objectionable eyesore: Galliani asks league to postpone Milan's match

By DANIELLA MATAR

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 9:06 a.m. ET Feb. 2, 2012

MILAN (AP) -AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani is asking league officials to postpone Sunday night's Serie A match with Napoli because of the adverse weather conditions affecting northern Italy.

Milan missed the chance to go above Juventus at the top of the Serie A standings after losing 2-0 at Lazio on Wednesday.

Juventus' game at Parma on Tuesday was postponed due to snow, as were three of Wednesday's games: Atalanta vs. Genoa; Bologna vs. Fiorentina; and Siena vs. Catania.

"All the weather forecasts for the next few days predict hazardous weather conditions, the likes of which have not been seen in Milan for 27 years," Galliani wrote in an open letter to league president Maurizio Beretta. "In these conditions I strongly believe that playing a game ... would be very much more than unsuitable.

"The really extreme conditions which everyone is predicting, lead me to ask you to postpone the match to a date when it will be possible to play a normal game."

Inter Milan's game at San Siro against Palermo went ahead midweek - albeit with the lines painted pink - and president Massimo Moratti claims that had a direct impact on the 4-4 result.

"The pitch was better than it has been at other times," Moratti said. "It was a bit of a crazy game, one to remember. The weather certainly influenced it and the result was spectacular for those who don't support Palermo or Inter."

Inter faces another match in icy conditions away at Roma on Saturday and the region's vice president for sport has already called for the game to be postponed with temperatures below freezing predicted on Saturday.

More of a worry to the Inter fans will be the fitness of playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who limped off against Palermo. Moratti admitted he was worried about the Dutch star on Thursday, but Sneijder wrote on Twitter that the injury is not serious and he hopes to play against Roma.

Juventus could move four points clear when it hosts Siena and it will be somewhat of a new-look team that takes to the pitch on Sunday.

Marco Borriello has already played two games for the Bianconeri, but fellow new signings Martin Caceres and Simone Padoin could make their debuts.

Udinese is currently three points behind Juve, albeit having played a game more, and it will be looking to keep in touch with the leader when it travels to Fiorentina.

Elsewhere, rock-bottom Novara will hope to give itself a fighting chance of escaping relegation when it faces Cagliari. The other two teams in the drop zone, Lecce and Cesena, are level on 16 points, three from safety.

Lecce hosts Bologna and Cesena Catania, with both teams looking nervously over their shoulders at the bottom three.

Elsewhere, it's Genoa vs. Lazio, Chievo Verona vs. Parma and Palermo vs. Atalanta.

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