Italy's Zoff urged to end experiments

March 30, 2000
Daily Soccer

By Simon Evans

MILAN, Italy - Italy coach Dino Zoff has been urged to stop experimenting and settle his plans for June's Euro 2000 finals after the 2-0 defeat to Spain on Wednesday, their third defeat in five games.

Defender Fabio Cannavaro said: "Now is the moment to decide who is in the squad and above all we have to settle on the tactical model because all these changes don't help us. "It is not good to go into Euro 2000 in this position, the pressure on the team will grow and the pressure inside the squad will also increase," added the Parma defender.

Zoff made seven second-half substitutions as he tried out debutant Simone Inzaghi and young players such as Alessio Tacchinardi and Gennaro Gattuso.

The wholesale changes clearly affected the rhythm of a side which had shown some promising signs during a goalless first half.

An unimpressive 1-0 win over Sweden in February, when Zoff also used seven replacements, did little to ease fears that the team wich lost at home to Denmark and Belgium in their previous games were well below the standard Italy has come to expect. But Zoff himself is remaining calm. "I made the changes because I wanted to take a look at the men I had with me. There is still time to do the work we need to undertake and I am not worried. There were some positive aspects in the game, although very few."

Zoff's critics say there are still too many questions unanswered and that time is running out.

The Italy coach has yet to decide on whether to play with a flat back four or the more flexible system with three defenders which he has tried without much success in recent games. In midfield he has constantly changed the personnel without appearing to have yet decided whether the old guard of Dino Baggio, Antonio Conte and Demetrio Albertini should be replaced by younger faces such as Massimo Ambrosini, Gattuso and Tacchinardi.

Without the injury-plagued Christian Vieri his attack has looked unbalanced, lacking the Inter Milan striker's power and height.

Juventus forward Alessandro Del Piero believes the team have not had a chance to gel with such a short preparation time for friendly matches.

"It is tough when you have just finished a round of Serie A games and there is another set of big games a few days away. In May when we get together and the domestic season is finished we can concentrate on our work and develop our team approach."

Veteran defender Ciro Ferrara agreed that despite Italy's friendly with Portugal on April 26 the real work will begin in May and made an appeal for unity.

"In May we will have time to work and to feel the pressure in the air. Of course it is always better to go into the tournament as the big favourites rather than give the impression of being a team that is drifting. This defeat against Spain doesn't help our development but now the time has come to stick together and work our way out of this situation."

Italy are drawn in Group B for June's finals along with Turkey, Belgium and Sweden.
.