Contents of Italian Calcio

Special World Cup 2006 Section

International Championships of the Italian National Team

History of the Italian National Team

2004 Athens Olympic Tournament

The Lippi Era: The Road to Germany

World Cup 2006 Germany

The Donadoni Era: The Road to Euro 2008

The Second Lippi Era: The Road to South Africa

Calciopoli: The Worst Scandal in Italian Football

Special World Cup 2006 Section

Videos of Fabio Cannavaro

Interview with Fabio Cannavaro: From his early years at Napoli, Parma, WC 98, and the Euro 2000.

Second Interview with Fabio Cannavaro: Great footage from his childhood neighborhood through his time at Juventus.

Video Montage of Fabio Cannavaro: During WC 2006.

Downloadable Wallpapers from Football Italia.

Front Pages From Around The World: 300 publications pay tribute to the Azzurri. Courtesy of http://vistidalontano.blogosfere.

Interview with Gianluca Zambrotta by Jim Riggio.

Special Section on the World Cup: Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Celebrations in Pictures: BBC.

The Song "Azzurro," sung by the Azzurri for charity in 2004.

Video from YouTube: Goals and other highlights from Germany.

We Are The Champions: From the Circus Maximus victory party.

World Cup 2006 Germany (Please click on this link to read my game reports on the Azzurri.)

Photos courtesy of and copyrighted by
AC Cugini Scuola Calcio.

The only Italian soccer school in North America sanctioned by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), along with the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC).

They offer affordable tuition, professional training, along with a commitment to excellence. This is an alternative solution to systems that do not produce players with a passion for the game. At Cugini, your child will learn from professionals who live and breathe soccer. My prediction? One day, a Cugini player will grace the pitches of the Serie A. Presently, only three North Americans can make that claim. The first, Alexi Lalas, the President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Galaxy, was interviewed in my column, Calcio Connection, for AC Cugini in 2006.

Please read my article at this great cultural site about Soccer Terminology in the Mother Tongue.

International Championships of the Italian National Team

World Cup Record:

77 games played: 44 wins, 19 ties, and 14 losses. (Third best historical record: 57% wins, 25% ties, and 18% losses.) The Azzurri have competed in 16 out of the 18 competitions. In 1930, they were invited to the first World Cup but declined. In 1958, they did not qualify for the only time in their history.

World Cup Champions:

The first European team to win the World Cup, and the only one to defend its title successfully. Brazil is the only other nation to claim this distinction.

Please click on the links above to learn more about the Italian triumphs. The last two have excellent photographs.

Only Brazil and Germany have appeared in more final games: 7.

Italy against all of the teams that have won the World Cup during the actual competition:

Argentina: 2 wins and 3 draws.
Brazil: 2 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw.
England: 1 win.
France: 2 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws.
Uruguay: 1 win and 1 draw.
West Germany/Germany: 3 wins and 2 draws.

Total: 11 wins, 3 losses, and 9 draws.
Points: 42 from 23 games. (3 points for a win and 1 for a draw.)
Courtesy of Phil Plonquin, The World Football Historian.
Note: Games that ended in draws after extra time (Argentina 90, Brazil 94, France 98, Germany 06) are officially recorded by FIFA as tie games. Italy lost three of these games, and won one, during the penalty kick shoot-out phase to determine the winner.

European Nations Cup Championship:

1968: Winners in Italy.
1980: Fourth Place in Italy.
1988: Semi-Finalist in West Germany. (No third place game took place.)
2000: Second Place in Holland/Belgium.

Olympic Medalist:

1928: Bronze Medal in Amsterdam, Holland.
1936: Gold Medal in Berlin, Germany.
2004: Bronze Medal in Athens, Greece.

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History of the Italian National Team:

The word "calcio" is derived from the medieval game of "calcio fiorentino." Or, Florentine kickball. Calcio does not literally mean football. In Italian, "calciare" means to kick. A soccer player is called a "calciatore." But when Italians translate the word into English, they use the common term of "football." Calcio is great part of Italian culture, and the word represents their unique identity in the world of international football. Another word close to the hearts and souls of Italians is "Azzurri."

The Italian National Team is known affectionately by its supporters as the "Azzurri." Or the "Blues." The color of their shirts came from the House of Savoia (Savoy), who were the kings of Italy between 1861 and 1946. The team began playing in 1910, and their first game was against France, with the Azzurri winning, 6 to 2. After the Republic was formed, the team maintained the blue color, which is synonymous with Italian soccer worldwide. With the exception of Brazil, (they are tied) Italy has a winning record in competitive play against the major soccer nations. For an excellent historical site, please visit Forza Azzurri Statistics by Pierre Bonello.

Italy has won the greatest honor in soccer, the World Cup, four times: 1934 in Italy, 1938 in France, 1982 in Spain, and 2006 in Germany. The Azzurri have won the silver medallion twice: 1970 in Mexico, and 1994 in the USA. The Azzurri won a bronze medallion in 1990 as the host nation, and finished in fourth place in Argentina during the 1978 competition. The Azzurri have participated in 16 World Cup competitions, which is second only to Brazil and Germany. Italy was the first European nation to win the World Cup, and has produced some of the best players an d coaches in the sport: Vittorio Pozzo (the only coach to win two World Cups) and Giuseppe Meazza from the early days. Captain Valentino Mazzola of il Grande Torino and the Nazionale. Mazzola, along with his teammates, tragically died in 1949 at the crash of Superga. Gigi Riva, Gianni Rivera, and Sandro Mazzola from the 1960s and early 70s. Gian Carlo Antognoni, Roberto Bettega, Paolo Rossi, Gaetano Scirea, Marco Tardelli, and Dino Zoff from the 1978 and 1982 teams. Legendary defender Franco Baresi of the 80s and early 90s. Roberto Baggio and Paolo Maldini, who led the Azzurri during the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups. Christian Vieri from the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

A respected visitor to World Football, Mr. Gaetano Anzá of Perth, Western Australia, who is a Senior Structural Checking Engineer, contributed the following about one of his favorite players, Roberto Bettega, who played for Juventus and the Nazionale.

"Just done a statistical comparison of Bettega v Rossi just out of curiosity and found Bettega to be slightly better than Rossi in both
Serie A and for Italy.

