Can ageing Italians defend their World Cup crown?

By REDintern Hariharan Rajandeeran

gianluigi buffon

Gianluigi Buffon, considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world, conceded only two goals in the 2006 World Cup. (Image courtesy of Puma Singapore)

With an ageing roster, coach Marcello Lippi places faith in his old guards to retain the biggest prize in football.

Will Lippi’s loyalty prove naive? Can Italy squeeze out one more championship performance?

Here’s a preview of Italy going into the World Cup that will kick off on June 11th.

World Cup Pedigree
Italy are four-time world champions, with their last title coming in the previous campaign in 2006. They have always performed well at the World Cup, often reaching the latter stages of the competition.

Qualification
The Republic of Ireland was the only real hurdle Italy had to overcome en route to topping their group. Undefeated in their group, Italy managed to beat Georgia, Montenegro, and Cyprus both at home and away. Italy picked up a draw at Bulgaria and in both matches against the Irish.

Achievement in 2006 World Cup
Italy were crowned champions in the 2006 World Cup held in Germany.

A nervy group stage saw Italy topping their group by a single point after overcoming Ghana, Czech Republic, and the USA.

In the round of 16, Italy met Australia and beat them 1-0. The Azzurri then swept Ukraine aside with a convincing 3-0 victory in the quarter-finals.

Italy faced off with World Cup hosts Germany in the semis. The game went to extra time and ended 2-0 in favour of Italy.

The final was a heated encounter with 1998 champions France. The climax of the match came with Zinadine Zidane’s sending off for his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi during extra time. The game finished in a 1-1 draw after extra time and was won by the Azzurri on penalties.

Coach
Coach Marcello Lippi led Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup.

Lippi was appointed as Italy’s coach after a successful stint at Juventus where he won five Serie A titles and a UEFA Champions league.

After the 2006 World Cup, Lippi went on sabbatical, and was replaced by Roberto Donadoni. However, Donadoni was sacked after the Azzurri fell out of the Euro 2008 quarter-finals, and Lippi was once again restored as Italy’s coach.

Captain
2006 FIFA World Player of the Year Fabio Cannavaro will once again don the captain’s armband.

The 36-year-old has a personal agenda to prove his critics wrong. His loss of form since the 2006 World Cup leaves many feeling that he has passed his prime.

He recently announced a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli on a two-year deal and plans to retire from the national team after the World Cup.

Players to Watch

Gianluigi Buffon — The Italian custodian is considered one of the best goalkeepers in recent memory. In the 2006 World Cup, he conceded only two goals and was awarded the “Yashin” Award.

Giorgio Chiellini — Partnered at the back with Fabio Cannavaro, the 25-year-old is tipped to head the Italian backline after Cannavaro. Chiellini proved himself by moving up the ranks from the youth squad and this will be his first World Cup.

Andrea Pirlo — Playing in the middle of the park, the free kick specialist will be integral in orchestrating the flow of play. He is seen as the creative player that the front line depends on for swift counter-attacks, a feature of the Italian game play.

Team Strengths
The undeniable experience of the Italian squad will be key on the big stage. Having played with each other for years, the team have an intimate understanding of each other.

Team Weaknesses
Most of the players are considered ageing veterans of the game. Eight of the first team players are aged above 30. Three of these players are placed in defence, another three in midfield and two upfront.

There is also an over-reliance on Juventus players who make up about half the first team. Juventus’s unsuccessful season have left many in doubt of their players’ ability to perform for their country.

Most notably, three of the Italian back five wear the Juventus shirt. With Juventus conceding almost as many goals as the relegated teams, Italy’s defense may not be the impenetrable fortress it once was.

Overall Squad Strength
The entire 23-man squad announced by Lippi on June 1st feature in the Italian Serie A. Six of them come from Juventus. With no players from European champions Inter Milan, only four players in the squad come from second- and third-placed Roma and AC Milan.

Probable Starting 11
Gianluigi Buffon (GK), Fabio Cannavaro (Captain), Giorgio Chiellini, Gianluca Zambrotta, Mattia Cassani, Mauro German Camoranesi, Daniele De Rossi, Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Alberto Gilardino,

1st Round Predictions
Italy are featured in Group F where they will meet Paraguay, New Zealand, and Slovakia. Although Italy are hot favourites to advance to the next round, they may face some difficulty along the way. That said, Italy should still come out top of the group.

Ed’s note: Red Sports will be covering the World Cup daily and so join us each day to share your opinions about the night’s action.

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