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The Beauty of Laura

By Ravin Sampat ⋅ October 2, 2007 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Presenting Italian football in England has changed, and so has the game itself.

When Channel 4 started its famous Gazetta Football Italia programme back in 1992, I fondly remember a sketch whereby Attillo Lombardo, that bald-headed, former Juventus and Crystal Palace winger, performed the Lambada with presenter James Richardson. My father thought I was watching ‘Right Said Fred’s’ tour of Turin.

14 years on, now Five have tried to take the mantle of showing Serie A to British viewers. Previously, Eurosport, Bravo and Setanta Sports have all attempted to paint a perfect picture of Serie A, but since Channel 4 dropped the rights after a decade on our screens, broadcasting of the Italian game has gone through transition, probably as much as the game in Italy itself.

Five weeks ago, I remember sitting down on a Sunday afternoon eagerly awaiting the start of the new season. Eagerly anticipating Inter-Udinese, instead I was glued to the screen with Laura Esposto. ‘Better than football’ is what my friend said to me. Possibly. But Laura’s beauty is actually representative of the beauty of the game in Italy itself. While Channel 4 had to fill the gaps in the show with funny sketches with Gazza and Lombardo, Five’s new presentation of the show with guests like Roberto Di Matteo and Carlo Cudicini, and the beauty of the Italian goddess who is Ms Esposto, is probably as representative of the new shift in Serie A. Not since Lippi’s team of the mid-nineties have we witnessed a new style of football from teams like Inter, Roma and Fiorentina. However, one must not forget that Serie A also represents how one should understand the ‘art of defending’, shown most recently in the 2003 Uefa Champions League finale between Milan and Juve.

This weekend’s fixtures demonstrated both styles of the Italian game.

“Not since Lippi’s team of the mid-nineties have we witnessed a new style of football from teams like Inter, Roma and Fiorentina”

The way Inter are playing at the moment can perhaps be compared with how Laura Esposto has lightened up our screens. Maintaining an attacking prowess, combined with discipline, is no easy task. As much as Spalletti’s Roma try to play a brand of ‘Total Football’, Mancini has turned Inter into a practical team with attacking instincts. Regardless of the effect of Ludovic Giuly’s game-changing red card on Saturday night, Inter still approached the game in the manner Serie A winners are all about. Mancio didn’t come for the draw - he brought on Cruz and Crespo with a third of the game to go, and it paid off.

Over on the other side of the city Milan are still struggling, and spending my Sunday afternoon watching that draw with Catania again told me Milan MUST buy a striker in January. Inzaghi is old, intelligent, but slow. Gilardino, on the other hand, is a great finisher but in recent games he has looked lethargic, lacked any determination, and shown a real lack of ‘off the ball’ movement. If you have a player like Kaka feeding quite superb passes in between defences, then you need someone who can finish them off. Milan are struggling, and need a big performance next weekend.

“Juve’s victory showed what Ranieri’s team is all about - luck, courage, determination; three vital ingredients needed to win the Scudetto”

Juve and Fiorentina continued to impress. Juve seem to have to have come over that initial blip against Udinese. Trézéguet’s goal in the Battle of Turin came in the 90th minute. Juve’s victory showed what Ranieri’s team is all about - luck, courage, determination; three vital ingredients needed to win the Scudetto. Fiorentina join Inter as the only other unbeaten team in Serie A: Prandelli’s men look classy too, but the lack of strength in depth may show come January.

With week six at an end, the table is beginning to take shape. Inter lead the way, but although Roma fans may feel empty after Saturday’s thrashing, they should not overly dismayed. The heavy defeat was a wake-up call for a team who have played fantastic, sometimes breath-taking one-touch football. Juve are getting stronger, whilst Milan are floundering. Would Roma fans rather be sulking in their position, or that of the Rossoneri?

As the game in Italy has two faces, both dynamics of Serie A were shown over the weekend. Juve’s last gasp 1-0 win against Torino - the resilient defensive one; the host of chances in the exciting 4-1 victory of Inter over Roma showed the other - the attacking one.

Defending is an art, as is attacking, and with Serie A possessing both these elements, is this possibly the return of the beautiful game to Italy? Whilst Five isn’t the brilliance that was Gazetta on Channel 4, as long as Laura Esposto is on our screens, I think so.

Arrivederci

Player of the week: Roberto Mancini [he doesn’t play, but as a manager he got his tactics spot on]
Goal of the week: Trezeguet [it was a volley, it was a derby, it was in injury time], and Aleksander Kolarov (Lazio)
Quote of the week: ‘We play like a team with no expectations - this is our reason for success’ [Claudio Ranieri]

Results
Cagliari-Siena 1-0
Empoli-Palermo 3-1
Livorno-Fiorentina 0-3
Milan-Catania 1-1
Napoli-Genoa 1-2
Reggina-Lazio 1-1
Roma-Inter 1-4
Sampdoria-Atalanta 3-0
Torino-Juventus 0-1
Udinese-Parma 2-1

Watch all the goals: Video compilation

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