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Wishful thinking Changes needed after lackluster campaign at Inter MilanPosted: Friday April 25, 2003 6:23 PM
Gabriele Marcotti covers international soccer for CNNSI.com. He will answer questions from users in his mailbag periodically.
Mr. Gabriele Sir, for the past three seasons we have not seen the kind of football from Inter Milan which was displayed in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Would you kindly explain to me what really is the problem, since I can see that they still have the quality players despite some stars moving to other clubs. Furthermore Sir, what are their plans for the next season since there is no hope for the title this time? Are we going to see the real Inter Milan again next season and in the days to come? I remain a well-organized supporter of Inter Milan.
When it comes to Inter, I think one needs to separate the results from the quality of play shown on the pitch. Last year, in Cuper's first season, Inter reached the UEFA Cup semifinals and lost the scudetto on the last day of the season. This year, Inter is second in Serie A and has made it to the semifinals of the Champions League, so you can't fault Cuper's results. Having said that, I think Inter has played very poorly for much of the season, and the problem doesn't lie with the players, because there is plenty of quality. I think Cuper has implemented an ultra-defensive style that can only take Inter so far. In some ways, he has been lucky to have had a Christian Vieri in devastating form for much of the year and, in big matches, like against Valencia, goalkeeper Francesco Toldo has made the difference. But I think Inter has been fortunate in many ways and, unless it finds its footballing identity and an ability to create chances, it will once again fall short. If Cuper stays, the priority this summer will be signing one or two quality wide midfielders, something that is essential in his 4-4-2 system. Manchester United's Ryan Giggs has been mentioned, though I'm not sure he's the long-term solution. Ideally I would prefer to see Cuper tailor his tactics to the players at his disposal and not try to force them to fit into his system, but I guess that's wishful thinking...
England vs. Turkey was a cracking match with an intensity worthy of any cup final if not better. However, the crowd disturbances and whole atmosphere give me a creeping sensation that the return in Istanbul will be more than a game of football. I appreciate that violence and racism are plagues of our society and are not instigated by football itself; however the attitude of the players on the field with its usual display of dives and arguments really provided fuel to the whole scenario. I really think it is time that football players be paid and treated for what they really are. We give them too much importance and allow them to take center stage when other more important professions get shunned. Do you really believe football helps bridge the world cultures, or does it -- like in this case -- help separate them?
I don't think we need to make hierarchies of professions. Sure, a mid-wife or firefighter or policeman has a more important job than a footballer or a banker or, indeed, Britney Spears, but so what? Our footballers are entertainers; that's why we watch. For better or worse, they give us shared experiences and -- in that sense -- they bridge cultures: Fans in Beijing, Buenos Aires, Bakersfield, Barcelona or Bamako can all relate to a goal by Ronaldo, a tackle by Patrick Vieira or a save by Oliver Kahn. At the same time, they are just human. They will get angry, they will misbehave, they will argue amongst each other. Do they fuel misbehavior? I'm skeptical -- I don't think they do so any more than watching a movie in a cinema or a band in a rock concert. Rooney mania dominates English football. They are already praising him as the next big superstar. His game is flawless and he is destined to become the England savior of tomorrow -- at least this is the opinion of some sections of the media and the public. I mean this is really pushing it. The guy isn't even a regular starter for David Moyes for a reason. Now you compare Ronaldo, when he was 17, with Rooney and Rooney doesn't even come close. Ronaldo was playing for PSV scoring goals for fun (over 40) before making a big move to Barcelona to then win player of the year after scoring over 30 league goals for Barca at the age of only 18.
Now I can understand the media in complete frenzy hype over such a person. But over Rooney, I can't help to chuckle when all he has done for Everton was to score four league goals and have a very good game against Turkey for England. Yes, I admit, he has phenomenal talent and I think he should slowly start becoming a regular under Moyes, but already drawing parallels with Lineker and Shearer is going a bit over the top. And if the people really want to see Rooney become a superstar, the public and the media should stop putting so much PRESSURE on him. Poor guy!
Well, Rooney has achieved more so far than Lineker or Shearer did at his age. Sure, maybe he's not as good as Ronaldo was at that stage, but then surely that's no fault. Bear in mind that Everton manager David Moyes has gone out of his way to protect and limit his playing time as well. I've seen him in the flesh five or six times and one can tell he has all the skills to be a tremendous striker. Pressure is something he's going to have to get used to, but he seems to be coping well so far.
Why do you think the current media hate soccer? Here in Washington, D.C., which is a good soccer town, every time they talk about soccer is to bash it... even in national media, with jerks such as J. Rome trashing the sport? Why?
Good question. Maybe because they think it's what people want to hear? In the U.S., soccer is an easy target for some people for a variety of reasons. I think this will change over time, though it may take a while. At the very least, they may want to consider that, even if they don't like soccer, they don't have to trash it. They can just ignore it.
Could you explain to me Brazilian club football? Why are there all these parallel competitions? What are these regional championships about?
Brazil is a very big country and, for a long time, getting around was difficult and expensive. That's why regional championships were so popular -- it was expensive and impractical to jet around the country. This has now changed, and the country has a more traditional national championship, followed by a playoff system.
Hi Gabriele, I'm a supporter of Real Madrid and La liga. I like La Liga as the race to top is wide open; even my team Real is not assured of winning the crown. But I'm sort of disappointed in Real Betis; before the season they were rated just below Real Madrid, Valencia, Depor and Barelona. Barca is, of course, a disappointment, but Betis looks like "just another team" in La Liga. What do you think is wrong with the team? Is Joaquin a fluke? (I always thought he'd be a superstar.) And does Denilson fit the team?
Betis is a very young team. The likes of Joaquin, Kapi, Rivas, Juanito and Valera are all kids, so, understandably, the team has been inconsistent. Also, Victor Fernandez doesn't have a big squad at his disposal, which means injuries have hit Betis hard. Throw in the fact that Alfonso, the club's only genuine centerforward, has been injured, and it's understandable if Betis has struggled. If it can hang on to Joaquin next season and add some depth to the team, Betis may well challenge for the title.
Will the current economy likely mean fewer transfers this season or just fewer big-money transfers? I'm concerned that the biggest clubs will clean up at the expense of second-tier clubs like Newcastle and Deportivo. Also, it appears Arsenal needs some defensive depth for next year. Suggestions?
Well, Newcastle has actually been one of the clubs that has money to spend. But you are correct that the bigger teams seem more capable of weathering the storm than smaller ones. The cash crunch has hit everyone, however, and there are plenty of bargains to be had even for smaller clubs. I think it will be a fascinating summer, but I doubt we'll see huge-money moves.
Regarding your comments about Mauro Camoranesi. I agree that he probably shouldn't play for Italy, but David Trezeguet is just as Argentinian as Camoranesi is. I believe Trezeguet decided to play for France instead of Argentina because he didn't think he could beat out Batistuta and Crespo. It was probably a good call on his part. But he is an Argentine, not French.
Trezeguet was born in France and his mother is French; that's the main difference between him and Camoranesi. He played for France at the youth level and made his choice early. Camoranesi, on the other hand, waited until his mid-20s to give up on Argentina. To me tthat makes all the difference.
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