Italian Calcio Serie A 2009/2010

[abadani69]

Ten-man Sampdoria came from behind to claim a 1-1 Serie A draw at home to Palermo on Saturday night.

The home side was the brighter team throughout but was hampered by a harsh red card to central defender Giulio Falcone after 36 minutes.

Their resistance was broken eight minutes into the second half when Edinson Cavani headed the Rosanero ahead, but three minutes later, Fabio Quagliarella scored a deserved equalizer.

The Sicilians were unable to make their one-man advantage count against a brave Blucerchiati, who draw their second home game in a row but, given the circumstances, will not be too disappointed.

Samp coach Walter Novellino welcomed Gianluca Berti back in goal for the first time in 2007 while Andrea Parola was preferred to replace the suspended Christian Zenoni.

His Palermo counterpart Francesco Guidolin was forced to watch the game from the stands as he began a three-game touchline ban.

Before moving upstairs, Guidolin had to make one alteration to his plans since Alberto Fontana pulled out with the flu and Federico Agliardi took his place between the posts.

Whether it was nerves on the part of the 24-year-old goalkeeper or a divot on the heavily-worn pitch, he almost let in Samp striker Quagliarella when he hashed a routine clearance, only to recover at the second attempt.

Palermo did not offer much in the first half, but they actually came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 19th minute when David Di Michele shot against the outside of the post.

But it was the home side who continued to pose the greater threat with Quagliarella and Emiliano Bonazzoli combining well and Gennaro Delvecchio advancing regularly to support his strikers.

Delvecchio advanced a split second too soon before scoring in the 30th minute, only to see the flag raised for offside.

The turning point in the match arrived in the 36th minute when Falcone was sent off by referee Emidio Morganti.

There did not appear to be any malice in Falcone's challenge on Simplio, nor was he the last man with the action near the halfway line, but Morganti instantly pulled the red card from his pocket and sent the Samp defender for an early bath.

The home side labored on until halftime before Novellino made a change in personnel with Luigi Sala coming in to replace Daniele Franceschini Sala was still acclimating himself to his position when Cavani crept in to nod the Rosanero ahead.

The Uruguayan met Mattia Cassani's cross with a neatly flicked header which left Berti no chance.

The home side were level within three minutes, though, as a calamitous breakdown in communication between Andrea Barzagli and Agliardi allowed Quagliarella to steal the ball and place it into the empty goal.

It was difficult to see which team had a full complement of players and which had just 10 men.

[abadani69]

Siena beat Reggina 1-0 in Serie A on Saturday to move six points clear of the relegation zone.

Defender Valerio Bertotto headed in a corner kick by the far post in first-half injury time to snap Siena's three-game losing streak. Both teams finished with 10 men.

Reggina defender Alessandro Lucarelli was given a red card for taking down Francesco Cozza in the 22nd minute. Cozza's ensuing penalty kick was punched away by Reggina goalkeeper Andrea Campagnolo. Siena's Daniele Corvia was sent off for pushing down Reggina defender Salvatore Aronica in the 73rd.

Siena has 30 points and Reggina has 25, leaving it only one point clear of the relegation zone.

Juventus beat Pescara 1-0 in Serie B, with a 74th-minute goal from defender Alessandro Birindelli. Pescara goalkeeper Ciro Polito tipped a penalty by Alessandro Del Piero wide in the 41st.

Juventus has 58 points. The club was demoted and penalized nine points for its role in the Italian match-fixing scandal.

[abadani69]

Inter Milan beat struggling Parma 2-0 Sunday to remain unbeaten and extend its Italian league lead to 20 points.

Brazilian defender Maxwell scored his first goal in Italy in the 56th minute following an exchange with Hernan Crespo. Adriano set up Crespo for the second goal in the 70th and then hit the crossbar with a header in the 80th.

Inter has 25 wins and four ties. The victory was the 100th for Roberto Mancini as Inter's coach -- in all competitions.

Giuseppe Rossi, on loan from Manchester United, produced one of Parma's few chances in the 64th, shooting wide. Parma is next to last and in danger of being relegated for the first time since reaching Serie A in 1990.

Fourth-place Palermo was held to a 0-0 tie at Torino, while Nicola Pozzi and Luca Saudati each scored twice as Empoli beat 10-man Ascoli 4-1 to jump ahead of AC Milan into fifth place.

