Tinker man's work of art
Sunday 11 November, 2007
Claudio Ranieri believes his substitutions changed Juventus’ game at the Tardini, while Parma Coach Mimmo Di Carlo cursed their bad luck.
The Bianconeri got off to a very shaky start this afternoon and were trailing 2-0, though Ranieri explains some of the reasons behind their sluggish performance.
“There was a very strange atmosphere before kick-off, as we were all sitting around asking ourselves whether it was right to go ahead and play,” he said after a 26-year-old Lazio fan was accidentally shot dead by a stray police bullet.
“These are things we cannot decide on, all we can do is accept the choices made by the authorities. We are men of sport and must focus on this, but it is a tragedy to know a young lad has lost his life.”
Other than Juve’s meandering play, Parma ran them ragged and Ranieri is more than happy to praise his old club.
“Parma played a great game, while we just didn’t step on to the pitch. They were superior in terms of pace, agility and were always first to the ball. Yet we fought back and almost managed to win.
“Tiago Mendes, Hasan Salihamidzic and Vincenzo Iaquinta changed the game, giving extra determination to the squad. It was ugly to see Juve 2-0 down and unable to even dent Parma’s defences.”
Those three substitutions proved inspired for the Tinker man, but the Gialloblu were left ruing this wasted opportunity.
“It was a good game from both teams and the fans also deserve praise for their support,” said Di Carlo.
“When Juventus put the pressure on, they really are very strong and we were unlucky today. The important thing was to play well and pick up points.”
The Bianconeri managed to complete the comeback after Domenico Morfeo was sent off for a scuffle with Giorgio Chiellini.
“It’s difficult to understand what happened exactly, but both players seemed disappointed with the dismissal. It was a real shame for us, as Morfeo was the only one who could really hold up the ball and spread the play.”
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why do they never start then?