Goodbye Trap cry from Italian media

MICK MCCARTHY is not the only international manager facing waves of criticism. Calls for Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni to resign reached fever pitch after his side’s 2-1 defeat by Wales in a Euro 2004 qualifier on Wednesday.

Goodbye Trap, ran the headline in sports daily Corriere dello Sport. The editor of the Corriere, Xavier Jacobelli, has been one of Trapattoni’s most vociferous critics since Italy’s ignominious World Cup defeat by South Korea in June. Jacobelli’s editorial was characteristically combative.

“Considering the crisis of play and ideas Trapattoni’s team finds itself in, the only thing that counted yesterday evening was to emerge unscathed from the Millennium Stadium. Instead it was another disaster.”

Even the usually moderate La Gazzetta dello Sport joined in the chorus for the removal of the 63-year-old coach as it imagined a brighter future for the national team.

“Trapattoni’s resignation would be welcome, but there’s no sign it’ll happen,” it said. “The image of a washed-out Italy remains, a team that from Naples to Cardiff is capable of scoring only thanks to Del Piero’s free kicks and other people’s deviations.”

Italy’s record in 2002 is poor. Out of 10 matches, they have won just two, against lowly Ecuador and Azerbaijan. They have lost five times, against the Czech Republic, Croatia, South Korea, Slovenia and now Wales.

Trapattoni said he had never considered resigning.

“Despite what anyone has written or said, it has never crossed my mind to leave my job,” he said. He underlined the absences of key players like playmaker Francesco Totti, strikers Christian Vieri and Filippo Inzaghi, and defender Francesco Coco.

“I reaffirm that I’m not even thinking remotely of leaving my post, but it’s not me that decides on these things. There is time to recover, but we can't allow any more mistakes.”

Things did not go according to plan either for Rudi Voeller, though his blushes were saved as Michael Ballack proved his worth once again in Germany’s 2-1 win over the Faroe Islands. The midfielder then acknowledged that the performance from the World Cup runners-up was not one to remember.

“We made life difficult for ourselves but we have the points and now we have to forget about that game very quickly,” said the elegant playmaker, who opened the scoring early on from the penalty spot.

“Even if we had won 3-1, 4-1 or 5-1, there still would have been some criticism,” said Voeller after his team failed to bounce back from a dismal 1-1 draw with Bosnia in a friendly in Sarajevo last Friday.

“After the World Cup we’re now back to reality,” added the former West Germany striker.

“There is plenty to do, Rudi,” read yesterday’s front-page headline of German soccer magazine Kicker.

European champions France have restored their pride and erased the painful memories of a disastrous World Cup campaign with their third victory in a row in a Euro 2004 qualifying match against Malta.

“We are relishing this win over Malta even more as we look at the results of others great sides like Italy or England,” French captain Marcel Desailly said. “We are now on nine points and we only need three more victories to qualify for the European championship.”