April 29, 2001

Italy National Team news and Panico's WUSA woes

By Mario Rimati

Italy will play a friendly match against Belgium next Tuesday near the city of Milan. Head Coach Carolina Morace has called up the following players:
Brenzan, Comin, Brunozzi, Tesse, Tavalazzi, Perelli, Caprini, Masia, Schiavi, Duo', Deiana, Zorri, D'Astolfo, Frollani, Ceroni, Pellizzer, Maglio, Panico, Guarino, Tagliacarne and Marsico.

In other news, with the exception of the Vatican and "Divine Providence", it would appear that a multitude of forces are now involved in the "mystery"
surrounding the Patrizia Panico affair and her failed transfer to the Philadelphia club of the WUSA. Everyone from the Italian F.A. to the Secretary for Equal Opportunities, to the Italian Association of Soccer Players, to her club Lazio, to the Italian Association of Female Athletes, to FIFA, to WUSA officials and naturally to the "Scorpion" herself, Panico, are involved.

At present it looks as if a solution to her transfer to the American club looms rather far into the distant future. Italy's infamous red-tape bureaucracy has certainly not helped matters in this either.

For the time being Panico's one desire, as expressed in Italy's "Gazzetta dello Sport", is the following: "All I can do is hope that a solution will
be found asap so that I can try again next year with the WUSA".