ITALY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Fans celebrate Inter Milan's Serie A title

Thousands of fans gathered in Milan central square Piazza del Duomo right after Inter Milan won the Italian Serie A title on Sunday (April 22), with five games to spare. The Milan cathedral and streets in the central area of the city were invaded by fans waving flags and celebrating the title. Marco Materazzi scored twice, once from the penalty spot, as Inter won 2-1 at Siena earlier in the day to clinch their second successive Serie A title with five games to spare. The win, coupled with second-placed AS Roma's 2-1 defeat at Atalanta gave Inter an unassailable 16-point lead. Inter have 84 points from 33 games, Roma have 68. "It is a great celebration and a great joy, I would have been even happier if we would have won last match, it would have been wonderful', said Inter fan Giorgio. "We have really deserved it, after all these victories. We too deserve to be happy once in a while, don't we?', said Inter fan Laura. By winning the championship with five games to spare, Inter have matched the record set by Torino in the 1947/48 season and equalled by Fiorentina in 1955/56. It is the club's 15th scudetto, but it is the first time fans have seen Inter claim the trophy on the pitch since 1989. Last year Inter were awarded the scudetto in July after the season was over when a sports tribunal revoked Juventus' title win in the fallout from the country's match-fixing scandal. "It is a great emotion, let's hope it is just the first one. And we will win loyally, not stealing', said Inter fan Mario. After the match, Inter chairman Massimo Moratti announced that he had renewed the contract of coach Roberto Mancini's until 2011, with an option for a further extension to 2012.

ITN Source | April 23, 2007

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