- 23 Jun 08, 01:00 AM
Vienna
I wonder what Zinedine Zidane made of it all? A Frenchman who spent the best years of his glittering football career playing in Italy and Spain, he was at the Ernst Happel Stadium on Sunday night to see the last of the Euro 2008 quarter-finals.
On paper - rather an outdated phrase, don't you think? - this should have been a classic, but then football's history is littered with games that have failed to live up their pre-match hype.
I don't suppose fans of the Spanish national team care one little bit. As long as Iker Casillas and co go on to lift the country's first major trophy in 44 years next weekend, they won't worry how they ended their barren run.
And having done their fair share of entertaining in the past, they can be excused a few drab performances now. Not that the game against Italy was totally without merit.
For me, the player that stood out head and shoulders above everyone else, even goalkeeper Casillas, on a hot and balmy night in Vienna was Marcos Senna.
He's not a Zizou or a Michel Platini, but the Brazilian-born midfielder, 32 next month, is mightily effective. He can pass the ball well with either foot; he can inject some much-needed pace into a game when required and also slow it down if necessary; he supports his team-mates both in attack and defence, and he appears to have an engine that runs and runs and runs.
He's also got a venomous shot and is cool under pressure, as his brilliant spotkick in the penalty shoot-out win over Italy wonderfully demonstrated. No wonder Manchester United were keen to sign him a couple of seasons back.
Senna will need to be at his best again in the semi-finals, when Russia will pose very different problems to the ones faced by the Spanish last night. But, for now, he and the rest of his team can take great heart from their latest win. Even an inferior Italian side as this one was is a big scalp.
As for Zidane, well, he's off to try on more adidas trainers and teach young kids some of the skills that made him one of the greatest players to lace up - again another phrase that is fast becoming redundant - a pair of football boots.
It's been two years since he bowed out of football in such dramatic and ignoble fashion, yet he is still a big draw.
In town on a promotional tour, he had journalists clamouring for a piece of him when he turned up for a quick chat at Vienna's Museum Quarter on Sunday afternoon.
The press conference was due to start at 4pm but reporters and camera crews started arriving almost two hours before, eager to plonk themselves and their equipment in the best spot possible.
By the scheduled start time, the room was packed, not to mention a little stuffy. Then an apologetic adidas spokesman announced there would be a delay and we'd have to sit tight for another 30 minutes. Not everyone did, some disgruntled scribes heading for the door, but the majority stayed put, albeit after heading to the free bar for some much-needed sustenance.
Appropriately, if a little school masterish, the same adidas chap blew a referee's whistle to signal the imminent arrival of Zidane. The photographers who had turned up took this as a sign to move forward en masse in a bid to get the best shot of the Frenchman as he entered stage left - and they kept on clicking away for the entire time he spoke, though that seemed to matter little to the man they had in their sights.
Inevitably, the first questioner wanted to know Zidane's opinion of Euro 2008, before others asked what he thought of Andrei Arshavin and Russia's victory over the much-fancied Netherlands the night before. Zidane explained that he thought the Russian number 10 was a very good player with "great feet", admitting he was a little unsure how to pronounce his name correctly.
The demise of the French was a hot topic for some in the room, but Zidane, other than telling us he thought some of the criticism of his former team-mates was "a little mean", refused to be drawn into too deep a conversation.
Asked if he fancied succeeding Raymond Domenech, he said coaching was not for him, although he did add that he wanted some future role in football.
Maybe it's a position in Real Madrid's PR department he's after. He certainly helped the Spanish club's cause by suggesting Cristiano Ronaldo was likely to end up at the Bernabeu this summer.
And what did he think would happen in the night's big game between Spain and Italy? Well, he said, it would be a "great match". I wonder what his verdict is now?
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Come On Z Z use your head mate
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Totally agree about Marcos Senna. He's not likely to win many man of the match awards, or top the BBC player rater charts, but in his three games so far, he's been immense (as he has been for Villarreal for a few seasons). Foe me, Spain's best player of the tournament so far (and right up there with the best of any team).
