Paddy Agnew Euroscene

In the collective popular imagination, the world's best soccer players lead glamorous, exorbitantly paid lives in a world of converted country chateaux, Ferrari sports cars and designer clothing.

For some, this may indeed be true. Yet, on a visit to Juventuslast week, your correspondent was reminded, not for the first time, that for at least one of world football's most famous and most successful clubs, five-star creature comforts are not a priority.

Whilst Juve's peer group, clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Lazio, AS Roma etc, have all long been based in purpose-built training complexes that seem more like exclusive country clubs, the "Old Lady" continues to make do with a variety of ad-hoc training arrangments in less than fashionable uptown Turin.

For years, Italy's most famous club used to train at the old Stadio Communale, a pre-war monument of rusting ironwork. Currently, Juventus train at a non-descript Fiat workers' sports complex, not far from both the Stadio Communale and from Fiat's landmark Mirafiori factory.

Rather than training amidst sylvan splendors, the likes of Del Piero, Trezequet and Nedved do their stuff just yards away from the traffic of busy Corso Unione Sovietica, against a background of grey high-rise apartment buildings.

Functional this may be, glamorous it is not. At Juventus, it has always been results rather than appearances, the pragmatic rather than the fanciful that matter.

There has always been much talk in Italy about the "Juventus style". With the club involved in an ongoing trial re allegations of systematic doping, that "Juventus style" image received a welcome boost two weekends ago thanks to goalkeeper Gigi Buffon.

It was just before the restart of Juve's away game against Sampdoria when Buffon was hit on the head by a tin canister thrown by a fan. The canister gave him a nasty cut which subsequently required three stitches.

Under Italian football's curious rules, had Buffon opted to abandon the field, then Juventus would almost certainly have been awarded a win and the three points at a subsquent disciplinary hearing, no matter how the game itself ended.

Sportingly, however, Buffon opted to stay at his post, whilst Juventus went on to win the match 2-1 anyway. Buffon played down the incident.

"It was nice that people commented favourably about what I did, a positive story from football for once, but it was no big deal."

For the world's most expensive goalkeeper ($37 millionfrom Parma three seasons ago), however, there are some "big deal" moments on the immediate horizon, starting with this summer's Euro 2004 finals.

Italy's number one goalkeeper has bitter-sweet memories of the last European championships when a hand injury picked up in the final warm-up friendly prior to Euro 2000 ruled him out of the tournament.

Will he play in the final warm-up game this time? "I'll play in it all right, I just hope not to get injured . . . I think these things are written, there's a destiny for every thing.

"Certainly, it was difficult for me when Italy got to the final, but before that I was watching the matches on TV calmly enough. Obviously, when they got to the final, I was sorry not to have been there."

But does he think Italy can go one better than Euro 2000 where France beat them in the final thanks to a Trezeguet golden goal?

"Yes, Italy can win because this is an experienced, quality team with a strong squad and some class players, any one of whom can win a match for you at any moment. Look at Vieri, Del Piero and Totti, they are three class players, brilliant players who not only play well together, but who also put themselves at the service of the team in defence."

If he had to choose between winning a third consecutive league title with Juventus and Euro 2004 with Italy, which would he opt for?

With a grin, he looks up at the Juventus press officer and then answers: "If we were in training camp with Italy, I'd say Euro 2004, but given that I am at Juventus training today, I'd better say a third title with Juventus".

There it is again, that pragmatic Juventus style, with all eyes firmly focussed on the essential.

aleagnew@tin.it