INTERNATIONAL SCENE

Italy return to action this month with two fairly straightforward Euro 2008 qualifiers, but Giancarlo Rinaldi looks beyond this campaign at the fallout from the Euro 2012 host verdict Bid farewell

Everybody was obliged to express their shock but, in the end, the venue verdict for Euro 2012 was hardly a surprise. There had been distress signals in the sky for weeks about the Italian bid. Calciopoli, corruption and crowd trouble were cited as the unholy trinity which would scupper the hopes of bringing the competition back to the peninsula. Instead, UEFA opted for the experimental option of taking the tournament to Poland and Ukraine. It is good for football, of course, to see competitions moved around the continent. However, there must have been some serious flaws in the Italian effort when, with apparently the best infrastructure by a mile, they still managed to miss out. Officials were quick to decide it had been a piece of ‘sporting politics’. UEFA is keen to open up the game to new frontiers. Nonetheless, the people behind the failed effort to win the competition must face a certain degree of criticism. “We were too sure of ourselves, because of our footballing history, that we had the best chance,” commented Lazio President Claudio Lotito. “Infrastructure had its part to play in this decision. We are one of the greatest Leagues in the world but we have third world stadiums.”

Italian Football Federation President Giancarlo Abete admitted the bid had been hit by recent scandals. About a year and a half ago it looked like a certainty it would be successful, but both violence and the Calciopoli scandal undermined the whole process. “All of this probably had its effect,” conceded Abete. “Our bid looked strong 18 months ago, but since then all of these factors have had a negative impact. I accept some responsibility for that but everyone had their part to play.” Certainly some people would point the finger at UEFA delegate Franco Carraro and League President Antonio Matarrese. The former has offered his resignation in light of the bid’s failure while the latter has tried, once again, to stand firm. It would be an understatement to say that both men are not held in much regard in European circles. Carraro, of course, was the man at the helm of the FIGC when the Calciopoli scandal broke, while some consider Matarrese to be a figure who should have been consigned to the past some time ago. But, rightly or wrongly, it was felt that they had started the bid so they should at least be allowed to see it through. It ended up costing Italy an estimated £545m.

A home draw with Lithuania early in the qualifying campaign has left the Azzurri playing catch-up and revenge will be on their minds when the two meet in Vilnius

Of course, the reaction of the sporting fraternity has been different from that of the politicians. By and large they have said the best answer to missing out on the bid would be to go and win the competition in Poland and Ukraine. Of course, there is the little matter of Euro 2008 to get out of the way before then and a qualification route that remains complex. Victory over Scotland put the Italian effort back in with a chance of success, but they still need another two victories before their summer holidays. The Faroe Islands should not present them with too many troubles, but Lithuania have done so already. Failure to triumph in either of those two matches would be fatal to Roberto Donadoni’s campaign. Recent performances, however, have given the new Coach some reasons to be cheerful. “In the last few games we have turned things around,” said the former Milan midfielder. “Now we have got to work and strive to get even better. This is a group of quality players with a great desire to do well – that’s why I would like to see a bit more balance in judging them. Instead, everybody was pessimistic a few months ago and now everybody is optimistic.”

20 Calcio Italia June 2007
The message, from the Italy chief at least, is that his team is not as hopeless as it was being painted in September but, equally, it still has a lot to learn. Certainly, Donadoni himself has yet to put his own mark on his side. There are signs of progress, but still a fair bit of work to be done to see off the collective challenge of France, Ukraine and Scotland for qualification. What will also have encouraged the Coach is a definite reversal of the Serie A trend in utilising foreign players. While Inter’s Scudetto was largely based on stranieri, the rest of the Division has been forced to make use of Italian talent. For example, Milan’s Champions League campaign regularly included Massimo Oddo, Daniele Bonera, Alessandro Nesta, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Massimo Ambrosini, Pippo Inzaghi and Alberto Gilardino. It can only be good for the Nazionale to have club sides fielding more home-grown product. “To be honest, I still think there are too many foreigners in Serie A,” said Donadoni recently. “In my day there were three and I think there should be no more than five per team.” In truth, of the top teams only Inter could be said not to have done their bit for Italian talent. Roma have given Max Tonetto, Simone Perrotta, Daniele De Rossi, Marco Cassetti and, of course, that troublesome Francesco Totti their chance. While Lazio, Fiorentina, Palermo and Empoli have been positively packed full of current or potential internationals. So, the glass is surely more than half-full for Donadoni as he heads into his summer break. It will be up to him to top it up to the brim with two victories. Then he can start to worry about Totti and the latest episode in the never-ending battle between Italy and France.

A slip up against either the Faroe Islands or Lithuania would almost certainly bring an end to Roberto Donadoni’s Italian reign

Franco Carraro (right) and Antonio Matarrese have taken a lot of the criticism for Italy’s failed Euro 2012 bid

Massimo Oddo is one of several Italian internationals who helped Milan reach the zenith of European club football this term

RISULTATI 2/9/06 1-1 Lithuania (H) 6/9/06 1-3 France (A) 7/10/06 2-0 Ukraine (H) 11/10/06 3-1 Georgia (A) 28/3/07 2-0 Scotland (H) CLASSIFICA

Group B P W D L F A Pts Ukraine 5 4 0 1 8 4 12 Scotland 6 4 0 2 11 6 12 France 5 4 0 1 12 2 12 ITALY 5 3 1 1 9 5 10 Georgia 6 2 0 4 13 12 6 Lithuania 5 1 1 3 3 5 4 Faroe Islands 6 0 0 6 1 23 0

CALENDARIO 2/6/07 Faroe Islands (A) 6/6/07 Lithuania (A) 8/9/07 France (H) 12/9/07 Ukraine (A) 13/10/07 Georgia (H) 17/11/07 Scotland (A) 21/11/07 Faroe Islands (H)

text ITALIA to 83188 June 2007 21