The Italy bashers are out in force, writes Paddy Agnew, but their outrage may be just the incentive the beleaguered squad need
Italy defender Alessandro Nesta leaned forward and cupped his hand around his ear: "Sorry, what did you say? I can't hear you. Did you say 'parasites'? Italians are all parasites?" Indeed they are, at least according to German weekly Der Spiegel. Down at the Italian camp in Duisburg, Nesta was facing the press. He might have expected questions about Italy's quarter-final today with Ukraine or about team morale in the wake of that last-gasp win over Australia last Monday.
Instead, he got questions about "parasites", corruption scandals and this week's suicide attempt by ex-Italy defender Gianluca Pessotto. As the press conference went on, Nesta became at turns bewildered, annoyed, indignant and finally relieved when the questions reverted to football on the field.
After that controversial penalty win against Australia, the Italy bashers are out in force. Spanish daily El Pais wrote of how Italy "climbed back into the caves only to come out at the last moment". French daily L'Equipe wrote about an "Italian-style win" based on defensive tactics, while with stunning originality the New York Post called the win "The Italian Job". Elsewhere, the word catenaccio flashed across hundreds of thousands of newsroom computer screens.
Italian football is this week in the dock, literally and metaphorically. The literal trial started yesterday at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, site of the Football Federation's mass "Clean Feet" hearing into allegations of systematic match fixing, involving, above all, Turin giants Juventus. The metaphorical trial is happening not just here in Germany but also on sports pages and in TV and radio studios around the world.
The outraged feeling is that the Italians have stolen their way into the quarter-finals by means not quite proper. Italian football is sick and corrupt, commentators argue, just look at the Clean Feet scandal. The game is in crisis in Italy, they add: attendances are falling, racist and violent fan behaviour is on the increase, clubs are facing financial meltdown and stadiums are an outdated mess. So it is simply not right that this lot are in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, thanks - what's more - to a dodgy penalty.
The outraged commentators may not realise it, however, but the more they clamour, the better Italy are likely to play. If the Italy bashers keep at it, Marcello Lippi can forget the team pep talk, they will be all ready and raring to go. During his news conference, Nesta (who by the way does not play today because of a hamstring problem) gave some indication of growing player irritation when answering a question from an Argentinian journalist: "Oh yeah, so we've got problems in Italy? So, tell me, is everything perfect in your country? No? Well then, you mind your own business and I'll mind mine."
Asked for the umpteenth time since arriving in Germany about the affect of the corruption scandal on Italy's preparations, Nesta again met the question head on: "Look, we'll deal with that when the World Cup is over, it is a very important matter, but right now we have something even more important on our hands, playing in this World Cup, playing Ukraine."
What do you have to say to those critics who accuse you of playing dull old defensive football, asked an Italian colleague: "Look, as far as I'm concerned, it's fashionable to criticise us for being defensive, but it is simply not the case. We've played attacking football when possible, but it hasn't always been possible. But I'm proud of the way we've played so far. One good thing about all this criticism is that it means other teams fear us."
Indeed, perhaps other teams should indeed begin to fear Italy.
When all the fuss about the dubious, 93rd-minute penalty dies down, critics would do well to look back at the game. Australia were honest and willing but rather limited, with the only touches of good football coming from Italy who, until the 51st-minute sending off of defender Marco Materazzi, were in control.
In what has been a topsey-turvey progress, prior to the clash with Australia the Italians had played reasonably well in their opening 2-0 win against Ghana, poorly in a 1-1 draw with the US, and not much better in a 2-0 win against an ageing, injury-weakened Czech Republic. The point is, however, that their performance graph is upward. If, as expected, they get past Ukraine, where will they be on the graph by the time they come to face Germany or Argentina in the semi-finals?
Maybe such thoughts have been crossing the minds of the Italy bashers. Having tried to ruffle Nesta with questions about the scandal, about old defensive Italian football and about dubious penalties, they gave it one last go with a question about Gianluca Pessotto, the unhappy former Juventus player who tried to kill himself this week.
Surely, the Pessotto business will undermine you against Ukraine? "We all feel bad about him, but it won't influence the game. We have a job to do, one job, to win the World Cup, and, of course, if you win, everybody loves you."
Not really, Alessandro, not if it is Italy who win.
