The Grab: 12.22

Inter Milan can be proud of their fictional title, as they hold a comfortable seven point lead over second place AS Roma in the Serie A table. With some fans (and even former Nerazzurri Sandro Mazzola from the dominant Inter side of the mid 60's) going so far as to call Roberto Mancini's current squad the best Inter's ever had, it looks like it's Inter's Scudetto to lose. On Sunday, Mancini's boys will attempt to match Roma's record of 11 consecutive wins by hosting Atalanta. You have to wonder where Inter would be in the table though, if AC Milan was playing as well as they're capable of. [UEFA, Wikipedia]

The bleach-blond, brittle legged Djibril Cisse is back, and scoring against St. Etienne as Olympique Marseille see their themselves fifth in Ligue 1, just two points behind second place Lens. With Franck Ribery, and the fact that the French league is perhaps one of the softest on the continent, OM should feasibly vie for a Champions League spot this year. Perhaps Cisse's legs will strengthen now that he's refrained from assaulting his pregnant wife. Don't quote me on that; I'm presuming that he's actually stopped knocking his missus (madame?) around. [IHT.com, BBC Sport]

While I'm not the expert on footie below the equator (that would be AC), you have to love the
incestuous nature of coaching changes in Argentina. Then again, Ricardo La Volpe had no other choice than to sacrifice himself as his Boca team bit it hard. Maybe it's the jeans, Ricky. [SI.com, SMiA, Fussball]

-bl