Anticipation, tackling, passing, "good engine", and a powerful shot; he's got the lot.
Amazes me that none of the European superpowers has signed him long before now. He's still got 2-3 seasons in him.
"Unsung hero" is a cliché, but one that applies to Senna.
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I'm sorry, that match was like nails on a chalkboard: Italy could take the fun out of any matchup! Justice was done, this time.
ZIDANE is so great.
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It's just a pleasure to see Zidane's face. that guy was such a player.
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Its a spicey line up, the semis and Arshavin stands out as the flavour of the Euro
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Did you see Zidane sitting in the stands with the Arsenal manager, now he suggests Ronaldo will leave MU...very cosy. Then there is the Chelsea boss saying Ronaldo will go to Spain...wouldn't they both like the MU star to leave...I wonder why?
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It's not publicised what Zidane made of it all, but he probably made a pretty penny - another outdated phrase too, s'pose. What with his sponsorship deals with Adidas, France Telecom, Orange, Lego and others, he's made millions. And even with all that loot, he probably didn't even have to pay to get into the stadium last night to sit next to Arsene Wenger. This has become the VIP Tournament with most tickets reserved for football high society and the rabble consigned to those "fanzone" holding pens outside. But you can't help but think, that Zizou must have favored Spain. As an Algerian who spent the best years of his glittering football career playing for France, like many of his Les Bleus teammates he could probably identify with a Brazilian playing for Spain. It probably doesn't hurt that his wife is Spanish either, or that his son plays in Real's youth system. And he may still harbour some lingering resentment toward the Azzurri for personal reasons, too - even if Materazzi wasn't on the pitch. But he would still have to be diplomatic enough not to say so publically. After all, he wouldn't want to harm Adidas sales in Italy. Business comes first and, above all, football is still a business. Just ask all those toney VIPs inside the stadium.
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Quickquip-one correction. Zidane was born in France of Algerian Parents, not born in Algeria. In France though, you are considered a "Beur", or North African-unless you are a helluva an athlete-then you are French.
Re: Spain-Italy. I was happy to see Spain win. They played a really stylish game to watch, and were out to put on a good show. Today showed why it it so difficult to root for Italy. The Italians are not afraid to choke the life out of a game, then try to get a smash and grab goal to win it. To be honest, I thought the Italians were playing for penalties. With Buffon, they had to like their chances against almost any team in a penalty shoot out. Casillas was great for Spain. I think the two semifinals will be very intriguing with Russia having some great athletes and the ability to play some attacking football against the skillful Spaniards. The other Semi pitts the Germans against the Turks-that's a match that has the potential for more than a few riots in Germany between skin heads and Turkish immigrants and Germans of Turkish origin. I hope either Spain or the Russians win it all.
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Obviously Zidane has nothing to say about the France exit because he himself has always been crap for the team in the group stages.
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It was good to see the Spanish win. Loving that.
Good to see the Zizou too. All hail the king of football. Easily Europe's answer to Maradonna and Pele.
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The Italians always act like the world owes them, it was fantastic to see Spain win.
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Well done to Spain, their players have work their socks off to get this result, break the so call omen finally. As for Italy, although their players are all so skillful, they were playing boring football as a team... sorry but watching them play makes me want to sleep! Glad that Spain go through!
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"The Italians always act like the world owes them, it was fantastic to see Spain win."
Terrible thing, envy.
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i feel the French really missed Zizou as his exhuberance and elegance was unique - in fact his technical ability is sorely missed in World football!!!I would go as far as saying for me he was the best European player we have seen. His piroets and amazing touch was a joy to watch. Nobody will be able to fill his shoes. People may say he reacted badly in the World Cup but how would you feel if someone swore at you personally?
A Legend - of all time.....
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Although Italy obviously played negative tactics, it is important to note the loss of certain players this time around.
