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June 19, 2006
They have not stopped talking about De Rossi’s expulsion since Saturday night. I know fully well what it means to make a mistake like that, what it means to have to face not only your mistake, but your fans’ disappointment and every journalist’s comment. I can guarantee that Daniele is the greatest guy, and one coming from a family where sport values were kept in the highest regard. Daniele knows perfectly well he made a mistake, and you can see that from his behaviour during the press conference after the match, but most importantly from his behaviour towards McBride, and his apologies, that were truly felt. He’s a really good guy and I hope the regret he has shown since will be taken into consideration when he is judged and punished for his actions.
On a different note, we have this match with Czech Republic coming and we have to win it, no excuses. We can beat them and we will. Every match is unique story, and after beating Ghana people were saying we were the best in the World Cup. I cannot see why, now, even though we still are first in our group and we have the higher scoring rate, we should risk an elimination.
Just wait and see.
June 17, 2006
Here we are. Few hours and we'll start playing against USA. Honestly I can't wait to be there for the second match of this World Cup.
There are just few days between a match and the other but the time seems so still, and we so want to demostrate what we can do.
It'll be a difficult match, but we have no intention to fail this challenge, I don't even want to know the result of the other match of our Group: Ghana vs Czech Republic, even though they'll be playing just before us. All we have to think about is winning, not what the other teams are going to do.
In my experience we should never, ever, expect any gifts.
Tomorrow at this time,I hope we'll be able to comment on a very positive night.
June 16, 2006
They often ask me, during interviews, how we spend time in between matches in the National Team. I’d have to say, first thing, that those times are very different from those you spend with your club, because there you’re in your own city and when you’re finished you can go home.
With the National Team you always play in different cities and, during a World Cup or a Euro Cup, you stay far from home for so long and you feel like a fish out of the pond.
More importantly, when you’re with your club you’re with the same people all year long, while in the National team you meet just once in a while.
I’ll tell you, here we actually feel great, we all go along and we have fun. Don’t believe who talks of ‘groups’ of people against eachother we joke and we laugh together.
Then there’s the play-room: between playstation and table tennis we keep on challenging eachother, and this way we realx before a match.
This is the same serenity we bring to the pitch.
The days go by and all teams are playing their second match. It’s still very early to judge, but I’m convinced that step by step, those teams that seem to have problems are going to become stronger.
As for us, we have any intention of go way further in this competition.
Against USA we aim to win.
June 15, 2006
In 48 hours we'll be playing, and we'll be finally done with all the waiting. Here in Duisburg the weather has suddenly changed: we were training under the sizzling sun the day before yesterday and now it's raining, the air so unexpectedly chilly. All in all it's not that bad, not being constantly in the sun means that we feel less tired, and we hope the temperature will remain stable for the match in Kaiserslautern, of course without the rainy bit.
I read from the papers that the American team is trying to tease us with polemic declarations, but we won't let them get to us anyway.
As you say talk is cheap, and even more so when it comes to football: in the end is the match that tells you who was right. We feel strong, and serene, thanks to our result last Monday, while they know that their loss against Czech Republic means that we are their last chance.
I read that Arena, the American Coach, declared to every paper that he's more afraid of Toni and Gilardino than he is of me. Well, all I can say to it is that he's very prepared, Toni and Gilardino are two powerful and talented players indeed, and they can change a result very easily with their goals. On my part I'd just like to help them score. On my part I hope, more than anything, to be able to raise to the occasion, and to meet my fans' expectations.
This is why we are in Germany, after all.
June 14, 2006
The match against USA is coming up rather quickly. Playing with this frequency is somewhat fascinating, my mates and I can't really wait to play against our opponents, knowing that playing against us is for everybody a critical appointment during a World Cup. The US team have also lost their game against Czech Republic, and they will give their very best against us on Saturday, because they risk to be out of the World Cup. We feel great though, we spent a very relaxing day in Dusseldorf, it's been fun being with my team mates and these are the days that help building our relationship, even though we don't need any more than we already have: we've been knowing eachother for so long, and so well, that really it's a pleasure spending time together. With regards to my ankle, and the tiny accident I had during the last game, everything seems to be fine now, and it was more a matter of being afraid of what could have happened. I have every intention of playing a whole match on Saturday, and I'm sure my condition will get better and better in no time. We are ready to show everybody that we deserve an important role in this World Cup, and we are going to show it during Saturday's match. You just wait and see. I would like to thank Rome's mayor Walter Veltroni, who called me yesterday morning to compliment me and my team-mates, asking about my ankle.. I hope I'll be able to tell him about new victories during the next couple of weeks..
June 13, 2006
Winning is always important, and winning your first game of a World Cup is down right fundamental. if you can beat a 'tough' team as Ghana, then, it really means that you're on he right way. It's been great for me to be back from minute 1 in such an important match. I knew that many people were expecting me to be worse off, maybe just scared of the contact with other players. I hope i proved them wrong, even though I'm not at top form yet.
I'm feeling better, though, day after day I feel like I'm making mine the pace of a game again.
Of course it would have been way better if I had not taken that kick, but again, it's not like I can do anything about it, and the most important thing is still that I'm not afraid anymore, a bit of ice and everything is gone.
I heard that many people are talking about this 'roman' team, with me, De Rossi and Perrotta playing. I can't see why this would be surprising, I seem to remember that during the last championship Roma, after a rather difficult start, has more than shown to be able to play great games, and to have fantastic palyers. Not only I don't find strange to find so many of my mates in my national team, but I hope this will prove to be something of a lucky charm for us, here in Germany....
The most roman thing about yesterday's match, though, has been the amazing chants sang by all our fans in the Hannover Arena, it was absolutely mindblowing, like being at home. Speaking of fans , I'd like to thank again all the italians living here in Germany, they are really great and are giving us so much strength...
June 12, 2006
I couldn't help it. I'm starting today a daily diary, thanks to my collaboration with Diadora. During this adventure, I'll tell you first hand how it is to be part of a National Team at the World Cup. If I think back to the diary I kept for Euro 2000 I can't help but feel positive, as that was a great experience, with the spoon and Van Der Saar and all. This, I can tell, will be a special World Cup for me, just thinking back at February 19th, that unfortunate accident against Empoli, everything that has been written about me and about my recovery.. Those have been difficult, uncertain days, but thanks to the special material that Diadora made for me I could push a little bit further, in order to make it for Germany 2006.
So much physiotherapy, Hydrotherapy, special excercises and running around the pitch to no end.
In the end, I made it through. I was called in the fianal list of 23 footballers, I went through all the friendly matches and tonight I will be there agaist Ghana, in the first official match of this event.
It will be a tough match, first of all because all african teams have a great body structure and are very powerful, very physical. Second of all because many of their players are now used to the greatest teams in Europe. Their midfields is very tight,we know Essien, Muntari, Appiah very well, and at their back they have Kuffour, one of my team mates.
You'll understand I can't wait to go dow there and to start play, I'm anticipating a tough match, it's inevitable, and the sooner it comes, the better.
I know we'll do well and that we will help all our fans forget everything that has been written and said about italian football lately.
We are especially proud of all our fans, of those who came here from Italy to sustain us, and of all the italians who are here in Germany, working and making a living abroad. Their enthusiasm is a great bonus we have, thay make us feel at home. Tonight we'll give our very best for them as well..
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发表于 2006-6-23 05:13:48
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发表于 2006-6-23 08:26:05