[abadani69]

Internazionale overcame some initial Parma resistance for a 2-0 victory that extended their Serie A lead to 20 points in a race for the Scudetto that has resembled a procession since Christmas.

Their relegation-threatened visitors held Inter at bay in the first half but it did not take long for the champions to seal the game in the second.

Brazilian Maxwell opened the scoring before Hernan Crespo killed off his former club with the second to worsen Parma's plight and bring closer still the day when Inter are crowned champions.

Lazio secured their seventh win in a row with a comfortable 4-2 road win over Udinese.

Two goals in two minutes just after halftime ensured the Biancoceleste strengthened their claim for a place in the Champions League next season and increased the pressure on city rivals Roma, who are now just seven points ahead in second place.

Guglielmo Stendardo opened the scoring after 18 minutes and strikes from Stefano Mauri (49) and Valon Behrami (51) opened up an unassailable lead.

Both sides scored quick-fire penalties, with Antonio Di Natale reducing the arrears in the 57th minute before Tommaso Rocchi restored the three-goal cushion which Lazio held until Vincenzo Iaquinta scored at the death.

Cagliari eased their own relegation fears and plunged 10-man Messina into further trouble with a comfortable 2-0 victory.

First-half goals from Davide Biondini and Alessandro Budel earned the Sardinians only their second win from five games to move six points clear of the Serie A drop zone.

Messina, on the other hand, were left in the third and final relegation spot, a point adrift of 15th-placed Reggina with nine games remaining and a miserable day for the Sicilians was made complete by the sending off of Marc Zoro.

Atalanta inched closer to Serie A survival with a stirring comeback to snatch a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina.

Goals from Reginaldo and Giampaolo Pazzini gave the visitors a 2-0 lead inside 32 minutes in Bergamo but the hosts then showed their mettle. Simone Loria pulled one back six minutes before the break before substitute Cristiano Doni's penalty in the second half levelled the scores.

Palermo are finding wins harder to come by in the second half of the season but they will feel they deserved more than a goalless draw from their trip to Torino. Cristiano Lucarelli's hat trick gave Fernando Orsi the best possible start as manager of Livorno as his side leapfrogged 10-man Catania with a 4-1 victory over the Sicilians.

Two goals apiece from Nicola Pozzi and Luca Saudati saw Empoli move ahead of AC Milan into fifth spot in Serie A after a 4-1 win over 10-man Ascoli.

After Pozzi had opened the scoring just before halftime, Andrea Soncin equalized. But Saudati grabbed the first of his double from the penalty spot to retake the lead.

Former Italy international Marco Delvecchio was sent off for the Marchegiani just four minutes after coming on as a substitute and the Azzurri made the most of their numerical advantage, Saudati and Pozzi grabbing a second goal each within four minutes of each other.

A point was of little use to either side as struggling Chievo and European-chasing Sampdoria cancelled each other out. In a mostly open and entertaining game, a draw was a fair result after Matteo Brighi cancelled out Fabio Quagliarella's stunning opener.

[abadani69]

Internazionale overcame some initial Parma resistance for a 2-0 victory that extended their Serie A lead to 20 points in a race for the Scudetto that has resembled a procession since Christmas.

Their relegation-threatened visitors held Inter at bay in the first half but it did not take long for the champions to seal the game in the second.

Brazilian Maxwell opened the scoring before Hernan Crespo killed off his former club with the second to worsen Parma's plight and bring closer still the day when Inter are crowned champions.

Lazio secured their seventh win in a row with a comfortable 4-2 road win over Udinese.

Two goals in two minutes just after halftime ensured the Biancoceleste strengthened their claim for a place in the Champions League next season and increased the pressure on city rivals Roma, who are now just seven points ahead in second place.

Guglielmo Stendardo opened the scoring after 18 minutes and strikes from Stefano Mauri (49) and Valon Behrami (51) opened up an unassailable lead.

Both sides scored quick-fire penalties, with Antonio Di Natale reducing the arrears in the 57th minute before Tommaso Rocchi restored the three-goal cushion which Lazio held until Vincenzo Iaquinta scored at the death.

Cagliari eased their own relegation fears and plunged 10-man Messina into further trouble with a comfortable 2-0 victory.

First-half goals from Davide Biondini and Alessandro Budel earned the Sardinians only their second win from five games to move six points clear of the Serie A drop zone.

