Axe Hangs Over Apologetic Ancelotti
Wednesday 8th November 2000
Juventus coach Carlo Ancelotti was clinging to his job on Wednesday night
after accepting the blame for his side's disastrous Champions' League exit.
"The responsibility for the defeat is entirely mine," he conceded. "Now we
have nothing else to do other than getting focused on the League."
The Turin giants have historically refused to fire managers mid-season but
Ancelotti has now presided over Juve's elimination from Europe's major club
competition, the Uefa Cup and the Coppa Italia.
Respected TV commentator Gian Maria Gazzaniga awarded Juventus 3/10 for
their overall performance against Panathinaikos on Wednesday - just about
the lowest mark ever given - and pondered: "What did Ancelotti's employers
make of it all?"
On the other side of the coin, Greek coach Angelos Anastasiadis admitted
after PAO's 3-1 victory that he had won the biggest game of his life.
But he stressed that the Greek giants had not been lucky and thoroughly
deserved their place in the second phase. "We have shown over the six games
that none of the teams in our group were better than us," he said.
Anastasiadis reserved special praise for his captain. "All of the players
were magnificent, but Nikos Liberopoulos I am obviously very happy with," he
added.
Penalty-taker Angelos Basinas said: "We have shown we are a big team," while
37-year-old striker Krzysztof Warzycha roared: "I showed tonight that age
plays no part."
Now PAO turn their attentions to a domestic showdown this weekend against
Olympiakos and Anastasiadis revealed to onefootball.com that Paulo Sousa was
a major doubt after succumbing to injury yet again.
"This game is over and now we must focus on the next challenge," he added.
