Marco Parolo was only joking when he posed the question to Simone Inzaghi last December. “Back when you were coaching me at Lazio you offered us players a dinner for the first goal assisted by one wing-back and scored by the other,” said the former Italy international during an interview after Inter’s home win over Udinese. “What are you trying for now? A goal set up by the defender from one side of your back three and scored by the one on the other side?”
The translation is a little unwieldy. In Italian, Parolo was contrasting “un gol da quinto a quinto” with one “da terzo a terzo”, but English does not offer an equivalent for this shorthand reference to footballers’ positions as “fifths” and “thirds”. The sentiment was what mattered. Parolo was marvelling like the rest of us at the fluidity of an Internazionale side in which it can seem like every player bar the goalkeeper has permission to join the attack.
