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UNLIKELY HERO: Ibrahimovic had not played a game since March 29 because of injury. Yet, that did not stop him from scoring, not once, but twice against Parma. The result meant Inter won the title, while Parma were relegated. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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MILAN - NOBODY can accuse Inter Milan of not making things interesting.
After dominating the Italian Serie A for most of the season, they stumbled and then almost crashed, before pulling out their third straight title yesterday with a 2-0 win over Parma.
Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, returning after a two-month injury layoff, came off the bench and scored both goals to secure the Inter's 16th Scudetto in the last match of the season.
'All of Italy was rooting against us, which gives us even more pride,' Inter president Massimo Moratti said.
AS Roma's hopes of snatching the title faltered as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Catania, but Ibrahimovic's double rendered their result meaningless anyway.
Juventus finished third, while Fiorentina claimed the last Champions League qualifying position after finishing fourth, following their 1-0 win at Torino.
That means AC Milan, the seven-time European champions, have to make do with playing in the Uefa Cup next season, despite a 4-1 home win over Udinese.
Catania's point was enough for the Sicilians to survive. That meant Parma and Empoli went down to Serie B, with already relegated Livorno.
Inter may have won the title but, at half-time, they looked like living up to their reputation as chokers.
Roma needed to win to keep their hopes alive and took the lead after just eight minutes, courtesy of a stunning goal from forward Mirko Vucinic.
He took the ball from out on the right flank, beat three men with a combination of skill and pace, and then fired a shot past Albano Bizarri.
Inter then had to win to keep hold of their title, but they struggled in the heavy rain during the first half.
Coach Roberto Mancini responded early in the second period by throwing on Ibrahimovic in a three-pronged attack alongside Julio Cruz and Mario Balotelli.
The Swede had not played since March 29, in a 1-2 defeat by Juventus. But he quickly adapted to the pace of the game, and needed just 11 minutes on the pitch before making the difference.
He took a square pass from Dejan Stankovic in his stride, took two more steps, and fizzed a low shot from 20 metres along the slippery surface past Nicola Pavarini.
Eleven minutes from time, having just had a one-on-one opportunity thwarted by Pavarini, Ibrahimovic met a deep right-wing cross from Brazilian full-back Maicon on the volley to ease Inter's nerves.
'He had hardly trained. He's a phenomenon,' Inter midfielder Stankovic said of Ibrahimovic.
In Sicily, where Catania needed a point to survive the drop, Roma could not quite hold on, and Jorge Martinez levelled the score late on to ensure Roma's title wait will go on for another year.
Roma will have a chance to gain their revenge next weekend, when the pair meet in the Italian Cup final for the fourth year in a row.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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