Messina, on the other hand, were left in the third and final relegation spot, a point adrift of 15th-placed Reggina with nine games remaining and a miserable day for the Sicilians was made complete by the sending off of Marc Zoro.

Atalanta inched closer to Serie A survival with a stirring comeback to snatch a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina.

Goals from Reginaldo and Giampaolo Pazzini gave the visitors a 2-0 lead inside 32 minutes in Bergamo but the hosts then showed their mettle. Simone Loria pulled one back six minutes before the break before substitute Cristiano Doni's penalty in the second half levelled the scores.

Palermo are finding wins harder to come by in the second half of the season but they will feel they deserved more than a goalless draw from their trip to Torino. Cristiano Lucarelli's hat trick gave Fernando Orsi the best possible start as manager of Livorno as his side leapfrogged 10-man Catania with a 4-1 victory over the Sicilians.

Two goals apiece from Nicola Pozzi and Luca Saudati saw Empoli move ahead of AC Milan into fifth spot in Serie A after a 4-1 win over 10-man Ascoli.

After Pozzi had opened the scoring just before halftime, Andrea Soncin equalized. But Saudati grabbed the first of his double from the penalty spot to retake the lead.

Former Italy international Marco Delvecchio was sent off for the Marchegiani just four minutes after coming on as a substitute and the Azzurri made the most of their numerical advantage, Saudati and Pozzi grabbing a second goal each within four minutes of each other.

A point was of little use to either side as struggling Chievo and European-chasing Sampdoria cancelled each other out. In a mostly open and entertaining game, a draw was a fair result after Matteo Brighi cancelled out Fabio Quagliarella's stunning opener.

[abadani69]

With Juventus' tour of smaller Italian stadiums nearly complete, it's becoming increasingly clear that the punishments for the country's match-fixing scandal were basically meaningless.

Juventus did have to forfeit the last two of its record 29 Serie A titles and play this season in the second division for its part in a scheme to appoint favorable referees to its games. And all five teams involved in the scandal had to start the season with negative points.

But the sanctions weren't severe enough to inflict much harm on any of them.

Initially, the authorities reacted strongly to the scandal, but constant reassessments and reductions left only Juventus relegated to the Serie B, where it has been on a sort of dual welcome-farewell tour. It has been playing in smaller Italian cities like Trieste and Rimini where many of the local team's supporters are Juventus fans anyway.

Two other teams -- Fiorentina and Lazio -- were also supposed to play in the second division this season, but they were saved by the politicking that later lessened the penalties for everyone involved.

It would have meant more if they'd been dropped because then the three demoted teams would have fought for the Serie B title.

Instead, Juventus is playing to sellout crowds all over the country with nary an opponent that would be capable of seriously challenging for a Serie A title.

That's not really punishment. That's more like a season-long break from the grind of playing against the best teams in the league week after week.

Juventus did lose Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram to the Spanish league, but the "Old Lady" was lucky to keep Italians Gianluigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero, as well as former Czech Republic striker Pavel Nedved.

And even without the standout defensive unit that led it to the top of the standings at the end of the last two seasons, Juventus has been good enough this season to overcome its nine-point penalty and take over first place in the Serie B.

If the penalty had remained at the original 30 points, however, things would be much more interesting. Instead of leading the league by six points with about two months to go, Juventus would be trailing Genoa by 15 and well out of the promotion race.

The four teams that stayed in the Serie A have also essentially overcome their point deductions -- which is to say that they are all out of the relegation zone. None are close to Inter Milan, however, which has a massive 20-point lead and is looking forward to winning the title this year on its own.

"This is a team that hasn't celebrated a scudetto on the field in a long time, and now we're close," Inter striker Hernan Crespo said after the team beat Parma 2-0 Sunday. "We want to win in style."

It depends on what your definition of style is, though. Winning the title in a league deprived of its best team shouldn't exactly qualify.

But even with city rival Inter destined to win the title this season, AC Milan can't be all that upset.

Originally kicked out of the Champions League, the six-time European champions were allowed to compete in the lucrative competition and have now reached the quarterfinals.

In the league, AC Milan had its 15-point penalty reduced to nine. The team is now in sixth place, and only four points away from fourth -- and the final Champions League spot.

