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Arrivederci Deportivo draws to advance past Milan, shutting out Italy
Updated: Tuesday March 13, 2001 6:53 PM
MILAN, Italy (AP) -- A 1-1 draw, on second-half penalty kicks, qualified Spain's Deportivo La Coruna for the Champions League quarterfinals while eliminating AC Milan from the most prestigious European soccer competition. The tie at Milan's San Siro stadium Tuesday lifted the Spanish team to 10 points in the Group B standings, earning Deportivo a quarterfinal berth along with Turkey's Galatasaray. AC Milan, a five-time Champions Cup titlist and the last Italian team left in the European cups, was kicked out as it was left with 7 points in six matches. The elimination of the ailing Milan powerhouse from the Champions League, added to the team's disappointing results in the Italian league, was expected to cause the dismissal of much-criticized coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Silvio Berlusconi, the media magnate and former premier who owns the Milan team, praised the players' engagement in Tuesday's match but was once again critical of Zaccheroni's moves. "It's no secret that I have not shared the technical decisions [of the coach] in the last two years," Berlusconi said. "A decision on Zaccheroni's future would not be taken tonight, but results show that I was right to have different views." Turkish coach Fatih Terim, who quit Fiorentina last month, and Marcello Lippi, formerly of Juventus and Internazionale, were mentioned in published reports as possible substitutes of Zaccheroni on AC Milan's bench. The Italian team, which needed a victory to qualify, was well controlled by the Spanish defense and did not produce a single scoring chance in the first half. As AC Milan was more aggressive and convincing in the initial minutes of the second half, a dubious penalty awarded by Scottish referee Hugh Dallas sank the home team's hopes. Second-half substitute Joan Capdevila collided with Milan's Danish defender Thomas Helveg as he entered the penalty area and the referee whistled quickly. Brazilian midfielder Djalminha converted the penalty in the 74th minute to give Deportivo a 1-0 lead. Ukrainian star-striker Andriy Shevchenko, who missed two of AC Milan best chances, made it 1-1, also on a penalty, with four minutes left after keeper Jose Francisco Molina fouled German veteran striker Oliver Bierhoff. In the 80th, Dallas had touched off irate protests by Milan players and fans with a late offside call on Bierhoff who had kicked in from an angled position. Between penalties, Deportivo's Brazilian midfielder Emerson wasted an easy chance for a second goal for the visiting team. Deportivo controlled play at ease and slowed down the pace any time its players had possession of the ball. About 70,000 Milan fans applauded the home players as they left the field, while some groups hurled objects at rival players and the referee. "We needed some good luck in the second half. We deserved victory. Instead we are out of the cup," said midfielder Demetrio Albertini. Deportivo's qualification was not surprising after it carried out an impressive comeback to beat Paris Saint Germain 4-3 in the previous Group B match. AC Milan was coming from five draws and four losses in the last nine cup and league matches. The Italian team definitely compromised its qualifying chances losing to Galatasaray 2-0 in Istanbul last week. Fans clash with police, insult club officialsRiot police fought off dozens of angry AC Milan fans, who tried to reach the VIP area at San Siro stadium following Tuesday's Champions league match with Deportivo La Coruna, which caused elimination of the Italian team from the European competition. Fans shouted insults at AC Milan's managing director Adriano Galliani as they were forced by police to retreat outside the stadium fences.
SummaryScorers: AC Milan - Andriy Shevchenko 86pen Deportivo Coruna - Djalminha 74pen Halftime: 0-0; Attendance: 70,103 Teams: AC Milan: 1-Sebastiano Rossi; 25-Roque Junior, 5-Alessandro Costacurta (33-Ibrahim Ba 61), 3-Paolo Maldini; 2-Thomas Helveg, 8-Gennaro Gattuso, 4-Demetrio Albertini, 77-Francesco Coco (27-Serginho 70); 10-Zvonimir Boban (20-Oliver Bierhoff 61); 7-Andriy Shevchenko, 11-Jose Mari Deportivo Coruna: 13-Jose Molina; 2-Manuel Pablo, 3-Enrique Romero, 4-Nourredine Naybet, 20- Donato;18-Victor, 14-Emerson, 8-Djalminha, 6-Mauro Silva (22-Marino Helder 23),10-Fran (15-Capdevila 64); 7-Roy Makaay (17-Walter Pandiani 81) Referee: Hugh Dallas (Scotland)
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