Inzaghi has 500 Serie A points in his career between Inter and Lazio

On the crazy Serie A Sunday, perhaps the figure went undeservedly unnoticed. The 32nd day of the championship was dominated by comebacks and mistakes, but above all by a historic missed Scudetto party. At midday Inter had done their job by overturning Lazio after giving them the advantage over a “slip” by Francesco Acerbi, then Napoli were surprised by Salernitana and the third Neapolitan title vanished, at least according to the arithmetic and at least for a few more days. In that 3-1 at Giuseppe Meazza, however, a particularly important goal was hidden.

Simone Inzaghi has in fact just cut 500 points in his career in the Italian championship, a round figure that he had in his sights for several weeks but which was more complicated than expected to reach: on 5 March against Lecce the coach had broken through the 490, then a few too many hiccups extended the wait into an “intermediate time” in which many successful technicians recorded higher times. And to think that Inzaghi’s career, despite a Champions League semi-final just around the corner, is still just beginning.

The ranking

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The question arises: how long did it take Inzaghi to reach 500 points in Serie A? And who managed to put so little into it? Obviously, only coaches who began their career in the top division after the introduction of three points for a win should be included in the count: therefore Marcello Lippi, who would be the best, remains out of competition. The Inter coach has racked up half a thousand points in 267 games – obviously including Sunday’s match against his former club Lazio – and climbs onto the podium of the fastest in Italy. Better than him only Maurizio Sarri and Carlo Ancelotti, respectively at 255 and 256 matches. But it is also by reading the names behind him that one realizes the greatness of this result achieved in just seven years. The top 5 is in fact completed by Roberto Mancini and Massimiliano Allegri, then there are Luciano Spalletti, Walter Mazzarri, Gian Piero Gasperini, Stefano Pioli and Luigi Delneri. Obviously the individual stories affect the statistics, such as for those who started in the provincials and therefore paid the price in the first seasons at an absolute level. But the data is there and it is quite promising in view of the next 500 points to be made.

The average points

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If, on the other hand, you want to get out of this misunderstanding of the beginning of a career and broaden the spectrum in general to the performances of Serie A coaches in their careers, you can take a look at the average points of all the coaches with at least 100 benches in the Italian top division. Again Inzaghi is in the top 10, understandably in a lower position. Ninth, to be precise, with a coefficient of 1.87 points per game. Above 2 there are only the “leaders” Antonio Conte and Allegri, followed by Carlo Carcano, Fabio Capello, José Mourinho, Sarri, Ancelotti and Carlo Parola. It is curious that these goals emerge precisely in a season in which progress in the championship risks being a mocking ballast in the evaluation of his work. Bragging about your accomplishments isn’t exactly a symbol of humility, but these numbers sing. At the end of the season, if the bogeyman of fifth place is averted, these figures will shine without “ifs” and “buts” on the chest of the 47-year-old from Piacenza.