How Not To Prepare For CL Matchdays

By: chris | February 19th, 2008

Despite both being full-on Italian internationals, both Christian Panucci and Alberto Aquilani spent Saturday’s game against Juventus on the pine, with Alberto eventually making a far-too-late cameo. At training on Monday, Panucci and Philippe Mexes were discussing tattoos, with Christian saying he was planning on another. Alberto, stretching nearby, said, “maybe you should get a tattoo of yourself sitting on the bench in Torino“. Fantastic. Stupid, but fantastic. A brawl ensued, with 3 Giallorossi having to pull Panucci off of Aquilani.

This isn’t the first time a “row” involving Panucci has made it to the press this season, for a club which has been so lovey dovey since Antonio Cassano got the hell out of dodge, making it quite odd (hell, even Totti and Mancini have kissed and made up). In October, with the international break looming, Luciano dropped Christian in favor of Marco Cassetti, who has been riding the wave of his life this season, and Panucci was upset that his Azzurri chances were being compromised by a guy with awkward facial hair. (Apparently Panucci enjoys his pitch time.) Words were had, Lucky Luciano kept saying stuff about “dirty laundry” and eventually it passed. Maybe this one will, too.

Anyway, Spalletti sees this as a good thing, as the loss on Saturday obviously isn’t sitting well:

“This time I don’t think that it is necessary to talk about it as a drama. The players were just disappointed after the defeat against Juventus and were a bit tense.

“It can happen that a few words and a gesture can be taken in a certain way, but things were contained and the moment has passed.”

For a team which shows so little fight when the going gets tough, I’d have to agree. But I’d still rather it were Adrian Pit and Mauro Esposito, who won’t see pitch time any soon unless the Giallorossi turn the Trigoria locker room into Italy’s Royal Rumble. Let them bust each other up as inspiration to the rest of the crew. Not two greats, one on the way up, one on the way down, going after each other the day before the Champions League commences.

Good way to prepare for Real Madrid. This after dropping 2 of 3 and sucking ass over the last few weeks. Forza…..awwww, fuck it.

(Still, that was a good one by Alberto. Well done, sir. Well done.)