Forget Kaka, or Inzaghi, or even Maldini. If there is one AC Milan player who will be driven to excel against Manchester United on Wednesday it will be the teams under-fire goalkeeper Dida.
The Italian press laid into the Brazilian international after the first leg at Old Trafford, accusing him of flapping Cristiano Ronaldos header into his own net for the opening goal and then leaving his near post exposed for Wayne Rooney to score Uniteds stoppage-time winner.
The only non-Italian ever to win the prize for Serie A goalie of the year, Dida also has the misfortune to play in a position that Italians have always made their own, so when the going gets tough there is no end of critics queuing up to take pot-shots at him (or even sell him on the internet).
His demeanour quiet, serious, unsmiling, the very antithesis of the happy-go-lucky Brazilian footballer has also rarely won him friends in the media.
Of course, he has given the critics plenty of ammunition. He famously dropped the ball into his own net in 1-0 Champions League defeat to Leeds United back in September 2000 just six days after hed made his debut for Milan.
But there have also been inspired performances, most notably when he saved three times in the penalty shoot-out that gave Milan victory over Juventus in the Champions League final in 2003.
So which Dida will turn up for Wednesday’s game? The answer could decide whether it’s going to be an all-English final or not.
James Eve reports on Italian sport for Reuters from Rome
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The only outstanding keeper left in is Peter Cech, the rest are all much of a muchness — good, not great, and liable to make mistakes. Still, Liverpool managed to win it with a so-so keeper who just happened to have one of those nights (at least from the 119th minute on…)
- Posted by LondonAhem. Did I say mediocre? I meant, of course, that Reina is inspirational, one of the best in the world, etc.
- Posted by London