Wicked switch for Zambrotta (10 Viewers)

[Martin]

Wicked switch for Zambrotta
Friday, 04 April 2003

By Marcus Christenson

Alessandro Del Piero, Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet have all been in terrific form as Juventus FC have reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and top spot in Serie A, but arguably Gianluca Zambrotta has been the most impressive Juventino this season. All the more so because coach Marcello Lippi has asked him to play out of position.

Injury problem
Recovering from a bad thigh injury sustained playing for Italy at the FIFA World Cup, Zambrotta started the 2002/03 season on the treatment table and saw new recruit Mauro Camoranesi dazzle his way into the starting eleven on the right of midfield. When Zambrotta returned after three months out, it was impossible to drop Camoranesi, and with Lilian Thuram performing well at right-back, Zambrotta was switched to the left side of defence.

Quick switch
Some players would have complained about being played in an unfamiliar role, but not Zambrotta. "The most important thing is that the team is playing well and winning, not where I am playing," he told uefa.com. "Things have been going well this season and I have played at left-back in the national team as well so I don't mind. It is up to Mr Trapattoni and Mr Lippi to decide."

Modest man
Things are going well? Zambrotta is being modest. The 26-year-old former Como Calcio and AS Bari player has been a revelation, defending like a seasoned left-back but still pushing forward like a winger.

No jealousy
And there is no jealousy over the fact that Camoranesi has taken 'his' position - for club and country. "Not at all," confirmed Zambrotta. "He has been a great signing for the club and there are no problems with us being in the same squad. We can play in different positions and there are so many games nowadays that you need to have every position covered if someone gets injured."

Keeping focused
Juventus are still in the hunt for the Scudetto and the Champions League and Zambrotta is adamant that his team can win the double. "Our objectives are to win both the league and the Champions League," he said. "We have done well so far and now, as the season enters a crucial phase, it is important that we don't lose our focus but that we carry on working hard. If we don't do that we might end the season without winning anything."

Change of pattern
FC Barcelona will be Juve's quarter-final opponents in the Champions League. Zambrotta is only too aware that Spanish sides have outperformed their Italian counterparts over the past few years - but believes that this season will see a change of the pattern.
I think that Italian teams want to make up for what has happened in the past few years, when we haven't been that successful

Italian comeback
"I think that Italian teams want to make up for what has happened in the past few years, when we haven't been that successful," he said. "We are all fighting for the image of Italian football, and with three Italian sides in the quarter-finals, we have started to rebuild the picture of Italian club football."

Mighty Madrid
So which team did he believe is Juve's strongest competitors for the Champions League? "Well it could be Real Madrid [CF] now that they have qualified for the last eight," he replied. "But in the end I hope that an Italian team will win the competition and I obviously hope that it will be Juventus."

Crucial role
Wherever he plays - in midfield or in defence, on the left or on the right - if Juve are to win their first Champions League since 1996, the in-form Zambrotta is sure to play a crucial role.

uefa.com magazine

 

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[my_hitzJUVE]

mmm....i know zambrotta is good..no doubt about that...but i still need an opinion...

which is better; either when he has a role as mid. or in a wing back position...

 

[Signor]

yeah this is Very smart from zambo.

 

[Layce Erayce]

wow now all of a sudden we love zambrotta....we keep complaining about him not being able to cross etc etc etc.

hope this is enough of an eye-opener for all the critics.

id rather have a modest player with mediocre skill than a maestro who's ego knows no bounds....

 

[Sarah_old]

I prefer him playing as left mid

 

[Ian]

I think that Zamby will play right mid next year, whether or not Camo is still with the club.

 

[Desmond]

++ [ originally posted by Alex ] ++
Wicked switch for Zambrotta
Friday, 04 April 2003

No jealousy
And there is no jealousy over the fact that Camoranesi has taken 'his' position - for club and country. "Not at all," confirmed Zambrotta. "He has been a great signing for the club and there are no problems with us being in the same squad. We can play in different positions and there are so many games nowadays that you need to have every position covered if someone gets injured."

 

[Desmond]

++ [ originally posted by Rickenbacker2 ] ++
I think that Zamby will play right mid next year, whether or not Camo is still with the club.

and how will we do that?drop camo?