Bettega (FOR SERIE A): PLAYED 326 GAMES SCORED 129 GOALS = 39.6% scoring rate.
Bettega (FOR ITALIA): PLAYED 42 GAMES SCORED 19 GOALS = 45.2% scoring rate.
Rossi (FOR SERIE A): PLAYED 215 GAMES SCORED 82 GOALS = 38.1% scoring rate.
Rossi (FOR ITALIA): PLAYED 48 GAMES SCORED 20 GOALS = 41.7% scoring rate."

For comparative purposes, Gigi Riva, the all-time scoring leader for the Azzurri, played in 42 games and scored 35 goals for a scoring rate of 83.33%.

Paolo Maldini, one of the best left backs to ever grace the pitch, played in 23 completed World Cup games, which is a new record. He also holds the record for the most minutes played in the World Cup. He retired from the Azzurri after the loss to South Korea in 2002. To the best of my knowledge, he is the only player ever to be coached by his father, Cesare, during a World Cup (1998). In 23 World Cup appearances for Italy, he only lost two games in normal time. The rest were by penalty kicks (Argentina 90, Brazil 94, and France 98), along with the golden goal by South Korea at the 2002 World Cup. He holds the record for most Italian international appearances: 126. He also wore the captain's armband the most times for the Azzurri. Recently, he celebrated his 23rd year playing for AC Milan. Grazie Paolo! 

Euro 2004 was a major disappointment for the Azzurri. After a swift exit in the first round, Coach Giovanni Trapattoni was fired. After the first game, Francesco Totti was humiliated and suspended for three games after spitting at an opponent. What many people may not know is that Totti published a joke book poking fun at himself. It was a best seller in Italy, and he has written another one. All of the proceeds were donated to charity. One was for a senior citizens center in Rome, and the other was for a Unicef child relief project in the Congo.

In Germany 2006, the team was led by Captain Fabio Cannavaro, Gigi Buffon, Alex Del Piero, Fabio Grosso, Andrea Pirlo, Gian Luca Zambrotta, Gennaro Gattuso, Marco Materazzi, Francesco Totti, and Luca Toni to win the fourth World Cup title. Ten different players scored goals, and the Azzurri only conceded two goals: an own goal by Zaccardo against the USA, along with Zidane's penalty kick in the final.

All-time leaders in National Team Appearances

All-time leaders in Goals Scored for the National Team

All-time leaders in Goals Scored in the Serie A

History of the Italian National Team: An excellent page with several links by Wikipedia.

Video History of the Azzurri: A photo montage from the 1930s up until 2006.

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2004 Athens Olympic Tournament:

The Under 21 team, along with three over-aged players, represented Italy at the Athens Olympics. The team coach was Claudio Gentile, who won the World Cup in 1982. Most recently, Gentile led the Under 21 team to the European Championship. The Azzurrini (the name given to the junior national team) were in Group B with Ghana, Japan, and Paraguay. Italy last won the gold medal in 1936 at the Berlin Games. The gold medal was won by Argentina, and Paraguay finished with the silver medal.

Athens Olympics Football Tournament (The official site by FIFA.)

Olympic Soccer Medalists History (Lists all of the previous medal winners.)

Bronze Medal: Italy 1 - Iraq 0.

Italy won their first medal in football since the Berlin Games; however, the somber victory was overshadowed by the execution of Italian journalist, Enzo Baldoni. He was murdered after the Italian government refused to yield to the demands of terrorists in Iraq. A plea for his release was made by the Iraqi football coach, Adnan Hamad. The Iraqis, who were one of the major stories of this Olympics, expressed their solidarity with their Italian counterparts before the game. Claudio Gentile, coach of the Azzurrini, expressed that it was difficult to celebrate the victory, and that there was indecision whether to play the game at all. The Italian players were in lutto (they wore black armbands) to honor Signor Baldoni.

Washington Post Letter to the Editor: The Iraqi Soccer Team. Published Commentary

The Lippi Era: World Cup 2006 Qualifying Campaign. The road to Germany.

In July 2004, Marcello Lippi was named the new coach of the Azzurri. He won five scudetti with Juventus, the European Cup in 1996, along with the Intercontinental Cup during the same year. He spent his playing career with Sampdoria of Genoa. Before Juventus, he had successful coaching tenures at Atalanta and Napoli. He left Juve briefly for Inter Milan, but then quickly returned. He promised not to revolutionize the team, but to add younger players. He is known for meticulous attention to detail, along with his tactical knowledge. 

World Cup 2006 European qualifying groups.

World Soccer Vision (Comprehensive list of games around the world, including the European World Cup Qualifiers.)

Group Five Results and Table (Belarus, Italy, Moldova, Norway, Scotland, and Slovenia.)
There are eight groups in Europe. The group winners, along with the two best runner-up teams overall, qualify for Germany. The three additional places will be determined via home and away playoff games between the other runner-ups. Including Germany, Europe has 14 slots at the next World Cup.

Fixtures and Results:

Italian Team Profile and WC Qualifying Schedule: (FIFA WC 2006 Official Site.)

18 August 04: Iceland 2 - Italia 0 (Friendly) 

Not the best start for Mr. Lippi, but in all fairness, his team was depleted by injuries and Olympic absentees. But let us credit Iceland, who were much more match fit and determined. The Azzurri did not play with much enthusiasm. Fabrizio Miccoli almost scored a consolation goal in the end, but hit the bar.

04 September 04: Italia 2 - Norway 1 (WCQ)

After an early goal by John Carew, formerly of AS Roma, the Azzurri showed a much better attitude and spirit than their previous game. Daniele De Rossi, in his first appearance with the senior team, equalized in the 4th minute, and Palermo's favorite son, Luca Toni, scored the winner in the 79th minute in his first competitive appearance for the Azzurri. He played a few minutes in the friendly with Iceland. A great tactical plan by Mr. Lippi, along with many new faces from the youth sector. Norway was previously unbeaten in 8 competitive games, and were already in better match fitness. 

08 September 04: Moldova 0 - Italia 1 (WCQ)

The pitch was not in good condition, and there had been significant rainfall. This changed the tactics of both teams. Alex Del Piero scored in the 32nd minute from an assist by Gilardino, and the Azzurri didn't finish well with many other opportunities. But Moldova was a determined opponent, and Gigi Buffon made several fine saves. A win on the road was the desired result. Both Norway and Scotland tied at home today.

