Italy boss backs old pal Marco to play fair

Jun 15 2008 By Euan Mclean

ITALY boss Roberto Donadoni has faith that his golfing buddy Marco van Basten won't settle for a below par performance in the decisive Group C showdown with Romania.

Confident Donadoni goes a long way back with van Basten from their playing days together at AC Milan.

And yesterday he refused to accept suggestions that the Dutch boss might go easy in their final game to ensure Italy and the strongly-fancied French bomb out of the tournament.

On the same day UEFA said it would be "normal" if the Dutch - who have already sealed a spot in the quarter-finals as group winners - opt to field a shadow side for a game that means little to them but everything to the teams chasing second place in the group of death.

But Donadoni remains hopeful that the Dutch will do their bit for fair play and called on the Azzurri to focus only on their own job of trying to win a tough final group game against France.

He said: "I think of fairness and honesty, not the usual debates people have which are no good to anyone.

"I believe in honesty and sport. The rest doesn't count for me and we have to focus only on ourselves. We have the opportunity to beat Les Bleus and we will fight to the end."

Donadoni was the voice of reason standing against a huge tide of outrage and conspiracy theories in his homeland.

While one newspaper carried a headline demanding fair play from the Dutch in their last game, the big debate sweeping the nation was the performance of referee Tom Henning Ovrebo during Friday's 1-1 draw with the Romanians.

His decision to wrongly disallow a first-half Luca Toni goal for offside and award Romania a dubious penalty has seen the whistler bearing the brunt of the stick for a result that puts the world champions on the verge of an early exit.

Now Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete has demanded an explanation from UEFA.

Fuming Abete said: "Seeing as UEFA intervened quickly to declare Holland's first goal (in Italy's opening 3-0 defeat) was legitimate I expect they will say Toni's goal was legitimate.

"I want them to say that the assistant and the referee, who was just metres away from the action, made a mistake. To have ended the first half with a 1-0 lead would have changed the tactical balance of the game.

"In as close group as this one these decisions don't help. Even the penalty awarded to the Romanians was generous."

Donadoni distanced himself from his president, saying: "Enough of these implications. Clearly yesterday was not a good day for the referee but these things happen, just as they do to me or my players."