Tomorrow begins the post-Calciopoli era in Italy. And thank God Fabio Cappello and Juventus “won’t be around boring the pants off everyone at the top of the table,” says James Richardson, columnist for The Guardian. It should be good watching this year, too, he says, because “the Italian title battle has been transformed into a handicap race.” No Juventus, an 8-point deduction for AC Milan, an 11-point deduction for Lazio and a 19-point deduction for Fiorentina could be just enough to make things interesting at the top. Inter will definitely be the team to watch, after being handed last season’s Serie A title, and after spending so lavishly on the transfer market. Hernan Crespo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Patrick Vieira and Fabio Grosso are great additions to any squad, particularly for a team that already boasts the likes of Adriano, Luis Figo and Javier Zanetti. Inter also signed Maicon, the rising Brazilian star, from Monaco. “Still,” says Richardson, “there’s only so many world-class eggs a football pudding can stand, and the arrival of the likes of Ibrahimovic could prove a double edged sword…The lanky Swede has one of the hottest tempers in the game and his inclusion in Inter’s notoriously fractious locker room could provoke all sorts of fun.” Maybe that’s why so many still expect Inter to blow it. The second-favorite has to be AC Milan, despite its 8-point handicap, although the departure of Andriy Shevchenko is a serious loss. Milan, of course, is still confident. “This makes it a sporting contest at last”, said Kaká last week, pointing out that Milan finished 12 points clear of its neighbors last season. “Win two derbies and we’re almost back level”, he said matter-of-factly.