IN A country boasting 56 million managers of its national team, it takes either a brave or foolish man to pluck from his pack three ace cards and then cast them to the winds without a hint of regret.
Italy open their European Championship campaign against Russia today and, as ever, the man in charge is walking a perilously thin line between deification and vilification.
Erudite and thoughtful, Arrigo Sacchi could hardly be said to be one of modern sport's great communicators. He relies upon the fact that silence can paint its own picture.
Indeed, many of those Italians who will pour into Anfield this evening still await a definitive answer to the question which has tumbled from a million Latin lips since Sacchi omitted Roberto Baggio, Gianluca Vialli and Guiseppe Signori from his 22 man squad.
Channel 4's coverage of Serie A has elevated a host of shaggy haired, unshaven footballers to prominence over the past couple of seasons, yet it is those three names which have burrowed deepest into the English consciousness.
"Those seem to be the only Italian footballers you English have heard of, admitted a Milanese journalist yesterday.
Understandably, Sacchi is fed up with having to point out that Baggio and Vialli are sliding towards retirements and Signori is... well... not considered good enough.
Never a man to do what is expected, he announced yesterday that the Juventus forward Fabrizio Ravanelli would not start today's game.
The grey haired one is to be held in reserve until Friday's meeting with the Czech Republic at the same venue, so allowing Jianfranco Zola of Parma and Lazio's Pierluigi Casiraghi to dovetail energetically up front.
Predictably, the manager is an admirer of German football. It is a respect he makes no attempt to conceal. "I thought the Germans were extraordinary against the Czechs on Sunday," he said.
Russia are comfortable with the suggestion that while they might make life difficult for Italy and Germany, they may not be quite good enough to move forward into the tournament's latter stages.
Their dismal performances in the last World Cup finals are best ignored, for in the United States several players of note - including Everton's Andrei Kanchelskis - refused to take part. However, a change of coach has engendered a sense of unity.
If their discipline does not desert them as it did two years ago, Oleg Romantsev's side could well be going to the quarter finals rather than simply coming to make up the numbers.
"We are very, very strong when going forward," said Kanchelskis. We always look like we can score goals but, the thing is, we do have to learn how to tighten up at the back."
