Alright, I could be speaking about the goalless Milanese derby and how it constitutes a big favour to Juventus, but instead I wish to dedicate this thread to a man I have always appreciated for his willingness to stick to his principles even if that means he has to go against the tide more often than not. A man whose cryptic interviews and avant-gardist theories have gone down in football history. A man that the obscure forces governing the Football world had tried to marginalize and exile because he had dared questioning them. A man whose presence in the big circus of Italian football has been sorely missed and to whom I wish a warm welcome back : Mr Zdenek Zeman.
Welcome back, Mr Zeman, and thank you. Thank you for creating that spectacular goal-scoring machine called Lecce. Thank you for giving the people of an otherwise rather depressed part of Italy something to be proud of. Thank you for once again breathing some of your revolutionary spirit into the often too conservative serie A.
I remember when you first made your appearance on the stage 12 years ago, with those other Southern minnows called Foggia. I remember how you would play Signori, Kolyvanov, Baiano and Rambaudi together without thinking twice and how people would call you a madman for that. And in a way you were a bit of a madman, since your ultra-offensive antics caused you some major setbacks, such as your 8-2 loss in Foggia against the then omnipotent Milan of Capello. Or your decision to put in a fifth striker in an epic game against Lazio in Rome when you were leading 4-3 and then lost 5-4. But the fact remained that Foggia was without a doubt the most entertaining side to watch in those days, and that despite some suicidal games it did maintain itself in the élite without much effort. And this is what gave birth to the concept of "Zemanlandia".
Zemanlandia has been severely hit in the past few years, but it now seems to be back on its feet again and stronger than ever, and I for one am extremely pleased by it. Bjelanovic, Bojinov, Vucinic & co look like the natural heirs of the wonderboys from the Foggia era. In fact, Lecce seems to be an improved version of Zemanlandia - Episode 1, as, without giving up the landmark offensive zone-pressing system, it looks more solid at the back and more balanced as a whole. This means that Lecce can now strive after more than just safety from relegation. Now, I've always held the opinion that a coach's responsibility in a team's fate is overrated, but Zemanlandia just happens to be the exception to the rule. So, once again, welcome back, Mr Zeman, and keep amazing us :thumb:
Welcome back, Mr Zeman, and thank you. Thank you for creating that spectacular goal-scoring machine called Lecce. Thank you for giving the people of an otherwise rather depressed part of Italy something to be proud of. Thank you for once again breathing some of your revolutionary spirit into the often too conservative serie A.
I remember when you first made your appearance on the stage 12 years ago, with those other Southern minnows called Foggia. I remember how you would play Signori, Kolyvanov, Baiano and Rambaudi together without thinking twice and how people would call you a madman for that. And in a way you were a bit of a madman, since your ultra-offensive antics caused you some major setbacks, such as your 8-2 loss in Foggia against the then omnipotent Milan of Capello. Or your decision to put in a fifth striker in an epic game against Lazio in Rome when you were leading 4-3 and then lost 5-4. But the fact remained that Foggia was without a doubt the most entertaining side to watch in those days, and that despite some suicidal games it did maintain itself in the élite without much effort. And this is what gave birth to the concept of "Zemanlandia".
Zemanlandia has been severely hit in the past few years, but it now seems to be back on its feet again and stronger than ever, and I for one am extremely pleased by it. Bjelanovic, Bojinov, Vucinic & co look like the natural heirs of the wonderboys from the Foggia era. In fact, Lecce seems to be an improved version of Zemanlandia - Episode 1, as, without giving up the landmark offensive zone-pressing system, it looks more solid at the back and more balanced as a whole. This means that Lecce can now strive after more than just safety from relegation. Now, I've always held the opinion that a coach's responsibility in a team's fate is overrated, but Zemanlandia just happens to be the exception to the rule. So, once again, welcome back, Mr Zeman, and keep amazing us :thumb:
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