 

[my_hitzJUVE]

opsssssssssssss...it can't be like that....

juve need camo...he's good on right mid

may be we can put zambo in left mid....

 

[Ian]

++ [ originally posted by Paranoia ] ++
and how will we do that?drop camo?

Yep. Zamby is better. He proved it at WC 2002, and he will prove it again.

 

[KeNgO]

both are very good!
no need to drop anyone
i have always been a fan of zambo and at some point that was the matter of argument between me and Tom!!!

zambo is modest and that is shown coz when he was dropped for camo and lippi wanted him to change his position he adopted and didn't make a fuzz about it!!!! he can cross and he is getting better
he can pass properly and he can definitly dribble!!!!
players like zambo are important as they give options to the coach on changing tactics during midgame with out changing players!

 

[Desmond]

++ [ originally posted by Rickenbacker2 ] ++


Yep. Zamby is better. He proved it at WC 2002, and he will prove it again.

another proven case of someone who plays better for his country than his club:groan:

and besides,i don't think lippi will drop him just because a few fans think zamby is better...he's done a fantastic job fitting a selfless player into the XI again,and everyone's glad he understands that it's for the good of the team....

 

[Ian]

++ [ originally posted by Paranoia ] ++

another proven case of someone who plays better for his country than his club:groan:

and besides,i don't think lippi will drop him just because a few fans think zamby is better...he's done a fantastic job fitting a selfless player into the XI again,and everyone's glad he understands that it's for the good of the team....

Think about it:

Zamby is better than Camo. Zamby is free for next year, Camo costs money. We are going to get another leftback anyway, so Zamby would be a waste. Camo may or may not be as good as he is this year, when next year come, he may be another Jerzy Dudek....

Zamby is the solid free option. Why go with Camo?

 

[Martin]

How did you conclude he is free?

 

[Ian]

++ [ originally posted by Alex ] ++
How did you conclude he is free?

We don't have to pay another team for his services. We would still have ot pay his wages, but we have to do the same for Camo, so in reletivity, Zamby is free.

 

[Sivori]

That wouldn't make much difference. I'm convinced that Juve will buy the other half of Camo for next year. I might be proven wrong in the end, but there's no way they're not going to keep him, so that whole argument is moot.

 

[Tom]

he seems like a good guy, very modest and good as a versatile sub but he just ain't good enough to be a starter for Juventus. Certainly not at left back!

Ian, Zambrotta better than Camoranesi?? name one thing other than pace that Zambrotta has over camo. He can't cross, he can't shoot, and he certainly can't defend. His dribbles usually end up over the line for a GK and his passing is mediocre. His ball control is also inferior to camo.

Camo is a far better player than zambrotta IMo, far better

 

[#10]

++ [ originally posted by Rickenbacker2 ] ++


We don't have to pay another team for his services. We would still have ot pay his wages, but we have to do the same for Camo, so in reletivity, Zamby is free.

i get ya ian, jus like my old sig...the biggest free agent, is no longer a free agent.....basically, we have to pay more money for camo whereas, zambo, is free....wages of both players balance out...or have i got the wrong idea??

btw....imo camo is the better right winger, but imo zambo has superior stamina and strength, possibly with better trainin can be made into a more effective left/rite wingback/midfielder, or even a central midfielder.

 

[Stu]

Ah, finally Zambro gets some well deserved credit! :thumb: Imo Zambrotta and Tacchinardi are probably are most underrated and under-praised players, good to see that they are doing well.

 

[Stu]

++ [ originally posted by Paolo_Montero ] ++
he seems like a good guy, very modest and good as a versatile sub but he just ain't good enough to be a starter for Juventus. Certainly not at left back!

Ian, Zambrotta better than Camoranesi?? name one thing other than pace that Zambrotta has over camo. He can't cross, he can't shoot, and he certainly can't defend. His dribbles usually end up over the line for a GK and his passing is mediocre. His ball control is also inferior to camo.

Camo is a far better player than zambrotta IMo, far better

Tom you've got it down packed. Zambro seems to be a great guys, very modest and humble, but he just isn't good enough to start for Juve, especially not at left back.

As for who's the better player ... Ian I have to side with Tommy on this one. Camo is the superior guy as far as technical abilities, passing, crossing and shooting goes, and he seems to have a better understanding with Thuram than Zambrotta does in any case.