Totti having retired has left a large gap up front in a support role for Toni, and in this game in particular Italy had their most important midfield partnership missing in Gattuso and Pirlo.
that is 3 massive players missing in Italy's midfield.
Pirlo is the ingenuity behind the midfield who can play the little angled passes and create space in an instant, whereas last night Italy were relying on players a lot less able to do so, and in fact a lot more defensive players in nature.
When Camoranesi came on, Italy looked a little brighter, but it was already at a stage in the game when nobody could afford to take chances.
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"The Italians always act like the world owes them, it was fantastic to see Spain win."
Terrible thing, envy.
Sorry you're wrong, I'm actually Italian...
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i agree with jdrawmwer...
spain is likely more powerfull than italy...
no matter what da italian men are saying..
most of their player will retire in 2-3 seasons compare 2 spain's young guns..
i think this can be da reason why italy can't win their last match..
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Glad Spain won.
The Italians play boring, negative football. Always looking for free kicks by diving. 10 men behind the ball at every opportunity.
Is Luca Toni the worst centre forward ever in the history of Italian footy? Not one goal. He was so bad he didn't even take a penalty!
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Italy played a shameful match, nobody doubt it, but I couldn't see from the Spanish team such a stylish football as many journalists usually define it. Probably because the boring Italian football still remains one of the smartest and tactical played in the world.
It s in fact hard to merely believe in a question of luck the fact that Spain didn't beat Italy in a professional competion since the remote 1920.
Spain by the way is playing a good footbal so far, and Marcos Senna yesterday was unquestionably the best player of the match, but, isn't he a brasilian guy who doesn't even have any spanish ancestors?
This has nothing to do with any form of racism please, but in my opinion, football is historically different than rugby or volley ball, and in a national team players represent the football style of their own country, if Spain express such a great and stylish game, why do they need to nationalise brasilian players ( the country who won more world's cup so far) and use them as part of their national team?
By the way good luck to Spain and hope we will see a less boring match in the semifinal match.
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Althought Italy's tactics were negative I think they had to play them. In terms of attacking ability and pace they cannot match the Spanish. Granted they have Cassano, Di Natale, Del Piero, Toni, Cameronesi and Borriello, but this cannot match Villa, Torres, Silva, Carzola, Iniesta, Guiza and Sergio Garcia. Spain had more pace, penetration and flair upfront and while Italy know how to defend very well (But not so well without Cannavaro).
If Italy were to try to play fluid, passing football and tried to attack Spain continuously they would leave them selves open and vunerable at the back. Therefore, by defending deep and having great organization, it was best to hit Spain on the break and snatch a goal, but without players such as Pirlo it just didn't work. It just strikes me that when Manchester United play similiar tactics against teams such as Barca it is praised as wonderful, but when Italy do it is terrible football that destroys the game. The only difference is that it worked for Man Utd.
In relation to Luca toni I do not think that he is the worst centre forward in Italian history as 71 club goals in 3 years says otherwise. However, I think that Donadoni uses him wrongly, he should be used with a partner who can feed off him and give him support, Cassano and Perrotta were playing too deep, so when Toni got the ball he often had no outlet. Also, if you remember he should have had one goal against Romania which was wrongly disallowed.
Marcos Senna was very good and may have been the man of the match, but I would like to suggest Chiellini, who was fanastic. For a player with little big time international experience to step in for the hapless Materazzi, he was really very good. He generally kept Villa and Tores under-wraps.
With all that said, I do think that Spain probably deserved to win and that Italy have generally been poor throughout the tornament, although I do not think they were playing for penalies, just their tactics did not work in an attacking sense. However, alot of unfair critizism has been leveled at them, but it is good to remember that none of the home nations were there. If England were there they themselves would be playing defensive football as that is were their strenght lies, because going forward Rooney, Gerrard and co seem to be unable to muster much in terms of attacking football for the national team. So why critize Italy so much were they did better than England to begin with!
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I'm a Leeds fan (don't hold it against me!), and I can honestly say the best player I've ever seen in person was Rivaldo. When Leeds played Barca all those years ago, it was like he was another planet.
