Here’s a piece I wrote for Crikey.com.au on the FIFA World Cup Final – and the prominent role of Juventus in the proceedings:
Of the two teams playing in the World Cup final early Monday morning, Juventus players dominate the playing lists in a who’s who of international soccer: Patrick Vieira, Lilliam Thuram, David Trezeguet from France and Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta and Mauro Camoranesi from Italy all currently play for Juventus.
Of the ten players nominated for the Golden Ball, the award for the best player of the World Cup, a staggering six of the ten either currently play or have played for Juventus, the same Juventus which right now is battling in Italian courts, desperately trying to avoid being dropped to the Italian third division (Serie C) due to match tampering and corruption accusations.
If Juventus is dropped into a lower league, the superstars who have dominated the business end of the World Cup are likely to be sold off in a fire sale. There is no way these sporting superstars would accept playing in a lesser league, nor would Juventus possibly be able to afford them. Italian soccer will be the big loser as the stars of Juventus are dispersed across the soccer globe. In other words, a blow for world soccer, an unmitigated disaster for the Italian Serie A.
So as Juventus looks to demotion and disgrace, its players look for greener pastures. Juventus coach Fabio Capello has already jumped ship, this week signing a three year deal to coach Real Madrid, while Juventus players of the class of Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Czech captain Pavel Nedved and Brazilian midfielder Emerson are out of the World Cup and actively shopping themselves around to other clubs.
It’s not a coincidence then that the two teams with the greatest number of representatives from Juventus are facing off – they may be playing passionately for their countries, but they’re also playing passionately for a pay packet in 2006-2007. An incredibly sad state of affairs when you consider the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final will be the most eagerly watched meat market in the history of world sport.