seven 0-0 deadlocks since then. No player in Serie A has done this more. Continue reading...

Politics