Lazio, which went from relegation to a seven-point penalty to finally a three-point penalty, is in third place and looking good for a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2003.

Besides Juventus, the only other team forced out of the Champions League was Fiorentina. And its penalty was reduced from relegation and a 12-point penalty to minus-15 points in the Serie A. It's now in seventh place in the league.

Reggina was a late arrival to the scandal punishments, but it later picked up a 15-point penalty, which was then reduced to 11. The team and its president were also fined.

Although Reggina is near the bottom of the league standings, it's won only one of its last seven games and can't complain too much that it deserves to be higher.

At least Juventus got a bundle of money from a new sponsorship deal last week. That should offset the only real punishment of the entire fiasco, which is that Juventus won't be able to cash in on the Champions League next season for the second straight year.

[abadani69]

The Italian Senate passed anti-violence laws Tuesday that were put into effect after a policeman was killed during a soccer riot two months ago.

The law includes tougher penalties for violent spectators and measures that prevent fans from entering stadiums that do not meet safety requirements. They were put into effect in February after a policeman was killed in rioting following a Serie A match in Sicily.

Lawmakers had 60 days to turn the government decree into law and the measure, already approved by the lower chamber of parliament, passed with a wide margin in the Senate.

Only season-ticket holders have been allowed in to watch games at several stadiums for the past two months. Safety requirements for stadiums include electric turnstiles that read tickets with fans' names on them and security cameras.

The law also bans clubs from selling blocks of tickets to visiting fans and allows authorities to bar suspected hooligans from entering stadiums, even if they haven't been convicted of crimes.

Banners that incite violence are banned by the law, which also increases jail sentences for fans who assault police.

[abadani69]

مقررات ضد هوليگانيسم كه بلافاصله بعد از مرگ يك افسر پليس در خلال درگيري*هاي هواداران دو تيم ايتاليايي، وضع شده بود، روز سه*شنبه با تصويب سناي اين كشور به قانون قابل اجرا تبديل شد.

به*گزارش خبرگزاري رويترز از ميلان، مجلس سناي ايتاليا با اكثريت ۲۴۴ راي در مقابل يك راي مخالف و ۲۰غايب اين قانون را تصويب كرد.

اغلب راهكارهاي پيش بيني شده در اين قانون همان مواردي هستند كه در احكام اوليه بعد از مرگ "فيليپو راسيتي" وضع شده و هم اكنون در مسابقات فوتبال ايتاليا در حال اجراست.

بنابر قوانين ايتاليا، هر حكمي بايد طي دو ماه به عنوان قانون تصويب شود تا به صورت دائم قابل اجرا باشد.

مفاد اين قانون عبارت است از: ممنوعيت فروش انبوه بليت به تماشاگران تيم مهمان، جريمه ۲۰تا ۱۰۰هزار يورويي براي باشگاههايي كه با گروههاي افراطي ارتباط دارند، مجازات زندان براي كساني كه با پرتاب مواد محترقه باعث توقف يا تعطيلي مسابقه مي*شوند و محروميت براي كساني كه عامل خشونت هستند.

همچنين يك بند به اين قانون اضافه شده كه بر اساس آن باشگاه*ها موظفند بليت رايگان در اختيار نوجوانان زير ۱۴سال بگذارند. هدف از اين اقدام توقف رويگرداني خانواده*ها از مسابقات فوتبال است.

"جوليانو آماتو" وزير كشور ايتاليا قانون جديد را يادبود راسيتي ناميد.

[abadani69]

Champions-in-waiting Internazionale failed to get maximum points for only the fifth time in the Serie A this season after being held to a goalless draw by relegation-threatened Reggina.

Roberto Mancini`s side had won 25 and drawn four of their 29 games going into the clash at the Stadio Oreste Granillo, scoring 63 goals in the process, but could not find a way past a Reggina team fighting to save their Serie A lives.

Roma took a small chunk out of Internazionale's huge lead at the top of Serie A with a smash-and-grab 2-0 win over luckless Catania.

Goals in either half from Francesco Tavano and Mirko Vucinic were enough to seal a win on neutral soil at Lecce, which cut Inter's lead to 18 points.

Lazio extended its winning run to eight games with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Messina at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

A Guglielmo Stendardo goal just before the interval was enough for Delio Rossi's men to cement their hold on third place.

A dominant Fiorentina shrugged off Serie A's bottom club Ascoli with a 4-0 win at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Saturday.

