World Cup: Lippi ready to break Italy's World Cup jinx

Carrying a team deemed favorite for nearly every FIFA World Cup finals since 1982, Marcello Lippi needs nothing but luck this time in Germany to reverse the miseral span of the fate of Italy to put the hand on the lofty glory of the soccer world for the first time in 24 years.
Since the 12th World Cup in Spain where Italians took their third and last title, the Azzurri have made a unspeakable history at major championships, being eliminated from soccer's top competition on penalties three times before the twin disasters of the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004.
With two years' efforts from then, however, Lippi, who succeeded Giovanni Trapattoni to take charge of Italian side after the blue-dressed was ousted from the 2004 European Championship, has successfully forged a fresh and exciting team, which inserted new blood like Luca Toni, Alberto Gilardino, Daniele De Rossi, and Aimo Diana, to face up Group E opponents the United States, Ghana and the Czech Republic in the upcoming World Cup Finals to start June 9 in Germany.
"I gave chances to lots of youngsters last summer and experimented with the team. Now, with the World Cup just around the corner, it's time to draw the conclusions," Lippi, 58, told the world soccer governing body's website FIFA.com late last month.
In his two-year reign, the silver-haired coach has guided Italy to a record of 12 wins, two losses and six ties, including 7 wins, one draw and 2 losses in World Cup qualifying. The trouble-free campaign helped Italy clinch a World Cup berth, and at the same time, indicated that Lippi has driven his national team to a soar.
With his success at club level, the Tuscan-born native, regarded the real strength for the Italian side now, is boosting his chance to write a new history.
Never working outside his country of birth, Lippi includes a full range of coaching positions from the youth sector through the lower leagues right up to Serie A.
He started as a youth-team coach in Sampdoria in 1982 after playing seven years in the top flight side as a central defender in the 1970s, and took in charge of Pontedra three years later in Serie C2, the lowest level of Italian professional soccer.
His Serie A career began with Cesena in 1989 and followed by spells in Lucchese, Atalanta and Napoli, with which Lippi emerged as the cream of a crop of managerial staff as he led Napoli to a place in the UEFA Cup in the 1993-1994 season.
Then Lippi's career as a coach raced onto a high way as he won the Serie A title in his first season with Juventus after landing there in 1994, and proceeded to make it five during the eight seasons with Juve, with a brief interlude at inter Milan, besides one Italian Cup, four Italian Supercups, the 1996 European Champions League, and the European Supercup and Intercontinental Cup.
After Italy suffered the first-round elimination at the 2004 European Championship, he was called in to replace Giovanni Trapattoni at the helm of the Azzurri.
Looking forward to the 2006 World Cup, Lippi, who is often described as a shy man, are not shame of boost his own side with confidence.
"There are seven or eight teams -- the host country, England, France, Argentina, Spain, Italy, Netherlands -- with the hope of winning," said Lippi, who never been to a World Cup as a kicker. " Brazil is the big favorite, but we also have a shot."

Scandal hits Italian league

The protests and whistle-blowing have been going on for a long time in Italy's Serie A. Finally, thanks to an enterprising investigative team, one of the biggest corruption scandals in soccer history has been uncovered.
By tapping into telephone conversations, mostly involving Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi, details were revealed as to how Moggi had influenced referee selections, player transfers, candidates for the Italian national team, and even the presentation of a popular television highlights program.
Moggi and the entire board of directors of Juventus resigned, as did the president of Federazione Italiana Gioco Calcio, the game's ruling body, plus the head of the referees' committee, and talk-show host Aldo Biscardi. Massimo De Santis, Italy's top referee, has been withdrawn from the World Cup list. And now Italy coach Marcello Lippi's status is being questioned, and national team goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and captain Fabio Cannavaro have been accused of match-fixing.
Guido Rossi, formerly in charge of CONSOB, the Italian Stock Market regulator, is heading a formal investigation of at least 50 people: 20 referees and linesmen, 12 club officials, 10 player agents, and 8 journalists.
Moggi is at the center of the investigation, allegedly having manipulated the results of key games through blackmail and bribes to referees and also attempting to influence the selection of players represented by GEA World, which is run by his son, Alessandro Moggi. GEA represents 262 players, 31 club officials, and 29 coaches in Italy.
If Moggi is convicted of ``sporting fraud," Juventus could be fined and relegated. Juve, a club founded in 1899 in the spirit of youth (Juventus) and nicknamed La Vecchia Signoria (The Old Lady) after becoming established as a cultural/sporting institution, has never been relegated and is considered a symbol of the country's post-war industrial and social advancement. Juventus is still controlled by the Agnelli family, which made its fortune through the Fiat automobile manufacturer.
Just the threat of relegation has caused Juve stock to dip and its players to start looking for other teams. Juventus won its 29th ``scudetto" (Serie A title) this month, but could be forced to forfeit at least two of those championships. The potential loss of revenue could be hundreds of millions of euros, should Juve be disqualified from the Champions League and/or relegated.
Juventus celebrated the title after a 2-1 win over Reggina in a match played in Bari last week.
``It's only right that players celebrate, but it's not as if nothing has happened this week," Inter coach Roberto Mancini said. ``I too was a Juventus fan, from a boy to when I was 15. But that was a different Juventus."
Juventus long has been accused of receiving favorable decisions. So the revelations are being regarded like Pulcinella's secret -- a secret everyone already knew. The difference is, this time everything has been recorded and distributed to the media.

