Will it be sooner or later? The Italians are already four points off the pace. Can they defeat Yugoslavia and Finland away? Can they defeat the Welsch at home? There are many questions, however there lacks confidence within the Nazionale. Can they bounce back quick enough? Will it take a new coach?
Unanimous so far. Next question is - who should take over? I think I read that Dino Zoff doesn't want the job, and that Marco Tardelli and Claudio Gentile are being discussed as possible interim replacements.
I hope Trap still coaches Italy till 2006 WC. I wanna see how far a person can screw up a good team like Italy.
From RAI teletext: "FIGC non esclude cambiamenti" (the federation is no longer ruling out changes, which could mean anything) but the article underneath the link is actually about some other coach's ideas: - Roberto Mancini suggests Gianluca Vialli as an ideal replacement for Trapattoni - "he has new ideas, charisma and is appreciated by the players". - Zdenek Zeman (now coaching at Salernitana) suggests that the Azzurri's current struggles are a reflection of Italian soccer in general and that a new coach could only do better if he could "change Italy". (Zeman is always good for a juicy controversial quote - it's why his opinion is sought after, even though he's the coach of a lousy team in Serie B).
I had never given any thought to Vialli taking Traps spot, really not too bad of an idea. Zoff, would seem the logical choice, but I'm glad he doesn't want it. Italy, really needs a break from the old school.
Dont blame it all on Trap! In contrast to some of the players this guy has some good references! If you dont want him send him back to Germany!
Come on now. Germany has a coach who brought 5-1 beaten (by England) Germany to the World Cup Final (with possibly only one note-worthy player, Khan). I seriously doubt Trap would have any place to go in Germany.
Don't sneer about him. Even though I agree it's time for a change, Trapattoni has the best managerial record of any current coach in Italy, bar NONE. He won 7 Scudettos as a coach (6 with Juventus, one with Inter - in 88-89, their last - and his), and one Bundesliga championship with Bayern Munich. Although he was heavily-ridiculed in Germany after blowing up in a postgame interview in his last season there, he was and I believe is still respected there. I think that's what Schnitzel is referring to.
I think Trapattoni should still train Italian team because it would be a suicide changing trainer now. There are no alternatives to him, actually. I think Lippi or Capello would be the only trainers good for Italy but, as you know, they're training Juventus and Roma. Ok, now it's a bad time for him and for Italian team, but at least players and trainer already know each other: can you imagine changing a trainer now? It would mean testing new schemes, changing a few players and so on... I just hope we'll be able to qualify for Euro 2004; if we can't, then it will be the right time to change trainer but not before. I agree with Sue's words. I add that say that some Italian players should concentrate more when they play...when players like Nesta committ such mistakes while playing...well, the fault is not the trainer's one...right? Bye!
Perhaps failing to qualify for Euro2004 would be a good thing. Allow some time to bring in new players and rebuild. It happened in '92 and two years after that Italy went to the WC final. Of course, then, only 8 teams qualified for the EC so failure to do so was not quite the embarrassment it is these days.
Its not Traps fault that players make mistakes, its Traps fault when players have no idea what they're going to do to score. Nesta can make that mistake all day as long as Italy even look like they're going to put 2 in the net.
Trap's gotta go The team has absolutely zero personality. Never seen Trap's Italia play to win. Since the beginning of WC '02, they've beaten Ecuador and Azerbaijan. That's it. Losses to Slovenia, Wales, Croatia, S.Korea and lucky draws with Yugoslavia and Mexico. Pretty disappointing, considering the talent and the current form of Juve, Milan and Inter. When great players play mediocre I blame the coach. Team spirit zero. Bring in Vialli. No Zoff, thanks. Enough with this 'old guard' and the nostagia for 1982.