Trapattoni stays for now

Contract expiring
"It is not a matter for me," Trapattoni told a news conference. "My motto is don't give up." The coach's contract ends on 15 July and he is not expected to be offered an extension after the early exit here and the second-round defeat by the Korean Republic at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Successor
However, Trapattoni did hint that it would be the task of his successor to steer Italy to the 2006 World Cup finals, the qualifying for which begins in September. He said: "My replacement will find a good team. When I became coach I inherited a group of players who had just lost a European Championship in the dying seconds.

Good team
"We still have a good team with players who can play in many different positions. I still believe that we are among the best four or five teams in Europe. Now we have to think about qualifying for the next World Cup and I am sure we will."

Not suspicious
Italy beat Bulgaria 2-1 last night to record their first win in Group C, but a 2-2 draw between Sweden and Denmark meant that the two Scandinavians sides went through. Trapattoni, however, did not believe there was anything suspicious about their draw. "Those players from the north have a certain sporting ethic. Leave me out of that way of thinking," he said.

No luck
Instead, Trapattoni wanted to thank his players for their "behaviour, their commitment and desire to win". He added: "Once again football and luck turned their back on me. We deserved to qualify. Italy have not lost a game in a year and a half even though we have not always performed that well."

Uncertain future
The coach admitted that he had expected more from star players such as Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero and Christian Vieri, but added that it was not all their fault. He continued: "Italian football will prove its worth but after what happened here and at the last World Cup I don't know what the future holds for the national team."