INTER AND KINDER, DISAPPOINTING TONGUE-TWISTERS.

They have different features, but the Sunday débâcles of two similar clubs, albeit belonging to different sports, nonetheless produce bitter tears.
Inter in soccer and Kinder in basketball. Two little sports tragedies.
The bigger of the two is of course that of the black and blue soccer team which, after waiting for 13 years, seemed just a step away from the title. An unreal atmosphere, an Olympic stadium completely decked out with Inter flags, was not enough to see the Milan club beat a fairly obliging Lazio. It was amazing how Cuper’s men just went to pieces after failing to take the lead on two occasions.
It all depended on the squad that had led the way throughout the season. Winning in Rome against an unmotivated eleven and, what is more, with the fans of the opponent side cheering on the black and blues, seemed very much on the cards. But Inter just let the chance slip through its fingers and failed the final exam. In little more than 50 minutes, tactical-psychological problems came to light which, until then, luck and the coach’s skill had managed to cover up. It is no good poking one’s finger in the wound of a number of players not worthy of the shirts they wore or, worse, of a championship among the most important in the world. Cuper defended to the bitter end a number of debatable decisions, trenching himself in behind the strength and cohesion of the squad, not to be dismembered by against-the-tide solutions.
The truth on the other hand was that Inter had been on its feet for a lot of Sundays. And if it reached the championship final D-day a match-point in the lead, it had only the individual feats of Ronaldo and Recoba in the matches against Brescia and Piacenza to thank for it. Consequently, in the name of single champions, the psychological balance could even have been disrupted by removing certain athletes (first and foremost Conceiçao and Gresko) who were not up to the task.

For Kinder as well, last Sunday was a little competitive nightmare. The Bologna squad had reached its fifth consecutive Euroleague basketball final. And against the Greek team, Panathinaikos, Messina’s players had managed to achieve an illusory +15 lead. Fatal blackout like that of Inter’s and a success that slipped through their fingers, just when they looked all set to take the title. For coach Messina, fired and then taken on again during the course of the season, it would have been a sweet revenge. Curious the behind the scenes activities of the club; the Virtus squad, considered the basketball Juventus of Italy due to the numerous titles won in the past and with that white and black on their shirts, defeated on the very day Juventus took the title. As if to say: “You can’t win all the time”. Even though what happened to Inter was a big shock. Translated by interpres sas