That said, the best player i've ever seen is Zidane. He had so much ability it was untrue. Yes, he had a temper, but everyone has their vices. That's probably why Pele is the greatest...his temprement was outstanding. But there's no way Zidane can't be mentioned in the same breath as Pele and Maradona. Midfielders rule the pitch...Zidane certainly did.
P.S I agree about Senna. Successful teams always have a top defensive midfielder...Spain certainly have that.
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Platini wasn't bad either. Not much to choose between ZZ and Platini IMHO.
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in reply to :-
The Italians play boring, negative football. Always looking for free kicks by diving. 10 men behind the ball at every opportunity.
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The Italians do not always play negative football...what is this based on ?
Theyve been involve in some of the greated matches played over the years. recently in 2006 world cup v germany, in arguably the best game ever v brazil in 92, in 1970 against germany 4-3 ????
The game against holland and romania was entertaining so your statemnet is absolute rubbish.
England are 10 times more boring to watch than Italy
As for diving I couldnt see many incidents last night with italians diving, more diving came from the spanish!
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So much ignorance about the Italian side, its ridiculous. Granted, Donadoni screwed up last night and got his tactics all wrong (if you ask me he screwed up the whole tournament) but for people to call this Italian team "defensive" either suggests that they didn't watch their three group games or that they just don't have a clue what they're talking about. This was, don't forget, one of the most attacking Italian teams of all time.
It just so happened that the main man, Toni, had an awful tournament (even though he scored a perfectly good goal that was ruled out). Yet, even though he had an incredible season being both top scorer in the Bundesliga and the UEFA cup.
If it was a Premiership star who'd had a bad tournament, then he'd be just "having a bad tournament". If its a star from the Bundesliga, or Serie A, then oh, he must be a terrible player or that league must be awful! What a load of nonsense. The completely ignorant views that are coming out are shameful.
Luca Toni is a superb player and has almost scored as many International goals as Vialli. Yet because he didn't play well in the 4 games that English fans got to watch, he must be awful. Yeh. Go figure. Personally I hope he does brilliantly in the Champions League next season and you all end up eating humble pie.
As for Spain, bleh, what is the fascination with this above average team? The Germans or the Russians will put them in their place.
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I should add that I do think Spain deserved to win last night, and Italy can have no complaints, but the fact is Donadoni has no excuse for playing last night the way he did. Frustrate Spain yes, that was working, but the whole long ball up to Toni not only hadn't worked all tournament, but it was certainly not going to last night. Del Piero should have been brought on earlier.
Personally I'm now rooting for the Russians to win this tournament. Russia, Russians and the players all deserve something to be proud of.
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17. At 10:06am on 23 Jun 2008, moonage80 wrote:
"The Italians always act like the world owes them, it was fantastic to see Spain win."
Terrible thing, envy.
Sorry you're wrong, I'm actually Italian...
********************************
Are you sure you are? As I do not think any "italian football supporter" can be very happy to see Spain wina and Italy out as much as you might disagree with tactics, or player selection etc.... you might want to be a bit contructive?
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Delighted Spain won as they played the more creative attacking football and because it is good to see them break the duck.
However, you have to hand it to the Italian defence. It was awesome. For all their attacking play and good lines, Spain didn't create a proper clear cut chance - only half chances.
I agree with nerazzurro, Chiellini was fantastic. He was my man of the match, closely followed by Senna. Chiellini seemed to be everywhere and made countless crucial interceptions. I don't think the Italian defence was compromised at all by the absence of Cannavaro.
Italy made Spain look pedestrian - Torres and Villa completed shackled, Xavi and Iniesta consigned to pretty sideways passes.
Russia v Spain should be a classic. Neither side particularly strong defensively, but excellent going forward.
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I'm suprised nobody has mentioned the brilliant performance by Chillieni? (Is that how you spell it?!). He mastered the Italian defence and left Villa and Torres, 2 of the world's most exciting new youngsters, looking like pub players.
