Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri blamed fatigue and 'unusual' conditions after his team lost 2-1 at Udinese on Thursday and again failed to seal the Serie A title.
It was the fourth time in five games Juve had failed to win, but they are still on course for a ninth successive title mainly because two of the other contenders, Inter Milan and Lazio, have also suffered a loss of form.
Inter have won two of their last six games and Lazio had taken only one point from their last 15 before Thursday.
"This season is difficult, all the teams are playing in conditions different to the usual ones and everyone is tired," said Sarri whose side would have clinched the title with a win.
"It's complicated to stay mentally and physically on the ball for 90 minutes. The games are strange and the momentum changes very easily. The mental fatigue is more than the physical fatigue."
Juventus lead the standings with 80 points followed by Atalanta on 74 and Inter Milan on 73, all with three games left. Lazio have 69 points and four to play, starting at home to Cagliari later on Thursday.
The three-month coronavirus stoppage forced Serie A to cram the final 12 rounds of matches into six weeks, with teams also facing high temperatures and late finishes.
Juve have already conceded 38 goals, their highest total for 10 seasons, and have dropped 18 points from winning positions.
"We've had 12 penalties given against us which is unusual for the big teams," said Sarri. "But there have been more penalties generally, we're at an all-time record."
Udinese coach Luca Gotti, whose side moved up to 15th, was as surprised as anyone by the win.
"I didn't see it coming, but the best thing is that the guys did everything they could to make it happen," he said. "It was hard to imagine with so few available and so much tiredness.
"Sarri deserves this title, which is virtually Juve's, but I'm happy he didn't celebrate it here."
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
![]Cristiano Ronaldo at Stadio Friuli in Udine. Getty](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/OIHMVBNFOSO2AA7NSWMCXVPDMI.jpg?smart=true&auth=b329a1ee85e857702427fb6c7c5a3f944003a2d202002310a45fede37bffe60d&width=800&height=450)