Ascoli belied their position at the bottom of the table with a spirited performance, but were delivered a lesson in finishing by the home side, who never looked in any danger as soon as Reginaldo Ferreira put them in front after five minutes.

Riccardo Montolivo fired in a second in first-half stoppage time and further goals from Luca Toni (56th minute) and Per Kroldrup (72) consolidated their advantage.

Sampdoria returned to winning ways with a 1-0 triumph over Torino at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium.

Emiliano Bonazzoli cut short a two-month goal drought by notching the match-winner in the 16th minute.

Torino ended the game with 10 men when Roberto Muzzi was sent off late on, while Samp had a goal from Gennaro Delvecchio disallowed in the last minute.

Nine-man Chievo missed the chance to steal a march on their relegation rivals when they went down to a 1-0 defeat at Atalanta that was a tale of two penalties and three red cards.

Cristiano Doni converted successfully early in the first half for Atalanta - which must now consider themselves safe from the drop - after a foul which had led to the dismissal of Lorenzo D'Anna.

In the closing minutes, Chievo got the chance to even things up after a foul that saw Simone Loria dispatched to the dressing rooms but Alex Calderoni parried Victor Obinna's spot kick.

There was still time for Luciano to get the red card in the closing minutes to leave Chievo with nine men.

Parma's hopes of avoiding relegation were given a real shot in the arm on Saturday as on-loan striker Giuseppe Rossi scored a last-gasp winner for a 1-0 triumph against Livorno who had Cesar sent off.

Siena overturned a two-goal deficit to claim a crucial point in their battle against relegation with a 2-2 draw at home to Udinese.

Antonio Di Natale put the visitors ahead just before the break and his strike-partner Vicenzo Iaquinta doubled their lead on the hour mark.

There did not appear to be a way back into the game for Siena, until Massimo Maccarone headed in after 76 minutes.

Five minutes later, Paolo Negro grabbed the equalizer to earn the Bianconeri a point.

Cagliari piled the misery on misfiring Palermo with a 3-1 win in Sicily.

David Suazo was the hero for the struggling Sardinians with two goals, although a red card for Palermo defender Giuseppe Biava effectively made the difference.

The home side had gone ahead through Mark Bresciano after just three minutes, but Biava received his marching orders as he gave away a 28th minute penalty, which Suazo converted for his first of the game.

Cagliari tired out their depleted opponents and finally broke through to lead, 2-1, when Simone Pepe scored in the 82nd minute, and Suazo sealed the win five minutes from time.

In the evening game, AC Milan leapfrogged surprise packages Empoli with a 3-1 win at the San Siro.

Milan's goals were scored by Ronaldo, Alberto Gilardino and Giuseppe Favalli, while Luca Saudati netted for Empoli.

[abadani69]

AC Milan climbed into a Champions League qualifying place for the first time this season after Kaka, Giuseppe Favalli and Ronaldo scored in a 3-1 win over Messina in Serie A on Sunday.

Milan, who started the season on minus eight points for their part in last year's match-fixing scandal, are fourth with 50 points, 30 points behind leaders Inter, who host fifth-placed Palermo (48 points) in Sunday's late match (1930 GMT).

In Rome, AS Roma reacted to their humiliating 7-1 midweek defeat by Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-0 win over Sampdoria to consolidate second place on 65 points.

There was disappointment, however, for third-placed Lazio (56 points), whose eight-match winning streak ended in a 2-2 draw at basement side Ascoli.

Milan arrived at Messina's San Filippo stadium full of confidence after reaching the Champions League semi-finals with a 2-0 win at Bayern Munich in midweek.

Messina made a lively start with midfielder Salvatore Masiello forcing Dida into a full-stretch save at the base of his post. But they went behind in the 14th minute when Kaka curled in a shot from outside the area.

Milan defender Favalli capitalised on his team's growing dominance on the half hour when he ran on to Joann Gourcuff's pass to beat goalkeeper Gabriele Paoletti from inside the area.

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE

Striker Alberto Gilardino could have grabbed a third goal for Milan on the stroke of halftime, but fired straight at Paoletti from close range.

Ronaldo wrapped up an impressive Milan performance when he unleashed a superb right-foot drive into the top corner of the net five minutes from the end.

Masiello held off Kakha Kaladze to snatch Messina's consolation goal in stoppage-time.

