Straight talk with Daniele Massaro,The lowdown on A.C. Milan versus Inter, and the future of Italian soccer

Straight talk with Daniele Massaro
The lowdown on A.C. Milan versus Inter, and the future of Italian soccer


“Santon is the next Maldini and should be playing on the National team right away. Lippi should focus on youth, and try to improve the play of his squad, because it is unthinkable that they could win another World Cup playing the way they did in 2006.”
This is according to former Italian soccer player Daniele Massaro, who is now in charge of public relations for A.C. Milan and is a commentator on the Italian soccer TV program La giostra del gol. Massaro is currently in Canada for the inauguration of the Milan Sports Centre, and his visit was an opportunity for Corriere Canadese/Tandem to talk to him about the future of soccer in Italy, and about Italy’s famous rivals: A.C. Milan and Inter Milan.
When it comes to Inter, Mazzaro admits that, “barring any unforeseen circumstances, [A.C. Milan] will once again take home the scudetto this season.” He also admits to having a soft spot for Inter’s new star player Davide Santon, whose style of play reminds him of some of the greatest Italian soccer players ever, from Facchetti to Baresi, up to and including his A.C. Milan captain Paolo Maldini.

Let’s begin with the Italian league. The big teams are out of the Champions League. Is it true that Italian soccer is on the decline?
“Our [league] is going through a unique period. Although many stars have played in Serie A, we’re not currently playing the role of protagonist in Europe. In Italy in the past few years, we’ve been sort of sitting back to watch Inter – a superpower on paper and sometimes on the pitch – in their conquests of the scudetto. They are a team that depend a lot on the feats of their striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.”
What can Italian soccer do in order to win on international pitches?
“The only solution is to win. When I played, we often faced teams with superior skills. Now, apart from the odd young player who’s at the top of his game, we don’t have a great amount of quality. The problems are due to various reasons but a contributing factor has been that many stars have gone to Spain or England rather than to Italy. The job of team directors will now have to be to acquire players who can make a difference, while taking into account the bottom line. It’s sort of what Milan did with Pato a few years ago.”In an interview last year, you said that Inter made the best acquisition when they brought on Jose Mourinho as manager. Do you still hold the same opinion after his negative comments about the team?
“In some regards, yes, because having a specific plan and discipline has benefited this team. It should also be mentioned that people change, and he has changed a lot. But it’s not just his fault. The media has created the persona, and he has allowed himself to exaggerate and say strong words about Italian soccer and about some of our important personnel.”
In terms of players, who has impressed you most?
“I’ve seen many good players, from the rebirth of Pazzini to Motta, from the bursting onto the scene of Santon - who I think will have a career like Facchetti, Baresi, and like Maldini. I see 20 years of stardom for him because he has the right attitude, the humility, and he realizes he has been given a great opportunity.”
Does it anger you that Maldini’s heir plays for Inter?
“He’s a good player – a valid outside back who so far has displayed talent and good offensive skills. And he’s improving greatly on defense as well. I’ve seen him face very strong opposition without any hesitation, and he has always moved well. Seeing someone like that playing for Inter isn’t pleasing, but [A.C. Milan] also have a strong 19-year-old destined to become one of the top players in the world: Pato.”
What about Balotelli? He’s a huge talent, but do you think he’s still too immature, character-wise, to prove himself at the top levels?
“Everyone gets his or her chances. I think Balotelli has understood that having skills doesn’t mean one is a superstar. To become a determining player, one must be a star both on and off the pitch. For now, he has displayed some good skills, but to prove himself, he has to get produce some good results and leave aside some of that behaviour that his coach is very familiar with.”
And what can you tell us about Milan? It’s been a strange – and very unlucky – season“It has certainly not been the best season of the Berlusconi era. The minimum objective now is to finish third and qualify for the Champions League. Then we’ll decide about the future. The team needs to be rebuilt, and there will surely be changes and some important acquisitions.”
For defense, you acquired Thiago Silva. Is that enough, considering Nesta’s recurring injuries?
“I’d say no, given that next season we’ll be playing more games and we will need a larger roster. Let’s not forget that just this year, we’ve been decimated by injuries. And in the long run, not having our best players has taken its toll.”
Will the future continue to be with Carlo Ancelotti?
“I think so. He still has a year left on his contract with Milan and I think it’s right to stay with him.”
Let’s talk about the national team. You were very young when you debuted with the blue jersey. If you were Lippi, would you take a chance on the youth?
“There are young players who made an appearance and then disappeared. There are others, though, who deserve to play even now. Santon, for example, has been playing well for some time now and is a sure thing. I would include him on the Azzurri roster.”
And what do you think of Cassano?
“Each time players are summoned to the national team, the talk is about who isn’t there – about Amauri, about Cassano, and even Santon. I think that Lippi considers the young Inter defenseman one of the best potentials and is keeping an eye on him for the next World Cup. Over the next few months, Lippi will have time to experiment and test the quality and consistency of players such as Motta who until a few months ago, was a sub on Udinese. Santon has more experience and is not a gamble but a guarantee.”
Can this national team aspire to great achievements, or will it suffer the way our club teams have?
“They certainly cannot hope to regain a World Cup playing the way they did the last one. They will have to play better, considering that the other national teams are improving. We can’t hope to win again, thanks to luck and a good style of play that in 2006 was only evident in flashes, unfortunately.”