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09 October 04: Slovenia 1 - Italia 0 (WCQ)

Another wet pitch, but the result was different this time. The Azzurri hit the post a few times, but could not finish their many chances. Cesar of Slovenia scored on a header in the 82nd minute for the game winner. Lippi again played a different lineup, and changed the module. The marking on the play that resulted in the goal could have been better. In the other games, Norway defeated Scotland on the road, and Belarus routed Moldova. Slovenia now sits atop the group standings.

13 October 04: Italia 4 - Belarus 3 (WCQ)

An entertaining game in Parma, with a very small crowd. Totti scored twice, along with De Rossi and Gilardino. Zambrotta was the man of the match. Belarus scored two excellent long range shots to make the game interesting. Lippi benched Cannavaro in favor of Materazzi, and continued to make other changes. Their next group game will be in March against Scotland. But with this win, the Azzurri go to the top of the table with 9 points after 4 games.

17 November 04: Italia 1 - Finland 0 (Friendly)

Lippi brought in a very inexperienced team to Messina. He capped several new players, and apparently, was pleased with the results. Miccoli scored on a well-taken free kick in the first half. A second half shot by Montella was pushed against the bar by the Finnish keeper. Again, another small crowd, but perhaps reasonable given the lack of numerous famous players. Their next game will be a friendly in February against Russia, and most likely will mark the return of the "A" team.

09 February 05: Italia 2 - Russia 0 (Friendly in Cagliari, Sardinia.)

Lippi used a 4-3-3 system with the trident attack of Totti, Vieri, and Montella during the first half. The Azzurri attacked, and hit the woodwork twice, but could not score against an average Russian team. In the second half, two Cagliari players, Esposito and Langella, joined Gilardino in the front line. The team played with more focus, and scored two nice goals by Gilardino and Barone. Before the game, Azzurri team manager and Italian legend, Gigi Riva, had his famous #11 Cagliari shirt retired.

26 March 05: Italia 2 - Scotland 0 (WCQ at the San Siro in Milan.)

A tough but necessary win against a Scotland side that showed more than was anticipated. Two perfectly placed free kicks in both halfs by Andrea Pirlo secured this victory, and the three points to keep the Azzurri top of the group. Lippi used the trident attack with Totti, Cassano, and Gilardino. Nesta, Zambrotta, and Montella did not feature in this game. Alex Del Piero was not selected. The next three qualifiers will be on the road.

30 March 05: Italia 0 - Iceland 0 (Friendly in Padova.)

Lippi selected another experimental "provincial" team for this friendly. He wants to delve deeply into the Italian player pool, but the fact remains that his team is not guaranteed to finish on top of their rather weak qualifying group. Any Italian team should beat Iceland, and this has not been done on the last two occasions.

04 June 05: Norway 0 - Italia 0 (WCQ in Oslo.)

On a rainy pitch, the Azzurri managed a hard-fought but very important scoreless draw. This result keeps the distance between Italy and second place Norway and Slovenia at 4 points after 6 games. With Totti not selected, Cassano and Vieri were the strike force but unable to penetrate the Norwegian goal.

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08 June 05: Italia 1 - Serbia-Montenegro 1 (Friendly in Toronto, Canada.)

Lippi plans to play another experimental side for the two North American friendlies. This will be the first appearance in 11 years for the Azzurri in North America. The Olympic team did compete during Atlanta 1996.

All the big names were left at home, but the Azzurri struggled to a 1 to 1 draw with a much more technical Serbian side. Blasi was red carded in the first half, and the Italians had to play with 10 men for the balance of the game. Cristiano Lucarelli of Livorno, the capocannonieri of the Serie A, debuted with his first goal in the blue shirt. History was made when Giandomenico Mesta became the first Reggina player to make a senior international appearance for the Azzurri.

11 June 05: Ecuador 1 - Italia 1 (Friendly at Giants Stadium, New Jersey.)

This should be interesting, because Ecuador beat a very good Argentine side, 2 to 0, last Saturday in Quito during a WCQ game.

A poor turnout (22,000) greeted the Azzurri, and most were supporters of Ecuador. The Italian-American tifosi effectively snubbed Lippi's B team to the surprise of nobody. Luca Toni scored in the 6th minute for the Azzurri, and then Ayovi equalized for Ecuador from a penalty kick. Ecuador pressured throughout the game, and were unfortunate not to win. A dubious penalty gave the Azzurri a chance to win the game from the spot, but Lucarelli missed the kick in the 82nd minute.

17 August 2005: Ireland 1 - Italia 2 (Friendly in Dublin.)

The Azzurri sealed an impressive victory on Irish turf. Gigi Buffon, Francesco Totti, and Mauro Camoranesi did not make the trip, but the attacking trident of Gilardino, Del Piero, and Vieri produced several opportunities, along with two goals (Pirlo and Gilardino) in the first half hour. Lippi made several changes at the half. With Buffon due to miss the next three months, the Azzurri need a more experienced man between the posts than Flavio Roma. The defensive back four needs some fine tuning as well.

03 September 2005: Scotland 1 - Italia 1 (WCQ in Glasgow.)

The Azzurri were fortunate to gain a tie against a vastly improved Scotland side. Gilardino was scratched from the starting lineup shortly before kickoff, and Iaquinta partnered Christian Vieri, with Totti just behind them to form an attacking trident. Grosso, a second half substitute, scored the equalizer as Italy remains the leader in Group Five. Zambrotta and De Rossi are suspended for the next game versus Belarus.

07 September 2005: Belarus 1 -  Italia 4 (WCQ in Minsk.)

The Azzurri fired on all cylinders tonight with excellent performances by Totti, Camoranesi, and Luca Toni, who scored three goals. Lippi tried a three man defense for the first time, and with the exception of an early goal by Kutozov, who plays his club football for Sampdoria, the experiment worked. With the loss by Norway to Scotland, Italy remains five points clear at the top of the group. Two games remain at home against Moldova and Slovenia.

08 October 2005: Italia 1 - Slovenia 0 (WCQ in Palermo.)

The Azzurri booked their tickets for Germany with a hard-fought victory over a tenacious Slovenian side. Italy had many opportunities to score goals, and a few were controversially negated due to the decisions of the officials. But in the 78th minute, Palermo's Christian Zaccardo headed in a cross by Grosso to seal the victory. Luca Toni received a cold reception by his former tifoseria.

