Why the flying donkeys are on cloud nine

IF YOU thought Bolton's 2-1 win at Manchester United was the footballing fairytale of the weekend, you'd be wrong.

For in Italy, a club which have more season ticket holders than the population of the area they represent are top of Serie A - only 15 years after they were playing in the amateur leagues.

Chievo's astonishing rise continued on Sunday when a 1-0 victory over Parma, coupled with Inter's 4-2 defeat in the derby against AC Milan, left the side from a small neighbourhood of Verona looking down on their wealthy rivals.

The fact that Chievo, with a population of just under 3,000 but with around 3,500 season tickets holders, have reached Serie A at all is incredible.

They play in the 43,000-capacity ground of fellow Serie A side Verona.

Followers of the city's big club used to ridicule Chievo fans by saying that the day they played in Serie A was the day donkeys would fly over Verona.

But the Verona fans were made to look asses for their mule taunt when Chievo clinched promotion to Serie A for the first time in June and made their topflight debut a couple of months later with a 2-0 victory over Fiorentina.

Since then they've gone on to claim four more wins, including a 2- 1 victory over a Udinese side managed by ex-Blackburn chief Roy Hodgson, and drew 2-2 with Brescia, who included a resurgent Roberto Baggio as an attacking midfielder.

Their only defeat came in a 3-2 loss at Juventus - a side that banked a world-record 48million when they sold Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid in the summer.

Chievo were actually 2-0 up after only 20 minutes and only lost to a suspect penalty with eight minutes to go. No wonder Juventus coach Marcelo Lippi said: "Chievo showed great determination not to fear us at all and have great spirit."

Apart from two Brazilians and a Ghanian, the squad is made up of Italians and is a mix of journeymen and eager youngsters.

One of the old hands to flourish this season is 31-year-old Massimo Marazzina.

The striker, who failed to establish himself at Inter Milan in the early Nineties, scored four goals in 29 Serie A appearances during a year on loan with Reggina last season. This season he has already scored that many for Chievo.

The squad also includes summer signings Cristiano Lupatelli, who was Roma's second-choice goalkeeper, and midfielder Simone Perotta, bought from Bari.

Perotta, a former Italy Under-21 International, signed for wages of around 5,500 a week.

That figure is small change compared to the sums being earned by players at other Serie A sides and shows just how difficult it is for Chievo to compete.

The club's main source of income is their president Luca Campedelli who owns the successful confectionery company Paluani.

He is delighted by his club's rise but knows the squad needs reinforcing. He said: "We'll have to put some money into the club at the end of the year."

The plaudits for getting the best from limited resources go to 51- year-old coach Luigi Del Nieri. He is in his second year at the club and it is only the second time he has managed in Serie A, the last being a short ill-fated spell with Empoli three years ago.

Playing an uncomplicated style he demands hard work from his players and goes to great lengths to foster a strong team spirit.

He said: "Football is not just about techniques, tactics and talented players. It's also about enthusiasm and the joy for playing. We aren't necessarily a little club up against powerful machines. We are confident, even if we know we are among the seven or eight teams who have to fight to stay in Serie A."

If Chievo's success continues, one fight that Del Nieri will have is to try to stop his best players being tempted elsewhere by the lure of the lira.

Midfielder Christian Manfredini has already agreed to join champions Roma in a 5m deal next summer.

Chievo's superb start means they have an excellent chance of surviving in the top flight. However, there is no way that their fairytale will have the ultimate happy ending.

In fact, the day they win the Serie A title will be the day donkeys fly over Verona.

Where to find the team that have shocked Italy

P W D L F A Pts

Chievo 7 5 1 1 15 8 16

AC Milan 7 4 2 1 17 11 14

Inter Milan7 4 2 1 13 9 14

Bologna 7 4 1 2 4 3 13

Juventus 7 3 3 1 12 7 12

Roma 7 3 3 1 11 6 12

Verona 7 3 2 2 7 5 11

Brescia 7 2 4 1 12 10 10

Udinese 7 2 3 2 13 10 9

Lecce 7 2 3 2 10 11 9

Piacenza 7 2 2 3 11 11 8

Lazio 7 1 5 1 3 3 8

Parma 7 1 4 2 6 7 7

Perugia 7 1 3 3 6 9 6

Torino 7 1 3 3 8 12 6

Fiorentina 7 2 0 5 10 17 6

Atalanta 7 1 1 5 6 16 4

Venezia 7 0 2 5 3 12 2

Where to find the team that have shocked Italy

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