Title Race Starts Now, Says Lippi
MILAN, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Juventus coach Marcello Lippi says the race for the Italian title has started in earnest after unfashionable Chievo were knocked off their perch on Sunday.
'The championship is now getting under way,' Lippi told Rai television.
Chievo have led Serie A for the past six weeks but their 3-2 defeat to AC Milan saw Inter, 4-2 victors at Atalanta, take over the top spot. Inter lead on 25 points, two clear of Chievo and AS Roma.
But it is tight at the top with fourth-placed Milan just a point behind Roma, closely followed by Juventus and Lazio, who both have 20 points.
'Today we saw Lazio enter the race and practically all the squads between the 25 points of Inter and our 20 points have the same chance of success,' the Juve coach said.
While Milan and Juventus appear to be finding the consistency they lacked in the earlier stages of the season and Roma's shaky start is now a distant memory, Lazio are emerging at last.
Under Alberto Zaccheroni, who took over after a dreadful start to the season under Dino Zoff, Lazio have raced up the table, winning their last four games including Sunday's 2-1 victory at Lecce. Zaccheroni says his side are now close to reaching their full potential.
'Although we had several key players missing today we played well. If we continue to play like this and at this pace in the next few games, I can honestly say that we have arrived as a real team,' said Zaccheroni.
Inter have the advantage at the moment and their Argentine coach Hector Cuper agreed with Lippi that the race remains wide open.
'I am very happy, as we all are at Inter, to be in first place. But I don't fear one team in particular for the title race - I fear them all,' said the former Valencia coach who is in his first season at Inter.
With little separating the clubs at the top, the head-to-head games between the contenders will take on extra spice in the coming weeks.
Next Sunday sees Lippi's Juventus face Milan at the San Siro.