12 October 2005: Italia 2 - Moldova 1 (WCQ in Lecce.)

This was the final qualification game, but the Azzurri, with a revamped lineup, had problems with a weaker Moldova side. Vieri missed several chances from fine assists by Del Piero, who had an outstanding game. But in the second half, Bobo finally scored. Moldova equalized five minutes later, but Gilardino netted the winner for Italy. The Azzurri finished as winners of Group Five. Norway came in second place. Their next game will be a friendly against Holland in November. A game with Brazil is also on the horizon.

12 November 2005: Holland 1 - Italia 3 (Friendly in Amsterdam.)

A very impressive performance by the Azzurri in a difficult venue. In fact, the defeat was the first suffered by Marco van Basten during his tenure as CT of the Dutch. Goals by Gilardino and Toni, along with an own goal by Holland, sealed the result. One goal by Gilardino appeared valid, but was nullified. This victory should result in a FIFA seeding next month during the World Cup draw.

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16 November 2005: Italia 1 - Cote D'Ivoire 1 (Friendly in Geneva, Switzerland.)

The Azzurri finish the year undefeated, although they did not dominate a very good Cote D'Ivoire side. Didier Drogba of Chelsea opened the scoring in the 68th minute with a blast directly in front of the goal. Twenty minutes later, Aimo Diana of Sampdoria scored his first goal for the Azzurri in the 87th minute. He also scored what appeared to be the winner a few minutes later, but the ball was not ruled completely over the goal line. This was the first meeting between the two nations at the senior level.

01 March 2006: Italia 4 - Germany 1 (Friendly in Firenze.)

Without usual starters Totti, Zambrotta, and Gattuso, the Azzurri entertained and decisively won this game within the first half. Alex Del Piero was the catalyst for goals by Gilardino, Toni, and De Rossi. He added one himself on a diving header in the second half. Germany was without their star keeper, Oliver Kahn, but few would argue that his presence would have changed matters that much. A rare four goal outburst, and hopefully, an attacking style of things to come next June in Germany.

31 May 2006: Switzerland 1-  Italia 1 (Friendly in Geneva, Switzerland.)

Francesco Totti made his first start after a remarkable recovery from a severe injury. Zambrotta was out injured, and Nesta was rested. The Palermo duo of Zaccardo and Grosso played the external fullback roles, with Materazzi and Cannavaro in the middle. Lippi played a 4-3-2-1, with Gilardino as the lone striker, supported by Totti in the hole, and Del Piero on the left wing. The Azzurri scored quickly on quick play with an assist to Zaccardo for the goal by Gilardino, his 7th in 14 appearances. Switzerland equalized later in the first half with a powerful shot outside of the penalty area by Gygax. Buffon didn't have a chance to stop it. Several changes were introduced at half-time: Oddo, De Rossi, Toni, and Iaquinta. A good preliminary showing for both teams with Germany on the near horizon. The Azzurri remain unbeaten for 17 straight games.

02 June 2006:  Italia 0 - Ukraine 0 (Friendly in Lausanne, Switzerland.)

It was a cold and windy night in Switzerland. More like Autumn than late Spring. Lippi used a 4-3-3 module with Del Piero, Toni, and Gilardino comprising the attacking trident. Andriy Shevchenko, who just transferred after 7 years with AC Milan to Chelsea of London, did not participate for Ukraine, who utilized a 4-5-1 system. This was not a great exhibition, and the Azzurri didn't finish a few good chances, even if Ukraine played nine men behind the ball. It was a good outing for Cannavaro, De Rossi, and Pirlo. Along with Oddo and Grosso pushing up from their external defensive positions. Totti played the last half hour, but the announcers said he seemed at 60% of his normal high levels of play. Ukraine started five players with the first name of "Andriy." But Sheva wasn't one of them... ;-)

World Cup 2006

While many foreign and domestic journalists have decided to be the judge and jury, the best course of action is to wait and analyze the results of the investigations. Many feel that this scandal will significantly affect the Azzurri's chances in Germany. In my humble opinion, this unfortunate situation will spur them on to a better performance in the name of personal and country honor.

12 June 2006: Italia 2 - Ghana 0 (Hannover, Germany.)

The Azzurri opened with a good result against a very determined and talented Ghana side playing in their first World Cup game. A beautiful shot by Andrea Pirlo just outside the box, with Gilardino dropping down at the last instant to allow the ball to go through, opened the scoring in the first half. Ghana played well, and their keeper, Richard Kingston, made several saves to keep them in the game. I felt that the Brazilian referee, Mr. Simon, should have red carded Samuel Kaffour for a bad foul on Vincenzo Iaquinta after play had been whistled stopped. He also didn't call a few fouls on Daniele De Rossi, in my opinion, in the Italian box that may have resulted in Ghanian penalty kicks. Toni had an energetic game. He hit the crossbar with a powerful effort in the first half. Late in the second half, Vincenzo Iaquinta scored his first goal in Azzurro. He intercepted an ill-advised pass by Kaffour, and then went around Kingston, resulting in a left-footed shot into an empty goal. Nesta and Cannavaro were excellent in defense. Overall, a great start for the Azzurri.

17 June 2006: Italia 1 - USA 1 (Kaiserlautern, Germany.) Video Highlights.

In a fiercely contested game, with three red cards, the Azzurri were fortunate to obtain this result. The Americans dominated early play before Gilardino scored a beautiful diving header from an assist by Andrea Pirlo. Then De Rossi elbowed Brian McBride in the face, and saw a direct red card. A few minutes later, Cristian Zaccardo scored an own goal. Things were not looking good for the Azzurri. But then Pablo Mastroeni committed a harsh foul on Pirlo that resulted in a direct red card. The half ended, 1 to 1.

At the beginning of the second half, US defender Eddie Pope was shown his second yellow card. Now the USA was down to nine men. They defended tenaciously as Lippi brought on Iaquinta and Del Piero to go for the win. A few great saves by US keeper Kasey Keller on Del Piero sealed the result for the Americans, who would have been eliminated from the tournament with a loss. Due to Ghana's impressive win over the Czechs, this group will not be decided until next Thursday.

