"Something that you feel will find its own form"

San Giovanni

John Delaney’s achievement in landing Giovanni Trapattoni as Republic of Ireland manager was big, but even bigger when you see who he was up against. Jostling for the former Juventus and Italy manager’s services was one Pope Benedict XVI: successor to St Peter, leader of over a billion Catholics and close friend of Trapattoni, to whom he has dedicated several of his books. With the Vatican having stepped up their efforts to have a team (composed mainly of Swiss Guards and seminarians) given FIFA approval, Benedict nominated Trap as his preferred choice to be their first manager.The Pope’s decision, it must be said, was not informed by purely footballing matters. Trapattoni is a devout Catholic and a longstanding member of Opus Dei (as is Fabio Capello), while his sister is a nun who accompanied the Italian squad to the 2002 World Cup, her role ostensibly to sprinkle holy water on the pitch before each of their games. Indeed, in an interview with The Irish Catholic a few months back, Trap went so far as to emphasise the importance of a spiritual element to successful coaching: “you need to be a father-figure, a psychiatrist – sometimes even a priest“. A consummate football man, Trap visibly did not wish to dwell on religious matters for too long – though he did make reference to the fact that ‘while it was not a deciding factor in taking the Irish job, I am of course happy to be with a country which shares my Catholic faith’. The rehabilitation of Damien Duff, who carries Padre Pio devotional medals in his socks while playing, will have to be one of Trap’s first miracles if this Irish team is to reach the promised land in 2010. Continue reading →