In the new installment of “Club Dago,” the most followed soccer column by Italians in New York and beyond, Guglielmo Timpano, editor of Soccer Made in Italy, interviewed former Serie A and Italian national team midfielder Gaetano D’Agostino on the return of the European play-offs and the upcoming Serie A fixture. A wide-ranging analysis on the disappointments of Italian teams in the European Cups and a preview of the next round of the Championship. Between sharp criticism and technical considerations, D’Agostino spares no one, from bigwigs like Theo Hernandez and Tiago Motta to a tactical analysis of Gasperini’s Atalanta.
Three shock eliminations in the Champions League. A very hard blow for Italian soccer. What went wrong, Gaetano? “It was a bad blow, especially for the ranking. These defeats show that in Europe, without offensive ideas and high tempo, you struggle a lot. And I’m not talking about challenges against the bigs, but matches against teams that have equipped themselves and planned better than us. We have met clubs that have been able to evolve, while we have fallen behind in this round.”
Did Theo Hernandez’s expulsion doom Milan? “Before the expulsion, Milan had tied the score and had a psychological advantage. But I think Theo Hernandez has reached the emotional end of the line with Milan. He has too much power in the team, but he is not a leader character-wise or an outlier. The club has given him too much security, and he has shown sufficiency and arrogance. It is not just about the sending off, but about bad defensive attitudes and behavior that puts the team in trouble. If he doesn’t change his mentality, he will be a problem for Milan.”
Turning to Juventus: the Vlahovic case and the elimination with PSV. Is Tiago Motta to fail? “For me, Tiago Motta was already to fail before the elimination. You have an asset like Vlahovic, bought for 60-70 million, and you leave him out of the project. I didn’t see any identity of play: neither defensive nor offensive. I don’t see anything that suggests an idea of soccer. On the contrary, I see a coach trying to impose his own vision at the expense of the players’ characteristics. This is a fatal mistake. An opposite example? Ranieri, who puts players in their natural roles to make them perform at their best. If the tactical idea does not enhance the players, you fail.”
Gasperini’s Atalanta out with Brugge. The clearest of eliminations. What didn’t work? “It was the clearest and, in my opinion, it had to be that way. Gasperini paid for his presumption, without considering the strengths of Brugge, which was able to exploit spaces with precise insertions. Atalanta has little reading of the game. Gasperini is a great coach and has a clear philosophy, but he failed to read the course of the match. Kudos to the Brugge coach, who prepared the match perfectly.”
Only Italian joy: Ranieri’s Roma dominated Porto. Yet Ranieri was angry at the end of the game. Why? “He was right to be angry. In the international arena you cannot afford blackouts, even for a few minutes. Ranieri saw unwanted attitudes of protagonism: some people sought personal glory instead of playing as a team. Roma dominated, but those moments of decline can cost them dearly at higher levels. Ranieri sent a clear message: everyone has to play their role, without overdoing it.”
Looking ahead to the next round of Serie A: Will there be dross from the Cups? “Yes, especially for Milan. Maybe they will win, but they cannot afford a game of only nervousness and impetus, because they risk paying mentally for the dross from the elimination. And watch out for Torino, which is dangerous at home and can put the Rossoneri in trouble. Juventus in Cagliari will not have an easy life either, especially after the elimination in the Champions League that undermined confidence in Tiago Motta. I expect a complicated match.”
Which of the teams engaged in away matches is most at risk? Torino-Milan, Empoli-Atalanta or Cagliari-Juventus? “Cagliari-Juventus is the most interesting. Cagliari is a difficult field and Juve arrives with Tiago Motta’s esteem and credibility in sharp decline. If Juve does not react mentally, they risk big. Milan and Atalanta will also have complicated matches, but Juventus is the one I see most at risk of slipping.”
The article Club Dago: European Cups Bitter and Serie A in the Balance – Gaetano D’Agostino analyzes Italian soccer comes from TheNewyorkese.
