DailyDaily NewsNews 44th GENERALI European Bridge Championships Saturday, 26 June 1999 Issue: 15 Jean Paul Meyer, Executive Editor Mark Horton, Editor Stefan Back, Co-Editor Stelios Hatzidakis, Layout Editor The Italian legend continues The victorious Squadra Azzurra Italy is the reigning European in the 80s, before he decided to give Open Teams champion since 1995. up this promising career, to start Two players who won the last cham- another one in the dark of the pionship in Montecatini in 1997 are Bridge Rama as a humorous and in this year's winning team as well, witty commentator. Finally and luck- they are: ily the "old, wise man", de Falco, pulled him out of the darkness back Norberto Bocchi, 39, of into the limelight of the bridge table. Parma, who lives in Milan. He works The victory in Malta is Ferraro's first for a company that distributes big international victory. autovending drinks. He comes from a family of champions. His sister Dario Attanasio, 38, from Mabel was a basketball champion. He Catania (Sicily). He is the manager of has been playing for more than 20 a publishing company and learned to years. He won the silver medal in play bridge at the age of 15. He has this year's European Open Pairs in two children, but this morning only Warzaw, as always playing with one of them came to Malta, as the From left to right: (standing) Dario Attanasio, Guiseppe Failla, Maria other one discovered that his pass- Teresa Lavazza, Giorgio Duboin, Dano de Falco, Gianarrigo Rona Giorgio Duboin, 40, of Turin. port wasn't valid anymore. He is He is a professional player and WBF married to Gabriella Manara, who (President of the Italian Bridge Federation and President elect of the European World Master. He started Bridge at played in Italy's Ladies team on many Bridge League), Norberto Bocchi, (sitting) Giancarlo Bernasconi (Vice- the age of thirteen, and soon became occasions. Together they won the President of the Italian Bridge Federation), Carlo Mosca (Non-playing Captain), one of Europe's top juniors. With Common Market Mixed Pairs in Guido Ferraro Guido Ferraro he won two Euro- Bordeaux 1985. He won Mondialito pean Union Pairs Championships. in Palermo 1993 and plays with Back in Italy's national team are: Guiseppe Failla, 44, from Italy is the Generali European Open Team Champion for 1999. Catania (Sicily). He is a road con- Dano de Falco, 56. He is mar- struction engineer, who is married ried for 30 years to his wife Cristina. with two sons. He is playing bridge For the third time in a row it is the Italian Open Team that lifts He owns a computer company, but for 30 years now, 20 of which he besides that, he still is playing bridge the trophy awarded by Andrè le Maitre when he was President of played with Attanasio. The partner- professionally. He was a member of ship came in 5th in the Rosenblum the European Bridge League. the mythical Blue Team, which led K..O. Championship in Albuquerque world bridge for more than a decade in 1994 and won one Italian Pairs and won his first European Champi- This is the fifteenth time that the Azzurri have been presented championship. Failla is one of the onship in Ostend 1973 the day his with the Gold medals and if they go on to win in 2001 they will first son, Matteo, was born. He came foundation members of the Club in first in the Bermuda Bowl in Venice Azzurro and contributes a lot to Ital- equal the record set by their illustrious predecessors, the leg- ian bridge. endary Blue Team who won in 1956, 57, 58 and 59. 1974 and won another European title in Lausanne 1979. In addition to On all three occasions the cap- this, he was among Italy's runners-up tain of the successful Italians was With Great Britain capturing the Generali European Ladies in both the Bermuda Bowl 1979 in Rio de Janeiro and 1983 in Stock- Carlo Mosca, a European Championship what a night it promises to be for the old and new holm. His last title de Falco won in champion himself, Mosca is very Presidents of the European Bridge League. Hammamet in 1997 in the Transna- well known player all over the tional World Championship. Here in world as well. He is another former Malta he is playing with member of the Blue Team and This is the first time since the inception of the Generali Euro- played in the Bermuda Bowl final in pean Seniors Championship that all three titles have been success- Guido Ferraro, 40. He has 1983 in Stockholm partnering fully defended. been one of the best Junior players Lorenzo Lauria. 