Italy
Rank: 9 World Cup appearances: Best result: Top SCORERS Did you know? Andrea Pirlo mentioned once he spent the afternoon of Sunday July 9, 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation and then went on into the evening and won the World Cup. |
Italy's two most influential players have a combined age of over 70, their most prolific striker is battling injury, and other key players are prone to wild swings in temperament.
Meanwhile, an unproductive youth system is struggling to replenish the talent pool and, despite his best efforts to promote younger players, coach Cesare Prandelli, 56, could end up fielding a starting XI with an average age of around 30.
His first task is to steer them through a tough-looking first-round group against Uruguay, England and Costa Rica and make sure they do not suffer a repeat of their elimination at the first hurdle in South Africa in 2010, when they went home early following draws with Paraguay and New Zealand and a defeat to Slovakia.
Helped by a code of ethics which he has applied implacably and led to Daniele De Rossi, Mario Balotelli and Dani Osvaldo being dropped at various stages, he has shown an uncanny knack for dealing with problem players.
Italy certainly have plenty of those.
Prandelli has removed the chip from Italy's shoulder and has insisted there is no going back to the old ways of sitting back in defence and provoking the opposition.
For once, they may even have the neutrals on their side.
STRENGTH
Experience
Italy have reams of experience coursing through their side, with the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi well-versed in how World Cups play out.
Impenetrable defence
It's almost impossible to out-think the Azzurri from a tactical standpoint, and few -- if any -- can claim to defend with such effectiveness.
WEAKNESS
Troublemakers
Osvaldo, who scored four goals in the qualifiers, has left a trail of training ground rows and other controversies behind him in his turbulent career.
De Rossi also has a wild side which has earned him a hatful of red cards during his career for AS Roma and Italy.
Balotelli, who seems almost certain to lead the attack, has managed to curb the worst excesses he showed at Manchester City since joining AC Milan just over one year ago, but is still prone to mood swings and often acts as if he is carrying the world on his shoulders.
ONE TO WATCH
Andrea Pirlo
The Maracana crowd is notoriously difficult to please, with fans believing that no foreigner could possibly match the long line of Brazilian greats who have graced the hallowed turf, yet Pirlo, a World Cup winner, was granted an exception.
His name was chanted before and during the game against Mexico, which turned out to be his 100th international appearance, and he brought the house down when he scored with a majestic 30-metre free kick. His elegant, unhurried and thoughtful style can put a smile on the face of the purists and his favoured role as a deep-lying playmaker makes him something of a rarity in modern football.
Described by former coach Marcello Lippi as a "silent leader", Italy sorely missed his influence at the 2010 finals, when a calf injury forced him out of the opening group two group games.
He returned for Euro 2012, however, and led Italy to the final, scoring a trademark free kick against Croatia and producing a nonchalant "Panenka"-style chipped penalty in the quarter-final shootout against England that might have demoralised his opponents.
There seems to be plenty more miles in the engine yet.
Coach: Cesare Prandelli
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has no time for the near-hysteria, conspiracy theories and negative football that have often been too close for comfort to the four-times world champions.
In just under four years in charge, Prandelli has rebuilt the team from the ashes of the bitter 2010 World Cup failure and has turned Italy into a far more palatable, likeable outfit.
Prandelli has also taken the players to a prison in Florence and made the squad train in the heart of Calabria, on the new Rizziconi ground, which was built on land confiscated from the 'Ndrangheta (the Calabrian mafia).
Squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Mattia Perin (Genoa), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St Germain)
Defenders: Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Gabriel Paletta (Parma)
Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Thiago Motta (Paris St Germain), Marco Parolo (Parma), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Marco Verratti (Paris St Germain)
Forwards: Mario Balotelli (AC Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)
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