Dino Zoff rejected claims that his Italy team were dour but warned he will not hesitate to man the defensive barricades again in his bid to topple France. Italy earned great acclaim for the expert defensive display which kept out Holland in the semi-final.
Down to 10 men after the first-half dismissal of Gianluca Zambrotta, Zoff reshuffled his pack to deny the co-hosts the breakthrough before winning the penalty shoot-out. But the coach insisted his team were not boring, just following a blueprint for success.
Zoff said, ‘We are not so defensive. We play our game according to the best strategy. It could be the same against France if the evolution of the match says so. For me, victory counts above all else and if we have to do the same against the French, we'll do it.
Zoff's options in the Amsterdam semi-final were limited by Zambrotta's first-half sending-off. Italy settled into a familiar defensive pattern, dropping Alessandro del Piero back into midfield and leaving Filippo Inzaghi alone up front. To Zoff's credit, however, he did introduce the flamboyant Francesco Totti from the bench and rejected the temptation to bring off del Piero in favour of a recognised midfield workhorse.
If Zoff is to lead the Azzurri to victory, then he knows the man Italy have to stop - Juventus hero, Zinedine Zidane. The French playmaker, in irresistible form during the tournament, is one of 11players from Roger Lemerre's squad who have played in Serie A. Zoff said: Zidane is a great player, we know him because he plays in our championship, but it is not my habit to talk about individual players. We have to concentrate on playing our own game.
In the aftermath of a gruelling semi-final Zoff will be aware that his team may suffer on Sunday. He said, ‘The team are a little tired, but the enthusiasm which comes from reaching the final doesn't really make it a factor. But France also lost a lot of strength in their match against Portugal.’ Zambrotta will miss the final after being handed a one-match ban for his sending off, while Demetrio Albertini is struggling with a leg injury.
