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Zoff's dilemma Italy coach weighs lineup, looks to make history
Posted: Saturday July 01, 2000 06:49 PM
GEEL, Belgium (AP) -- The surprise start of Italy's Alessandro Del Piero against the Netherlands has brought the drama of coach Dino Zoff's lineup choices to a head just in time for Sunday's European Championship final against France. After having showed a clear preference through the quarterfinals for AS Roma's Francesco Totti in the playmaker slot, Zoff opted to start the Juventus superstar Del Piero against the Dutch in the semifinal. And as always, no one -- including the players -- knew for sure until game day. "No, I wasn't so surprised," a cool Del Piero said after Italy's memorable shootout win against the Euro 2000 co-host. "I've always said I'm ready to play at any time." Like most of the Italian offense, Del Piero offered few highlights in the scoreless draw against the Dutch, which the Azzurri eventually won 3-1 in a shootout. Totti, who replaced midfielder Stefano Fiore just before the end of regulation, again looked sharp in his limited action, setting up fellow Roma replacement Marco Delvecchio several times in the overtime period. "Zoff showed great courage to put me in before the end of regulation, with the overtime still ahead and no more substitutes to spend," said Totti. Ahead of Sunday's final against France, the Totti-Del Piero dilemma continued to perplex Italian soccer pundits. "Final With Totti," declared the Rome-based Corriere dello Sport in its banner front page headline, pushing its hometown preference. "This is for sure, Zoff understood his mistake and won't repeat it," the paper insisted. "There will be space in the second half for Del Piero, who will replace Fiore." "Del Piero with Totti," was the best guess of Turin-based Tutto Sport, in its banner headline. But La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy's leading sports daily, said Zoff would not start the two creative forwards together. The questions have been following Zoff since arriving at Euro 2000, especially after he appeared uncertain about his formation in the weeks and months leading up to the tournament. But the 58-year-old former goalkeeper has been resolute -- if not particularly forthcoming -- about his choices. Fiore, a Zoff discovery, has been perhaps Italy's best surprise. Totti, who many believed didn't deserve to start over Del Piero, has notched two game-winning goals. Thus the choice of Del Piero in the semifinal over Totti, announced only an hour before the match, again shook up expectations. Ultimately, however, it is hard to argue with a lineup that wins. And Zoff, who has tried to deflect questions over the past three weeks, finally snapped back at a question about the lineup after the win over the Dutch. "I always make thoughtful choices, but I know [the press] is in bad faith," Zoff said. There are other lineup questions still outstanding for the Azzurri. The suspension of speedy midfielder Gianluca Zambrotta following his red card in the semifinal, leaves a key hole Zoff must fill. Fortunately for the Italian coach, there are two experienced midfielders available, Gianluca Pessotto and Angelo Di Livio. Neither, however, has Zambrotta's technical skills. More defensively minded, Pessotto is likely to get the nod against the powerful French. Up front, Filippo Inzaghi's return to mediocre play against the Netherlands also leaves the center forward position open to debate. Delvecchio, who had gotten little action in the tournament, was impressive after replacing Inzaghi in the second half. Italian coach seeks another page in record booksGEEL, Belgium -- When Italian coach Dino Zoff smiles -- and it is a rare sight -- there is a glimpse of what a European Championship would mean to him. For a quiet leader, it would mean the satisfaction of meeting the highest challenge of sports leadership. For a man lambasted by the press, it would be the kind of ultimate vindication few thought possible before Euro 2000 began. And if the Azzurri beat France on Sunday, the 58-year-old Zoff -- who has remained stone-faced throughout Italy's run to the final -- would have another good reason to finally let loose his shy but winning smile. An Italian victory would make Zoff the first man to ever notch a European Championship title as both player and coach. Though it is the kind of personal achievement that Zoff gruffly dismisses, both for himself and any one of his players, the record would forever seal the former goalkeeper in the annals of soccer history -- in and outside of Italy. Already, Zoff is the only Italian to win both the European Championship and the World Cup. He also played more international games for Italy than any other player, although his current captain Paolo Maldini is set to break that mark with three more matches. And Zoff captained Italy a record 59 times. All of that is topped off with six Italian league championships. Still, once he hung up his spikes, success has yet to come pouring in on the sidelines. He did coach Juventus to an Italian Cup and UEFA Cup in the late 1980s, but since being plucked two years ago from the front office of Lazio to head the national team, Zoff has rarely gotten the respect he commanded through his 15 years playing for the Azzurri. And though he tends to deflect, rather than respond to criticism, he has bristled several times at the questioning media. Even Friday, following his team's unlikely shootout win over the co-host Netherlands in Amsterdam, Zoff snapped back at a question about game-day switches in Italy's lineup. Later when someone asked about the team's good fortune in Euro 2000, Zoff quipped, "Me lucky? I don't know if it's lucky to stand here in front of all of you every day." Still, Zoff is largely back on the pedestal he reached while leading Italy to the 1982 World Cup, at the age of 40. That came 14 years after first stepping into the starting lineup just in time to be between the goalposts for Italy's winning European Championship team in 1968. The man Zoff outdueled on the sidelines of Thursday's semifinal, the Netherlands' Frank Rijkaard, was also in line for a crack at the player-coach honors, having been a defender on the Dutch team that won the 1988 European Championship. But again in the semifinal, Zoff employed an old Italian-style, defense-first strategy that has paid off with just two goals allowed in five games. The performance against the Dutch by Italian 'keeper Francesco Toldo, who saved three penalty kicks, is further evidence that the Azzurri may ride their coach's championship spirit to the title.
Albertini overcomes swollen ankle, will startGEEL, Belgium -- Italy midfielder Demetrio Albertini confirmed Saturday that his injured ankle had healed, and he will be ready to start against France in the European Championship final. Albertini was taken off after 78 minutes in Thursday's semifinal penalty shootout win over the Netherlands, after his right ankle swelled up during the game. But after a day off on Friday, the 28-year-old AC Milan standout participated fully in a final team workout on the eve of Sunday's final in Rotterdam. Italy Coach Dino Zoff said Saturday that his squad is fit, though the Azzurri will not have the services of previously injured midfielder Antonio Conte and Gianluca Zambrotta, who was red-carded in the semifinal. Captain Paolo Maldini, who had missed part of the quarterfinal with a thigh strain, came through the semifinal fine, despite playing 120 minutes.
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