As early as Matchday 3, the top match between the champion and the runner-up took place in Italy’s top flight. And every observer must have been left in awe by the second half at the latest—with the exception of Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri.
Top teams often fall into a sort of “control mode” during head-to-head matchups, taking too few risks, creating too little offensive threat—and leaving fans and neutral spectators somewhat bored. Not so, however, for champions Inter Milan and runners-up Napoli.
Although the score was 0–0 at halftime in this Saturday’s matchup between the two storied clubs as part of the third matchday of Serie A, the players on the field had already put on a show. Clean passing sequences, creative flashes of genius, and deadly shots on goal (Dimarco hitting the crossbar on a free kick). Things then got downright crazy in the second half, thanks in part to the goals that gave the Neapolitans a 2–0 lead, and ultimately to the Nerazzurri’s successful comeback, culminating in a 3–2 victory thanks to a goal by captain Lautaro Martinez in stoppage time.
Chivu calls for “a little more professionalism”
“That was a great game, extremely entertaining, and fantastic publicity for Italian soccer,” Inter coach Cristian Chivu gushed afterward, as quoted by the Milan-based club on its own website. “With the score at 2–2, both teams engaged in an open back-and-forth battle. Napoli deserves our praise, because they are a strong, well-trained team with many winners.”
In this regard, the coach also appealed to the media, which had repeatedly put even him—last season’s championship-winning coach—in a negative light: “Negativity dominates the headlines and click counts—that’s just the way the world is these days, unfortunately. A little more professionalism from everyone involved would do Italian soccer good, especially since I’ve seen a very high level of play in Serie A over the last three matchdays.”
The former top defender also praised referee Simone Sozza and his crew—a rarity in Italy, where officials are often the target of criticism. After the refereeing team’s genuinely clean performance, the 45-year-old said sincerely: “The game flowed smoothly the whole time—that’s what makes it fun.”
“A blast for the fans”
Words that his counterpart, Massimiliano Allegri, also agreed with. “It was a blast for the fans,” the new Napoli coach remarked, though he immediately added: “For us, it was a bit less enjoyable.” In that vein, he also criticized his players for their poor defense when the score was 1–2. He was also unhappy with their resistance to the sustained pressure from FC Internazionale that followed.
But what annoyed him most was the fact that, despite the chances created in this wild top-of-the-table clash with an even wilder ending, it was Inter—not his team—that had scored the 3–2 goal. That really got under his skin: “It proves once again that in soccer, all logic goes out the window.”
