Sunday, June 15,

Holland NOT "Throwing" Match with Romania, Critical to Italy’s Advance in Euros 20008

The ANNOTICO Report

 

As I expressed in my previous Report, Italy's chances of advancing in the Euros 2008, even if they beat France onTues, would be thwarted,

if Holland (in a unsportsmanlike, but strategically advantageous move) were to permit  Romania to win.

 

The Current score:  Dutch 6 pts, Romania 2, France 1, Italy 1

Next and Last Games in this Round on Tuesday the 17th, Italy vs France, Holland vs Romania, both at 20:45

A Win gets 3 pts, Tie gets 1pt, Loss gets 0 pts.

 

Italy well aware of the possibility of a "purposeful weak" Holland effort vs Romania, "WARN" that Dutch coach Marco Van Bastens hopes of EVER , coaching in Italy Series A  will be BURIED if the surprisingly powerful Dutch team lose to Romania.

 

That might be incentive enough to overcome Holland's temptation of eliminating the possibility of facing a more powerful adversary in later rounds.

 

Of Course Italy has to Beat France, NOT merely Tie (Both got trounced by the Dutch by 3 goals, and both tied Romania)

 

Maldini Tells Van Basten: Lose & Forget Milan Job

Former Italy coach Cesare Maldini is confident that Holland will not deliberately lose their match against Romania on Tuesday night because if they do so Marco Van Basten can forget any ambitions he has of coaching in Series A

Goal.com

June  15, 2008

 

The Dutch have already qualified for the quarter finals as group winners having thrashed Italy and France 3-0 and 4-1 respectively in their first two games.

Both World Cup finalists must now go for a win in their game, and hope that Holland can do them a favour against Romania.

However there are obvious conspiracy theories that Marco Van Bastens men may throw the game in order to eliminate France and Italy who are potential semi-final opponents.

Former national team coach Cesare Maldini, who led the Azzurri at the 1998 World Cup today visited the Azzurri training camp, and he believes that Holland will play fair.

I can guarantee Van Basten and the Dutch's seriousness. I travel the world and I know how they think," said the father of Paolo.

Against Romania they will play seriously. And I also want to say something else. Van Basten has a two year contract [with Ajax after the Euros] but I know that after he wants to come to coa ch in Italy.

"Will it be at Milan? We will see. But for sure he will want to arrive in Italy with a clean slate, and he cannot do this by losing to the Romanians on purpose.

Anthony Sormani

 

 

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