DubaiSpur
Jack Jull
Dan Kilpatrick suggesting there isn't actually a bomba lined up, but that the interview is de Zerbi's way of pressuring the club to get him one.
Italian managers have form for this - a famous example is what happened at Roma in the summer of 2000.
Basically, the owner, Sensi, had already spent a bunch on players and was disinclined to spend any more. But Capello, the manager at the time, wanted him to buy Gabriel Batistuta, who was the wrong side of 30 but who Capello felt was the missing piece in his title charge.
So Capello hatched a plan with Roma's sporting director at the time, one Franco Baldini (the same one who later rocked up at Spurs). They took a Corriere Dello Sport journo, Mario Sconcerti, to dinner. And at that dinner, they boasted about how Sensi was about to pay a ton to sign Batistuta.
Sconcerti naturally wrote an article saying Roma were about to sign Batistuta. The media and fans went ballistic. But after a few weeks, when no sign had appeared of Batistuta actually leaving Fiorentina, pressure began to build on Sensi from impatient fans and media outlets. Eventually, under the weight of expectation, Sensi buckled and bought Batistuta for a world record fee for a player over 30.
Rest is history - Roma won the title that season, their last one to date.
Italian managers have form for this - a famous example is what happened at Roma in the summer of 2000.
Basically, the owner, Sensi, had already spent a bunch on players and was disinclined to spend any more. But Capello, the manager at the time, wanted him to buy Gabriel Batistuta, who was the wrong side of 30 but who Capello felt was the missing piece in his title charge.
So Capello hatched a plan with Roma's sporting director at the time, one Franco Baldini (the same one who later rocked up at Spurs). They took a Corriere Dello Sport journo, Mario Sconcerti, to dinner. And at that dinner, they boasted about how Sensi was about to pay a ton to sign Batistuta.
Sconcerti naturally wrote an article saying Roma were about to sign Batistuta. The media and fans went ballistic. But after a few weeks, when no sign had appeared of Batistuta actually leaving Fiorentina, pressure began to build on Sensi from impatient fans and media outlets. Eventually, under the weight of expectation, Sensi buckled and bought Batistuta for a world record fee for a player over 30.
Rest is history - Roma won the title that season, their last one to date.
