San Siro set to party: Inter expected to secure Serie A title on Sunday

MILAN (AP) — Inter Milan could be Serie A champion before it even kicks a ball against Parma on Sunday.

Cristian Chivu’s team has a 10-point advantage over second-placed Napoli and 12 over AC Milan, with four rounds remaining.

A home win on Sunday night would guarantee Inter the title. A point could even be enough depending on the results of Napoli’s and Milan’s matches.

But the Nerazzurri would also be champions if Napoli loses at Champions League-chasing Como on Saturday and Milan fails to beat Sassuolo about four hours before Inter kick off at San Siro.

It would be a first managerial trophy for Chivu, whose only previous senior coaching experience before the Inter job was 13 matches in charge of Parma at the end of last season.

“I know what players go through, how they experience these situations and what it means to play for Inter,” said Chivu, who was part of Inter’s famous treble-winning team in 2010. “You have to embrace them, always tell the truth and remain consistent without abandoning your ideas. I can try to play my part, but in the end everything depends on the players.

“I’ve been fortunate because these boys bought into it straight away. We’ve had a strong season: 25 wins, 80 league goals and more than 100 in total. That’s not easy to achieve, and the credit goes to them for embracing everything we asked of them.”

Inter could win the league and cup double as it faces Lazio in the Italian Cup final on May 13.

Behind Inter, the battle for the other three Champions League qualifying spots is heating up.

Fourth-placed Juventus is only three points above Como and Roma. Juve also trails third-placed Milan by just three points.

Juventus hosts relegation-threatened Hellas Verona on Sunday, while Roma welcomes Fiorentina on Monday.

At the other end of the table, Pisa will be mathematically relegated if it fails to beat Lecce, which is in the last place of safety in Serie A.

Cremonese is just a point below Lecce and hosts Lazio on Monday. The other team in the relegation zone is Verona, which is 10 points below Lecce.

Inter midfielder Federico Dimarco broke the record for most assists in a single Serie A season when he set up both goals in a 2-2 draw at Torino.

That took his tally to 18 this campaign. Teammate Lautaro Martínez will be hoping to get on the end of one of Dimarco’s trademark, pinpoint crosses as he makes his return from injury.

Lautaro has missed eight of the past nine league matches with a calf problem, playing less than an hour of the match against Roma, where he scored twice. The World Cup winner returned to training on Wednesday.

Milan midfielder Luka Modric will miss the final four rounds after breaking his cheekbone against Juventus last weekend. The Croatia captain, who has been one of Milan's best players, underwent surgery on Monday and faces a race to recover for the World Cup.

Italian soccer is being rocked by another refereeing scandal.

Gianluca Rocchi, the head of referees in Serie A and Serie B, has been placed under criminal investigation for alleged sports fraud. Also under investigation is VAR supervisor Andrea Gervasoni, who was appearing in court in Milan on Thursday.

It is alleged that Rocchi influenced VAR decisions and assigned referees favored by Inter for some games in 2024-25.

No players or directors from Inter or any other Serie A club have been implicated.

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Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte shouts during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Cremonese, Friday, April 24 , 2026, in Naples, Italy. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

AC Milan's Luka Modric is injured during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Juventus, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram, left, celebrates with teammate Federico Dimarco after scoring his side's opening goal during a Serie A soccer match between Torino and Inter Milan, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Petar Sucic celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Italian Cup, return-leg soccer match between Inter Milan and Como, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Inter Milan's head coach Cristian Chivu reacts after the Italian Cup, second-leg soccer match between Inter Milan and Como, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England kept its main interest rate on hold at 3.75% Thursday as policymakers assess the economic impact of the Iran war and Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s crude passes. Other central banks have also held rates this week, including the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank, with all opting for no change as they gauge how long the volatility related to the conflict in the Middle East will persist.

Minutes from the Bank of England meeting showed that eight of the nine rate-setters voted to keep rates on hold while one member opted for a quarter-point hike. But there was a clear signal that interest rates could rise in coming months.

“We think this is a reasonable place given the situation of the economy and the unpredictability oft events in the Middle East,” said Bank Gov. Andrew Bailey. "Whatever happens, our job is to make sure that inflation gets back to the 2% target after the initial impact of the war on energy prices has passed.”

In an unusual development, the bank published a range of forecasts given the geopolitical uncertainties. It said that in a worst-case scenario where oil and gas prices stay higher for longer, U.K. inflation could rise to as much as 6.2% by early 2027 from 3.3% currently. It also considered several ways that events could unfold with a worst-case scenario leading to multiple rate rises and an increased risk of recession. Before the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, there had been an expectation in financial markets that the Bank of England would cut rates given that inflation was predicted to fall back toward its 2% target during the spring. The war has since upended the bank’s predictions and wider global economic forecasts as the price of oil and other costs have spiked sharply higher. Energy prices have raced up again over the past few days as traders price in a growing expectation that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed for a long time to come. Brent crude, the international standard, briefly jumped to over $126 a barrel at one point Thursday, its highest level since the aftermath of Russia’s full-blown invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

Bank of England policymakers will be keeping an eye on whether the evident inflation spike starts to spread through the economy, by way of higher wages, for example. They will also monitor how the oil price shock hits the economy and whether it leads to a recession, which would keep a lid on price rises.

Luke Bartholomew, deputy chief economist at asset management firm Aberdeen, said he thinks the recessionary risks will limit any second round inflation effects.

“But if oil prices continue to move higher, it is hard to see how the Bank avoids having to hike later this year,” he said.

Policymakers will also be alert to any upcoming action from Britain's Labour government to limit the inflation impact on households and businesses. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves, whose hopes over the cost-of-living have been blown off course by the crisis in the Middle East, has said she is ready to provide support when and if needed.

“The war in the Middle East is not our war, but it is one we have to respond to,” said Reeves.

FILE - Prices are shown on a board at a gas station in London, England, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street to attend the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions in parliament in London, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)