[LaPalma]

So, I just decided to open this topic concerning the qualification for the EURO 2008 in Swiss/Austria...

[han2503]

Albertini feels the pressure


FIGC vice-commissioner Demetrio Albertini has again defended Coach Roberto Donadoni, but admits their Euro 2008 hopes are hanging by a thread.

“We chose Donadoni and we’ll defend him till the end. He went around Italy and Europe to view the players and see what condition they were in, as he has to work with the circumstances right now. It’s true this is a critical time at the start of the season, but the FIGC doesn’t need to keep defending its choice.”


Albertini is the man who picked his former Milan teammate for this position, but so far Donadoni has picked up just one draw and two defeats, including tonight’s 3-1 loss in Paris.


“It was clear to everyone that France were going at 100mph and we were always second to the ball. Unfortunately the timing of this tie was bad for us. We saw a great France and fought as hard as we could in the circumstances.”

This leaves the Azzurri with just one point from two Euro 2008 games, so they are five adrift of joint leaders France and Scotland.


“It’s a tough situation now, more so for the points we dropped on Saturday against Lithuania, but you can never tell in football and it’s still early days,” insisted Albertini.


Now their chances of reaching the European Championships depend on the next two matches, taking on Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine in Rome on October 7 and visiting Georgia four days later.


“Mistakes can happen and the lads did well to come back into it after going 2-0 down to France. The right spirit is there and the World champions are fighting hard in a difficult moment for us. I can assure everyone that in a month’s time it will be a different Italy side.”