Group of death will renew rivalries
Wednesday, February 6th, 2008
Italy and France will meet yet again in Euro2008’s group of death. World Champions Italy may have everything wrapped by the time they play France in their last game, but even if the game is academic for both countries, it promises to be an acrimonious affair, not so much on the pitch, as off it. France’s irksome coach Raymond Domenech is the man responsible for most of the conflict between the two teams, as he has refused to keep quiet after losing to the Azzurri in the Final of World Cup 2006. His tirades have targeted everything from Italy’s style of football to their integrity.
When Zinedine Zidane trudged off the field after that infamous World Cup Final head-butt, France knew they would be entering a period of uncertainty. Sure, the country has a plethora of footballing talent, but ‘Zizou’ represented the apotheosis of French football in the last two decades. His virtuoso performance at the 1998 World Cup Final and his exquisite skill during both Euro2000 and World Cup 2006 will forever be etched in the memory of every French football fan. Coping with the loss of such a player posed a huge problem for coach Raymond Domenech.
Romania may be in the toughest group at Euro2008, but they will be optimistic of building on their performances during the qualifiers. Their most notable result was a 1-0 defeat of the Netherlands, which will prove a massive boost ahead of their game against the Dutch on June 17. Victor Piturca, Romania’s 51-year-old coach, has an abundance of talent at his disposal, and he has succeeded in finding the perfect blend of defensive solidity and a creative attack.
It took twenty-four years for Italy to become World Champions again, and now they will hope to follow that ultimate triumph with a European crown. Many feared the Azzurri would lack motivation for the Euro2008 qualifiers, and not without good reason. Italy did not qualify for the 1984 European Championships, which took place just two years after their 1982 World Cup triumph. However, after some initial toiling under new coach Roberto Donadoni, Italy topped their qualifying group, and now are one of the hot favourites to win Euro2008.
Netherlands have reached the semi-finals of the last two European Championships, only to then disappoint. Euro2000, the tournament that the Dutch co-hosted with Belgium, typified their biggest problem: failure to hold their nerve. After having ten-man Italy on the ropes for the majority of the match, the Dutch contrived to miss two penalties during regular time, and only converted once in the penalty shoot-out. The Netherlands simply self-destructed when they should have seized the opportunity to play the Final on home soil.
