WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016 18 Conte theatrics a boon for Italy and Chelsea fans

MONTPELLIER: A “great” Italian feat toppled Spain at Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho. “Oh FAN FERVOR Euro 2016, but Antonio Conte’s touchline theatrics Dear, #Conte v #Mourinho will be good for the eyes. were just as dramatic for Italy and Chelsea fans during Touchline drama!!!” said @julietbawuah. an emphatic 2-0 win over the defending champions. Former Juventus coach Conte was widely applaud- NOT ‘SACRIFICIAL LAMBS’ ed on Tuesday for transforming a “mediocre” squad of Conte may no longer have the legs that helped players into contenders for this summer’s European Juve to the Champions League crown and five Championship in France. titles during a 12-year playing spell that forged his But as Italy’s fans hailed a brilliant collective per- reputation as one of the Turin giants’ most tenacious formance that avenged their 4-0 hammering to Spain and hard-working captains. But as a coach, the 46- in the 2012 final, Conte’s energetic, and sometimes year-old has energy to spare, and his trademark hilarious touchline antics had Chelsea fans champing tenacity is intact. at the bit. As Spain coach sat on After his distinguished playing career, Conte took the bench patiently waiting for a reaction to Giorgio over as coach of Juventus in 2011 and led them to Chiellini’s 33rd-minute opener, Conte was constantly three consecutive Serie A crowns. Despite lingering on his feet, screaming at players and officials and ges- doubts over his appointment after Italy suffered their ticulating wildly at almost every kick of the ball. second successive first-round exit from the World Cup When a UEFA official was slow to respond to two years ago in Brazil, Conte has been quick to Conte’s request to help him make a substitution in silence his detractors. the second half, the Italian unashamedly screamed at Italy had not beaten Spain at a major finals since him: “Faster! Faster!” their 2-1 quarter-final win over ‘La Roja’ at the 1994 Conte’s emotions ran over in hilarious fashion in World Cup, when the Azzurri were beaten on penalty the 75th minute when an angry reaction saw him kicks by Brazil in the final. Having admitted Italy no take a dramatic swipe at the ball and kicking it into longer boast world-class players, Conte struck a defi- touch. And when Graziano Pelle hit Italy’s second goal ant psychological blow in the lead-up to the match to seal their win at the death, Conte’s epic celebration against Spain. saw him sprint to jump on to the roof of the dugout “If Spain want to stop us from going through, to salute fans. It was later jokingly suggested he had they’re going to have to work hard. We won’t be sacri- covered as much ground as his players on their way ficial lambs for anybody,” said Conte. After an epic last to ending Spain’s hopes of a historic third consecutive 16 clash that ended Spain’s long reign as the trophy. Conte admitted: “Our fitness coach did sug- European champions, even Del Bosque tipped his hat. gest hooking me up to GPS to see how many kilome- “We didn’t score and for sure Italy played better,” said tres I cover, and at what intensity.” the Spain coach. Conte now faces the “titanic” task of It is no wonder, after Chelsea finished the Premier beating Germany in Bordeaux for a place in the semis. League season in 10th place to miss out on Europe, But fans, of Italy and Chelsea, would endorse his phi- Blues fans can’t wait for his arrival. “Don’t think I’ve losophy. “Since I took over, right from the start I said been this excited to see a manager at Chelsea in a the only way we could achieve a semblance of suc- long time!!!” said Twitter user TweetChelseaFC. “Start cess is to try and be a like a club team,” said Conte. BORDEAUX: Italy coach Antonio Conte attends a the season now please,” begged another Chelsea fol- “There is no point in hiding it, this is not the rosiest training session at the Bernard Gasset center in lower, @CFCInAmerica. Another is already looking for- period for Italy in terms of talent. “Given the fact we Montpellier, France, yesterday. Italy will face ward to a potentially combustible Premier League can’t fall back on a selection of good players we have Germany in a Euro 2016 quarter final soccer match rivalry between Conte and newly-appointed to be a collective.” — AFP in Bordeaux on Saturday, July 2, 2016. —AP Germans have no Italian complex, insists Loew

