Italian Clubs Licking Wounds After European Upsets
Copyright � 1998 Nando.net
Copyright � 1998 Reuters
ROME (Sep 17, 1998 - 11:49 EDT) - Italian soccer was this week licking its wounds after both teams in the Champions League, Juventus and Inter Milan, got off to poor starts.
Juventus were held to a surprise 2-2 home draw in Group B by Turkish side Galatasaray in Turin while Inter fared even worse, beaten 2-0 away by Spanish side Real Madrid in Group C in Seville.
Coming only 24 hours after top Serie A side Parma were beaten 1-0 by Turkish club Fenerbahce in a UEFA Cup tie in Istanbul, the Champions League disappointments prompted sports daily Gazzetta Dello Sport to sound the alarm.
"In the space of just 24 hours, after the lesson learned by Parma from Fenerbahce in the UEFA Cup, another Turkish side (Galatasaray) prompts us to reflect on the changing hierarchy within European soccer."
While the Juventus home draw with Galatasaray was greeted with dismay, it was Inter's negative showing against Real Madrid in Seville which attracted the heaviest critical condemnation.
Many commentators lambasted Inter coach Gigi Simoni for his negative tactical approach, underlined by his decision to leave Roberto Baggio on the substitutes' bench while talented attackers such as Nicola Ventola and Andrea Pirlo were brought in only for the final 15 minutes.
"You could hardly have done a worse job in planning the match. Even apart from how this Inter was planned and conceived, it is simply not acceptable that Roberto Baggio did not take his place on the Champions League stage," commented sports daily Corriere Dello Sport.
Gazzetta Dello Sport highlighted the match statistics which showed an 18-0 corner count in Real Madrid's favour and also the fact that Inter did not force Real goalkeeper Bodo Illgner into a single save.
"Even if Inter had pulled off a draw, its game plan would have been a conceptual disaster all the same...
"What is the sense, what clever strategy is it that sees you concede the entire pitch to your opponent and have him play down at your end of the pitch all the time?" queried Gazetta.
On the Juventus match, the daily La Repubblica commented: "This is a result which complicates the future and muddies the present, throwing no light on the many doubts about this current injury-struck Juventus.
"This was a 2-2 pulled off from behind, with difficulty and in permanent defensive crisis."
Gazzetta Dello Sport said the draw with Galatasaray was likely to haunt Juventus for the rest of the qualifying round.
"Nothing is lost yet, sure, since the group formula allows you to get back into the race but the loss of these two points will be sorely felt, rest assured, and from now on every game will be a do or die affair. And that certainly was not planned for."
