Trap fears repeat of history

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI is too smart to express a preference in terms of Ireland’s World Cup play-off opponents, although it’s a pretty safe bet that he wouldn’t be wholly in disagreement with Marco Tardelli’s choice of Greece.

And the wily old Italian is also too diplomatic to state outright that, up against big guns like France or Portugal, Ireland can probably expect few favours from the match officials in next month’s decisive games, a notion already given currency by FIFA’s belated decision to seed the play-offs.

“In Italy there is a saying: there’s no point in making excuses before something has happened,” Trapattoni replied yesterday, when asked if he had concerns about potential bias in next month’s games.