I could've counted about 5 slide tackles in about 10 minutes towards of the end of the second half, why has nobody mentioned him?!
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Its great to see Zizou again. I'm so sad that he has retired. He was such a joy to watch play football. The best comparison I ever heard about him was that to an 'orchestra conductor'; there will never be a player like him again. Awful shame about his last match, materazzi was a disgrace that night. Anyway, pity ZZ has finished, maybe Karim Benzema will someday fill his boots!
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Scholes- England's missing link...
I believe that I mentioned Chiellini above in post 21. He was brillant last night and I hope he will permanently partner Cannavaro at the heart of the defence from now on. Defensively I think Donadoni got it spot on, shackling and fustrating the Spanish attack. But, going forward Donadoni was a complete failure. Cameronesi should have started instead of Perrotta, with both him and Cassano just behind Toni giving him support and adding a bit of width. Aquilani should have been used in a Pirlo role with De Rossi and Ambrosini protecting him. Although not as good he may have been able to add some direction to the random Italian long balls.
-----------------Aquilani-------------------
---------De Rossi --Ambrosini-------
Cameronesi------------------Cassano
-------------------Toni--------------
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Can't buy into this Zidane worship, I'm sorry. An annoyingly inconsistent player, his real talent lay in being able to turn it on only when he felt like it. Most of the time his game was just downright disappointing.
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Zidane's game dissapointing????
what games where you watching? I remember many great matches with Zidane playing where he never gave the ball away and scored fantastic goals.
You don't score volleys like the one he scored in the champions league final without being an incredible player. Also bagging 2 goals in a world cup final ring any bells!?
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Well i was certainly put off by the very "Un-Constructive" criticism directed towards the italians after last night's match. One of the so called 'experts' on the channel i was watching the match on literally said after the game went to penalties "I hope the Italians lose tonight...they are not worthy of being world champions"
The disappointment i felt after the Italian loss vanished very quickly only to be replaced by extreme anger over the rash comments made by a lot of narrow-minded people.
First of all, the quarter-finals of a major tournament warrant tactics and no team goes in to them without figuring out the best way they can see themselves go through (And it includes a lot of factors deemed unattractive such as malicious man-marking, prompting set pieces and yes even defensive football which is absolutely alright)
Secondly, yes people like Toni have been off touch but (building on an earlier comment) people like Toni have been fantastic in hard fought leagues such as the Bundes Liga...please do come and think outside of the average and over-advertised EPL....and even outside of your favourite club within the league.... For example the other day i just happened to mention to another that i would like to see Xabi Alonso play in the spanish mid-field to which the other promptly replied (in a tone of absolute obviosness) that they arent giving fabregas a start....how the hell are you talking about Xabi Alonso? (I said to myself...an obvios person who thinks he knows the football world just because he watches and supports every arsenal game)
So this is just my take on some of the closed-minded comments people often make on world football today without considering football as a totality and instead concentrating on it as a confinement of five of their favourite players and two of their favourite clubs......
it is a shame international football finds its fan base through a few players which feature in a club rather than the nation itself and the concerned team's style of play......maybe its the extravagant media coverage....who knows......
i have another very relevant example regarding the game between the russians and the dutch...i will post that later since this one's getting tooo long...
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Organize to boycott the World Cup in South Africa. http://zimsolidarity.blogspot.com/
Thabo Mbeki has made a mockery of diplomacy and has propped up the murderous regime of Robert Mugabe. We must not allow Mbeki's government to proffit from the World Cup while his neighbors burn.
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Maybe Zidane should of gone to the France Italy game instead, or didn't he think he would be able to control his head butting? Italy V Spain, very tactical game, Italy missing Pirlo, Gattuso and Cannavaro were alway going to struggle, but you have to hand it to the Italians for making it very tough for the full strength Spanish side, Italy could of easily have won that game, in the end it was fair to see Spain through, its about time Spain beat Italy in a competitive match, 88 years was the last time it had occured. I am a fan of Italian football, and Italians in sport generally, they are so dogged and are always contenders, look at Ferrari in F1, or Ducati in Moto GP, I am sorry to see Italy bow out in a penalty shoot out, I would of prefered that Spain beat them 6 nil, but to come so close and have it all end on the flip of a coin seems cruel! I guess the french can relate to that after their world cup loss!
