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| Monday 10 August, 2009 |
| Blog: Why sell Zanetti? |
| Antonio Labbate questions how wise it was for Juventus to sell Cristiano Zanetti to Fiorentina |
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It doesn’t make sense. It just doesn’t. Why have Juventus, on the eve of a season when they do seem to be competitive enough to fight Inter for Lo Scudetto, sold Cristiano Zanetti to Fiorentina?
Granted, it’s not the biggest transfer shock of a summer which has seen Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic move for ludicrous amounts of money, but Zanetti’s £1.5m switch to Tuscany is, in its own way, a major surprise.
More than that, it could turn out to be a potentially costly own goal by the Bianconeri officials who had spent most of July and August repairing the damage caused by their calcio mercato deficiencies over the past 36 months.
Granted, he did have less than a year left on his contract in Turin, but he was sold for such a measly figure that finances shouldn’t have been the deciding factor. And even if Zanetti left at his own request, surely Juve could have convinced him to offer his services for just another 12 months?
It’ll be up to the major players in the move [Zanetti himself and Juve sporting director Alessio Secco] to answers those questions, but the fact remains that La Signora are now missing a potentially vital element in their ranks. Although Zanetti’s fragile muscles mean that he isn’t physically up to the challenge of a whole season uninterrupted, he was unique to the Old Lady.
Zanetti was not just an ordinary midfielder for the Italian giants, he was their only playmaker, the man in their ranks who could organise and dictate the tempo of the whole side. The only deep-lying central midfielder with true vision and one of only a few in the squad who can pass a ball accurately over 40 metres.
His departure is all the more noteworthy given that Juventus opted against signing the more creative Gaetano D’Agostino recently by spending £20m plus on the Viola’s Felipe Melo. Possibly because they already had Zanetti at their disposal. Perhaps Martin Caceres, despite the assurances of Secco last week, won’t be the club’s last summer buy after all…
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Spot on Antonio, couldn't agree with you more. This sale is madness, yet another example of questionable decision making by Secco and Blanc.
Salv
He’s not that good…why not sell him? He is slow to the extent that Andrea Pirlo looks like a gazelle next to him and unreliable in terms of consistency and positioning. As far as dictating the tempo is concerned I think you are mixing him up with Pirlo and even then it’s a slow tempo never a fast one!
Gary Parker
I agree with the article and I too share disappointment in the Zanetti transfer. I agree that Zanetti when injury free is quite a player because of his vision. However, I think that from an "Italian" perspective they should have kept him.
Juventus are one of the few top clubs, apart from Barcelona and a few others, that have many nationals in their respective clubs. Though in Juve there are a few Oriundi (Camoranesi and soon to be Amauri), the teams will be a shoe in if UEFA ever decided to implement the 6+5 rule today or tomorrow.
That said, the club did say that they were in the process of selling players, and with the purchases of Melo and Diego, and Tiago finding his feet in the new three-man midfield, some of the guys had / have to go. Left up to me I would sell Almiron and Poulsen and keep the rest...
Taquin Noel
I agree fully with this article. Cristiano Zanetti is one of the most underrated Italian players around, and is a fine player. In 2007-08 he held the midfield together and was the one creating whilst Tiago and Almiron struggled.
Despite missing most of last season injured he still made a contribution, most notably with an outstanding goal against Atalanta.
Even taking his injury problems into account, selling him for such a low figure makes no sense. Poulsen has nothing near his ability in defence or attack, and reports suggest he'll now stay (unfortunately).
Alessio Secco has done mostly good work this summer, but the Poulsen fiasco, which I feel he's handled badly, and the sale of Zanetti suggest he still has a bit to learn.
Liam
I am sad to see Zanetti leave for Fiorentina but realistically this is a worthwhile sale. Yes he has been a loyal and hardworking servant for the club over the last few years but at 32 and with his history of recent injuries this was a necessary sale.
Juventus currently have six central midfielders, these are: Sissoko, Melo, Marchisio, Tiago, Poulsen and Almiron, let us not forget that both Camoranesi and Salihamidzic are capable of playing as central midfielders also.
Almiron looks likely to leave on loan to Bari this coming season, whilst Poulsen on the other hand now seems likely to stay, personally I think this is a good move. Poulsen endured a difficult maiden season in Turin, but there can be no doubt that he is a talented and experienced player, I expect to see a rejuvenated Poulsen this coming season. The sale of Zanetti also highlights Juve's belief in Marchisio who will surely benefit from Zanetti's absence.
I hope that Marchisio will be allowed to develop and fulfil his potential this coming season, clearly the Juve administration have a great deal of faith in him. This blog refers to Zanetti as Juve's only deep lying playmaker, I have to disagree with this statement. Having watched Felipe Melo on numerous occasions over the last few seasons in both Spain and Italy I am extremely confident that he can perform this role from central midfield, plus we also have Tiago who was bought to perform this very role two seasons ago.
