Italy World Cup 2006 Team Profile

World Cup Match Tickets

The Ranter takes a look at a perennial powerhouse...

Italy Kit 1 Copyright © Soccerphile	Italy Kit 2 Copyright © Soccerphile

The Italians have under-achieved in the last two major tournaments but enter the World Cup finals in genuine hope of winning the competition. Despite massive expectation back home, the 2006 flavour has sufficient in-depth quality to make an impact in Germany given a modicum of good fortune and providing they can emerge from a challenging Group E which contains the USA, Ghana and the Czech Republic.

However, the fitness of talismanic playmaker Francesco Totti, who is only just returning from a broken ankle, could severely blunt the team's attacking prowess. Should Totti make it he'll lack match sharpness and how the team adjusts with no direct replacement will be key to deciding the Azzuri's fate.

There is quality in depth however and despite the rigors of age and some indifferent form this season Fabio Cannavaro will again lead the Italian side. Yet, Italian club football is at a low ebb in European terms and the suspicion is that the national team will need to be greater than the sum of its parts if Italy are to lift the World Cup on July 9th.

In Giuanluca Buffon Italy arguably have the planet's finest net-minder. It is upon this base that the traditionally austere Italian defence will build. Joining Milan's outstanding Alessandro Nesta in central defence will be a selection from Inter's Marco Materazzi, Palermo's young central defender Andrea Barzagli as well as the aforementioned Cannavaro. For the first time in 20 years there will be no Paolo Maldini at the World Cup.

At full-back Juventus' world class left-back Gianlucca Zambrotta will provide an attacking outlet. However, Palermo's Fabio Grosso may come in on the left side, allowing Zambrotta to move to the right. Although coach Marcello Lippi flirted with a back-three he now seems to have settled on a flat four for the finals.

The midfield mix, however, will decide Italy's fate. How will Lippi balance an eclectic group of talents that includes the nippy right-sided midfielder Mauro Camoramesi of Juventus, Milan's gifted Andrea Pirlo and Roma's Daniele de Rossi? Milan's Gennaro Ivan Gattuso will provide the midfield a backbone, which could be especially important given the potential loss of Totti.

Up-front veteran striker Alessandro Del Pierro could make the squad but is will not start up front for Italy. It is likely to be Milan's bright young star Alberto Gillardino - the Serie A sensation - and Fiorentina's target-man Luca Toni who will start the tournament. Squad depth will potentially come from Udienese's Roma-bound Vincenzo Iaquinta.

There may be no place in Lippi's squad for the gifted but unpredictable Real Madrid forward Antonio Cassano who did not make the spring training camp selection.

Qualification was little test of Italy's resolve with the solitary loss to Slovenia the only minor hiccup in a group that also included Norway, Scotland, Belarus, and Moldova. Hardly the world's brightest footballing lights. A semi-final spot will be least anticipated result but not guaranteed in what will probably be Lippi's final tournament as national manager unless he meets those expectations.

INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

• Winners of the 1934, 1938, and 1982 World Cups
• Reached the final at 1970 and 1994 World Cup
• European champions in 1968

WORLD CUP RECORD

15 appearances (1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002)

COLOURS

Blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks.

TEAM STARS

Alessandro Nesta
Age: 31
Height: 187 cm
Weight: 79 kg
Club: Milan
International career: 68 caps, 0 goals
Now entering the autumn of his career, Milan's thoroughbred stopper is in the finest traditions of Italian defenders. He is always uncompromising but gifted; fast and strong but tactically astute. Truly, a fine successor to the great Franco Barressi. Italy will need to shut out opponents to win the tournament and Nesta is key to that strategy. The stage is set for his finest tournament yet.

Alberto Gilardino
Age: 23
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 66 kg
Club: Milan
International career: 13 caps, 6 goals
The young forward moved across Italy from Parma to Milan last summer and the massive transfer fee came with equal levels of expectation too. The kid hasn't disappointed with some sparkling displays and 17 goals in Serie A. However, while he has fared well in domestic competition he failed to impress in this season's Champions League campaign. He has three international goals to date and this outstanding youth International will have a nation's hopes resting upon his young shoulders.

Luca Toni
Age: 29
Height: 193
Weight: 88
Club: Fiorentina
International career: 14 caps, 7 goals
Serie A's leading goalscorer this season is the current flavour of the month with the Italian press. It has taken Toni a number of years to mature into this position however, and at 29 this may well be his first and last World Cup. However with a record breaking 28 goals in domestic football and Toni has every right to see himself as the national side's first choice striker. He is quick and mobile, but also posses a real threat in the air - a classic number 9.

COACH

World Cup Squad

Bet on the World Cup

Goalkeepers Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Angelo Peruzzi (Lazio), Marco Amelia (Livorno)
Defenders Massimo Oddo (Lazio), Cristian Zaccardo (Palermo), Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Gianluca Zambrotta (Juventus), Fabio Grosso (Palermo)
Midfielders Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Simone Perrotta (Roma), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Simone Barone (Palermo), Francesco Totti (Roma)
Forwards Luca Toni (Fiorentina), Alberto Gilardino (AC Milan), Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Udinese)

Flights To Germany
Opodo

England Products
T-shirts, hats, caps

"The Onside In-Site" Copyright © From 2000. All rights reserved. Soccerphile Ltd.