- David Trezeguet accused you of a lack of respect for yourself.
- Our national team has very high competition among the players who are in the best shape. I wrote about this in a telephone message to David. He did not call me back. But playing in series B is not the same as playing in series A.
- However, already in September, series B will not be an obstacle for him.
“Then we'll see.” Everything is changing. For the match with the Lithuanians, I wanted to put out players who had game practice at the highest level, who would not be booed again.
- In place of Trezeguet you invited Djibril Cisse. He hardly met such requirements.
- Djibril could not go to the World Cup due to a very serious injury. He is a very sentimental man. And I considered it necessary to support him in this way. By the way, I did the same with Trezeguet when we played a friendly match with the Argentines in February. I can’t forget his tears after that ill-fated finale in Germany. For David, the door to my team is always open.
- And what do you often recall now from the events of that Berlin evening?
- Colossal disappointment. From that day on, a non-healing wound has been bleeding in my heart. What to do? It's time to turn this page.
“How did you survive the removal of Zidane?”
- I think that the key, turning point in that game was the departure from the field not of Zidane, but of Vieira. Diarra, who replaced him, played well. But still, only Patrick could become a key figure on the field in that difficult situation. After all, he brilliantly spent the whole tournament. But by and large, if you want to know, I was very sorry for the Italians.
- In what sense?
- Everyone around spoke only about Zidane and Materazzi. This story pretty much discounted your victory.
- Did not Zinedine Zidane refuse to invite you to participate in a charity match, to which Marco Materazzi was also invited, did not seem defiant?
- Materazzi among such stars? Cannavaro is a star. It does not matter at all that Zidane does not want to date Materazzi. It would be much more important for him to really repent of his impulse. No one dares call it sports, although in part I can understand it. Zidane will take time to repent. He is so arranged.
- Do you fully acknowledge the championship of Italians?
- I think that evening one team won and the other did not lose. Nevertheless, the best always wins.
- Despite the defeat in the final, you remained a “not a loser” coach. Feel left alive?
“I always considered myself invincible.” For me, every game can be the last. But I always set a goal to definitely play the very next match. Do you understand me?
- Is it true that when determining the composition of the game you take into account the compatibility of players according to the signs of the zodiac?
- Signs are useful in determining the characters of the players. I once seriously studied astrology. But still, the main criterion for me is the sports form and usefulness of a football player.
- I know that you like theater very much and often compare it with football.
- The coach in football is like a director. First, he prepares the play, then distributes the roles. And in the same way she feels a shiver before the start, but much stronger than the director in the theater. It seems to me.
- You really like to relax in Italy. It's true?
- Yes it is. And in Rome, I always always feel at home. I really love your country, your mentality, climate, excesses, politics. What is happening in your political life anticipates European trends. For example, the Berlusconism of our candidates trying to totally control all the media.
- What would you advise a young national team player, such as Samir Nasri, whom Inter has been hunting for lately?
- Hold on to where he is, in Marseille, for a couple more years to properly mature. Otherwise, he is very at risk of remaining hopeful.
- Do not you think that Italian football is in crisis?
- On the contrary. In the Champions League, “Roma” is very well prepared for the games with “Lyon” and “Manchester United”. From the point of view of the player, I would really like to play your football. It exactly matches my game model. In Berlin, Marcello Lippi copied my scheme.
- Will we meet on June 29, 2008 in the final of the European Championship?
- I would prefer to play the final with Germany. I have eternal problems with Italians. Moreover, neither you nor we have not qualified for the final part. We got a very difficult group. We must be afraid of Ukraine.
Translation by George BYCHKOV