Lippi Backs Nedved After Del Piero Snub
Sunday 25th November 2001
Juventus coach Marcello Lippi defended Pavel Nedved after the Czech star's first return to Lazio ended in defeat.
Lippi was heavily criticised for taking off Juve golden-boy Alessandro del Piero during the disappointing 1-0 defeat in Rome.
The move stoked rumours of a rift between the coach and Del Piero, who has now substituted eight times by Lippi this season.
Many observers believed Nedved should have been the one to make way for Nicola Amoruso but Lippi was adamant that the �28 million Czech midfielder was worthy of his faith.
"Pavel Nedved had a great match," said Lippi.
"He was able to block out the emotions of returning to his former stadium and went close to scoring."
Meanwhile, David Trezeguet was also on the defensive following the spat with Simone Inzaghi and Fernando Couto in which TV replays appeared to show the French striker head-butting an opponent in the ensuing scuffle.
"Inzaghi insulted me and I reacted," said Trezeguet. "Couto tried to hit me but during half time we cleared everything up."
Inzaghi, though, had a different version of events. "I didn't insult anybody," said the Lazio striker. "He just head-butted me.
"I hope television will show that and he'll get suspended. I don't understand what Trezeguet wanted from me."
Lazio's victory was their fourth in succession, justifying coach Alberto Zaccheroni's decision to drop expensive signings Gaizka Mendieta and Stefano Fiore following his arrival in Rome.
"The new players hadn't got used to life here so I decided to put in the established names," Zaccheroni pointed out.
"It doesn't mean that I have rejected them but the likes of Giuliano Giannichedda, Fabio Liverani and Karel Poborsky are playing superbly."
Liverani scored the winner against Juventus, which lifted Lazio ahead of the Turin giants into fourth spot in Serie A.
The only black mark was the injury to in-form goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi.
The former Italy number one injured his wrist yesterday during a clash with Brazilian striker Nicola Amoruso - and although he finished the match an x-ray showed he would be out for six weeks with a hairline fracture.
