Coach : Marcello Lippi
A highly-decorated tactician known for chain-smoking cigars as much as winning silverware, Lippi made his name as manager of Juventus, winning the the Scudetto five times with La Signora before fulfilling a dream by replacing Giovanni Trapattoni in the Azzurri hotseat.
Key Players
Andrea Pirlo - A set-piece expert, Pirlo is more influential in open play with his unrivalled range of passing and composed vision which allows his team-mates to take advantage of his stirling ground-work.
Francesco Totti - Still the golden boy of Italian football, Roman wizard Totti has yet to make the global impact his talent deserves on the world stage. Likely to play as a link between a three-man midfield and strike duo, if Totti proves compatible with Gilardino and Toni, Italy can go far.
Form Guide
Italy topped Group 5 comfortably to qualify for Germany with Norway and Scotland following up in second and third. However, they are notorious under-achievers in big tournaments in recent years, coming close to winning a trophy in 2000 when they fell at the final hurdle against France.
Form Versus Countries In Group
Italy have never faced Ghana and have only met the USA once in the World Cup. That was in 1934 and the Italians triumphed 7-1. They last faced the Czechs in the World Cup when they hosted the 1990 tournament, beating them 2-0 in their Group A fixture.
Style Of Play
Lippi is a wily operator and hugely experienced. The Italians will understandably lean heavily on Totti when attacking and will be typically shrewd at the back, relying on Pirlo's economical passing as well as his long-distance spraying passes to free the likes of Toni and Gilardino.
Group Verdict
Italy should certainly progress to the last 16 from this group. However, it is certainly one of the toughest the draw threw up and the United States and Ghana are both capable of springing a surprise. Italy arguably have fewer superstars than in the past but the first-choice players they do have are among the best in the world. |
