I was reading this today,, this article is fomr espn(latin america) and talks about this. ill translate it to english.
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"Italy gained the battle over Spain"
"catenaccio", the old model of the Italian soccer based on the stubborn defense, has returned to show its effectiveness in Europe, with the access to the semifinals of the Champiosn League de Inter and Juventus.
ROME -- "catenaccio", the old model of the Italian soccer based on the stubborn defense, has returned to show its effectiveness in Europe, with the access to the semifinals of the Champions League of Inter and Juventus, in contrast of Valencia and Barcelona, respectively.
That style never went away, but now it returns with force, the "chain", one of the main contributions from Italy to world-wide soccer, with the shame of some of the great offensive players whom that country(italy) has given, from Sandro Mazzola to Christian Vieri and Alex of the Piero, happening through names like Gianni Creek, Antonello Riva, Paolo Rossi or Roberto Baggio.
The Italian power in several stages of the history of soccer has been based on the strong defense, with some honorable exceptions, like the Milan of Arrigo Sacchi that, without neglecting the goal, made enjoy with players like Gullit, Van Basten or Riijkard, that yes, all foreigners.
In the last years the model seemed to have entered in crisis and from Italy it was watched with envies, never admitted openly, to other countries, like France, Germany or England and specially, at level of club, the Spanish Mediterranean neighbors.
It has been specially Spain´s model more appreciated, thanks to the game of clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Deportivo la Corunna or even the Celta, that three years ago endorsed a 4-0 to the Juventus headed then by Zidane (now in madrid).
It envies it was not only by the results, but also by the game, that it has attracted the Spanish championship to numerous foreign figures, eager of one better consideration, not only monetary.
With this atmosphere the Italians have brooded several years their misfortune and some heterodox ones proclaimed that the moment had arrived for changing, although at the time of the truth all have stayed faithful to the system, headed by the national selector, Giovanni Trapattoni, that does not remember the last time that its equipment was able to mark three goals.
The acces of three Italian teams to the quarterfinals of the Champions League was already sight like a success for a country that in the last years has been shipwrecked in this competition, but it happens to the penultimate round of two of them, confirmed for Juventus and probable Inter and for Milan, is an historical goal.
"Dedicated to the teachers of the good game", it says a commentary today in "Corriere della sera" in answer to the Italian successes from the front to Valencia and Barcelona, in special after the hard critics that from Spain became to Juventus and Inter by the uglyness of their game in the away game.
Protected by keepers of high level - like Toldo and Buffon- and anchored in old defensive concepts that they interpret like anybody, the Italians return to demonstrate their power with "catenaccio" and, if Manchester or Real Madrid does not remedy it, they threaten giving back the European soccer to the darknesses of the boring and miserable game from the point of view of the spectacle.