Chapter 153 Volunteering
Fino found Cannavaro on the training field.
It was already sunset, and the training field was deserted, but Cannavaro was still practicing dribbling the ball around cones.
The temperature had dropped to around 10 degrees Celsius, but Cannavaro was still sweating profusely from training.
"What brings you here?" Upon seeing Fino, Cannavaro stopped and wiped his face.
Fino did not speak.
Piston cone drills are for training agility, and the reason why Cannavaro has been practicing them is obvious.
Even though Fino was prepared, she simply couldn't bring herself to speak at this moment.
The whole world is discussing Cannavaro's decline in form and his fatal mistake. As the person involved, how painful and agonizing it must be for Cannavaro.
"You've come at the perfect time. It's no fun practicing with equipment all the time. Practice with me for a while!" Cannavaro passed the ball to Fino.
"Okay..." Fino stepped on the ball.
He warmed up briefly, then began dribbling and engaging Cannavaro in a one-on-one duel, shifting, changing direction, and breaking through, time and time again…
Ten minutes later, Cannavaro lay down on the grass, staring blankly at the sky.
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if time could slow down?"
If only his legs could catch up with time.
Fino took a few steps back, thinking that Cannavaro wouldn't like being looked down upon.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke up: "Captain, I'm planning to talk to the coach about the starting lineup for the next game. Would you like to come with me?"
Cannavaro noticed that Fino didn't call him by his name, but instead addressed him as the captain.
"What do you want to say to the coach?" Cannavaro frowned, scrambling to his feet to dissuade him. "Mr. Lippi may seem mild-mannered, but he doesn't like players interfering with his work. Don't be like Claudio!"
Cannavaro has a deep understanding of just how assertive Marcello Lippi, nicknamed "Silver Fox," truly is.
"Andrea is still recovering from his injury, but the match against Slovakia is imminent. Marchisio is not performing well as an attacking midfielder, and Montolivo has also admitted that he is more suited to a defensive midfield position. I would like to recommend myself to Mr. Lippi. I can play as an attacking midfielder and organize the attack from there. De Rossi and Rino can just focus on sweeping and intercepting."
Upon hearing Fino's words, Cannavaro's expression turned serious.
“Fini, everyone can see where our problem lies. With Pirlo out, the midfield lacks organization and creativity. Right now, the whole world is watching our midfield to see how Italy will play without Pirlo. De Rossi and Di Natale failed to shoulder this responsibility in the first two games and have already been judged. This last group stage match is Italy's life-or-death battle. If Italy loses, then you, who have dropped back to the midfield to organize, will face a thousand criticisms.”
Cannavaro certainly didn't think that Fino was overestimating himself by trying to take the position. The position of playmaker is now a hot potato, and no one is willing to take it. Besides, Fino already firmly holds a starting position.
Fino must have been quite confident before he decided to volunteer, but the pressure he would have to bear was immense. If Italy lost, a deluge of criticism would overwhelm Fino, just like he was now.
"It was precisely because of this do-or-die match that I decided to volunteer. Perhaps I'm not as good as Andrea, but I'm confident that I'm more suitable for this position than my teammates. I don't care about public opinion. Compared to the fate of the national team and the honor of the collective, the pressure I face is nothing. The opposing team is just a weak team. If we lose, it will be a disgrace to Italy, and we deserve the public criticism! This is Sandro, Massimo, Rino, and possibly even Andrea's last World Cup. I don't want them to have any regrets."
Fino's eyes were firm and fearless, his words were resounding, and his whole being seemed to radiate a faint light.
Cannavaro was in turmoil.
Yes, what do personal interests matter compared to the fate of the national team and the honor of the collective? He's already 37 years old. He should have let go of the captain's armband and the starting position long ago. This is his last World Cup, so how could he be willing to be eliminated in the group stage?
Cannavaro struggled for a while before finally making up his mind.
“Okay, I’ll go with you. I also have some things to discuss with Mr. Lippi.”
...
In the final round of the group stage, the Italian team held a pre-match press conference early, where Lippi announced the starting lineup for the match against Slovakia.
Compared to the first two rounds of the group stage, the roster has undergone a complete overhaul.
The starting goalkeeper has changed from Marchetti to De Sanctis. Captain Cannavaro is not on the roster and is replaced by Nesta. The other center-back is still Chiellini, and the left and right full-backs remain unchanged, still Criscito and Zambrotta.
Gattuso replaced Montolivo, forming a double pivot with De Rossi. Fino was surprisingly placed in the attacking midfield position, with Ambrosini and Camoranesi on the left and right wings, and Gilardino up front.
Regardless of playing style, in terms of squad composition alone, the number of Juventus players is decreasing, while Milan players are getting more opportunities.
With Buffon injured, Cannavaro, Marchisio, and Iaquinta all dropped from the starting lineup, leaving only Chiellini and Camoranesi as Juventus players in the starting eleven.
