Paddy Agnew on how a combination of bad results and injuries mean there is a lot riding on how well Inter Milan fare in Abu Dhabi this week
‘DEAD BEN Walking”. The headline writers appear to have few doubts. Titles such as this one suggest that even as he prepares his side for this week’s Fifa World Club Cup in Abu Dhabi, Rafa Benitez is fast coming to the end of his time as coach of reigning European Champions Inter Milan.
Unlike many of his colleagues, the Spaniard never goes through the silly pretence he does not “read the papers” (All his colleagues read them, too, no matter how much they might beg to differ). He is as aware as anyone of the widely held view that even victory in next Sunday’s final (most probably against Brazilian side Internacional) might not save his job at Inter, the club he took over from Special One José Mourinho last summer.
Lest he has any doubts, each time he opens a sports paper, he is confronted with a “rogues gallery” of photographs of his possible successor – former AS Roma and current Zenit St Petersburg coach Luciano Spalletti; former AC Milan coach, Brazilian Leonardo; former Inter stars-turned-coaches such as Argentine Diego Simeone or ex-Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga; Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini; even England manager Fabio Capello – all mentioned and others beside have also been touted to take over from Benitez.
It must be noted Inter supremo, petrol millionaire Massimo Moratti, has unwittingly prompted this flurry of speculation. Two weeks ago, during a reception at the Italian Embassy in Madrid, held to commemorate the memory of the 18th century Italian painter Tieopolo, who died in Madrid, Moratti surprised the gathering of elegant guests when he opted to speak about his club.
“Ten years ago? Well, yes, 10 years ago, I would have sacked him (Benitez). But you know experience helps . . . and I didn’t let myself be tempted not just because I want to be patient but also out of respect for him . . .”
Hardly a ringing vote of confidence, was it?
The problem for Benitez, of course, is the most banal problem in football – bad results. Under Mancini, and even more under Mourinho, Inter had become accustomed to steamrollering everything in their path – Chelsea, Barcelona, Bayern Munich abroad and Juventus, AC Milan, Roma at home were all authoritatively dispatched as the Inter juggernaut made its triumphal progress.
Under Benitez, the old steamroller has stalled and missed more than a few beats.
Inter have lost three of their last four Serie A games and currently stand in sixth position, 13 points behind league leaders (and loathed cross-town rivals) AC Milan in a championship contest that they have won for the last five seasons in a row.
Worse still, their embarrassing 3-0 away defeat to Werder Bremen in their final Champions League group game last week means Inter finished second in their group and will thus be in the “wrong” half of Friday’s draw for the second-round knock-out ties.
Inter may find themselves drawn against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich and, on present form, no one would fancy their chances.
So what has gone wrong? It is true, of course, Inter have been hit by a severe injury crisis. Prior to last week’s game against Werder, the entire first-choice Inter defence of Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar, Brazilian right back Maicon, Romanian left back Cristiano Chivu and central defenders Brazilian Lucio and Argentine Walter Samuel were all ruled out through injury.
Furthermore, Serb Dejan Stankovic in midfield, as well as Dutchman Wesley Sneijder and Argentine Diego Milito in attack were also crocked.
In other words, two thirds of Mourinho’s force were not available.
When Stankovic limped off the Olimpico pitch during a painful 3-1 defeat by Lazio in Inter’s most recent Serie A outing, he was the 42nd Inter player this season to be seriously injured. Benitez is hardly a novice, so what has gone wrong? Both the Inter staff and outside observers claim the club’s pre-season and in-season training methods have changed only minimally so they find it difficult to pinpoint the problem.
There are those who suggest Benitez has made the mistake of attempting to “coach” players who, frankly, have little left to learn.
Perhaps . . . and perhaps not. As time goes by, a much more obvious consideration makes itself felt. Namely that such was the mental and physical pressure of last season’s treble winning year (Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup), that this group of players has nothing left to give. Football is a head game, too, and maybe this Inter (practically unchanged in personnel since Mourinho left) simply do not have the drive, hunger or motivation. Maybe too, that psychological “relaxing” has something to do with the unprecedented number of injuries.
All, however, may not be lost. In football, it only requires a win to turn every sure-fire prediction on its head. The Fifa World Club Cup, the modern day successor to the old Intercontinental or Toyota Cup, could indeed save Rafa’s bacon. The thing about this competition is, while it has never generated a lot of passion in the English football world (in the 1970s Liverpool and Notts Forest declined to play in it), it has always been seen as a highly-prestigious competition in Italy.
When your correspondent first moved to Italy in December 1985, he flew into Rome on the day the Michel Platini-inspired Juventus beat Argentinos Juniors in a penalty shoot-out for the Toyota Cup. The wild enthusiasm generated by that win in a competiton which the English clubs considered, at best, on a par with a prestige, pre-season friendly, was just the beginning of a sharp learning curve.
Fortunately for Benitez, that enthusiasm is shared by Moratti, He desperately wants to win this cup because it takes him back to 1964 and 1965 when the Inter side fashioned by his father, Angelo, twice defeated Argentine side Independiente to win the trophy in successive years. It could be that one win might just change the whole ball game for Rafa.
Mind you before Inter get to Sunday’s final, they have to play South Korean club Seongnam in today’s semi-final. Given Italian history with Korean sides, North and South, (see the 1966 and 2002 World Cups) there may just be a jitter or too in the Inter camp.
Semi-final, Seongnam Chunma v Inter Milan, 5pm, Abu Dhabi. Highlights: ESPN 10.0pm.