2 Saturday, 26 June 1999 44th GENERALI European Bridge Championships Dear Friends OPEN TEAMS - RESULTS Fantasy Results Firstly I would like to thank the Congress Dele- gates who were kind enough to elect me as President Round - 37 System of the European Bridge League, and also to all those friends who proposed and supported my candidature, If VPs are a mystery to you or you happen Country Imps Vps especially the Italian Federation, thanks to whom I to be a football fan with withdrawal symptoms owe this new position. May I also thank my illustrious 1 Bye Estonia 0 0 0 18 then check out this alternative scoring method. predecessors who have guided the League wisely and 2 Finland Greece 24 49 10 20 Applying a scoring system of 2 points for a win competently in the past twenty years, obtaining the 3 Croatia Poland 59 19 23 7 and one point for an exact tie the current rank- results to reach our present prestigious position in the 4 Lithuania Austria 48 32 18 12 ing list after round 37 in the Open and round world. I refer to André Lemaitre, Jimmy Ortiz Patino, 5 Romania Ireland 63 21 24 6 21 in the Ladies is as follows. A source close to Nils Jensen, José Damiani, André Boekhorst and Bill the President commented - very interesting - but 6 Czech Rep San Marino 23 41 11 19 Pencharz who have honoured me with a friendship bridge is not Football! 7 Slovenia Sweden 31 20 17 13 and esteem of which I am proud. 8 Russia Israel 58 38 19 11 I hope I am worthy of the position assigned to me 9 Lebanon Netherlands 17 53 8 22 OPEN TEAMS and to be able to fulfil all expectations. I can assure 10 Great Britain Belgium 32 23 17 13 P W D L Pts you that from now on I will inject into my activities all 11 France Monaco 23 58 8 22 my enthusiasm and passion for Bridge and I am con- Sweden 36 27 0 9 54 fident that working together, each in his own sphere 12 Liechtenstein Portugal 42 47 14 16 Italy 36 26 1 9 53 of competence, we can identify and reach all the 13 Germany Norway 27 57 9 21 France 36 26 0 10 52 goals that are proposed. Poland 36 25 1 10 51 14 Italy Luxembourg 37 12 20 10 All of us know that society in general has changed 15 Spain Hungary 61 21 23 7 Bulgaria 36 25 0 11 50 Austria 36 25 0 11 50 and is still changing. It is evident that also our behav- 16 Bulgaria Denmark 28 32 14 16 Russia 36 24 1 11 49 iour, mental predisposition, viewpoints, plans and 17 Iceland Malta 38 46 14 16 Norway 36 24 0 12 48 objectives must adapt to the future. 18 Yugoslavia Turkey 29 54 10 20 Spain 36 23 0 13 46 A great opportunity has been given to us with an 19 Switzerland Cyprus 39 35 16 14 Belgium 36 22 1 13 45 occurrence that presents a favourable starting point: Great Britain 36 22 0 14 44 our recognition by the IOC as a true sport, soon to be Netherlands 36 21 0 15 42 given Olympic dignity.We must take the opportunity Israel 36 20 1 15 41 we are offered and work all together to achieve our OPEN TEAMS Greece 36 20 1 15 41 objectives. The Executive Committee and myself are Ireland 36 20 1 15 41 prepared to start work immediately on our future FINAL RANKING Iceland 36 20 0 16 40 development. Croatia 36 19 0 17 38 1 Italy 702 Romania 36 18 1 17 37 But you, the players, are the real leaders of the whole bridge movement. It is you and your successes 2 Sweden 667 Hungary 36 18 0 18 36 Portugal 36 17 1 18 35 who develop the image and significance of bridge.You 3 Norway 665 Germany 36 17 0 19 34 are the ones who raise the colours, and make the 4 Bulgaria 661 Denmark 36 17 0 19 34 name of both your own country and that of Europe 5 France 659 Lebanon 36 17 0 19 34 famous around the world. 6 Poland 646 Monaco 36 17 0 19 34 So thank you, all of you. Continue in the same way Czech Rep 36 17 0 19 34 7 Spain 639 with your sportsmanship, your friendship and your high Finland 36 16 0 20 32 ethics. Continue in the same way to support our work, to 8 Israel 635 Estonia 36 16 0 20 32 do even better for your own countries and all of Europe. 9 Russia 631 Slovenia 36 15 1 20 31 And now dear friends I ask still for a moment of Turkey 36 15 0 21 30 10 Netherlands 631 your attention.