Spurs boss targets Champions League

Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp has asserted that a top-four finish in the Premier League would be of greater importance to the club than winning the FA Cup.

Redknapp tasted FA Cup success with Portsmouth in 2008 and, while admitting it is a "special" competition, insists that a Champions League placing remains his prime objective.

"The cup has always been a special thing and I'd love Tottenham to win it this year, it would be fantastic for us," he said in The Mirror.

"But if we finish in the top four over the season that is probably a great achievement in all honesty, the way it is," he continued.

"It's so tough to do, whereas in the cup you can get the luck of the draws and make it [to the final]. Finishing in the top four over the season is difficult."

Spurs last tasted FA Cup glory almost two decades ago, but the charismatic gaffer insists ousting one of the 'big four' is of greater difficulty given the monopoly the top club's have enjoyed over the years.

He added: "When was the last time Tottenham won? It was 1991. But apart from Everton no-one has been in that top four. No one else has broken in, that's how hard it is and it's going to be just as tough this year because there is real competition.

"Man [Manchester] City are going to be right in there, along with Aston Villa. Our fans would love to see us finish in the top four. The cup winners each year normally come out of that group. Portsmouth broke that mould one year but mostly it's the same teams."

Tottenham face Championship strugglers Peterborough United on Saturday in the world's oldest cup competition.

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Defending champions Italy will naturally be one of the leading contenders to emerge triumphant at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ South Africa. The only country along with Brazil to have won the tournament twice in succession, Marcello Lippi's men will be vying to match the performance of their pioneering predecessors in 1934 and 1938.

The road to South Africa
The Azzurri topped Group 8 thanks to their traditional efficiency and pragmatism, even if they failed to set the continent alight along the way. In total, they recorded seven wins and three draws, firing 18 goals and conceding seven.

Italy set the pace in their section right from the off with an opening-day 2-1 victory over Cyprus, and after that result took them to the summit they remained there. It nonetheless took them until their penultimate encounter to seal their passage. Intriguingly, the generations that claimed the world title in 1982 and 2006 also booked their tickets with one match to spare.

Alberto Gilardino finished top scorer for Lippi's team with four strikes to his name, including a stunning hat-trick in less than 15 minutes to down Cyprus 3-2 in their final outing.

The star players
Billed for a number of years now as one of the finest goalkeepers on the planet, at 31 Gianluigi Buffon remains one of the two pillars of the Italian defence. His spectacular reflexes to keep out a Zinedine Zidane header in extra time during the 2006 Final illustrated just why he has an undisputed claim on the gloves.

The other leader at the back is none other than evergreen captain Fabio Cannavaro. Now 36, the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year continues to contribute his superb positioning sense and the vast experience of his 130 caps.

In midfield, tireless tackler Gennaro Gattuso no longer needs any introduction. The 31-year-old is still the motor, battler and all-round talent at the heart of the Azzurri line-up, the man who never admits defeat and whose hunger for victory inspires all those around him.

The coach
A veritable monarch in the field of coaching, 61-year-old Marcello Lippi is an expert at making changes that yield results, with no fewer than five of the 12 goals Italy registered at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany coming from substitutes. The man with more than an air of Paul Newman has won everything in his career, which is precisely why he called time on his first stint as Italy trainer on 12 July 2006, having clinched the global crown. After the Azzurri floundered at UEFA EURO 2008, however, he did not need much persuasion to return to the role, and he immediately set about rebuilding the defence, remodelling the midfield and trying out a fresh crop of forwards. He puts little stock in his landmark 31 consecutive international matches without defeat, preferring to amass titles than statistics, and his natural feel for the game means his tactical decisions are never called into doubt. For the qualifiers, he called up a total of 36 players, with Cannavaro and full-back Gianluca Zambrotta the players most used (810 minutes each).

Previous FIFA World Cups
Italy have qualified for 16 of the 18 FIFA World Cup finals, failing to book themselves a place in 1958 and having not opted to take part in the first edition in 1930. They have won the competition on four occasions, in 1934, 1938, 1982 and four years ago in 2006. They also finished runners-up in 1970 and 1994 and claimed third place on home soil in 1990.

Honours

- 4 FIFA World Cups (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)
- 1 UEFA European Championship (1968)
- 1 Olympic Football Tournament (1936)

What they said
"No team is superior to Italy. I don't want to say that we're better than everyone, but you might say that we're not inferior to any other team," Marcello Lippi, coach.

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After a 32-year absence from the world stage, Australia made a strong statement at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, reaching the knockout stage where it took a last-minute goal from eventual champions Italy to eliminate Guus Hiddink's team. The squad, now under another Dutchman, Pim Verbeek, features many of the Germany 2006 personnel and is a battle-hardened and experienced group.

Unlike four years ago when Australia qualified through via the Oceania zone, and finally a dramatic play-off against Uruguay, the preparation for the Socceroos this time is very different following a lengthy campaign across the length and breadth of Asia.

The road to South Africa
The Socceroos impressed in a 14-match Asian qualification campaign overcoming some of the continents best to finish top of Group 1 and be one of the first nations to reach South Africa 2010. Australia also finished top of the previous qualifying stage ahead of Qatar, China and Asian champions Iraq, despite losing matches to the latter two. The next and final stage proved a triumph for Pim Verbeek's tactical acumen as the Socceroos remained undefeated across eight matches, five points clear of Japan, with Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan trailing well behind.

The star players
Undoubtedly Tim Cahill has become a talisman for the national team, with the attacking midfielder recording a remarkable goal return for the national team thanks to an uncanny positional sense and aerial ability. Galatasaray wide-man Harry Kewell provides a source of inspiration on the left, with Brett Emerton playing an equally important role on the opposite flank, while in the centre of the park, the under-rated duo of Vince Grella and Jason Culina are a well-oiled and invaluable engine room. The current side are renowned for their defensive capabilities with central defender Lucas Neill and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer an essential cog as the Socceroos leaked just four goals, including a record run of seven matches without conceding, en route to South Africa.

The coach
After a lengthy apprenticeship under Guus Hiddink, Pim Verbeek stepped out of the shadows to take Korea Republic to the 2007 AFC Asian Cup before assuming the reins of Australia in December 2007 just prior to the commencement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Verbeek has brought a pragmatic approach to the team, built on a thrifty rock-solid defence, but also with capabilities going forward on the flanks. Highly respected by the players, Verbeek has instilled a strong sense of team in what is a highly motivated and focussed unit.

Previous FIFA World Cups
Australia have appeared on the world stage just twice, but are now making up for lost time by claiming a second consecutive qualification. Following a breakthrough showing in 1974, where a team of amateur players were far from embarrassed despite a first-round exit, the sports-mad nation had to wait another 32 years for a return to the FIFA World Cup. The revisit to Germany proved a success with Australia finishing second in their group behind Brazil and ahead of Croatia and Japan. It took a penalty deep into injury-time for Italy to overcome the Socceroos in the Round of 16 and continue their run to the crown.

Records

• Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer claimed a national record as the team maintained a cleansheet for seven consecutive FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
• Goalscoring honours in qualifying were shared by Brett Emerton and Tim Cahill with four goals apiece.

What they said
"We have to go there and do it better than last time. I think you have to make targets in life and the players are going to do that also. We want to do better than last time, and we will do everything possible to do that," Australia coach Pim Verbeek.