Nations / Dave Farrar / 30 May 2008 / Leave a comment

The World Cup holders had an auspicious start to their qualifying campaign, but recovered to ease through to the finals. Will their tendency to start slowly, and the inclusion of the irascible Cassano, cost them?

HOW THEY QUALIFIED

Italy's qualifying campaign, rather like many of their efforts in major tournaments, always seemed destined to get off to a slow start. The World Cup hangover was considerable and the Serie A season hadn't yet started when they took on Lithuania on the 2nd September. After drawing that match, and losing badly in the Stade de France, Roberto Donadoni was under pressure. His team responded well, winning five games in a row (including only 2-1 in the Faroe Islands) before a 0-0 draw at home against France set them back. They went to Scotland on the penultimate matchday still at risk of elimination but showed once more their ability to win key games, and finished up on top of the group, leaving you to wonder what all of the fuss had been about.

COACH: Roberto DONADONI

Donadoni had a very hard act to follow in the massively popular and respected World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi. He has still not convinced either the public or the Federation, who have reportedly said that he will only get a new contract if Italy make the semi finals. Donadoni was a wonderful player, and yet he has tried to end the international careers of two of his fantasista successors, Totti and Del Piero. Totti is gone, but Del Piero's remarkable form with Juventus has forced him back into the reckoning, and Donadoni's selection of the troubled but brilliant Antonio Cassano shows that he still has a soft spot for unpredictable talent. He chooses on form rather than reputation, but still knows the value of a solid platform on which to build. Buffon, Cannavaro, Pirlo, De Rossi and Toni make an impressive spine.

KEY PLAYERS

Luca TONI

Never the most elegant striker, never the most convincing, and yet his goalscoring record always speaks for itself, and, quite simply, he will have to score goals if Italy are to win Euro 2008. Toni has the knack of finding the net off every part of his body, a down and dirty striker for all that appearances might indicate the opposite. He was brave to leave the sanctity of Serie A to make a career in Germany and it has paid off handsomely, with 24 goals in his debut season in Munich. Even more eye-catchingly, he has scored 122 goals in the five League seasons.

Gigi BUFFON

Still the best goalkeeper in the world, still young at 30 (he made his international debut at 19 years old) and a formidable last line behind a possibly fading back four. Buffon is also a great influence on the team, and, in the last World Cup, he conceded only an own goal against the USA and Zinedine Zidane's penalty in the final. It was his save from Zidane's extra time header that many felt tipped Zidane over the edge before his assault on Marco Materazzi. He was, along with Cannavaro, Italy's best player in Germany 2006. Cannavaro is no longer the same player while Buffon, even after a season in Serie B, is even better.

Antonio CASSANO

Italy have such a multitude of influential players that choosing their third key man was hard, but I just can't leave out Cassano. He is one of the best natural football talents that I've ever seen, and his form in the second half of the season for Sampdoria has been astonishing. And all of that after his career seemed to have died because of an ill-advised move to Madrid and because of his numerous personality flaws. I worry for Cassano, because he is fragile and disturbed and may just be a Paul Gascoigne in the making, but my goodness he can play football. He will be used as an impact substitute by Donadoni and has the genuine ability to change the course of a game. He could also be a disruptive influence on the squad and a mistake that may cost Donadoni his job. One of the most fascinating selections in any squad at Euro 2008.

VERDICT

Italy have one of those teams that you look through and simply purr at. Quality all over the pitch, players who can come on and change things, the best goalkeeper around and a goal machine up front. They have a young unproven coach, but one who seems to be getting better all of the time. Will they be able to do what France achieved in 2000, and become European Champions two years after winning a World Cup? They are one of the likelier winners and I may look to back them if they emerge from their Group. But I will leave them alone on value grounds for now. France are the team that I'm taking to win a terribly tough Group C, and the presence of an underrated Romania mean that Italy should be momentarily put to one side as they have a habit of being knocked out of tournaments before they've really started.

Note to readers: http://betting.betfair.com/football/euro-2008/ will be introducing a new nation guide to its pages every day until the start of the tournament. Tomorrow's team will be: Holland.

Tags: Euro 2008 Betting, Football Betting, Group C Betting, Italy