Serie A Weekly - Frank Tigani

This season's Scudetto race has been one of the more exciting ones in recent history. Ever since Calciopoli, Inter have strolled to league success year after year without much competition from their down and out rivals. But, this year, things changed dramatically and it has been for the better.

Lazio, most unexpectedly, took the league by storm in the early rounds of the season as they catapulted themselves to pole position. Juventus, after suffering more than any other Italian club following the 2006 scandal, put themselves in a good position to challenge for the title before they self-destructed in the second half of the season. Like Lazio, Napoli also surprised many with their good form that, only until recently, saw them as creditable title contenders.

The rise of Lazio and Napoli has made for an interesting Scudetto race. In addition to the rise of these at one time powers of the Italian game, Inter re-emerged in the second half of the season to become the biggest threat to a team that, above the rest, has re-established itself as a force on the Italian domestic front, Milan. Last weekend the Rossoneri wrapped up the title after their draw in the Stadio Olimpico.

Just as the race for top spot has proven to be an exciting affair, now, so too is the race for fourth spot.

With just two rounds remaining there are still three clubs aiming to claim the coveted final place for next season's champion's league. As it stands, Udinese are in the best position to claim the spot as they already occupy fourth two points ahead of both Lazio and Rome who are equal with sixty points. Up until the last round of fixtures, Juventus were still entertaining hopes of Champions League football next term, however, the failure to beat Chievo on Monday night effectively spelt the end of their dreams.

The pressure on the clubs chasing fourth spot in order to guarantee Champions League football has evidently shown in their somewhat inconsistent results in recent weeks.

Early season pace setters Lazio have lost three in a row including a crucial lost to rivals Udinese last weekend. Despite their crucial win over Edy Reja's men, the Zebrette have been largely inconsistent also with just two wins in their last six matches. Roma are the most in form team of the three clubs as they have lost just once in their last six matches and have now gone three matches without defeat.

Before their draw against the Flying Donkey's on Monday when Juventus who were still in with a chance of claiming fourth spot, the Turin giants boasted the most impressive run of results having not being defeated in seven matches running. After their draw against Chievo, this run has extended to eight matches.

For the Serie A, this season's battle for fourth spot will be the last in the foreseeable future as from next year on it will be the Bundesliga that is granted four spots for the Champions League. Italy will only be awarded three.

But, not only for this reason is this season's battle for fourth spot most intriguing. As Italian football continues in its attempt to reassert itself as a power on the continent two clubs, in particular, are pushing hard to be at the forefront of such a resurgence.

Traditional Italian heavyweight Juventus is a club desperate to reclaim its former status at the summit of the Italian game. Ever since being humiliatingly relegated to Serie B as punishment for their role in Calciopoli, the Old Lady has struggled in its bid to rebuild itself and its image.

This season has proven to be no different. Despite an impressive first half of the season, Luigi Del Neri's side have self-destructed since the New Year and now the club is effectively out of the race for Champions League football.

With a new stadium to be ready for next year, the Old Lady is doing some things right. However, now that the club will play another season in the Europa League, again, will the club struggle to lure the big names that it needs.

The one club, however, that would be the biggest loser if it failed to claim fourth spot would be AS Roma. The past month has seen the club taken over by American business tycoon Thomas Di Benedetto. The new owner has promised to make Roma great again by bringing major changes to the club in the form of its youth development, a new stadium and new players.

By securing fourth spot the club would be able to attract a higher calibre of players and for Roma and Italian football alike, this would be beneficial.

But, eternal rivals Lazio along with Udinese threaten the hopes of the Giallorossi. Despite their paper thin squads, the Biancocelesti and the Zebrette have been magnificent at times this season. Indeed, the latter has played some of the best football on the peninsula.

While the achievements of Lazio and Udinese are to be commended, both clubs' lack the ambition of Roma, and Juventus for that matter, and for this reason, for Calcio, it would be best if Roma finished fourth.

Of course, this is not to say that Lazio and Udinese would be undeserving of playing Champions League football next season. On the contrary, the two clubs have outdone even their own expectations with their limited squads and perhaps in a way deserve fourth spot more than their more illustrious rivals.

However, looking at the bigger picture, it seems that either Roma stand to gain the most from qualifying for the Champions League. What is their gain would be Calcio's gain also and for a competition trying to reclaim its status amongst the powers of Europe it is best that they claim the last fourth placed Champions League qualifying spot for Serie A.

Frank Tigani is a writer for Italian Football Website, Serie A Weekly.com. He is also the creator of acmilanblog.net and is a editor for the Canadian Soccer Magazine publication, 11 Players. Originally from Australia, Frank covered Australian football and Australia's World Cup campaign during the 2010 South Africa FIFA World Cup for, just-football.com.