"Del Piero: impressive technic, but his development has stopped"

June 9, 2000
Written by Martijn Kraan from Holland 

From the local [Dutch] newspaper De Gelderlander:

The expectations for Italy are very very low. Only theoretically the team of Dino Zoff (58) is a favourit. A lot of players had to cancel Euro 2000 because of injuries, like Christian Vieri, Dino Baggio, Diego Fuser and Gianluigi Buffon. The last time Italy won on a European Championship was in 1962.

The friendly match against Norway was lost last saturday (0-1) and the Italian press is extremely pessimistic. The attack players didn't make anything and the defence, usually the strongest part of the team, was very bad also.

The Dutch press thinks that the Italian players are exhausted after a long season in the Serie A with the enourmous pressure.

De Gelderlander: "Italy hopes for the genious ideas of the fresh Alessandro Del Piero (25), already for years the wonder boy of Italy. He says to be in top shape and hopes to find his best condition and form. This is also the case with Filippo Inzaghi and Francesco Totti. All players with big names, just like Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro. But in the shape the team is in now, there's not any reason to think Italy will the reach the quarter finals."

Aad de Mos, a famous Dutch coach (in the past of Ajax) in the best Dutch football magazine, Voetbal International about Italy: "I don't expect anything of Italy. There's hasn't been an development for years, seeing the team was kicked out on the last few tournaments. All players are very tired. Paolo Maldini has said he feels old already with his 31 years. The pressure has been too high in the Serie A. You can see that and the coach Dino Zoff is not the right man to let Italy play well. He has selected the best players from the Serie A, but that doesn't automatically mean it's the best team. I think players like Cannavaro, Iuliano, Maldini, Di Livio, Conte have shown their best football and are too old. Also Alessandro Del Piero has had his best time as a player, in spite of the fact that he's young. In the front Italy has problems without Vieri. Totti, Inzaghi, Montella and Delvecchio: good players, but not top. When I have to choose a star, it will be Alex Del Piero. Impressive technic, but the development has stopped. I think Italy goes home after three matches."
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