Just So You Know, Donadoni’s Job is Totally Not on the Line Tonight

By: Martha | September 12th, 2007

Pirlo’s solo album cover Really, it’s not. How do we know this? Why, because Roberto Donadoni himself tells us so — for your information, he feels he has the full support of the FIGC, no matter what happens in Kiev tonight. Yeah, and it’s always such an encouraging sign when people feel the need to say things like that. (In addition to proclaiming his comfort in the job, Donadoni also “has spoken also about the not easiest relationship with the information organs.” While I assume that means the press, it’s amusing to imagine that he’s having a conflict with his brain. Actually, that might explain a lot.) People who aren’t Donadoni, meanwhile, are talking about the Ukraine match as the one to save his job, so the (pretend) sanguine approach is essentially the gaffer’s alone.

Though in the last few days Donadoni has been spewing nonsense about playing with three out-and-out strikers (I can’t find the article, but I swear I read that this morning), it’s assumed he’s going to stick with just one up top, supported by a more attacking, Roma-esque 4-2-3-1 formation, with traditional strikers out wide in supporting roles (like Del Piero played against France, except actually being supportive). There’s been talking about Cristiano Lucarelli starting in the striker role, but in the final training session, Donadoni’s first team featured Vincenzo Iaquinta in his place. That said, however, that team also included Simone Perrotta in place of Daniele De Rossi and Old Man Panucci for Massimo Oddo, so it may have been more of a sign of Donadoni’s difficulties with his information organ than an indication of who will start today.

Chris has a full preview over here — go read it and start crossing your fingers and toes. Or, alternately, start drinking in order to stave off those terrifying images of Andriy Shevchenko on the rampage.