 |
| Zeman in Rome in 1997. |
The Czech trainer had coached AS Roma for two seasons in 1997-1999. His results were mixed (4th and 5th place in Serie A) but he oversaw the rise of Francesco Totti and prepped the team for the following two years, when Capello would lead them to a historic third scudetto. Zeman was known in Rome as "the Jedi" for his composed demeanor and dedicated work ethic. His geographic provenience, his sober personal lifestyle, and the energetic full-court attack strategy of his teams also earned him the title of "il Boemo" (the Bohemian).
Zeman is perhaps best known for being among the first, in 1998, to denounce the use of steroids and similar performance-enhancing drugs in European football. Burned in effigy by the Italian media as a "whiner" who denounced the establishment simply because he could not win, he turned out to be right as many courts verified his claims, starting one of the most influential scandals in Italian football.
After a decade of ostracism into the lower leagues, which many saw as "punishment" for not sitting quietly at the big boys table, Zeman now finally gets another shot at prime-time football. As a Roma fan, I cannot wait. If my dad were alive, he would be just as excited. He always loved and defended the Bohemian, and even got his autograph one day at a restaurant.
Good to have you back, old master!
(Read news reports here and here: the latter is a particularly good profile).
.
No comments:
Post a Comment