22 June 2006: Italia 2 - Czech Republic 0 (Hamburg, Germany.)

Lippi used a 4-4-1-1 module and left Toni on the bench. In the first half, Nesta was injured. His replacement, Marco Materazzi, made his presence felt immediately. On a Francesco Totti corner kick, "Matrix" rose above everyone to head the ball past Petr Cech. Later in the half, Polak received his second yellow card, so the Czechs were forced to play the balance of the game with 10 men. Near the end of the second half, Pippo Inzaghi, who had missed two opportunities before, scored a goal, beating the off-side trap from the center circle, and easily rounded by Cech. Gigi Buffon was tested several times by his Juventus teammate, Pavel Nedved, who most likely played his last international game. The Azzurri win the group of death. They will play Australia in the knockout phase, and extend their unbeaten streak to 20 games. With Ghana's 2 to 1 win over the USA, they will face Brazil in the next round.

Round of 16:

26 June 2006: Italia 1 -  Australia 0 (Kaiserlautern, Germany.)

The Azzurri were unable to convert several goal scoring opportunities in the first half. Namely, Toni and Gilardino. The Australians were very well organized in defense, and maintained ball possession in the early stages of the game. Chipperfield made an excellent block on one shot by Toni, and Schwarzer, the keeper saved a turning volley by Gilardino.

Iaquinta replaced Gilardino to begin the second half. Materazzi was red carded for a foul on Bresciano in the 50th minute. Tim Cahill had a good chance for the winner, but headed it over the bar. But in injury time, Neill was called for a foul on Grosso, and Francesco Totti calmly converted the penalty kick. A great effort by both teams, but Guus Hiddink may lament not bringing on John Aloisi sooner. The Azzurri move forward to the quarterfinals.

Quarterfinal:

30 June 2006: Italia 3 - Ukraine 0 (Hamburg, Germany.)

Nesta was out injured, and Materazzi was serving a one-game suspension. De Rossi is still not available. Lippi went with a 4-4-1-1, with Totti in the hole, and Toni up front as the lone striker. Zambrotta scored early on a great left-footed blast from outside the box, and then the Azzurri set back in their defensive mode. Camoranesi added a lot of pace on the wing, and a had a nice early run that almost resulted in a goal. Ukraine did very little offensively in the first half, but woke up in the second and pushed forward. A few excellent second half saves by Buffon, along with two second half goals by Luca Toni (assisted by Totti and Zambrotta,) sealed this win against a Ukranian side mostly lacking ideas (despite two shots that hit the woodwork.)

At the end of the game, Fabio Cannavaro unfurled an Italian flag that said, "Pessottino We Are With You." This was a tribute to their seriously injured comrade, Gian Luca Pessotto. Germany awaits in the semifinals, and the Germans have never beaten the Azzurri at the World Cup. Let's see if history holds up next Tuesday.

Semi-final:

04 July 2006: Germany 0 -  Italia 2 AET (Dortmund, Germany.) Video Highlights.

Mr. Lippi went with the same lineup, with the exception of Materazzi, that we saw in the last game. Italy dominated play early, and Totti, who has 4 assists at this Cup, had a well-taken free kick that was saved by Jens Lehmann. Simone Perrotta also had a nice break-away attempt that was saved by Lehmann. The Germans, understandably, were tentative at first, but then flowed into the game. Bernd Schneider had an excellent chance, with Buffon beaten, but the ball sailed just over the crossbar. The Azzurri gave away possession a few times in their end, which was unusual. Many attacks went down the left side with Camoranesi, and the Azzurri looked dangerous against the German defense. Lehmann yelled at his backs several times for their positional lapses. Cannavaro continued with his excellent form at this tournament. The half ended scoreless, with possession 54% to 46% for the Azzurri. The Germans seemed to be slowly breaking down the Azzurri wall of defense. Perhaps not in a possessional sense; however, they looked dangerous on their few goal scoring opportunities. This game was officiated by Mr. Benito Archundia of Mexico, who made his record 5th appearance at the World Cup.

The second half was very balanced with both sides showing caution. Buffon made another great save to keep out the Germans. Gilardino came in for Toni, who was disappointing. Neither team, surprisingly, appeared pressured to score the winner. Lehmann made a dangerous flying save on Perrotta. Predictably, the game went into extra time, and the pace reverted to the beginning.

Iaquinta replaced Camoranesi. Gilardino hit the post with a left-footed shot after beating Lehmann to start the first extra period. The ball rolled across the face of the goal mouth. Then Zambrotta, with a vicious shot, hit the crossbar a minute later. Germany was saved...  Del Piero replaced Perrotta with Lippi's final substitution. Podolski missed a golden opportunity with an errant header as the first period ended. He was stopped by Buffon's excellent left handed parry a few minutes later. Lehmann was also excellent in goal for the Germans. Then Del Piero missed after a great triangle with Gilardino and Iaquinta. In the 119th minute, from a sublime pass by Pirlo, Fabio Grosso took a left footed shot that curled into the corner of the goal past Lehmann. A minute later, Alex Del Piero, from an assist by Gilardino, clinically curled in a right footed shot past Lehmann. Italy goes to the final for the first time since 1994. Another extra time classic against Germany.

Final:

09 July 2006: Italia 1 - France 1 AET Italy wins 5 to 3 on penalty kicks. (Olympiastadion of Berlin, Germany.) Video highlights.

Gallery of Pictures: Gazzetta dello Sport

Pictures of the Final Celebrations. Football Italia.

Sky Sports Game Report.

Arrival in Rome. BBC Video

The Azzurri appeared in their sixth final game. This was the second final for France, along with the farewell game for Zinedine Zidane, one of the legendary players of the modern era. Eight Juventus players took place in this final: 5 for Italy, and 3 for France. In the fifth minute, a penalty kick was called over seemingly a fall by Florent Malouda (replays showed that he was hardly touched by either Marco Materazzi or Simone Perrotta), and Zidane converted flawlessly with a chip down the middle as Gigi Buffon dived in the other direction. In the 19th minute, from a corner by Andrea Pirlo, Materazzi headed powerfully past Fabian Barthez. The Azzurri had looked nervous up to this point. Later in the half, from another corner by Pirlo, Luca Toni struck the crossbar with Barthez beaten. The game looked fairly equal at this point, but France had fewer chances in the Azzurri end of the pitch. Both teams seemed more tentative. Afraid to make a fatal mistake. The Italian marking on Zidane was very tight; often two or three players would close in whenever he touched the ball.