Zanetti was a great servant for Juventus and will always be remembered fondly by the fans but it was the right time for him to move on, I wish him all the best in his adventure at Fiorentina. This Juve squad is extremely competitive, the only weaknesses that I can see are at full-back. Rafinha would be a great addition for us, but if not then I believe that this squad will certainly be capable of competing at the highest levels in both Italy and Europe this coming season.
Mass, London
A first, I must say....For the first time I agree with the views of Mr Labbate. Why sell Zanetti? Because of the incompetent triad called the Juventus' Board of Directors. They don't give two hoots if Juventus becomes a shambolic joke rather the most prestigious club in Italy.
Their methodology is pathetic – they'd rather sell the best CM in the squad for peanuts instead of trying harder to sell a failed useless player who has been ostracized by the Coach [Ferrara: "Poulsen is not in my plans for the season"].
Any sane Juventus fan can see that players like Sissoko + Tiago + Poulsen + Almiron + Molinaro + Zebina (and from the recent past, Andrade + Mellberg) DO NOT MERIT sitting on the bench of Juventus, let alone play in the first team.
I firmly believe that if Juventus wish to return to the glory days of winning Scudetti and becoming a major force in European football EVER again, they have to break themselves from the shackle called "Gigli + Blanc + Secco", as this group of men make the three stooges seem like "Einstein + Newton + Da Vinci".
Let's hope some of the fans who read this will finally wake up and smell the coffee and understand that we cannot let the Board of Directors make a mockery of our favourite club anymore, helping in the emancipation of Juventus and usher in a new successful era....
Raj, Pune, India
They were much better off getting rid of Poulsen!
Jon, Chicago
I agree that the transfer of Zanetti is a shock. But the reasons for its surprise value are nowhere near as important as Mr Labbate asserts.
Firstly, I like Zanetti. He has always been a calm, composed, capable defensive midfielder, whose talent on the ball has been often underestimated. He has decent technique married to astute reading of the game.
However, he is 32, has no pace, and last season managed 10 starts. His lack of playing time last season, and in previous seasons, has been largely due to injuries, but that is besides the point. If he can't play often, his value to the team diminishes.
Secondly, to suggest that he is Juve's ONLY playmaker, ONLY deep lying midfielder capable of delivering the ball with quality, over distance, is an insult to Felipe Melo. The Brazilian may lack Zanetti's composure, but in terms of passing, speed, strength, heading, tackling, he is equal to, or superior to the Italian.
He is also vastly younger, likely to improve and in far more robust physical condition. Melo is not yet fit, as his pre-season friendly performances testified. And it will take him time to settle into the Juve midfield, but his passing is often beautiful, especially over long range.
Thirdly, Ciro has decided already the upper echelons of his midfield pecking order. Melo, Sissoko, Camoranesi, Tiago, Marchisio, and I would assume also Poulsen, are all ahead of where Zanetti would sit in that pile.
Lastly, the clear positive, or perhaps I should say, potential positive, to be taken from the sale of the old Pro, is that Poulsen is now likely to stay at the club. The Dane, now finally fit, which he wasn't at any stage last season, has the chance to prove himself in Italy. And his chances will come, probably thick and fast, as Melo has the discipline of a cage fighter, Sissoko has a tendency to crunch players and himself and Camoranesi is unfortunately often overwhelmed by his hot latin blood.
With the signing of Melo, who clearly has a wide range of passing talent, and also Diego, whose creative zeal hugely increase our ability to carve out goal scoring chances, I cannot agree, nor understand, how anyone with a decent footballing brain could suggest that we have lost anything in terms of creativity.
Daniel Pennuto, Melbourne
Did Juve treat Nedved this way? A player perhaps of better quality than Zanetti yet still they both ooze the same class and legendary status. Secco needs to take a long hard look at himself.
Mark Siglioccolo
I too, am in agreement. Selling Cristiano Zanetti to Fiorentina is potentially a costly own goal by the Bianconeri. Possibly, it may build/ repair bridges burnt with the Viola? Added to buy the great (from Juve's point of view) acquisition of Felipe Melo.
If any players are to be sold, surely, Almiron and Poulsen must head the queue. Both are players who have never fitted in, unlike Zanetti - who also has extra benefits; of being to offer his experience to the team when playing and if let’s say, played with some youngsters in the Coppa Italia (like several teams e.g Arsenal do over here with their squad), this helping the future of the Bianconeri and Azzurri.
Cristiano Zanetti has been a loyal servant and should have been kept for the final year of his contract, despite the great new additions. If, as mentioned though, he requested a move, then that's another issue. I wish though, he'd had a more fitting end to his Bianconeri career - he was unique to the Old Lady and I believe will be missed in an important forthcoming season.
Rob Cliff, Nottingham
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