Milan, needing a win to clinch a Champions League play-off place, had Sulley Muntari sent off in the first half before drawing 0-0 at home with Roma last night in a match interrupted by racist behaviour from visiting fans.

Ghanaian midfielder Muntari was booked and then sent off in the 41st minute of an unsavoury match for grabbing the referee’s arm as Milan players surrounded the official to protest against the original decision.

The game was stopped early in the second half after Roma fans jeered Milan striker Mario Balotelli.

A warning was announced over the public address system and play resumed.

Roma captain Francesco Totti was dismissed in stoppage time for elbowing.

The result left third-placed Milan two points clear of Fiorentina, who earlier defeated Palermo 1-0 and condemned the Sicilians to Serie B next season.

Milan visit Siena in their last match while Fiorentina, who have 67 points, are at Pescara.

Palermo were dispatched to Serie B after their loss to Fiorentina yesterday to end a turbulent season in which they employed three different coaches, two of them twice.

The Sicilians’ nine-season stint in Serie A ended in farcical fashion as a torrential downpour in the second half made the pitch almost unplayable.

Former Palermo striker Luca Toni scored for Fiorentina just before half-time to maintain his team’s chances of pipping Milan for third place and the Champions League play-off spot.

Juventus have already won the title with Napoli certain of second place.

Torino, Genoa safe

With Pescara already down, Siena completed the trio of relegated teams when Genoa, the only side they could have caught, held Inter to a goalless draw to put themselves out of reach.

Torino ensured their survival with a 1-1 at Chievo in a third match played at lunchtime because of the Giro D’Italia cycling race combined with boycott threats from Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini.

Palermo’s defeat left them 18th with 32 points from 37 games, five adrift of Genoa. Siena have 30 points.

Palermo began the season under Giuseppe Sannino, who was fired after three games and replaced by Gian Piero Gasperini.

He lasted until early February when he was also sacked, replacement Alberto Malesani went after three games, Gasperini re-hired and fired after two matches, paving the way for Sannino to return.

Serie A top scorer Edinson Cavani took his tally to 28 by scoring the equaliser in Napoli’s 2-1 win over Siena, with Marek Hamsik grabbing an injury-time winner.

The Uruguayan has six goals more than Udinese’s 35-year-old forward Antonio Di Natale, who scored twice in a 2-1 win over Atalanta which kept his side fifth and on course for a place in the Europa League.

Serie A

Chievo 1
Thereau 10;
Torino 1
Cerci 20 pen;

HT: 1-1. Att: 11,000.

Fiorentina 1
Toni 41;
Palermo 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 28,023.

Genoa 0
Inter 0

Att: 20,000.

Lazio 2
Floccari 10; Candreva 90+ pen;
Sampdoria 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 32,000.
Red card: Renan (S) 90.

Milan 0
Roma 0

Att: 50,983.
Red cards: Muntari (M) 41; Totti (R) 90.

Napoli 2
Cavani 73; Hamsik 90;
Siena 1
Grillo 36;

HT: 0-1. Att: 39,000.

Parma 0
Bologna 2
Taider 6; Moscardelli 76;

HT: 0-1. Att: 14,700.

Udinese 2
Di Natale 43, 52;
Atalanta 1
De Luca 10;

HT: 1-1. Att: 15,000.

	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Juventus	37	27	6	4	69	21	87
Napoli	37	23	9	5	72	34	78
Milan	37	20	9	8	65	38	69
Fiorentina	37	20	7	10	67	43	67
Udinese	37	17	12	8	54	43	63
Lazio	37	18	7	12	51	41	61
Roma	37	17	8	12	69	55	59
Catania	37	15	10	12	48	44	55
Inter	37	16	6	15	53	52	54
Parma	37	12	10	15	42	45	46
Cagliari	37	11	11	15	42	55	44
Chievo	37	12	8	17	35	50	44
Bologna	37	11	10	16	46	52	43
Sampdoria (-1)	37	10	10	17	40	49	39
Atalanta (-2)	37	11	8	18	37	54	39
Torino (-1)	37	8	15	14	44	53	38
Genoa	37	8	13	16	38	52	37
Palermo	37	6	14	17	33	51	32
Siena (-6)	37	9	9	19	35	55	30
Pescara	37	6	4	27	26	79	22

Top scorers
28 goals: Cavani (Napoli).
22 goals: Di Natale (Udinese).
16 goals: El Shaarawy (Milan), Osvaldo (Roma).
15 goals: Denis (Atalanta), Klose (Lazio), Lamela (Roma), Pazzini (Milan).

Next fixtures
Sunday: 20.45 Atalanta vs Chievo; Bologna vs Genoa; Cagliari vs Lazio; Inter vs Udinese; Palermo vs Parma; Pescara vs Fiorentina; Roma vs Napoli; Sampdoria vs Juventus; Siena vs Milan; Torino vs Catania.

Prima Divisione ‘A’
SudTirol vs Tritium 0-0; Cremonese vs Trapani 3-4; FeralpiSalo vs Cuneo 3-1; Carpi vs Como 1-2; Pavia vs Porto-gruaro 2-3; Reggiana vs Treviso 0-1; Lumezzane vs San Marino 2-0; AlbinoLeffe vs Lecce 2-1.

Leading standings: Trapani 64 (p); Lecce 61; Carpi 51; Entella, SudTirol 50; AlbinoLeffe 47; Cremonese 46; San Marino, Lumezzane, FeralpiSalo 43.

Prima Divisione ‘B’
Paganese vs Perugia 0-2; Carrarese vs Latina 1-1; Benevento vs Barletta 0-0; Prato vs Andria 1-2; Gubbio vs Catanzaro 1-1; Sorrento vs Nocerina 3-0; Viareggio vs Frosinone 2-0; Avellino vs Pisa 2-3.

Leading standings: Avellino 60 (p); Perugia 58; Nocerina, Latina 53; Pisa 52; Benevento 43; Frosinone, Gubbio 40; Paganese 39; Catanzaro 37.