Italy – C. Maldini: “I'm satisfied with our team's results, with three victories and one draw”

Statements made at Château de la Tour, at Gouvieux (north of PARIS), on Sunday 28 June :

“I sent one of my assistants over to supervise the FRANCE-PARAGUAY match (match no. 52) on Sunday 28 June at LENS. I think that PARAGUAY is a real team of fighters, just like the Chilians were able to be. If we face this team in the quarter-final, we’ll have to deal with players who have all been playing in European championships. As for FRANCE, if they win, there will be more pressure on them than on ITALY for the quarter-final, because they will be playing in their home country. Maybe ITALY’s winning streak during this World Cup will end when they face FRANCE. But I can tell you that ITALY will play all out to win. I also think that the French public hasn’t always been kind to our team. This was certainly the case yesterday (Saturday 27 June) during the match against NORWAY (no. 50), when the team was passing the ball around a lot. BRAZIL also did that during their matches but didn’t receive that kind of reaction!

I’m satisfied with our team’s results, with three victories and one draw. Getting back to yesterday’s match, I’d like to say that the players were very good, especially PAGLIUCA (12) who saved the ball that would have led to a draw. The opposition between DEL PIERO (10) and BAGGIO (18) takes me back to 28 years ago, with the opposition between Rivera and Mazzola. DEL PIERO created some good openings against NORWAY. He doesn’t have BAGGIO pressuring him from behind because BAGGIO is someone extraordinary. DEL PIERO needs to play as much as possible to bring himself up to his top level of play. As for VIERI (21), he’s a player who keeps getting better, as we saw again yesterday. I’d especially like to dedicate this victory against NORWAY to Alessandro NESTA (6), who was injured during the match against AUSTRIA (match no. 33, 23 June) and to thank all of the substitutes, who were all magnificent.”