Sport - Football

‘Let’s calm down’

BADEN: Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has a message for the Italian media: stop imagining the contents of his conversation with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Berlusconi called Donadoni before Italy’s opening match at the European Championship, and some critics felt that Berlusconi told the coach to use three AC Milan players against the Netherlands.

Berlusconi also owns AC Milan, the club Donadoni used to play for.

“The other day I was asked about my phone call with Berlusconi as if he called to tell me to play the three Milan players in midfield. Let’s be serious,” Donadoni said. “It’s not like (AS Roma CEO) Rosella Sensi called me before the Romania game and told me to use three Roma players.”

Berlusconi is known for making line-up suggestions to Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.

“I also get calls from my mother and it’s not like she tells me what line-up to use. Let’s calm down,” Donadoni said. “Stop imagining that there is a hidden agenda behind every line-up move. We had a private phone call and that was it.”

Donadoni was heavily criticised for using the Milan trio of Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini in the 3-0 loss to the Netherlands. Milan had a disappointing season, finishing fifth in Serie A, 18 points behind second-place AS Roma.

Roma midfielders Daniele De Rossi and Simone Perrotta moved into the line-up in the 1-1 draw against Romania.

Former Italy coach Dino Zoff resigned when Berlusconi criticised him after the Azzurri lost on a golden goal to France in the Euro 2000 final.

Italy needs to beat France and hope the Netherlands holds Romania to at least a draw in the final round of Group C games to advance to the quarterfinals.

Donadoni also put Alessandro Del Piero in the starting XI against Romania, but the Juventus captain got banged up and was on painkillers before he exited in the 77th minute after a sub-par performance.

Czech Republic striker Vaclav Sverkos, who scored in the European Championship’s opening game against Switzerland, received a keg of beer as an award for what was his first international goal in the 1-0 win.

Beer may not be considered a proper prize for an athlete, but we’re talking about the Czechs, who call themselves the No. 1 beer lovers in the world.

The award for the first Czech scorer at Euro 2008 was designed to motivate the players. Given the love of the nation for the golden drink, Sverkos received a symbolic 5-litre keg at the team’s base in the Alpine resort of Seefeld.

On most days, Poland coach Leo Beenhakker’s voice can be heard haranguing players after training and on to the team bus for the short trip back to the hotel. Sometimes the coach chats with reporters longer than expected.

On Saturday, the team bus had already left for the hotel and Beenhakker was still talking with a few reporters when defender Michal Zewlakow pulled up in a silver mini-van behind Beenhakker and honked.

“Come on coach,” Zewlakow joked, his arm hanging out of the open window. “That’s enough, time to get in and go.”

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