Donadoni unsurprised by press backlash

AFP - 10 June 2008 16:31

Coach of the Italian national football team Roberto Donadoni reacts during the Euro 2008 Championships Group C football match against Holland at the stade de Suisse in Bern, June 9. Donadoni has admitted that he was unsurprised by the press backlash in response to the world champions stunning 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands.

BADEN, Austria (AFP) - Italy coach Roberto Donadoni admitted on Tuesday that he was unsurprised by the press backlash in response to the world champions stunning 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands.

Italy were torn apart by the incisive Dutch counter-attacking ploy in Berne on Monday night and the press ripped into them with equal vigour the day after.

"Honestly I was waiting for that," said Donadoni. "I'm not bitter that they went to town on us but more or less it wasn't a bed of roses reading it."

The press pulled no punches with La Repubblica stating: "Humiliated by Holland. During the first-half, Holland did as they wished, displaying better physical fitness, but above all tactics that were a lot clearer on how to stop us playing our normal game."

Daily sports newspaper Corriere della Sera was no less damning in its verdict: "Italy have sunk! In one game, we have conceded more goals than the whole of the 2006 World Cup.

"One thing is clear: we never played as a team."

Donadoni insisted that all was not lost, despite Italy sitting bottom of the so-called 'Group of Death'.

"It certainly was a positive match but we will analyse it together. I expect two important matches (to come), I'm sorry that we lost but this terrible defeat will also fire us up for the next two matches, giving us strength to succeed."

In truth, Italy were far from outplayed, but the Netherlands proved more clinical in attack and punished the Italians profligacy in front of goal.

And that really rankled with the Gazzetta dello Sport, another sports daily.

"We (Italy) have really fallen off our cloud. Dynamism, in the physical sense and solidity: all were in favour of the Dutch," it said.

"We invented the counter attack (cattenacio), and now we we are victims of it, not only once, but repetitively.

"The second goal of the Dutch was a classic Italian counter attack and Donadoni seemed incapable of protecting us."

Donadoni came in for stark criticism for his tactical decisions, in terms of the players he chose, the formation he used and even the timing of his substitutions, particularly that of bringing on Juventus veteran Alessandro Del Piero in attack.

"Donadoni selected badly and was late in making his substitutions, he took himself to be the world champion," said La Giornale in a clear slight on the fact that while Italy are world champions, Donadoni was not the coach at the time - it was Marceloo Lippi who guided the Azzurri to World Cup glory in Germany two years ago.

The defeat will have further increased the clamour for Donadoni to promote Del Piero to the starting line-up and the coach admitted there could be changes ahead of their next match against Romania.

"We weren't confused about the formation it was just a defeat," he said. "We will see if we decide to change something, we also have to assess the physical condition of the team.

"Last night we went to bed at 3.30am, we analysed everything."

However, he defiantly insisted the team had not been outplayed.

"Us, dominated? That's your opinion," he told journalists at a press conference at Italy's base just outside Baden.

"There's no sense in now talking about whether the formation was right or not.

"There's no counter-argument. If the reasoning is that it was wrong because we lost, well then so be it. But that's too simplistic. I don't think it was wrong."