Silver lining

Trapattoni brings energy, enthusiasm to Italy

ROME (AP) -- His light hair is now a vibrant silver, but the eagerness and energy of Giovanni Trapattoni still emanate from the bright blue eyes of the 62-year-old coach.

"The Trap," as the Italian national team coach is widely known, shows few scars from his nearly 45 years in soccer. Perhaps that is because he has so rarely been on the losing side.

Starting as a player for AC Milan in the 1950s and 60s, Trapattoni was a part of two league championship teams and countless other titles for the storied club.

He also made 17 appearances for the team he now coaches, although Trapattoni missed the 1962 World Cup for the Azzurri with an injury. A year later, he was back for Italy against Brazil in a friendly match in Milan.

Marked by "the Trap," Pele played only the first 26 minutes of that game and never touched the ball.

"The blond one was really good," Pele said after that game. "Clean, precise. He never pulled at the legs, he played with anticipation."

Trapattoni's nearly 30-year coaching career contains even more highlights. He is one of club soccer's most successful coaches, with titles at such prestigious clubs as Juventus, Internazionale and Bayern Munich.

"The Trap" is equally well established on the international scene.

Though Italy did not stray far from its perennial do-just-enough-to-advance approach, Trapattoni's exuberance helped fuel a successful six wins and two draws in the eight-match World Cup qualifying round.

Heading into the World Cup, Trapattoni has his team among the favorites once again.

"I like France, Brazil, Argentina and England," Trapattoni said to reporters when asked to name a possible champion. "And Italy, obviously."

Known as an extremely amusing character, Trapattoni often talks in his own language. The Italian media sometimes refers to the coach's analogy and metaphor-filled speech as "Trapattonese."

One notorious outburst of anger by Trapattoni in German against some of his Bayern players is still shown on Italian television.

He still lives in the Milan suburb where he was born and where he was a blue-collar worker before starting his professional soccer career.

Trapattoni seems like an obvious choice to lead Italy in this year's tournament in Japan and South Korea, but the job doesn't suit him.

"I miss the daily dose of the soccer field," Trapattoni said recently while leading a clinic for younger players. "Arriving at 9:30 in the morning, taking care of all the little problems each day, preparing for one game after another."

In other words, it probably will not be long before the successful coach guides another club team to a championship. This is not to say he does not relish the opportunity to coach his country's top team.

"Satisfying, even if the life of a coach is constantly dictated by results," Trapattoni said when asked about his first two years guiding the national team. "We were tested in (World Cup) qualifying, but we didn't suffer."

Trapattoni took over the Italy job when Dino Zoff resigned abruptly after the European Championships in 2000. All of this soccer-crazed country is hoping the wily veteran can bring home the World Cup before returning to his preferred job with a club team.

"Certainly, to coach a team in practice every morning is something else, the rush of one game after another, and this I miss," Trapattoni said of coaching a team on a more regular basis than the national team allows.

"To coach is always a pleasure, seeing the players' growth, their passion, the love for the game."

 

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