As the second half began, Thierry Henry had a nice solo run, and Cannavaro missed a clear header down in the French end. The teams came out with more intensity, and the French were attacking in numbers with more efficiency than in the first half.  An apparent goal by Toni, from a great pass by Pirlo, was ruled offsides. Then Lippi introduced two changes: Daniele De Rossi and Vincenzo Iaquinta. Interestingly, he removed Francesco Totti, who was not a factor in this game. Pirlo came very close to the winner on a free kick to the left corner that barely missed. France dominated possession, and looked dangerous. The Azzurri seemed tired, but were bailed out several times by Cannavaro and Buffon. Both of whom had incredible tournaments. The game ended tied after 90 minutes.

In extra time, both teams slowed down the pace. Franck Ribery missed a great chance after a triangular play. It was very close, and Buffon was beaten. Immediately after, Ribery was substituted with David Trezeguet. Buffon made a spectacular right handed save from  a header by Zidane that had goal written all over it. After a play had ended, Zidane head butted Materazzi, and was red carded to end his career in an unfortunate fashion. The game finished tied after 120 minutes, and for the second time in World Cup history, the title was determined by a penalty kick shoot-out. The Azzurri were flawless, and converted all five penalties. Only David Trezeguet, who plays his club side soccer for Juventus, missed for the French. The World Cup returns to Italian soil for the first time in 24 years, and the Azzurri will now add a fourth star to their shirts. Grazie Azzurri!

Lineups:

Italia: Buffon, Grosso, Cannavaro (captain), Materazzi, Zambrotta, Pirlo, Gattuso, Camoranesi, Perrotta, Totti, and Toni.
Coach. Mr. Lippi.

France: Barthez, Abidal, Gallas, Sagnol, Thuram, Makelele, Malouda, Vieira, Zidane (captain), Ribery, and Henry.
Coach: Mr. Domenech.

Substitutions:

France: Diarra for Vieria 56.' Trezeguet for Ribery 100'. Wiltord for Henry at 107'.

Italy: Iaquinta for Perrotta 61'. De Rossi for Totti 61'. Del Piero for Camoranesi 86'.

Yellow Cards:

Italy: Zambrotta 5'.

France: Sagnol 12' and Diarra 76'.

Shots on Goal/Target:

Italy: 6 (2). France: 14 (7).

Saves:

Italy: 6. France: 1.

Passing Efficiency:

Italy: 75%. France: 80%.

Tackles:

Italy: 37 (81%). France: 25 (76%).

Ball possession:

Italy: 49.6%. France: 51.4%.

Red Card:

France: Zidane 110'.

Goals:

France: Zidane 7'. Italy: Materazzi 19'.

Penalty kick shoot-out:

Italy: Pirlo, Materazzi, De Rossi, Del Piero, and Grosso.

France: Wiltord, Trezeguet (missed), Abidal, and Sagnol.

FIFA Man of the Match: Andrea Pirlo of Italy.

Referee: Mr. Horacio Elizondo of Argentina.

Attendance: 69,000.

Estimated global TV audience: 1.5 billion.

World Cup Draw for Italy: Group E
(See my World Cup 2006 page for the complete tournament draw. All times are Eastern USA.)

02 September 2006: Italia 1- Lithuania 1 (ECQ in Naples.)

Fabio Cannavaro, born and raised in Naples, returned to the San Paolo stadium as a conquering hero. A huge image of him holding the World Cup was displayed in the Curva Sud. Lithuania had two early attempts that tested the Azzurri defense. The Azzurri had more of the ball possession, but in the 20th minute, Lithuania froze the Italian defense and Danilevicius, a Livorno player, buried the ball past Buffon in the lower right corner. The visitors were playing with confidence as the San Paolo crowd began to whistle the home team. The Azzurri, directed by Pirlo, kept attacking, and in the 31st minute, Cassano assisted Inzaghi, who scored his 23rd goal in Azzurro from a tap-in from short range. A few minutes later, Cassano, with excellent technique and form in this first half, went around two defenders, beat the keeper, but just missed the right corner. The half ended, 1 to 1.

Inzaghi missed a clear opportunity from a fine move by Cassano. It should have put the result beyond doubt. Rino Gattuso had a tremendous game, but I felt that he should have played in a deeper role instead of Pirlo. Late in the game, Gilardino headed what seemed to be a goal, but it was saved off the line by a defender. This was a disappointing effort by the Azzurri. Zambrotta was not used, which made no sense to me given the defensive lapses. And the fact that Nesta and Materazzi were not available. The team will need to raise its game against France next Wednesday, who beat Georgia, 0 to 3, earlier today. Donadoni also needs more support down the wings. Most of the play tonight, with the exception of several fine crosses by Massimo Oddo, came through the middle with little imagination. Against an inferior opponent, games such as this need to be won.

06 September 2006: France 3 - Italia 1 (ECQ in Paris.) Highlights from YouTube.

This was the much anticipated rematch of the World Cup final in Berlin. Without Zidane and Materazzi. :-) Donadoni used a 4-4-1-1, instead of the trident attack that we saw against Lithuania. France started off quickly, and in the second minute, Sidney Govou scored an early goal on a nice volley from a pass by William Gallas. Replays indicated that Gallas was in an offsides position, but the Azzurri defense was caught sleeping. Zambrotta took a nice right footed shot that barely missed. The crowd whistled every time the Azzurri had the ball. Les Bleus were playing with great fluidity and technique. The Azzurri were moving like wood, as the RAI announcer commented. Thierry Henry took advantage in the 19th minute to score the second goal when Buffon parried the initial shot by Malouda directly into his path. It appeared that the ball deflected off of the foot from a last-minute intervention by Fabio Cannavaro. But the Azzurri struck back immediately in the 20th minute with a header by Alberto Gilardino from a free kick by Andrea Pirlo. There seemed to be a hand ball in the penalty area that was protested by the Azzurri, and Cannavaro received a yellow card. Semioli almost equalized, but Croupet somehow kept the ball off the line. The first half ended, 2 to 1.

The French kept the pace up in the second half. Semioli was substituted with Di Michele. A minute later, France put the game out of reach with another goal by Govou, from a fine assist by Willy Sagnol, in the 55th minute. He and Cannavaro bumped heads, but Govou still struck the ball powerfully past Buffon. Both players required attention, and Fabio was taken off of the field. He returned to derisive whistles by the French fans.