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The English are jealous of the Italian team, its obvious, thats why many bad mouth the Italians at every opportunity, and they wish they could be as competitive as the Azzurri, thats why they have an Italian coach for their national team. The Spain Italy game was a tactical display, its foreign to the English, they just see it as boring.....
It's how you have to play when you have 3 of your main players missing, Italy nearly won and only lost to a full strength Spain on Penalties! I for one love the Azzurri and think that they are one of the greatest footballing teams ever, they can play attacking football when they need to, they can play ultra defensive also, they are adaptable and can change their style of play to suit, I think that this is one of their main strengths. Say whatever you want about them, but at least they are in the competition, unlike England, who couldn't even qualify, I personally think that the English game is boring and predictable, you can always predict that they will lose!
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I agree with a comment made in here earlier, Del Piero should have played more than he did. However, Italy were an absolute bore to watch, no flair on the pitch and it proved to be unsuccessful in the end.
I am also going to support Russia from now on, they may give Spain a shock and get revenge like Diniyar Bilyaletdinov has come out and said he wants. Yuri Zhirkov has looked very threatening in attack, whilst assured when defending, however, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Andrei Arshavin are crucial to their success and provided they play well, they could be in with a shout of winning the semi-final and going on to become European Champions.
?????????? ??????, ?????? ?? ????. ?????? ???????? ?? ????????!
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ZIDANE WAS THE PERFECT PLAYER I HAVE EVER SEEN,CONTROLL ATTACK AND PASSES.
EVEN THOUGH WHEN HE IS IN THE GROUND THE AGAINST TEAM IS IN PRESSURE AND EXACTELY WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE ITALIAN THEY TRIED UGLY TACTICE TO KEEP AWAY ZIDANE IN LAST WORLD CUP FINAL.
AND PLEASE DON,T COMPARE WITH
MARADONA,
MARADONA IS CHEATER WHO MADE GOAL BY HAND AND DRUG ADDICT.
AND GOOD LUCK TO SPAIN.
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I'm sorry to disagree with some of you, but Spain-Italy, for me, was one of the worst games I have ever had the misfortune to watch! Senna, Casillas and Chiellini aside, all the rest should be ashamed to call themselves professional football players and I'm almost glad that the majority of "supporters" inside were various VIP/Sponsorship/Corporate people and that thousands of real supporters didn't pay cash to watch that! I've seen better value for money at a local junior match. David Silva and Luca Toni really should be made to watch their performances over and over again and explain why, as professionals who play and practice almost every day of their live, why they were so poor. David Silva? Would struggle to cross a road never mind a football! Luca Toni? 6 foot, 4 inches of Blancmange!! Anyone going near him should expect him to just collapse to the ground (he's almost as good as Camoranesi) Such a poor, cheating attitude, which is a shame because he can be a good player when he tries! I'm sorry to be so negative but that game really was the worst I can remember, and I'm fed up with this attitude of players being touched slightly and going down as if being shot (and I do include others beside Spain and Italy!) and what's this with holding their shins, maybe they need to start wearing shin pads that actually work?? Or is that rolling about, holding the shin just for effect?? Message to BBC, please delete this game from your archive and never subject us or future generations from having to view any minute of that game again, thanks!
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A comment on here by someone seems to indicate that ZZ is reluctant to talk about that head butt as it could affect his sponsorship and adidas sales figures in italy. I think its more to do with the fact that he is just a decent bloke who understandably snapped. Clearly he wasnt told anything too nice to make public. A living legend.
Come on Keegan you dreamer...lets see how far we can push ZZ out of retirement...
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