In Italy, the final moments of a football game are known as the zona Cesarini: a reference to Renato Cesarini, the former Juventus midfielder who cemented his reputation for late goals with a 90th-minute winner for the national team against Hungary in 1931. The term has long since passed into general use, describing anything from political deals brokered right before a vote to homework assignments handed in on deadline.
Perhaps it is time for an update. In Serie A this season, injury time belongs to Claudio Ranieri’s Cagliari. The Sardinians have endured a difficult season, sitting joint-second from bottom in the table, but the outlook could be a lot worse.