Roma also ran out comfortable winners after Francesco Totti steadied their nerves with a goal in the 21st minute at home to Sampdoria.

The Roma captain's second goal, on the break midway through the second half, cemented his place as the division's leading scorer this season with 20 goals.

Defenders Matteo Ferrari and Christian Panucci also scored as Sampdoria's defence unravelled.

Lazio showed great determination as they twice came from behind in the final 20 minutes to draw at Ascoli.

The Rome side were aiming to equal the club record of nine successive Serie A wins, set under Sven Goran Eriksson in the 1998-99 season, but unexpectedly went behind in the 70th minute when Ascoli striker Andrea Soncin headed in from close range.

Tomasso Rocchi equalised three minutes later, but Guglielmo Stendardo's foul on Sasa Bjelanovic reduced Lazio to 10 men and gave Ascoli a penalty, which Luigi Di Biagio converted.

Lazio snatched a point six minutes from time, though, when Luis Jimenez chested down a long ball before spinning and shooting into the roof of the net.

[abadani69]

Cagliari picked up a point in a goalless draw at home to Empoli on Saturday afternoon to move nine clear of the relegation zone.

In an entertaining game, both sides showed their full array of skills but neither managed to create the telling clear-cut chance.

Both had to settle in the end for a 0-0 draw, which helps Empoli keep up the pressure on the top five and gives Cagliari a healthy cushion above the bottom three.

Chievo, however, remains just three points above the Serie A drop zone following a narrow 2-1 defeat at Udinese.

The Flying Donkeys got off to the ideal start in Udine when Sergio Pellissier gave them a 10th-minute lead with a superb solo goal.

Vincenzo Iaquinta leveled for the hosts 11 minutes before the interval and Antonio Di Natale struck the winner 16 minutes from time.

[abadani69]

Inter Milan's bid to claim the Serie A title stalled Wednesday as second-placed Roma ended the Nerazzurri's season-long unbeaten run with a 3-1 win at the San Siro.

Inter started the day knowing victory would see them land their second successive Scudetto and their hopes were raised when Marco Materazzi's penalty early in the second half cancelled out Simone Perrotta's 44th-minute tap-in.

But Giallorossi captain Francesco Totti fired home a late deflected free-kick and Marco Cassetti added Roma's third in injury time to delay the Inter celebrations.

It is unlikely to be enough to reopen the race for the Scudetto, however. Inter are now 13 points ahead of Roma with six games remaining.

An entertaining game also had an element of controversy about it with Roma goalkeeper Alexander Doni appearing to receive two yellow cards.

Third-placed Lazio were held to a goalless draw at home to Chievo in a bad-tempered match which saw three players sent-off.

Lazio's Valon Behrami and Chievo's Paolo Sammarco were dismissed just before half-time after a dust-up while the hosts' Luciano Zauri also saw red in the 90th minute.

AC Milan stepped up their bid to play in next season's Champions League with an emphatic 5-2 win at rock-bottom Ascoli.

Alberto Gilardino and Kaka scored twice while Clarence Seedorf was also on target as the Rossoneri consolidated fourth position with a four-point advantage over Palermo and Empoli.

Empoli beat Atalanta 2-0, while on-loan Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi boosted Parma's chances of avoiding the drop.

Rossi scored both goals in a 2-0 defeat of Fiorentina, the latter from the penalty spot with just two minutes remaining. He had earlier opened the scoring in the 26th minute.

Siena beat Torino 1-0, Messina's relegation fears increased after a 3-1 defeat at fellow strugglers Reggina, Livorno beat Cagliari 2-1 and Udinese edged out Sampdoria 1-0.

[abadani69]

Seven referees were temporarily suspended by the Italian referees association Thursday in Italy's ongoing soccer scandal.

The suspensions were made in response to the conclusion of an investigation by prosecutors in Naples last week, which uncovered new match-fixing allegations.

"The decision was made in light of the recommendations at the end of the preliminary investigation by the Naples court," the Italian referees association said in a statement.

The referees were suspended pending an investigation by Italian sports authorities. They are Paolo Bertini, Stefano Cassara, Antonio Dattilo, Marco Gabriele, Gianluca Paparesta, Tiziano Pieri and Salvatore Racalbuto. Two linesmen, Marcello Ambrosino and Duccio Baglioni, were also suspended.

