Coppa turns to gold

By Paolo Menicucci

In previous seasons, Italy's top clubs had little interest in the Coppa Italia, fielding reserve-team players and giving mid-table opponents the chance to reach the UEFA Cup by winning the trophy or merely playing the final against a team already qualified for the UEFA Champions League. This time around, it is a different story.

Big names
A quick look at this season's semi-finalists shows that the Coppa Italia is big news. Italian champions Juventus FC meet FC Internazionale on 4 and 12 February in one semi-final, while European champions AC Milan face S.S. Lazio on 5 and 11 February in the other.

Heavy armoury
With all four clubs having participated in the 2003/04 Champions League, it seems that the latter tournament's new format may have had a knock-on effect on the Coppa Italia. With the 16-team knockout stage having replaced the second group stage, the likes of Milan and Juventus have fewer European matches, and more energy to expend on the domestic competition.

Important showcase
Given that the last four have strong squads to maintain their Champions League challenges, making first-team opportunities harder to come by, the Coppa Italia has also become the best place for marginal players to showcase their skills - rather than a dumping ground for second-string talent.

Serious business
"The whole squad is alive and kicking right now," said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti. "I'm delighted to be in the semi-finals where both ties should be very interesting. The quality of the clubs taking part shows that nobody is snubbing the Coppa Italia."

Three fronts
Juventus have won the tournament nine times and coach Marcello Lippi is keen to make it ten this season. "We are taking this tournament extremely seriously and we want to stay the course," he said. "The squad we have allows us to be competitive on all three fronts." Sure enough, Juventus are still in contention in both the Champions League and Serie A.

European short cut
Inter and Lazio are both out of the Champions League, and adrift of the leaders in Serie A, so the Coppa Italia has assumed a new significance as a short cut to next season's UEFA Cup. "We cared about the Coppa Italia even when we were closer to the top of Serie A," said Inter coach Alberto Zaccheroni. "Now we care even more."

Future prospects
Lazio's Roberto Mancini agreed, saying: "We really want to win the Coppa Italia. Sure, the league is more important but we still care about the Coppa Italia, especially because it gives the chance to play in the UEFA Cup and the Italian Super Cup next season."

High stakes
Whichever way you look at it, the stakes are high. And as the tournament reaches its final stages, the best teams in Italy have proved that the Coppa Italia is no longer a consolation prize.