Tac tastes success
Football Italia - February 2000
The match between Juventus and Milan was particularly opportune for Alessio Tacchinardi. The 24-year-old central midfielder lined up opposite the player who has monopolised the same role in the national team that Tacchinardi aspires to. The Juve man had the chance to outshine him and outshine him he did.
Now in his sixth season with the Bianconeri, Alessio is playing some of the very best football of his career yet remains disillusioned about his chances with the Azzurri. Milan's Demetrio Albertini appears to have a hold on the midfield director's role in the side, yet he's certainly not playing
as well as Tacchinardi at the moment. "I don't want to push myself forward," says the Juventino. "I don't want my call up to the Azzurri squad to develop into a soap story." One thing that did cheer up poor old Alessio was the 3-1 victory over Milan where he outshone his opposite number Albertini by a big margin. Yet notwithstanding the three goals they scored against Milan and other good performances since, Tacchinardi still thinks that from an offensive point of view they have yet to reach their full
potential. Tacchinardi has been impressed with Milan's Andriy Shevchenko but says: "The best foreigner to arrive last summer was our own Darko Kovacevic. In the cup games he has shown how important he is to us with his goals and assists and I think he is very important for our future."
And the rest of the season? "We are fed up of watching others enjoying themselves come the end of the season. We want to be enjoying ourselves as well by winning something."
