Italy can't help but admire Il Maestro still

RARELY, IF ever, has a resounding defeat for the Italian team been so warmly applauded by the home media as was Italy’s 2-0 defeat by the Republic of Ireland in their Liege friendly on Tuesday night.

The reason for that response, of course, concerns the prodigal grandfather himself, 72-year-old Giovanni Trapattoni.

Even if Italian critics felt they should be alarmed by a poor Italian performance which saw the Azzurri get their first shot in on goal in only the third minute of time added-on, that analysis was secondary to wholehearted praise for “Il Trap”.

Recalling how Italian coach Cesare Prandelli had once played under Trapattoni at Juventus, Rome daily La Repubblicalikened the two to the late 13th century maestro Ciambue and his 14th century follower Giotto, saying: "Ciambue beats Giotto 2-0 . . . The maestro Trap doesn't say 'cat' until he has put the apprentice Prandelli in his sack. This is becoming something of a routine operation, too, when the Old Lion comes up against Italy – three games, two draws and one win for him.

“Whether it is yesterday’s Italy or today’s, the Azzurri are simply not able to beat one of their own great teachers, a man who has written some epic pages in football history”.

Daily La Gazzettadello Sport took up the same theme, suggesting that "Il Trap" had delivered a sound lesson to both Italy and Prandelli, commenting: "A good dose of Il Trap helps us to grow up. He's like that old medicine your granny used to give you. That way, Prandelli's children will learn that it is all very well to play pretty football but it means little if you get your first shot in on goal in the 93rd minute.

“It is praiseworthy that, inspired by such as Barcelona, we might attempt to move beyond our (defensive) tradition. But you have to remember that you can get a bloody nose when you come up against a side that just defends and then hits you on the counter-attack, especially if, like Ireland, they play that game with determination, organisation and heart . . .”

The daily Corriere dello Sportalso reflected on the flattering comparisons with Barcelona, which had been prompted by Italy's 3-0 win over Estonia last Friday, commenting: "A comprehensive 2-0 defeat at the hands of grandad Trap. This game was emblematic of the eternal mystery of football – at the very moment that people were making all sorts of comparisons with Barcelona, a willing but unconvincing Italy, incapable of shooting on goal . . . got turned over by Trap's Ireland B . . . "

Many commentators underlined the fact that Tuesday night's Ireland side was very much a second choice team. Turin daily La Stampaput it this way: "Ireland knocked us out with its second choice team, a side short on quality but able to play a very simple, very effective type of game . . . "

Needless to say, much attention was given to Trap’s own prosaic assessment of not just the match but also the game of football, when he said: “Football is about equilibrium and application, about when you have the ball and when you don’t. All the rest is just poetry.

“I might be vulgar, but I tell you when I want to see a good show I go to La Scala opera house. In football, what matters is the result and I have always sweated blood to get results . . . ”

The final word, much quoted in the Italian press yesterday, goes to Prandelli, who said: “If we had to lose a game, then it was better to do so against Trap.”