Donadoni dreaming of emulating great AC Milan mentality

Roberto Donadoni answers questions during a press conference aat Scotland's Hampden Park stadium on 16 November. Donadoni said that his dream was to emulate the winning mentality of the great AC Milan team of 1989-90 after guiding Italy to the Euro 2008 finals.

Roberto Donadoni said Sunday that his dream was to emulate the winning mentality of the great AC Milan team of 1989-90 after guiding Italy to the Euro 2008 finals.

The reigning world champions beat Scotland 2-1 in Glasgow thanks to an injury-time header from Christian Panucci to book their ticket to Austria and Switzerland.

And Donadoni, the much-maligned coach who inherited the unenviable task of taking over the national team reins from Marcelo Lippi after the former Juventus boss guided the azzurri to the World Cup title in Germany last year, now wants to instil mental strength in his team.

Donadoni was a right winger in the AC Milan team that won two successive European Cups and boasted a formidable Dutch trio in Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten, as well as Italy legend Paolo Maldini.

Now he wants to take what he learnt under the likes of Arrigo Sacchi and transfer it to the national team.

Italy's Mauro German Camoranesi (R) challenges Scotland's Scott Brown during their Euro 2008 qualifying match at the Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow. Italy beat Scotland 2-1 and coach Roberto Donadoni said that his dream was to emulate the winning mentality of the great AC Milan team of 1989-90 after guiding the World Cup champions to the Euro 2008 finals.

But he knows he has a tough task ahead.

"I imagine the European Championships will be no easier than the World Cup. We are going there with one sole ambition: to play to win," he told a press conference in Milan.

"It was always my mentality to go for the biggest result when stepping onto the field of play.

"It's my dream to create a squad with a winners' mentality, capable of achieving great things. Like my Milan."

Donadoni's Italy career had been fraught until Saturday night following a miserable start to the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, in which the world champions took just one point from their opening two games.

An embarrassing home draw against Lithuania and a comprehensive 3-1 defeat in France had the Italian hacks sharpening their knives even before Donadoni had a chance to find his feet in his new job.

Although Italy recovered to propel themselves back into contention in a tough group that also included Ukraine, a friendly defeat against Hungary earlier this year once again saw the heat turn up on Donadoni.

Italy's Andrea Pirlo (R) heads the ball off the line during the Euro 2008 qualifying match against Scotland at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Italy won 2-1 and coach Roberto Donadoni said that his dream was to emulate the winning mentality of the great AC Milan team of 1989-90 after guiding the World Cup champions to the Euro 2008 finals.

But now that he has ploughed through the minefield unscathed, he can look forward to a calm winter until the pressure mounts again next summer.

Donadoni also turned his attentions to claims that his side are at their best when their backs are up against the wall.

It is becoming a common theme in Italian football that sporting success follows an unsavoury incident.

Italy won the World Cup in 1982 following the fall-out from the Totonero scandal, last year a match-fixing scandal could not stop the azzurri claiming a fourth world crown and even the fatal shooting of a football fan following hooligan violence last weekend could not prevent Italy qualifying for Euro 2008.

"I'm really tired of hearing people say that Italy play better in desperate situations," said Donadoni.

"It honestly annoys me. We should not be having these discussions, we have to think about improving everything, we should not be waiting for a death or a massive inquiry - it's not right to label it an Italian thing."

Scotland's Darren Fletcher (L) challenges Italy's Vincenzo Iaquinta during their Euro 2008 qualifying match at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Italy won 2-1 and coach Roberto Donadoni said that his dream was to emulate the winning mentality of the great AC Milan team of 1989-90 after guiding the World Cup champions to the Euro 2008 finals.

Just as the press had done earlier in the day, Donadoni also paid tribute to Scotland's loyal fanbase, pointing out the difference in cultures between the Britons and the Italians in the face of adversity.

"I saw 50,000 people celebrating and singing, and after being eliminated, when I went outside the stadium I saw everyone in the streets.

"Maybe they were drunk but they weren't smashing windows or burning cars. Even the 2,000 Italian fans in Glasgow behaved impeccably. That's the way it should always be.

"Instead, when we return to Italy, we fall back into our (bad) old ways."