Juventus an Obstacle to AC Milan's Title Hopes
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
ROME, Italy (May 7, 1999 10:33 a.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - Alberto Zaccheroni could join an elite group of AC Milan managers if his team beats Juventus this weekend.
"If we win in Turin, the title is ours," said club president Adriano Galliani this week, noting the weakness of Milan's final two opponents - relegated Empoli at home and lowly Perugia away.
Leaders Lazio, one point ahead of Milan, have Bologna at home on Sunday followed by a trip to third-placed Fiorentina and a tough end-of-season home game against Parma, which is fourth.
If Milan emerges as champions, Zaccheroni will join just four other managers who have won the title with AC at their first attempt - Gipo Viani in 1957, Nereo Rocca five years later, Arrigo Sacchi in 1987 and Fabio Capello in 1992.
Like Rocca, who moved from Padova to Milan, and Sacchi, whose experience of management before moving to the San Siro was at second division Parma and Rimini, Zaccheroni has earned his managerial spurs among the lesser lights of Italian soccer.
Zaccheroni spent two seasons with Venezia before reaching the top via Bologna, Cosenza and Udinese.
And just as Rocca invented the catenaccio style of defence and counter-attack and Sacchi built a large reputation as a soccer guru, Zaccheroni's 3-4-3 formation at Udinese from 1995 to 1998 has revolutionised modern Italian soccer.
Zaccheroni also appears to share Sacchi's famed good fortune - last week's injury time own goal sealing victory over Sampdoria was the fifth time this season that his side have won in stoppage time.
Juventus are still desperately seeking to qualify for the Champions' League and will not lie down for Milan while Lazio host a Bologna team that has lost its last two league games.
Juve are without suspended defenders Mark Iuliano and Zoran Mirkovic as well as former Milan player Edgar Davids, the lynchpin of the Turin side's midfield.
"We are going for the victory," said Milan's German striker Oliver Bierhoff on Thursday. "A victory in the lair of the reigning champions would be a warning to everyone."
At the Olympic stadium, Lazio can expect no favours from Bologna whose coach Carlo Mazzone used to manage rivals AS Roma.
Bologna's striker Giuseppe Signori also bears a grudge against Lazio manager Sven-Goren Eriksson for the way he was sold last season after 107 goals in 154 matches.
But the Rome leaders have a full squad available for the first time in over a month, with Argentine midfielder Matias Almeyda and defender Giuseppe Favalli both back from suspension.
Eriksson is determined to consign a bad 13-year-old memory to the soccer history books by taking the title with Lazio.
In 1986, as manager of AS Roma, the Swede watched his side throw away the championship by losing to relegated Lecce at the Olympic stadium on the penultimate day of the season.
