The Hindu : Sport / Football : Trapattoni hoping to make history

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 06, 2004

Sport

Sport - Football

Trapattoni hoping to make history

MILAN, JUNE 5. Most grown-up Italians do not even remember June 10, 1968 when Italy captain Giacinto Facchetti led the Azzurri to their first and only European football championship in Rome with a victory over Yugoslavia.

It was a memorable battle that spanned two games. The first match ended 1-1 after extra-time and, with the penalty shootout lottery not having been conceived at that time, was followed two days later by a replay that Italy won 2-0.

``It remains the greatest day of my career,'' said Pietro Anastasi, now a football commentator who added his goal to Luigi (Gigi) Riva's first.

With 35 goals under his belt, Riva is still the national team's top scorer and has remained with the Azzurri backroom staff.

In June next year, 36 years after helping his country secure the European trophy at the Stadio Olimpico, Riva will travel to Portugal with coach Giovanni Trapattoni as the Azzurri try to seize the continental crown once again.

The 64-year-old Trapattoni is Italy's top winning coach, with eight national titles as well as one in Germany with Bayern Munich.

In the autumn of 2000 he took over the helm and steered Italy to the 2002 World Cup, where, however, his dithering, injury-plagued team was eliminated early in the tournament.

The qualification phase for Euro 2004 seems to have taught Trapattoni some lessons.

His side overcame a rough start, marked by a 2-1 defeat away to Wales, by switching to a more attack-minded style of play that saw Italy score 14 goals and concede just one in the last five qualification games to top Group 9.

``Certain kinds of defensive tactics are part of our DNA,'' Trapattoni said before his country's ill-fated World Cup campaign in 2002, when Italy lost in the quarterfinals to host South Korea.

Some critics wielded the statement like a weapon against him after the Korean game, especially considering Christian Vieri too often ploughed a lonely furrow up front. — DPA

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport