Legendary Managers: Giovanni Trapattoni

By David Lee Wheatley

Il Trap

Current Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni spent the last 39 years in management, having been an Italian international who featured prominently in the Milan team from 1958-1971. He knew only great success as a defender/defensive midfielder with the Rossoneri, winning both Serie A and the European Cup twice.

His early forays into coaching saw him take the Milan youth side for two years, following a short-term spell with Varese at the end of his playing days. Trapattoni also had a spell as caretaker coach of the first-team squad late in 1974-75. A year later, he was handed the reins on a permanent basis.

Juventus called for his services in 1976, heralding the beginning of a trophy-laden ten years in charge of the Turin giants. Trapattoni’s typically-Italian defensive strategy paid huge dividends as the Bianconeri polished off every domestic and UEFA European competition open to them. Il Trap delivered a remarkable six league titles, two Italian Cup triumphs, two UEFA Cups and one each of the Cup Winners’ Cup, European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, cementing his status as one of the greatest managers in the history of Italian football.

His side would sit back and look to exploit opposition weaknesses with the supreme quality available to Trapattoni at the time, including Scirea, Bettega, Platini and Dino Zoff. It was a wonderful collection of players and they swept all before them with the shrewd leadership of their head coach pivotal to that success.

A five-year stint at former club Milan’s arch-rivals Internazionale began in 1986 and the trophies continued to flow. They earned the Italian league championship in 1989 (Inter would wait a hugely frustrating 17 years for the next Scudetto) and the UEFA Cup in 1991.

Back to Juventus he went, but three years at the helm produced just one UEFA Cup victory in 1993. The old adage 'you should never go back' seemed to ring true for Trap, as Juve struggled to repeat previous feats under their returning hero.

Trapattoni transported his talents to Germany for one campaign with Bavarian behemoth Bayern Munich, before returning to Italy with Sardinian side Cagliari. It was a curious switch considering the level of major clubs he’d took responsibility for previously. Again, the link-up lasted only a year, before a return to Bayern.

It turned out to be a triumphant resumption of his German adventure when capturing the Bundesliga shield in his first season back. The second campaign only yielded the German Cup, leading to an acrimonious exit amid a row with several of his players, whom he claimed were not pulling their weight.

Two years at Fiorentina led to a tenure with the Italian national team, taking over from his former Juve goalkeeper Dino Zoff as head coach. It was low-point for Trapattoni, as he bore the brunt of the blame for Italy’s early exits from both the 2002 World Cup and 2004 European Championship.

Marcello Lippi was next in line for the position after the Euros just as he'd been at Juve in 1994, while Trap seized another opportunity abroad with Lisbon legends Benfica. The highly-experienced coach duly led Benfica to their first league title in 11 years during a solitary season in charge at the Stadium of Light.

At the end of that superb year in Portugal, the former Milan man made clear his intention to return to his native Italy for family reasons. So, it was somewhat surprising that he turned up back in Germany with Stuttgart a month later!

It was an unhappy spell that ended just short of eight months into the job; senior players were openly criticising Trapattoni’s well-worn style of play and the spirit within the camp was becoming unbearable.

With age creeping up on the wily old fox, he chose to take a role behind the scenes as director of football at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. The ambitious club, fuelled by the funds of the energy drink giant, brought in Lothar Matthaus as coach to work under the elder statesman. Despite winning the league in their first season together, the board of directors fired German legend Matthaus and replaced him with Thorsten Fink.

An offer from the Republic of Ireland came out of the blue in February of that second season in Salzburg and Trapattoni agreed to become the new head coach in Dublin at the end of the Austrian league campaign. It was another opportunity to test himself at international level after an inglorious spell in charge of Italy.

Ireland’s expectations were vastly different to those of his own country, with qualification for major tournaments the only requirement; beyond that, anything else was a bonus.

The former Juve and Inter supremo took the Irish within a whisker of the 2010 World Cup when a controversial extra-time goal by Thierry Henry in the second leg of the qualification play-off led to their missing out on the finals. Henry handled the ball before knocking it home, but the officials seemed the only people in the Stade de France that didn’t see the infringement. The strike denied Ireland and Trapattoni a place at the World Cup in South Africa, much to the chagrin of the boss.

They made up for that bitter disappointment by winning a Euro 2012 play-off resoundingly 5-1 against minnows Estonia. Unfortunately, Ireland were handed a tough draw with Spain and Italy and left the tournament proper at the group stage. Trapattoni’s defensive leanings again came under fire from press and fans alike due to the meek fashion of their exit.

Now 74 years old, Trapattoni has his sights set on a spot at Brazil 2014. The team currently sit joint on points with rivals Sweden and Austria in the battle for second place behind group favourites Germany. With four games to play, the Irish remain firmly in contention for a place at the forthcoming World Cup, which would allow them to finally banish the painful memories of Paris.

For Trap, qualification would be the crowning glory of a majestic career littered with golden moments.            

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Antonio the terrible

 

By David Lee Wheatley

Story of a troubled star

Individualistic, nomadic and notoriously difficult to handle, Inter star Antonio Cassano has seen and done it all, both on and off the field. On the eve of his 31^st birthday later this month, could the Italian international finally be ready to settle down?

From bursting on the scene at hometown club Bari at the age of 17, Cassano left a trail of destruction in his wake everywhere he went.

He fell out with a succession of coaches including Fabio Capello and legendary team-mate Francesco Totti during a five-year stint with Roma. A long-running feud with club management over the terms of a proposed contract renewal only served to push the talented forward closer to the exit door.

Infamous tales of his time at Real Madrid add to the aura surrounding the bad boy of Italian football. He had a friend covertly deliver pastries to his hotel room in Madrid after sex; when he was finished with whichever girl he was entertaining that evening, his hotel worker acquaintance would bring him an abundance of food and in turn escort the girl discreetly out of the building.

Ballooning weight was a constant issue during a tumultuous spell at the Bernabeu and he was handed numerous fines as the club attempted to curb his eating habits. Cassano’s wild-child behaviour landed him in several dressing rooms spats with arch-nemesis Capello, which eventually resulted in his omission from the side. He later claimed that he would gladly walk the whole way back to Rome to rejoin his old club, even publicly stating his intention to make up with club captain Totti on his return.

That forlorn hope for redemption with Roma failed to materialise, but he did make it back to Serie A with Sampdoria. It appeared Cassano had finally found a niche in Genoa due to a much-improved disciplinary record and a none-too-shabby goals tally averaging 1 in every 3 matches. A happy three years at Samp seemed the perfect antidote to a long list of problems surrounding the player, but he blew up spectacularly in October 2010 when losing his temper with club president Riccardo Garrone having refused to attend an awards ceremony.

The president was sufficiently incensed to bring the case before an arbitration panel in an effort to have Cassano’s contract terminated. His request was refused, but Garrone had no intention of allowing the bad egg in his basket ruin the harmony within his squad. Therefore, a deal was hastily sought with Milan that would see the troublesome striker manoeuvred off Genoese land.

A life-threatening event struck after joining the Milanese giants, when on board a plane travelling back from an away victory at former club Roma in October 2011. Initially laughing and joking with colleagues, Cassano suddenly began experiencing difficulty with his speech and vision during the flight. It became apparent following tests that the Puglia-native had suffered a cerebral problem linked to a stroke. The fiery forward had to undergo an operation to close a small hole in his heart, resulting in several months of recovery time and even presenting the dreaded possibility of retirement.

Despite his chequered past, an outpouring of love and concern for Antonio reached out from football lovers all around the world. Huge figures from the sport, including fellow controversial character Diego Maradona, offered their support to Cassano in his hour of need. Thankfully and somewhat amazingly, he made it back to first-team action by April 2012.

Before and after the stroke, Cassano witnessed his route to a starting place blocked by the substantial presence of Ibrahimovic, Pato and Robinho during a year-and-a-half stay with the Rossoneri, prompting a dramatic switch to city rivals Inter shortly after the end of Euro 2012 in which he competed for the eventual tournament runners-up.

During the competition, the ugly side of Cassano reared its head once again when making a comment that was construed by many as homophobic. A journalist asked during a media conference if he thought there were any gay footballers in the Italian national squad, to which he replied, “I hope there aren’t any”. He later claimed that he’d been misunderstood, but UEFA slapped him with a hefty fine in reaction to his ill-judged retort to the press.

His Inter career failed to sparkle, as the team suffered an awful campaign under rookie head coach Andrea Stramaccioni. To compound matters, he and Cassano had to be separated during a dressing-room row at the training ground in February. What had begun as a normal discussion descended into mayhem, forcing several players and officials to step in and separate the pair.

Despite relieving Stramaccioni of his duties this summer, Inter evidently saw enough of Cassano’s explosive nature within the last few months to offload him.

Standing on the verge of a move to Parma, will the Bari-born tormentor of authority find a permanent home in the Emilio-Romagna region? Does Cassano possess the capabilities to rekindle the form that he displayed regularly with Sampdoria, before that much-publicised falling out with the president? Or, is he set for a further fall from grace with his new club?

Time will tell whether the controversial Cassano can reproduce his best having suffered such tremendous upheaval throughout his career, but the fine food on offer in that part of Italy, including prosciutto and cheese, will surely be to his liking at the very least!

 

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The curious career of Vinny Samways

By David Lee Wheatley

Technically-gifted central midfielder Vinny Samways made a mark at White Hart Lane during eight years on the books of Tottenham Hotspur, while coming close to an international call-up with England during that period. A fine passer of the ball, Samways never quite gained a full cap for his country and ended up embarking on an unusual adventure with Gran Canaria’s finest Las Palmas.

The talented Bethnal Green native played over 200 times for Spurs before a £2.2 million move to Everton in 1994. He’d flitted in and out of the Tottenham side due to the presence of established stars in his position such as Paul Gascoigne, Steve Sedgley, Nayim, Darren Anderton and Paul Allen, forcing him to seek a new challenge.

Some labelled him a player that never seemed to go forward, instead choosing to hold his position in the centre of the park. His range of passing and vision allowed him to do that, but it’s a trait that isn’t held in high regard in England. The fans generally expect midfielders to bomb forward and set up attacks quickly, unlike many countries on the continent where slower build-up play is the norm.

Samways failed to cement a spot in the starting line-up at Goodison Park and soon became disillusioned with his bit-part role on Merseyside. He was loaned out to Wolves and Birmingham City in search of more substantial game-time during the 1995-1996 season before the Londoner eventually chose to make the brave step to move abroad when offered regular football in Spain with Segunda Division side Las Palmas.

The diminutive midfielder settled quickly into his new surroundings and became team captain at the Estadio Insular. The Yellows finished 7^th, 3^rd and 6^th in the first three campaigns of Samways’ time with the club, before finally securing promotion to the top-flight as champions in 1999-2000.

A promising first season in La Liga ended with Las Palmas in 11^th place, as Samways got the opportunity to compete against top players including Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane, the man described by the Englishman as his hardest-ever opponent.

A fans’ favourite by then, the club captain was finally back in the big-time and his slow, deliberate style fitted perfectly with the general tactics employed in Spain at that time. He’d also added a hard edge to his game since leaving England, thus receiving several yellow and red cards from strict Spanish league referees, while simultaneously becoming a cult hero with supporters.

Unfortunately, the second season in La Liga was a much greater struggle, resulting in the bitter disappointment of relegation. The former Spurs and Everton man was out of contract that summer, which prompted a surprise switch to Sevilla. There he only featured in ten league matches before returning to England in 2003.

He played regularly for Division One side Walsall during a season and a half back in his homeland, before making the decision to go back to Spain to play for lower league club Algeciras. Samways retired from playing at the age of 36 and after a year out of the game took to coaching another lower league Spanish team San Pedro for two seasons.

A player of great ability, the story of Vinny Samways suggests the now 44-year-old didn’t quite fulfil his potential. If he’d come along at a separate time when Spurs were crying out for quality midfielders, things could have been markedly different. As it is, he enjoyed a fine spell in La Liga and got to perform on some of the biggest stages in world football, so it isn’t all bad!

Now settled in Spain, Samways runs several businesses including a bar and bookmakers.  

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All-change at Sevilla

By David Lee Wheatley

Major reconstruction underway 

Sevilla set about recharging their squad for the 2013/14 season with several changes taking place at Rámon Sánchez Pizjuán recently and the promise of more to come.

A long list of players located the exit door swiftly after the end of last season, including some important members of the side. Speculation surrounds many of the other squad members, with prize asset Álvaro Negredo apparently on his way shortly.

Head coach Unai Emery has his work cut out during the summer to put together a team from the broken fragments of last year's line-up.

Outgoings already confirmed include Bernardo Espinosa and Andrés Palop on free transfers, Emir Spahic and Antonio Luna returning from loans before completing permanent moves elsewhere and more important squad members in the form of Luis Alberto to Liverpool and star winger Jesús Navas to Manchester City in a mega-money deal. The loss of Spanish international Navas will leave the biggest void thus far, with the task of replacing his jinking runs and crossing ability providing Emery with a huge headache.

Incoming players who've signed up feature goalkeeper Beto from Braga, following on from a season-loan in Seville last season, Steaua forward Rusescu, Racing Santander right-winger Jairo and Chelsea's German left-winger Marko Marin on loan. The new introductions may not be up to the level of footballer that Sevilla have lost and the club will have to push harder in the transfer market to make sure that they don't begin taking steps in a backward direction. Los Rojiblancos finished a disappointing ninth in La Liga last time around; the loss of Navas and potentially Negredo would be devastating to a team in desperate need of an injection of quality.

English Premier League heavyweights Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Everton have been credited with a strong interest in 31-goal striker Negredo, while the Sevilla club president José Maria del Nido admitted that his most saleable asset wants out earlier this week. Having just experienced his most successful season date, now is the optimum time for the Spain striker to move on. He'd leave behind a massive hole in the forward line that the Andalusians would find mighty difficult to fill.

It's an uncertain time for fans of Sevilla and there will be serious concerns at all levels of the club as to their chances of improving on a disappointing 2012/13 campaign. Coach Emery will hope any influx of cash from the probable sale of Negredo will come his way for team strengthening, otherwise it's going to be an impossible task to put Sevilla back in contention for a Champions League qualifying spot next term.

Ninth place was nowhere near good enough and the faithful supporters won't be happy with the current upheaval. They'll expect two or three marquee signings to supplement a squad suffering from serious depletion and nothing less will do.

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