STAR WORLD CUP 2010 SOUTH AFRICA: Worldcup 2010 Group F : Italy

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Worldcup 2010 Group F : Italy

Italy

Coach: Marcello Lippi

Marcello Lippi is the current Head Coach of the Italian national team and he has steered the defending champions to South Africa. This is Lippi's second spell in charge of Italy. He famously led them to World Cup 2006 glory when they beat France 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out. Lippi then quit 3 days later but came back in 2008 after Roberto Donadoni failed to impress.

World Cup 2010 Qualifying:

Italy sealed the chance to defend their world title in South Africa in dramatic fashion, equalising in the last minute in Ireland to snatch a 2-2 draw and top spot in Group Eight. Mauro Camoranesi cancelled out Glenn Whelan's opener for Ireland, but Sean St Ledger's goal looked to be taking the group to the final round of matches until Alberto Gilardino's decisive late goal. Italy striker Alberto Gilardino said "The game was tight until the end. And qualifying for the World Cup, this is even more beautiful. We deserved the draw. When they scored to make it 2-1, we were not attentive. Thank goodness we equalised."

Past World Cup Performance:

The Azzuri as Italy are known are among the top teams in international football and the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006, just one fewer than Brazil. Italy first won the World Cup in 1934 when they hosted the tournament and again in 1938 in France just before the outbreak of the Second World War. Despite some strong performances in the following years it wasn't until the World Cup in Spain 1982 that Italy reigned as World Champions once again. The image of Marco Tardelli's legendary shouting and arm-pumping goal celebration is one of the classic World Cup moments as Italy beat Germany 3-1 in the final! Italy's Paolo Rossi won both the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goalscorer, and the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player and 40-year-old captain-goalkeeper Dino Zoff became the oldest-ever player to win the World Cup. In Germany 2006, Italy became Champions once again when they beat an ageing French team inspired by Zinedine Zidane. The game ended in a 1-1 draw in normal time and moved into extra time where Zidane in the final game of his career head-butted Marco Materazzi in the chest in an off-the-ball incident and was sent off! The match went to a penalty shoot-out and after David Trezeguet missed the advantage was with the Italian's. Fabio Grosso stepped up and scored the winning penalty for the Azzuri. The green, white and red ticker tape images of Fabio Cannavaro lifting the World Cup trophy aloft will live long in the memory for many football fans around the world! Italy have been drawn in World Cup Group F and will face New Zealand, Paraguay and Slovakia in what looks a great draw for the reigning Champions! Italy are renowned as slow starters in every major tournament but their record suggests they could easily go deep into the tournament once again and put up a great defence of their title!