World Cup Team Profiles: Group F: Italy

Teams / Ari Last / 08 March 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

The defending Champions will be looking to emulate their predecessors of 1938, yet according to the odds, they're set to find it tough going...

Ageing but experienced, uninspiring but resolute, Italy are a side that revel in tournament football. They triumphed in 2006 thanks to a foundation of sturdiness and solidarity, and considering they enter the 2010 event boasting those same qualities, their price of [15.0] seems rather generous.

Also known as...
'The Azzurri'

Route to South Africa...
Italian celebrity chef Gino D'Campo is known for his saying that Italians are good at getting 'the maximum satisfaction, with the minimum of effort.' And such was the case in qualification as Marcelo Lippi's men finished top of Group 8 despite failing to set the world alight during the campaign. Seven wins and three draws from their ten ties is an impressive record, and the holders go into the tournament as difficult to beat as they were four years ago.

World Cup Pedigree...
Along with Brazil, Italy are the only side to have ever successfully retained the World Cup, having defended their trophy in 1938. All in all, they've won the competition on four previous occasions and have qualified for 16 of the 18 tournaments to date.

They'll be relying on...
The same kind of tactical astuteness which has served them so well in the past. Despite having many magnificent players throughout the years, the Italians have always relied heavily on the team dynamic, rather than the brilliance of one or two individuals. Their past success has taught them that functioning effectively as a unit is of paramount importance in tournament football, and it is this unwavering belief in the team, fortified via the success of 2006, that will ensure that no member of the Azzurri shows even an ounce of disregard to the attributes of shape, discipline and concentration.

Something you may not have known is...
That with 132 caps to his name, Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro could be forgiven for thinking that he'll enter the tournament as the most experienced player there, however he'd be mistaken. That title after all, will befall Javier Zanetti, who trumps Cannavaro due to the five extra caps he has for Argentina. Other super-veterans worth mentioning are Edwin Van Der Sar, who holds 130 caps, Rigboert Song, who holds 131, and Honduras skipper Amado Guevera, who like Cannavaro, has 132.

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