Tardelli still baffled by Benzema

MARCO TARDELLI admits he is at a loss to understand why footballers wouldn’t want to give their all for their country – whether that be Karim Benzema or, by implication, Stephen Ireland.

The Republic’s assistant manager was responding yesterday to a question about the controversial comments made last September by the France and Real Madrid superstar after he came on as a substitute in the qualifying game against Romania. “I didn’t really feel like playing,” the striker was reported as saying, “didn’t really feel like giving my best”. French manager Raymond Domenech labelled the comments “unacceptable” at the time whereas, by the sound of things yesterday, Tardelli might have opted instead for “unbelievable”.

“I don’t understand why a player of a national team says that,” he said yesterday. “For me, the national team is the most important part of my life after my son and daughter.

“I don’t understand. I don’t understand why Benzema said that. And I don’t understand why our players don’t come here. A player should be very proud to come and play for the international team.”

By contrast, Tardelli was making altogether more conciliatory noises about under-fire French boss Domenech, arguing – hardly persuasively, it must be said – that Richard Dunne was not being entirely serious when he pinpointed the French manager as a weak link on Tuesday.

“I don’t think so, that was a joke,” the Italian smiled. “In my opinion, the French team does not have a weak link.”

Of course, Tardelli himself has a bit of history with Domenech, the pair clashing when, in an interview in 2008, the Frenchman retrospectively accused an Italian U21 team coached by Tardelli of having “bought” the referee in an Olympics qualifier against France nine years earlier.

The Azzurri won that game 2-1 and the French team, managed by Domenech, missed out on qualification for Sydney. As a result of Domenech’s comments, he was suspended for one match and fined €6,000 for bringing the game into disrepute. But whereas Tardelli has often expressed his anger at Domenech’s remarks, yesterday he was at pains not to breath new life into an old controversy.

“I met Domenech and what happened was normal between the coaches,” he said. “One trainer speaks too much, the other trainer speaks against him. I don’t have a problem with Domenech because, for me, he is a good coach.

“I met him two or three times and it is possible to meet again. No, I still don’t understand why he said that (about the referee). But UEFA fined him. And for me it is finished.”

Tardelli was happier recalling the detail of the match itself – “a positive moment in my life” – when a talented French team were undone by a moment of brilliance from the precocious Andrea Pirlo.

Magnanimously, Tardelli recalled: “Honestly, I felt the French team deserved to win that game. They played better than us but a Pirlo free kick won the match.”

An omen for the week ahead perhaps? “The French were a big team as were the Italians but Ireland are a big team now, for me,” Tardelli replied. “That’s because many of our players have a big personality and great, big character. And many players are winning players. This French team is a very big team too but now maybe too young. But they also have a another big team on the bench. They have two teams.”

But Ireland, someone points out, have Trapattoni.

“Giovanni’s role is very important,” Tardelli agreed. “When we started to work (with Ireland), the players changed. Every week and every month the players changed because Giovanni is an experienced and wise old coach. He is old in the sense of being an old fox. He knows football. And when he speaks to the players, they know his ideas. They pay attention when Giovanni speaks. It’s been like this from the beginning. I cannot remember a player who came to the squad and did not listen to Giovanni. From the first day until now. A player can become a little angry but that is normal.”

Indeed, Tardelli himself admitted that, as a player at Juventus , his relationship with his then manager Trapattoni, could be a little prickly at times.

“I am very happy to work with Giovanni,” he said. “I was a player many years ago and played with Giovanni but now it is better. When I was a player I used to argue many times with Giovanni. But now I understand why Giovanni told me many things when I was a player.”

Who won the arguments, by the way?

“Giovanni did,” Tardelli laughed. “It was possible for him to keep me out!”

Asked how helping take Ireland to South Africa would rank in his career achievements, the man who won the ultimate prize with Italy in 1982 replied: “For me this qualification would take second place because first place is winning the World Cup. That’s still the first but second place, yes.”