EVIAN: Germany coach Joachim Loew insists the world champions have no Italian complex as die Mannschaft attempt to break their Azzurri curse in Saturday’s Euro 2016 quarter-final. In eight previ- ous attempts, Germany has never beaten Italy in the finals of a major tournament and will need to make history Bordeaux to reach the semi-finals. German fans will at least take heart from a 4-1 rout of a lacklustre Italy in their most recent meet- ing in a friendly in March. But Loew knows Saturday’s clash with a place in the last four at stake will be an utterly different proposition. “We have no Italian trauma,” Loew told reporters at the German’s training base in Evian. “We don’t have any fear of them, just trust in our own skills. “For me that’s cold coffee. I’d rather have a fresh espresso. We’ll see how it tastes on Saturday,” he added when reminded of Germany’s previous results against Italy on the big stage. Loew has experienced Germany’s pain first hand as assistant manager when Italy spoiled their World Cup party on home soil in 2006 and four years ago when a Mario Balotelli double took the Azzurri to the final of Euro 2012 at Germany’s expense. Yet, Loew says he learnt his lesson from that semi-final defeat and, in particular, his inability to restrict Italian playmaker , before lead- ing Germany to a fourth World Cup two years later. “Everyone makes mistakes, I wanted to shut Pirlo down and looking back, one must say the plan didn’t work,” admitted Loew. “I have to take responsibility for that, none of us put in the per- formances we should have. “The defeat helped in my personal develop- EVIAN: Germany’s head coach Joachim Loew addresses a press conference at Germany’s training ment, especially for the 2014 World Cup. It was a grounds in Evian, eastern France, yesterday, during the Euro 2016 football tournament. — AFP good lesson for me.” Neither Balotelli nor Pirlo are with the Azzurri in “Form on the day will make the difference, it’s matic, even without Pirlo. “Buffon brings tremen- France, but Loew knows the challenge Antonio going to be a tight game and the outcome is dous calm and their experienced defence is well Conte’s side will post. And he insisted the experi- open,” said Loew. co-ordinated. ence of an Italian side captained by veteran goal- “This is a much better Italian than in 2008 or “In midfield, they have players who defend well, keeper Gianluigi Buffon and the presence of 2010. “They have mentally strong players. “They like , who is intelligent and finds Daniele de Rossi in midfield must be respected. can switch quickly from defence to attack, it’s auto- the balance.” — AFP

Pogba yet to live up to France’s expectations

PARIS: The day Euro 2016 kicked off, Paul win a domestic double and go all the way to the too hard on him but his potential is such that he Pogba’s youthful face featured on the front page Champions League final, his heroics earning him can contribute more than he showed tonight.” of L’Equipe, flanked by pictures of France’s all- the right to be granted the number 10 shirt once Deschamps, who dropped Pogba to the bench time greats and . graced by Platini. for Les Bleus’ second game against Albania, still It was the French sports daily’s way of illustrat- “I have played with some great young players has to figure out what is the best position for his ing just how much the host nation was expecting but Pogba is the best young player I have ever versatile player, recent outings suggesting it from the 23-year-old -maybe too seen,” former Juventus and Italy midfielder could be on the left side of midfield. much. Andrea Pirlo said at the time. It is not only Deschamps who is frustrated with A couple of weeks later and Pogba has shown Unlike Platini or Zidane, Pogba in not a true Pogba, so are the French fans who have never only glimpses of his talent on the pitches of playmaker, and nor is he a genuine defensive had a chance to watch him at club level since he France, with some people starting to wonder midfielder. Similar in many ways to Patrick Vieira, was only 16 when he left the renowned Le Havre whether he was worth all the hype. fondly remembered by France and Arsenal fans, academy for Manchester United before moving “Is Pogba the world’s most over-rated player?”, he needs space to express his rare mix of athleti- to Juventus in 2012. former England captain turned pundit Gary cism and skills to the full. Lineker’s comment suggested Pogba’s agent, Lineker tweeted after Pogba again looked ordi- Mino Raiola, was being greedy to ask for more nary in France’s laboured 2-1 win over Ireland for RARELY CONVINCING than 100 million euros for his player, who is a place in the quarter-finals. Highly successful at club level with four Serie A reportedly being courted by both Manchester It was a different story at the start of the year titles under his belt, he has rarely been entirely United and Real Madrid. With a quarter-final tie when Pogba humbly took his mother, Yeo, to a convincing for France since earning the first of his against Iceland approaching on Sunday, Pogba glitzy FIFA gala. Wearing a flashy, gold-flowered 35 caps in a 3-1 win over Georgia in March 2013, has little time left to stamp his authority on Euro jacket, the Juventus player looked proud to fea- even if he was named the 2014 World Cup’s best 2016 the way Platini and Zidane did at the 1984 ture in the governing body’s World XI alongside young player. European Championship and 1998 World Cup players such as and Cristiano “Paul, of course, can play better than that,” respectively. “I’m not worried,” said France goal- Ronaldo. France coach Didier Deschamps said after substi- keeper and captain Hugo Lloris. “Great players Pogba was fresh from a scintillating season in tuting Pogba in his side’s opening 2-1 win over often wait for important moments to show their which he had scored 10 goals to help Juventus Romania at this tournament. “I’m not going to be class.” —Reuters