Udinese vs AC Milan (pre-game-post match thread)

Originally Posted by Hasan Rossonero

Here is how it works in Italy:

* inhale *

Ok in Italian football no matter how many teams are tied on points there can only be ONE play-off.

So if you take a quick glance at the table you will see Fiorentina, Bologna and Parma are all tied. Heck you will also see Bologna actually sit ABOVE Fiorentina (on gd).

But gd is irrelevant here. So what happens you make a mini-table with Fiorentina, Parma and Bologna. Then you see how many points the teams have secured in the encounters between each other. Since Fiorentina have secured the most between the 3, they are safe.

So then you would think, well what about Bologna and Parma, who has secured more between the two.

Irrelevant. Since Fiorentina have secured the most Bologna and Parma have to play the play-off!

* Exhale *

well done, well explained. but i don't understand why the fuss about this system from some of the members of this forum and the mistake done by eurosport. this is the same system used in the champions league and in all uefa/fifa competitions, including european championships and world cup. few countries still use the unfair criterion of the goal difference. i think england and germany. direct encounter is by far more fair.