Meanwhile, Milan-affiliated players Nesta, Gattuso, and Ambrosini made their first appearance in the starting lineup. Gilardino and Fino also had Milan connections, and Zambrotta, despite having Juventus ties, was a Milan player himself.
This immediately excited the media present, and they already had headlines in mind:
Milan faction successfully forced Juventus out of the club; Juventus faction suffers complete defeat.
Italy appears to be experiencing internal strife, with Lippi losing complete control of the locker room.
With the defensive scourge eradicated, Italy's dawn has broken.
...
The actual situation is certainly not as bleak as the media has speculated.
When Fino and Cannavaro approached Lippi, he was indeed annoyed. He has always disliked players interfering with his work, which is also why he doesn't like to use big-name stars with strong personalities.
He likes both Caffino and Cannavaro, and he is quite patient with his own players who are disciplined and meet tactical requirements.
After he suppressed his anger and listened to Fino explain his thoughts, his anger slowly subsided.
Although he was stubborn, he was not headstrong. He was willing to absorb and apply useful advice, which is one of the reasons why he was described as "tactically versatile and cunning as a fox".
Fino's idea does make sense.
Using a 4-2-3-1 formation, De Rossi and Gattuso, as the two defensive midfielders, should focus on pressing and intercepting, maximizing their strengths and avoiding distractions.
The task of organizing the attack and controlling the pace of the game was put forward and Fino was mainly responsible for it, with Ambrosini and Camoranesi assisting him. The three of them hid behind Gilardino to create deadly opportunities.
“Andrea’s excellent long passing ability and overall vision allow him to play as an attacking midfielder while in the defensive midfield position. This ability, which far surpasses that of other talents, is difficult to replicate.” Fino took the opportunity to praise Pirlo. “Since it cannot be replicated, let the attacking midfielder’s role return to that position. He is closer to the opponent’s penalty area. He may not have the same advantage in terms of attacking speed and methods, but the complexity of organizing the attack is reduced, and the requirement for long passing distance is also reduced.”
The idea sounds very feasible, but the biggest challenge is whether Fino can take on the responsibility of the metronome.
“As you know, when I was at AC Milan, I often replaced the injured Kaká as the attacking midfielder, taking on the tasks of organizing the attack and making runs and breakthroughs. Last summer, Andrea and I almost went to Chelsea with Ancelotti. Ancelotti wanted to replicate Milan's Christmas tree formation at Chelsea, and in his tactical vision, my position was attacking midfielder.”
Fino did not embellish his abilities; he simply provided an objective description and then left the decision to Lippi.
But his words already revealed enough confidence. If he didn't perform well in the attacking midfield position, why would Ancelotti try to bring him to Chelsea to play specifically in the attacking midfield position?
Lippi thought for a few seconds, then nodded to Fino: "I will carefully consider your suggestion."
Lippi's expression was serious, and Fino knew he had taken it to heart and wasn't just going through the motions.
Fino has achieved half of his goal.
At this moment, Lippi turned to Cannavaro and asked, "Fabio, what is the purpose of your visit?"
Fino immediately took his leave of Lippi, already knowing what Cannavaro was going to say.
This was a difficult decision. It was hard for the national team captain to admit that he was not as good as his coach, who had always trusted and valued him.
It would be better if there was no third person present.
Lippi is a decisive person, and in the second day of joint training, he immediately put Fino's suggestion into practice.
The results were better than expected.
Fino originally came from Milan and had excellent chemistry with Ambrosini and Gattuso. He was also very familiar with the attacking midfielder position.
What surprised Lippi even more was that Fino was very fast and had plenty of stamina. He could run back and forth in the midfield and forward areas without getting tired, covering a large area and playing a very good link-up role.
Moreover, Fino's long passing ability is outstanding. Some of his long passes even exceed 40 meters, lobbing directly from midfield into the opponent's penalty area with great accuracy, reminiscent of Pirlo.
With this pass, Italy's counter-attacks will be faster and more unpredictable.
Lippi really wanted to shout: What other surprises do you have that I don't know about?
He gained a more comprehensive understanding of Fino's abilities, and only then did he realize that placing Fino in the center forward position in the Italian national team's system was a waste. Letting him drop back a step and play as a second striker, attacking midfielder, or even a central midfielder would be more helpful to Italy.
Moreover, after Fino retreated, no one criticized him for not bringing Totti and Cassano!
"Mr. Lippi, why isn't Cannavaro on the starting lineup? Is it because his poor form has caused you to lose trust?" The reporter, like a bloodthirsty shark, chased after the bloody scent of the topic.
Lippi's answer was nonchalant: "It's just normal rotation."
The reporter was not satisfied with this answer, but immediately asked another question: "If Cannavaro doesn't play, who will wear the captain's armband?"
"It's Nesta. As the defensive linchpin of this match, he deserves it."
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