Trap Snaps: Dietary habits are pasta joke
Diary from the Algarve
Related Articles
IN the weeks after Giovanni Trapattoni was appointed Irish manager, one newspaper mischievously ran an April Fools story stating that the Italian would be bringing in his own pizza chef.
Some people took the gag seriously, but sadly there wasn't a word of truth in it. And, for the Irish players this week, it's been more of the same in terms of their eating habits rather than a new approach.
David Steele, the head chef of the Clarion Hotel at Dublin Airport, has been travelling with the team looking after their food requirements since the World Cup qualifier in Israel in 2005.
The players provide the FAI with nutritional information from the people at their own clubs, and Steele prepares a buffet each day from which players can find what has been recommended to them. And, significantly, there hasn't been a pizza in sight.
Blood continues to circulate
Yesterday, we spoke about FAI President David Blood's penchant for travel but even then we had underestimated him.
Blood was in the Algarve for the early part of this week, but will be in Moscow today for the Champions League final. UEFA invite the presidents of all the competing nations to the final each year, so Blood has naturally decided to take up the offer. Nice work if you can get it.
Training methods a bit of a stretch
Their food requirements may be the same, but Irish training sessions have changed drastically. Marco Tardelli is taking the majority of the drills, but rather than concluding with a practice match, there's a very different ending to proceedings.
Fitness coach Fausto Rossi steps in to take the players through very specific stretching routines, giving each player a mat to perform their exercise. You could be forgiven for thinking you have stumbled into a yoga class on first inspection. It's a long way from the piggyback racing that characterised the Staunton era.
The total number of full caps held by the 22-man Irish squad out here in Portugal, with 67 of those belonging to Damien Duff. Liam Miller and Kevin Doyle are next with 16 caps each.
- Daniel McDonnell
