MILAN, April 3, (V7N) – Napoli and AC Milan will clash on Monday with Serie A leaders Inter Milan in their sights, but the return of domestic football over Easter has been overshadowed by Italy’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.  

Inter lead Milan by six points with eight matches remaining and host Champions League hopefuls Roma on Sunday. Normally confident of securing a 21st league crown, Inter have stumbled recently, taking just two points from their last three matches.  

Napoli, one point behind Milan, have reignited the title race with four straight wins following the end of a season-long injury crisis. However, they will be without Romelu Lukaku, who angered the club by remaining in Belgium for hip treatment.  

Yet the title battle has been eclipsed by the national team’s latest humiliation — Tuesday’s play-off defeat on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Federation chief Gabriele Gravina resigned Thursday, followed by general manager Gianluigi Buffon, while coach Gennaro Gattuso is expected to step down. 

Italy’s repeated failures have sparked calls to overhaul the system, with critics pointing to both the national team’s decline and the struggles of Serie A clubs in Europe. Inter, once Italy’s continental standard-bearers, were dumped out of the Champions League by Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.  

Roma, meanwhile, aim to stay in the hunt for a top-four finish despite being knocked out of the Europa League by Bologna and trailing fourth-placed Como by three points.  

Player to watch: Lautaro Martinez  

Inter’s recent wobble coincided with the injury absence of Lautaro Martinez. The Argentina striker, Serie A’s top scorer with 14 goals, is expected to return against Roma. Inter hope his presence will steady their title charge, while he looks ahead to the World Cup — a tournament Italy will again miss.  

Fixtures (times GMT)  

Saturday: Sassuolo v Cagliari (1300), Verona v Fiorentina (1600), Lazio v Parma (1845)  

Sunday: Cremonese v Bologna (1300), Pisa v Torino (1600), Inter Milan v Roma (1845)  

Monday: Udinese v Como (1030), Lecce v Atalanta (1300), Juventus v Genoa (1600), Napoli v AC Milan (1845)  

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