SAMP FINISH ON LOSING NOTE

Sampdoria ended a disappointing season in a fashion to which they have grown accustomed to over the last three months - with defeat.
For the ninth time in the last 13 games, the Blucerchiati failed to pick up any points in a 3-1 home defeat to Lecce who themselves had little reason to celebrate as they had already been relegated to Serie B.
Gennaro Delvecchio's goal and an Axel Konan brace provided the goals for the visitors who ended their spell in Serie A with three much-deserved if ultimately futile points.
Francesco Flachi scored a consolation goal at the death for Samp whose season fizzled out in disappointment.
From the off, the visitors attacked fervently and had several chances to go ahead before Delvecchio finally broke the deadlock.
The pacy Konan broke through the Sampdoria midfield with ease and provided Mirko Vucinic with the chance to beat Luca Castellazi.
The Sampdoria goalkeeper, as on several occasions before, parried his shot, but the ball fell kindly at the feet of Delvecchio who fired into the empty net.
The home side's best chances of the first half were spurned by Flachi who played a neat one-two with Salvatore Foti and rounded Francesco Benussi, but shot into the side-netting.
A further Flachi effort sailed over the crossbar as he cut in from the right of the penalty area as space opened up in front of the top Sampdoria goalscorer.
Samp coach Walter Novellino replaced the ineffective Salvatore Foti, who had made his first start to a Serie A game, with the more experienced Samuele Dalla Bona in a tactical switch at half-time.
But it was pretty much the same lifeless Sampdoria which ended the first half and there was no surprise, at least not among the supporters, when Konan soon made it two.
The home side were left ball-watching as Delvecchio provided a low cross from the goalline for Konan to tap into the empty net and receive ironic applause from the majority of the Luigi Ferraris Stadium.
Once again, the home fans were about to witness their team lose.
For the last five minutes, they turned their backs on their side en masse, preferring not to see how the season ended.
And they missed Konan's third as he headed Philippe Billy's cross unchallenged into the back of the net to reverse the 3-0 defeat inflicted upon them in December and earn further ironic cheers from those fans who had kept their eyes on the game.
A consolation from Flachi, fired in expertly from 20 yards, earned a similar applause, but not enough to appease the home fans.
Despite accumulating a total of four points from their final 13 games of the season, Sampdoria will remain a Serie A side next season.
Lecce, on the other hand, will be keeping a close eye on the latest developments in the Italian football scandal in the hope that they could earn a ticket back to the top flight if any clubs are relegated as punishment.

Livorno 0-0 Sampdoria

After 7 consecutive league defeats that pulled Livorno down in the standings, the Amaranto fans were finally able to celebrate a victory after last 2 weekend's 3-1 triumph over Palermo. But, they were crushed again by AC Milan last week. The hosts will be without injured defender F.Coco, but the good news for Mazzone is that goalkeeper Amelia and defender Prates have recovered from their respective injuries.What a difference a year can make. Twelve months ago, Sampdoria and Udinese were fighting a battle for 4th position in Serie A and the right to a place in the Champions League Tournament. That battle ended on the final day of the season in Udiness's Favour, while Samp were left with the concolation prize of a place in the UEFA Cup, But for both sides, 12 months on, European football is a forgotten dream.Since the departure of coach Mazzone Livorno haven't tasted any victory. Although it's too late, they are still looking for a chance to regain their form. They will try their best to beat the low forming Sampdoria. "GIVE" is recommended.

Next week on TV (5-1/5-7)

By Daniel Kline
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

*All times Eastern.

Monday, May 1
NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)
Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

Tuesday, May 2
Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)
Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

Wednesday, May 3
Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)
Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

Thursday, May 4
Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)
A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Friday, May 5
College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)
Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

Saturday, May 6
Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)
Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

Sunday, May 7
Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)
Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.


Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

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SAMPDORIA DESPERATE FOR WIN

What a difference a year can make. Twelve months ago, Sampdoria and Udinese were fighting a battle for fourth position in Serie A and the right to a place in the Champions League.
That battle ended on the final day of the season in Udinese's favour, while Samp were left with the consolation prize of a place in the UEFA Cup Championship.
But for both sides, 12 months on, European football is a forgotten dream.
With just two points taken from the last 30 available, Sampdoria have been dragged to the brink of the relegation zone while Udinese have only recently edged away from the bottom three thanks to a five-game unbeaten streak.
Both clubs are now level on 39 points, eight points above the drop zone, but way out of reach of the clubs ahead of them.
The only objective remaining for both squads is to bring about a positive end to a disappointing year.
"I've always said that with the right motivation, you can get anywhere," said Sampdoria coach Walter Novellino.
That was finally on display in the capital last Saturday, when Samp battled for a point against a Roma side in the same situation they were in last year - pushing for a Champions League berth.
"We played a great game against Roma and I believe we showed that this squad can play to their standard," added Novellino.
Unfortunately, Novellino has only rarely had a full squad to choose from and injury could rid him of some key figures once again on Sunday.
Aimo Diana has been ruled out with a calf injury while Francesco Flachi and Luigi Sala are both doubtful after missing training this week.
Furthermore, Max Tonetto, Cristian Zenoni and Giulio Falcone are all suspended, meaning 18-year-old Alessandro Bastrini is called up to take his place on the bench alongside 17-year-old Salvatore Foti.
Udinese come into the game almost spoilt for choice in comparison, and certainly in higher spirits after claiming 11 points in the last five games.
Coach Giovanni Galeone gave his players a three-day break after their 1-1 draw with Chievo last Saturday, but that has not been enough time for Vincent Candela, Roberto Baronio and Jose Vidigal to recover from knocks.
However, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Sulley Muntari and Felipe Da Silva are all back from suspension and ready to step back into the starting XI.
Galeone's main decision centres on which tactics he will employ in Genoa, with the coach believed to favour an adventurous 4-3-3 approach, with Iaquinta, Paulo Barreto and Antonio Di Natale leading the line.
Udinese will be looking to get the better of Samp for the third time this season, having won 2-0 in Friuli just days before Christmas before knocking them out of the Coppa Italia earlier this year.

Football - 2006 UEFA CUP Tournament

The UEFA Cup is handed over to the Dutch city of Eindhoven, and in preparation for hosting this season's final, golden memories of 1978 will come flooding back.
It was on 9 May 1978 that local side PSV Eindhoven established themselves as a major force in European football as they beat SC Bastia 3-0 at the Philips stadium - the venue for this season's final - to win the UEFA Cup, following a goalless draw in the first leg in Corsica two weeks earlier.
By that time, PSV had already broken the cast-iron grip that the big clubs from the west of the Netherlands - Feyenoord and AFC Ajax - held on the Dutch title by winning the Eredivisie in 1974/75 and 1975/76, but in taking the UEFA Cup, they announced their presence to the whole continent.
With the final being contested over two legs in those days, PSV had not enjoyed an easy time in the opening fixture against Bastia. Heavy rainfall turned the first leg into a boring show. But the second leg, however, was much more one-sided, and with the elements no longer blocking their route to goal, PSV shone with Willy van de Kerkhof, Gerrie Deijkers and Willy van der Kuylen finding the target as they secured a famous victory in front of 27,000 fans.
With Feyenoord and Ajax both having won major European competitions in the early 1970s, PSV were the third Dutch club to triumph in UEFA competition, and added to their trophy cabinet by winning the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1987/88 before reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2004/05.
The memories of that first success back in 1978 will be celebrated as 2004/05 UEFA Cup, against all the Sportsbooks odds. Winners of last year’s cup PFC CSKA Moskva hand the trophy to Eindhoven, with goal scorers Van de Kerkhof and Van der Kuylen in attendance. Sadly Deijkers died of heart failure at the age of 56 back in October 2003.
Deijkers' story was an odd one. He had played as a defender in previous seasons but coach Kees Rijvers - who will also be at the handover - decided to hand him a chance to become a striker as PSV were having attacking problems in 1977/78. He went on to score 18 league goals and six in the UEFA Cup that season. While Deijkers will be missed at the ceremony at the Evoluon building in Eindhoven, plenty of other PSV stars of 1978 will be there to make up the numbers. Among them will be Willy's twin brother René van de Kerkhof, Jan Poortvliet, Adri van Kraay and Kees Krijgh all eager to get their hands on the trophy again.