Parma, Juventus Stay Positive
Copyright � 1998 Nando.net
Copyright � 1998 Reuters
PARMA (Sep 27, 1998 - 12:02 EDT) -- Parma's 1-0 victory over Juventus may have taken place under dark, foreboding skies and torrential rain on Saturday, but both Serie A coaches were still able to look on the bright side afterward.
While Parma manager Alberto Malesani could take comfort from his side's first league victory, his counterpart, Marcello Lippi, recalled that Juventus's march to last season's title began with their first defeat of the season.
"Last year, we understood that we could win the championship from a lost match, that defeat against Inter Milan at the San Siro when an excellent performance removed all doubts about the result," said Lippi.
"Here it was the same thing. We have shown that we are getting back to being the same side as last year."
Lippi's side had made a 100-percent start but now trails league leader Fiorentina by three points in fifth place.
Dino Baggio's 47th minute goal sealed Parma's win on Saturday.
"We have beaten a great team," Malesani said. "Who knows? Maybe one day we will be an example for others to follow."
Parma is seventh in Serie A with five points from three matches.
On the dark side, however, both managers agreed that Saturday night's performance said more about their respective sides' potential than their true state of health.
Parma may have one of the strongest defenses in Italian football with France's World Cup star, Lilian Thuram, and Italy's Fabio Cannavaro yet to concede a goal this season, but its victory over Juventus failed to hide old failings up front.
Malesani was handed the managerial reins at Parma because of a reputation for goal-hungry sides, but his strikers -- Argentina's Hernan Crespo and Abel Balbo, Enrico Chiesa and Colombian Faustino Asprilla -- have not scored in the league.
Against Juventus, Parma's most dangerous strikes at goal invariably came from midfielders: Argentine Juan Veron, Diego Fuser and Dino Baggio, whose second-half winner was his fourth goal in four years against his old club.
"My squad is on a par with the champions of Italy," said Malesani, charged with ending Parma's long wait for their first ever league championship.
"The difficult part is learning the habit of winning. It means being patient, very patient. I don't know if it will take one or two years."
Juventus fans are used to waiting, at least for a short while. All three of Lippi's three championships in four years have been the product of impressive finishes rather than strong starts.
The current side is playing true to form.
Against Parma, team captain Alessandro Del Piero, without a goal in domestic or international soccer since April, looked a shadow of the player who scored 22 league goals last year.
The defense, once the bedrock of Juve's success, is suddenly leaking goals as 20-year-old Croat Igor Tudor struggles to fill the boots of injured internationals Ciro Ferrara and Mark Iuliano.
Didier Deschamps and Zinedine Zidane's efforts in helping France win the 1998 World Cup have also taken their toll.
Deschamps rarely looked like winning his midfield battle with French rival Alain Boghossian, while Zidane missed Saturday's match with a bruised knee, painfully exposing Juve's over-reliance on his playmaking skills.
Both Parma and Juventus now face a testing week in Europe.
Parma must overturn a one-goal deficit against Turkey's Fenerbahce in their UEFA Cup first round second-leg match at the Tardini stadium on Tuesday.
Likewise, Juventus faces a Champions' League Group B match against Norwegian champions Rosenborg in Trondheim, which it needs to win following its disappointing home draw with Galatasaray two weeks ago.