Juventus was relegated to Serie B and four clubs were penalized in Serie A this season for conspiring with referees to fix games in the 2004-05 season.

[abadani69]

Internazionale retained their Serie A crown on Sunday after winning at Siena while nearest challengers Roma slipped up at Atalanta.

Two goals from centre half Marco Materazzi were enough for Inter to earn a 2-1 win against a home side who had earlier drawn level through a goal by Paolo Negro.

Roma were impressive 3-1 winners at Inter on Wednesday - a result which delayed the Nerazzurri`s title celebrations for a few days at least - were unable to repeat the feat at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia.

Cristiano Doni opened the scoring for the hosts and Riccardo Zampagna made it 2-0 just before halftime. The Giallorossi pulled one back through Simone Perrotta after 64 minutes but they were unable to find an equaliser with Matteo Ferrari sent off at the end for the Eternal City club.

Inter looked determined to erase the memory of their midweek slip and started well, Materazzi firing home following a goalmouth scramble.

But Siena hit back when Daniele Galloppa's cross was headed by Negro past Julio Cesar.

The winner came when home keeper Alex Manninger fouled Julio Cruz, allowing Materazzi to convert from the spot.

The title celebrations started in earnest when news filtered through of Roma`s defeat.

Although the Nerazzurri were crowned Serie A champions last year it came about as a result of Juventus and AC Milan, both of whom finished ahead of Inter in the table, being hit with hefty points deductions for their part in the match-fixing scandal.

Roma were never at the races in Bergamo and looked lost without captain and top scorer Francesco Totti, who failed a late fitness test.

Doni headed the hosts in front and Zampagna made it 2-0 with a clever lob.

Roma improved after the break but only had Perrotta`s close-range effort to show for their considerable pressure.

Third-placed Lazio`s recent struggles continued as Fiorentina left the Stadio Olimpico with a 1-0 win - Adrian Mutu grabbing the only goal with 19 minutes to go.

The Biancoceleste are just one point ahead of AC Milan, who beat Cagliari 3-1 on Saturday night.

While the race for the Scudetto may be over, the fight to stay in Serie A continues apace.

Rock-bottom Ascoli`s clash against Catania was postponed due to an on-going wrangle over whether the Sicilian club can play their matches at home - the Ascoli game was due to be staged at the neutral venue of Modena.

Second-bottom Messina were beaten 3-1 at Sampdoria on Saturday.

Chievo were in action on Sunday afternoon and they picked up a vital 2-1 victory at home to Livorno to move three points clear of third-bottom Parma, who meet Palermo later in the day.

Cristiano Lucarelli gave the visitors from Leghorn a 17th-minute lead but efforts from Sergio Pellissier and Erjon Bogdani turned the match around.

Reggina dropped into the relegation zone after Parma posted a stunning 4-3 win at Palermo, whose hopes of playing in next season's Champions League are fading fast.

The hosts had Marco Pisano sent-off after 58 minutes and Claudio Ranieri's men took full advantage with substitute Andrea Gasbarroni and Giuseppe Rossi, on loan from Manchester United, putting them ahead, 4-2.

The Reggio Calabria club drew, 1-1, with Udinese on Sunday. Sulley Muntari put Udinese ahead but Nicola Amoruso equalized from the penalty spot with six minutes to go.

Torino are four points above the drop zone after a goalless draw at fifth-placed Empoli.

[abadani69]

A goal by Clarence Seedorf was enough to earn AC Milan a 1-0 win at Torino on Saturday, lifting them above Lazio into third place in Serie A.

It was a comfortable victory for Milan, which will not have wasted too much energy ahead of next Wednesday's vital Champions League semifinal second-leg against Manchester United at the San Siro.

Seedorf broke the deadlock with a curling shot from long range in the 26th minute and, despite a second-half revival from the home team, Milan were never in danger of losing their lead - particularly after Oscar Brevi was sent off for the home side in the 73rd minute.

The defeat leaves Torino in danger at the bottom of Serie A, and they will not have as comfortable a day off Sunday, knowing they could drop into the bottom three.

In Saturday's other game, Fiorentina moved up to fifth after a hard-earned 1-0 win over struggling Chievo.

A 64th-minute goal from Reginaldo was enough to earn the Viola all three points in a game they dominated from start to finish.