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| Friday, September 13, 2002 12:54 EST |
Clubs aiming to restore league's luster with attacking play
[Reuters]
MILAN -- After a close season dominated by financial problems and a row over television rights, Italy's Serie A finally gets under way on Saturday with the northern
trio of Inter Milan, AC Milan and reigning champions Juventus
once again favorites for the title.
The battle for the top spot is again expected to be
close, but the league has much work to do if it is to regain its
status as the top championship in Europe.
The recent departure of Ronaldo from Inter to Real Madrid
comes a year after Zinedine Zidane and Juan Sebastian Veron left
Italy for Real and Manchester United, respectively.
On top of those losses, Italian clubs have failed to make
the last four in the Champions League for three successive years.
Better results are demanded in Europe but also a more
attacking and entertaining brand of football is badly needed to boost the image of a league that has been
surrounded by scandal and crisis for the past two seasons.
The good news for fans is that the top clubs appear ready to
abandon their characteristic caution in favor of a more
positive approach, with attacking lineups promised by the main
contenders.
"It is going to be an evenly-balanced but also an
entertaining season," said AC Milan and Italy striker Filippo
Inzaghi.
"I think this will be a year of change for Italian football
with a return to good football and we will find our way in
Europe again," he added.
After the title went to Rome in 2000 and 2001, with Lazio
and AS Roma enjoying rare success, normal service was resumed
last term when Marcello Lippi's Juventus brought the title back
north by claiming its 26th "scudetto."
The Turin side spent heavily last season to strengthen its
squad for that success and so Lippi has been content to focus on
adding to his reserve options.
But the arrival of striker Marco Di Vaio from Parma and the
return to fitness of Chilean forward Marcelo Salas give Lippi an
abundance of attacking options for a strike force led so
effectively last season by Frenchman David Trezeguet and
Alessandro Del Piero.
The addition of young Italy international Di Vaio has led
Lippi to suggest he may play a three-pronged attack and shed the
slightly dour image Juve has gained in recent years.
Ronaldo's departure, after three injury plagued seasons, may
have caused much bitterness among Inter fans, but the
Brazilian's absence is not likely to be felt on the pitch.
Argentine striker Hernan Crespo's arrival ensures a strong
partner for Christian Vieri in attack and with the emerging
talent of French attacking midfielder Stephane Dalmat and the
occasional brilliance of Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba should ensure
plenty of chances for the front two.
Inter came close to ending its 13-year wait for a title
last season and Argentine coach Hector Cuper is well aware that
president Massimo Moratti expects honors this season.
"We need to win something this year, I know that," said
Cuper, "There can be no more excuses".
But Inter's local rivals AC Milan has invested heavily in a
bid to extend Inter's barren years and bring back the glory days
of the early 1990's when Milan dominated at home and in Europe.
Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo and Italy defender
Alessandro Nesta are two top quality signings and with
Portugal's Rui Costa fit again and Dutch midfielder Clarence
Seedorf brought from Inter, coach Carlo Ancelotti has by far the
most improved and attack-minded squad in the league.
Roma coach Fabio Capello, the man who guided Milan to much
of its earlier success, has been frustrated at his club's
failure to bring in Edgar Davids from Juventus, the only player
Capello had asked president Franco Sensi to buy.
Although Francesco Totti, Vincenzo Montella and Argentine
Gabriel Batistuta make up a formidable front three, there
appears to be a lack of real quality in midfield and there are
question marks over a defense that is over-reliant on Argentine
center-half Walter Samuel.
Lazio has lost its captain and central defender Nesta and
its main source of goals Crespo and while the club retains a strong
squad it will find it hard to compete with the northern trio
and Roma.
Parma has also lost the heart of its squad with the
departure of Di Vaio and Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro, who has
moved to Inter, but coach Cesare Prandelli has some talented
young players at his disposal.
As always, it will be a tough battle at the foot of the
table with few sides starting the season confident of keeping
clear of relegation.
The promoted sides Como, Empoli, Modena and Reggina will
all hope to emulate the achievements of Chievo who finished
fifth last year in its first ever season in the top flight.
But the statistics show that a battle for survival is much
more likely for those arriving from Serie B.
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