If a week is a long time in football, the past couple of months have been an eternity for Italian fans who until recently had been looking forward to a summer of glory
Rome: If a week is a long time in football, the past couple of months have been an eternity for Italian fans who until recently had been looking forward to a summer of glory at the World Cup.
In March, Italy crowed confidently after Marcello Lippi’s talented young Azzurri served notice of their emerging threat with a scintillating 4-1 rout of tournament hosts Germany in a friendly.
But the sudden eruption of a wide-ranging corruption scandal in the closing weeks of the Serie A season has rocked the Italian game to its foundations, turning the mood of burgeoning optimism into one of plunging pessimism.
The various probes into allegations of fraud, match-fixing and illegal betting have now reached the door of the Azzurri’s dressing room, embroiling Lippi as well as goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and defender Fabio Cannavaro.
Lippi, who is not under investigation in connection with any of the allegations, was questioned for three hours on Friday as part of the probe into GEA World, a sports management agency run by Alessandro Moggi, the son of disgraced former Juventus chief Luciano.
The danger for Italy’s World Cup hopes is that the scandal will rumble on throughout the tournament, leaving Lippi and his squad sagging under the weight of relentless questioning by the media.
A crumb of comfort for Italian fans could be a historical omen. The Azzurri ended up winning the 1982 World Cup in the wake of the last major corruption scandal to hit Serie A. The difference between now and 1980, however, is that the investigations had been completed and wrapped up by the time the World Cup rolled around.
If Italy’s players can put the scandal on the backburner they will be confident of mounting a challenge in Germany, where they should in theory emerge from Group E ahead of the Czech Republic, US and Ghana.
Unbeaten in 16 matches leading into the competition, they have claimed some notable scalps along the way, beating a highly-rated Dutch team last year as well as Germany.
A note of caution for Italy’s fans, however, is the fact that the Azzurri have performed miserably at their last two major tournaments. They were eliminated in the first round at Euro 2004, and were bundled out in the last 16 by South Korea at the last World Cup.
Unless they really have rediscovered the spirit of 1982, Italy’s confidence might be exposed as mere bravado.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}