Donadoni seemed out of his element against the more experienced tactics of Domenech. The French showed the form of their glory days, and now, along with Scotland, lead the group with 6 points. The next match against Ukraine will be decisive.

07 October 2006: Italia 2 - Ukraine 0 (ECQ in Rome.) Highlights from YouTube.

Donadoni fielded a 4-3-3 in a must-win game. Shevchenko was sick with the flu and missed this game. Toni had three clear chances in the first half, but one was saved, the other missed, and one struck the crossbar. Although the Azzurri attacked in droves, there was no score at half-time. Ukraine was playing much better than the last time these two teams met at the World Cup.

In the 70th minute, Rusov took down Toni by the shirt in the penalty area, and Massimo Oddo converted the spot kick to give Italy the lead. A few minutes later, Luca Toni's hard work in this match paid off with a superb left-footed half volley from an assist by Di Natale from outside the penalty area. A merited victory, and now it is on to Georgia for another must-win game. Scotland, with an earlier win over France, leads Group B with 9 points after 3 games.

11 October 2006: Georgia 1 - Italia 3 (ECQ in Tbilisi.) Highlights from YouTube.

Gattuso, the heart and soul of the Azzurri, was suspended for this important game with a passionate atmosphere in the former Soviet Republic. Donadoni fielded a 4-3-2-1. Nesta returned to the back four, and Perrotta replaced Gattuso. Toni was the lone striker. The Azzurri attacked from the start, but there were several offsides called. The game had a fast rhythm and both teams were playing well. In the 16th minute, Danielle De Rossi scored on a bomb from over 25 meters to the lower right side corner of the Georgian goal. It bounced once before buzzing past the keeper. A great start for the Azzurri on a very slipper pitch. In the 24th minute, Shashiasvili scored a great angled goal that beat Buffon to add a little more drama to an already interesting game. Toni had a nice half volley that almost scored, but then Zambrotta fed him perfectly with only the keeper to beat. But Luca missed miserably to the right. A few minutes later, from another fine ball by Di Natale, he barely missed with a glancing header. Italy was attacking with numbers, and Georgia looked dangerous on the counterattack. One in particular by Kizanishvili struck the post and Buffon would have been beaten. The half ended, 1 to 1.

The pace slowed down considerably, but in the 60th minute, Kankava was red carded for Georgia. Immediately after, a great cross from the left wing by Antonio Di Natale was headed powerfully for a goal by Mauro Camoranesi. In the 70th minute, Camoranesi crossed from the left and Perrotta clinically finished, with a slight deviation off of a defender, for the third goal. The Azzurri were in great form tonight, and this was a well-deserved victory. With Scotland's loss to Ukraine, and France's win over the Faroe Islands, Italy is in third place with seven points.

15 November 2006: Italia1 - Turkey 1 (Friendly in honor of Giacinto Facchetti at Bergamo.)

Many Azzurri stalwarts were missing: Del Piero, Gattuso, Nesta, Pirlo, Toni, and Totti. Which made this an interesting game against a very skilled Turkish side. The Turks held back initially, and the Azzurri attacked for most of the first half. Both goals were somewhat comical for play at the international level. Italy scored in the 39th minute when the Turkish substitute keeper, Volkan, punted the ball directly to Gilardino, and the ricochet landed at Antonio Di Natale to score on an empty net. A few minutes later, Marco Materazzi scored an own goal past the helpless and no doubt confounded Gigi Buffon. There were several substitutions for the Azzurri at halftime. Alberto Aquilani of Roma received his first senior international cap.

In the second half, the Turks were more organized and aggressive in attack. Emre, a former Inter Milan player, caused a lot of problems. To balance out his earlier mistake, Materazzi saved an apparent Turkish goal off the line. The Italians had few scoring opportunities, and the game ended as a draw.

07 February 2007: Italia v. Romania (Friendly in Siena). Cancelled.

28 March 2007: Italia 2 - Scotland 0 (ECQ in Bari).

02 June 2007: Faroe Islands 1 - Italia 2 (ECQ in Torshavn).

06 June 2007: Lithuania 0 - Italia 2 (ECQ in Vilnius).

• Please visit my blog for more detailed coverage of the Azzurri.

• Compared to The Lippi Era, when the team only lost one competitive fixture against Slovenia (2 overall) during a 29 game tenure, Donadoni lost over 1 in 5 games.

In July 2008, Mister Lippi returned to the helm of the Giro Azzurro. He spent the last two years working for Sky Sports, and traveling the world to lecture at over two dozen universities.

20 August 2008: Italia 2 x Austria 2 (Friendly in Nice, France) The Azzurri are unbeaten in the last 26 games with Lippi on the bench. The record, 30, is held by Vittorio Pozzo.

06 September 2008: Cyprus 1 x Italia 2 (WCQ in Larnaca).

10 September 2008: Italia 2 x Georgia 0 (WCQ Qualification in Udine).

11 October 2008: Bulgaria 0 x Italia 0 (WCQ in Sofia).

15 October 2008: Italia 2 x Montenegro 1 (WCQ in Lecce).

18 November 2008: Greece 1 x Italia 1 (Friendly in Athens).

10 February 2009: Brasil 2 x Italia 0 (Friendly in London).

28 March 2009: Montenegro 0 x Italia 2 (WCQ in Podgorica).

01 April 2009: Italia 1 x Republic of Ireland 1 (WCQ in Bari).

06 June 2009: Italia 3 x Northern Ireland 0 (Friendly in Pisa).

10 June 2009: Italia 4 x New Zealand 3 (Friendly in Pretoria).

15 June 2009: Italia 3 x USA 1 (Confederations Cup in Pretoria).

18 June 2009: Italia 0 x Egypt 1 (Confederations Cup in Johannesburg).

21 June 2009: Italia 0 x Brasil 3 (Confederations Cup in Pretoria).

13 August 2009: Switzerland 0 x Italia 0 (Friendly in Basel).

05 September 2009: Georgia 0 x Italia 2 (WCQ in Tbilisi).

09 September 2009: Italia 2 x Bulgaria 0 (WCQ in Torino).

10 October 2009: Republic of Ireland 2 x Italia 2 (WCQ in Dublin).

14 October 2009: Italia 3 x Cyprus 2 (WCQ in Parma).

End of WC 2010 Qualification Round: Italy wins the group. Ireland comes in second.

