Panucci Comes Pleading.

Ahhh….I’d almost forgotten about this little feud. In what had to be one of the strangest seasons in recent memory for Inter (a team with a closet full of strange, hair-pulling campaigns) Christian Panucci more or less stormed out on the team while Lippi was putting in his brief, weak appearance as the Nerazzurri manager in the year 2000/01.

Call me crazy, but I have a hunch that Panucci dug his proverbial grave when he then muttered “Thanks to my education, I have left certain problems behind me. I think it shows a lack of intelligence if certain issues are not forgotten.” Hmmm. Thinking of anyone in particular, Christian?

Despite the current trend in the media to label the Italian defense as weak, you’ve got Materazzi, Cannavaro, Zambrotta and Nesta who are “locks”. Grosso, Oddo and Zaccardo are probably in. So if Lippi plans to bring eight defenders…that leaves a lot of quality guys fighting for one spot: Barzagli, Chiellini- maybe, Pasqual? I should think Pannuci could crack that if we were just basing the selections on merit. The lesson is, don’t burn your bridges, boys and girls. And don’t count the Azzurri defense out.