Serie A returns with goals, VAR controversy and Sinisa Mihajlovic
The opening day of the Serie A season felt more like a recap sequence: that 30-second montage deployed at the start of a returning TV series to reacquaint viewers with key protagonists and story arcs.
First came the champions, Juventus, totally in control and totally underwhelming as they plodded to a one-goal victory over opponents who lacked the tools to hurt them. The Bianconeri barely even bothered to introduce us to new cast members: only Adrien Rabiot making a 27-minute cameo. Instead there was an unexpected revival for the Gonzalo Higuaín character, thought to have been written out after he was packed off to London.
Next up were Napoli – flawed but thrilling in a 4-3 triumph over Fiorentina to remind us of their status as doughty underdogs. And at the same time, the villains of the piece: referees and their nefarious VAR. There were not yet 10 minutes on the clock at the Stadio Artemio Franchi when Fiorentina were awarded a penalty following an on-field review. Gaetano Castrovilli had nudged a bouncing ball on to the arm of Piotr Zielinski.
To most who have played the game, it looked like an unreasonable decision. But under the new interpretations of the handball law introduced this summer, it was a correct one. Zielinski had made his silhouette ‘unnaturally bigger’ by raising his arm to gain position on his opponent.
Erick Pulgar converted, before Napoli equalised through Dries Mertens. The Belgian then won a penalty with a scandalous dive. Pursuing a bouncing ball in the Fiorentina box, Mertens simply kicked his feet backwards in the vicinity of Castrovilli and went down. The referee, Davide Massa, could be forgiven for not seeing it clearly but the failure of the lead VAR official, Paolo Valeri, to alert him to his mistake was difficult to comprehend.
Nikola Milenkovic pulled Fiorentina level after the break, only for José Callejon to put Napoli back in front. Kevin-Prince Boateng entered as a substitute for Fiorentina and slammed a 20-yard drive in off the post. Mertens, Callejon and Insigne all combined in one glorious movement to put Napoli back on top yet again.
Fiorentina ought to have had a chance at a last-gasp equaliser. Franck Ribéry had been sent on in the 78th minute, and in the 92nd was dragged down by Elseid Hysaj. The contact started outside the penalty area but continued into it. Massa, despite being well positioned, did not whistle. Once again, Valeri failed to alert him to his mistake.
It was a disappointing note on which to end a magnificent occasion. Fiorentina’s takeover by the American businessman, Rocco Commisso, has invigorated the club’s fanbase. Season ticket sales were reported to be up by 20%, even before the announcement of Ribéry’s arrival. Commisso’s name was sung as he performed a lap of the stadium before kick-off. Time will tell whether such enthusiasm is justified, but this is certainly shaping up as a fascinating season. Seven of the team’s 11 starters on Saturday were 22 or younger. Only one – Milan Badelj – is in his 30s.
As for Napoli, this was not quite the performance some of us envisaged of a team that has put together the best centre-back pairing in the division. To take all three points, however, was crucial. Next up is a visit to Juventus.
Fiorentina and Napoli set a tone for the weekend. On Sunday we would be treated to a similarly helter-skelter 3-3 draw between Roma and Genoa, with the Giallorossi three times unable to defend a lead under new manager Paulo Fonseca. Atalanta came back from 2-0 down to win away to Spal. Their last two goals were both scored by new signing Luis Muriel, off the bench.
The greatest story, however, came in Verona – where Bologna manager Sinisa Mihajlovic appeared in the away dugout less than two months after being diagnosed with leukemia. This was the first time he had left hospital in 40 days, surprising his own players when he arrived in their team hotel shortly before they were due to travel to the stadium.
Ever since revealing his diagnosis to the world at a tearful press conference last month, Mihajlovic has been adamant that he would return. “It will take a bit of time,” he said then, “but I will get better. This is the important thing. I explained it to my players as well. I cried a bit with them, too. I explained to them how we need to attack it. We play to win, not to avoid defeat. If we show fear, we don’t have courage, we defend, then the first goal we concede, we’re ruined. So I have to use the same tactics, that I like playing football. I will win this battle, definitely.”
The language of battles will not be universally appreciated. It is wrong to imply that an individual who dies from cancer has not fought hard enough. But Mihajlovic also has the right to define his experience on his terms. Even from his hospital bed, he has continued to coach his team, watching, advising and at times handing out stern dressings down via video chat.
He left the Bentegodi frustrated on Sunday night. They had been a goal and a man up in the 15th minute, after Pawel Dawidowicz was sent off giving away a penalty which Nicola Sansone converted. Verona equalised through a Miguel Veloso free-kick.
Mihajlovic returned to hospital afterwards. It is not known whether he will return to the bench for Friday’s game against Spal, or take a little more time to complete his treatment – a process which has taken a visible toll on his body. In any case, it was encouraging to see him on Sunday, doing the work he loves most.
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