14 November 2009: Italia 0 x The Netherlands 0 (Friendly in Pescara).

18 November 2009: Italia 1 x Sweden 0 (Friendly in Cesena).

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2009-2010 Serie A TIM: The Italian First Division of Professional Football.

The Serie A began in 1929, and the first champion was Ambrosiana-Inter Milan. Before that time, teams competed in regional tournaments. The Gazzetta dello Sport and Football Italia list updated schedules of the games. For a bit of history: Only Internazionale (Inter Milan) has always competed in the Serie A.

This year, the Serie A will begin on 22 August 2009.

Radio Streams:

Radio Rai Uno ("Tutto il calcio minuto per minuto." Broadcasts many games of the Serie A via the Internet. On games days, they usually switch between different games for live updates of other games in Serie A or B. The majority of Serie A games occur on Sundays at 15:00 local time, along with the night fixture at 20:30. There are two games on Saturdays, and sometimes there are more due to European competitions the following week. The majority of Serie B fixtures occur on Saturdays.)

Television Coverage in North America:

Broadcasts: SoccerTV.com (North American television schedule for Serie A games.)

Live broadcasts are televised on RAI International and Fox Soccer Channel. GolTV shows Coppa Italia matches only.

Telefutura Contacto Deportivo broadcasts highlights at 11 p.m. Eastern time (some days it is at 12 midnight) seven days a week. They include Serie A games, along with an excellent variety of international football.

Titolares Telemundo also shows highlights during the weekends at 11 p.m. Eastern time.

Video Streams and Highlight Videos: Check my blog for a detailed section.

101 Great Goals: Excellent coverage of the Serie A and other leagues.

ESPN360: Free via select High Speed internet providers.

Streaming One: Download the free beta to watch RAI, which streams many of the Italian National team's games, along with some Champions League matches.

Interesting Serie A Links:

Mourning Soccer's Greatest Loss: Roberto Baggio to Retire by Francesca Di Meglio.
(This excellent article is a tribute from the author to her childhood hero. It is found on a very interesting site called Italiansrus.)

My Penalty Miss Cost Italy The World Cup? (English excerpts from Baggio's autobiography, "Una Porta Nel Cielo." As Roberto points out, Baresi and Massaro also missed during the 1994 World Cup Final, and Brazil still had another kick to come that could have won the game even if he were successful.) 

Robi, Grazie per mille emozioni by Diego Antonelli. (Italian language)

Roberto Baggio Feted in Farewell Match for Italian Soccer Team by Andrew Dampf.

Roberto Baggio Super Fans Web Site (An excellent site about Roberto's career, along with a detailed biography and pictures.)

Roberto Baggio's World by Paul Kwan. (Another excellent site with detailed statistics and great pictures. From the photos, you can see the affection that his fans, teammates, and opponents had for Roberto.)

Una Porta Nel Cielo (You can buy his book online from the Internet Bookshop Italia.)

Tribute to "Grande Torino:"

Grande Torino

A tragic air crash on 4 May 1949 at the Basilica di Superga killed the entire team. They had won four Scudetti (titles) in a row, and ten played for the National Team. They were returning from a friendly game in Lisbon with Benfica of Portugal. The accident had a profound effect on Italian football for many years to come. Ironically, the captain of the team, Valentino Mazzola, had a son named Alessandro. Many years later, Sandro would become a famous player for Inter Milan, and also play for the National team. Ironically, both father and son captained the Azzurri the exact number of times: five. In my opinion, had this team survived, Italy would have won their third World Cup the next year in Brazil. They would have retired the Jules Rimet Trophy. Something that Brazil would accomplish in 1970. Ironically, they defeated Italy in the final, 4 to 1. Sandro Mazzola was on the pitch that day.

Calciopoli: The Worst Scandal in Italian Football

In May 2006, the Italian football world was rocked with serious allegations of match fixing, referee assignment collusion, and other illegal activities that have resulted in grievous sporting fraud. Unfortunately, the worst offender in this situation was Juventus; namely, former directors Luciano Moggi and Antonio Giraudo. Both of whom have now disgraced the most famous Italian football society of all time. The scandal's effects were not limited to Juventus. AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, and Reggina were also implicated and punished. Arezzo was the only team in the Serie B to be punished. Below is an outline of the sentences after the various appeals.

Juventus

• Former directors Luciano Moggi and Antonio Giraudo were banned from football for five years.
• The Scudetti won during 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 have been rescinded. That reduces the collective number from 29 to 27 for Juventus.
• Relegated to the Serie B for the first time in their history, and will start the season minus 17 points.
Upon appeal, CONI (The Italian Olympic Committee) reduced the points to 9.
• 3 match home ban.
• Fined 120,000 euros.

Fiorentina

• President Andrea Della Valle banned for three years. His brother Diego, who acts as the club’s honorary President, was also suspended for three years.
• Starts the season minus 19 points.
Upon appeal, CONI (The Italian Olympic Committee) reduced the points to 15.
• 2 match home ban.
• Fined 100,000 euros.

Lazio

• President Claudio Lotito was banned for two years and sixth months from football.
• Starts the season minus 11 points.
Upon appeal, CONI (The Italian Olympic Committee) reduced the points to 3.
• 3 match home ban.
• Fined 100,000 euros.

AC Milan

• Were deducted 30 points from the 2005-2006 campaign, but will play in the Champions League.
• They will begin the new season minus 8 points. Upon appeal, CONI (The Italian Olympic Committee) did not change the initial points penalty.
• Vice-President Adriano Galliani was banned for nine months. (Reduced upon appeal to six months.)
• Former club official Leonardo Meani suspended for two and one-half years.
• 1 match home ban.
• Fined 100,000 euros.

Reggina

• President Lillo Forli was suspended for 2.5 years.
• They will begin the new season minus 11 points.

Sampdoria

• Must pay 20,000 euros to the Lega Calcio for the betting inquiry that implicated one current and one former player.

Arezzo

• Will begin Serie B minus 6 points.

Players

Francesco Flachi of Sampdoria, and Moris Carrozzieri (former of Samp) of Atalanta, were given two month suspensions on 21 September 2006 after a betting inquiry. To date, these are the only Serie A players implicated in the scandal.

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