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

Serie A: The First Division of Italian Football

Italian Football Sites

Modern Day Coaching Records: 1978 to 2006

Tributes and Articles about Roberto Baggio

Tribute to il Grande Torino

Calciopoli: The Worst Scandal in Italian Football

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.

Friends of Italian Calcio

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International Championships of the Italian National Team

World Cup Record:

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.

1970: Second Place in Mexico.
1978: Fourth Place in Argentina. They were the only team to defeat the eventual champion,
           Argentina.
1990: Third Place in Italy.
1994: Second Place in the USA.

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

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 Champion:

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. Then, 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.)

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

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Mr. Donadoni's	16	9	3	4
Record: 56% wins. One competitive loss.	Games	Wins	Ties	Losses

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2007-2008 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 25 August 2007, and finish on 18 May 2008. There are 38 fixtures.

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:

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 Videos:

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

ESPN360: Free via select High Speed internet providers.

SerieA.TV: Streaming broadband by subscription. An excellent service and site for calcio.

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:

All-time leaders in Goals Scored in the Serie A (Courtesy of Maurizio Mariani and RSSSF 2000/06.)

Encyclopedia Italia: An excellent historical resource about teams and players by Football Italia.

Channel 4: Football Italia (English language. A very good site that is updated daily with current news about the Serie A and the National Team. Serie A table in English, along with times of the games.)

Gazzetta dello Sport (Online version of the Italian classic sport's daily from Milan. The Bible of Italian soccer. They have a live match track feature for key games of the Azzurri, Serie A, along with Champions League and UEFA matches. Videos and podcasts are available in Italian. In 2008, the site began a brief English translation of their main stories.)

Goal.com (Excellent multi-lingual site that has localized content and a live match tracker feature.)

L'Italia del Calcio (A tremendous site by Stefano Rossi that details all of the professional Italian calcio, along with league standings, weekly game schedules, and leading goal scorers. Available in English and Italian, along with other languages.)

Livescore.com (An updated site that provides coverage of Italian football results in real time. They also list starting times of all games from the local time zone, along with a conversion feature. This is a great site. If someone is kicking a ball around the world, they will cover it.)

Le Pagelle di Gazzetta dello Sport (Each week, individual players, teams, goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and attackers are rated on a scale of 0 to 10 by the Gazzetta dello Sport. Pagelle = rating scores. Most scores range between 5 and 8.)

mCalcio by Marco Pantanella. An excellent English language blog about the Serie A.

Serie A History: List of Champions (The Free Dictionary.)

Soccer Terminology in the Mother Tongue.
This is a good introduction to what you would hear during a broadcast from Italy.

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On 15 April 2006, Carlo Mazzone set the Serie A coaching record of 788 games.

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Italian Football Sites:

A Season With Verona by Tim Parks (His personal web site contains some interesting excerpts from the book.)    

Calciomercato (Italian language.)

Corriere della Sera (Italian language newspaper from Milan.)

Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (The Italian FA).

Football in Italy (Some of the information is based upon previous seasons; however, there is much data about seeing a game in the individually listed cities.)

Forza Azzurri (A great historical site with excellent vintage photos and DVDs/videos for sale.)

Forza Azzurri Statistics by Pierre Bonello (English language. Incredible historical site of the Azzurri by Pierre Bonello from the island of Malta.)

La Stampa (The newspaper of Turin that covers Juventus and Torino.)

RAI Sport (Coverage in Italian.)

Note:

Some of the above links are in Italian. If you need to translate them, here is a nice tool from AltaVista: Translate This Web Site. Just type in the URL (Web site address) from the source page, and then select Italian to English. It is not 100% accurate, but the price is right. ;-)

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Modern Day Coaching Records For The National Team:1978 to 2006 World Cup.

All-time Coaching Records for the Azzurri (Lists their complete statistics).

Marcello Lippi:
Winner World Cup 2006.
Tenure: 2.0 years.
Twenty-five game unbeaten streak. Only lost one competitive game during his tenure: Slovenia.

Giovanni Trapattoni: 
Eliminated second round of WC 2002. Lost on a golden goal by Korea.
Eliminated first round of Euro 2004.
Tenure: 4 years.

Dino Zoff: 
2nd place: Euro 2000. Lost on a golden goal to France.
Tenure: 1.5 years.

Cesare Maldini: 
Quarterfinals WC 98. Lost on PKs to France.
Tenure: 2 years.

Arrigo Sacchi: 
Did not qualify for Euro 1992.
2nd Place WC 94. Lost on PKs to Brazil in the final.
Eliminated first round of Euro 1996.
Tenure: 5 years.

Azeglio Vicini: 
Semi-finals: Euro 1988.
3rd Place WC 90. Lost on PKs to Argentina in the semifinal round.
Tenure: 5 years.

Enzo Bearzot: 
4th Place WC 1978. 
4th Place 1980 Euro Cup. 
Winner WC 1982. 
Did not qualify for Euro 1984.
Eliminated in the second round by France in WC 1986.
Tenure: 9 years.

Mister Bearzot won and lost the most games, but he coached the longest. He and Lippi were the only ones to win the World Cup, and Enzo had the most tournament appearances: 5. Sacchi and Vicini had very similar records. Sacchi only lost 8 games in those 5 years. But he did not do as well in tournaments as Vicini, who lost only 7 games in a similar period. Maldini lost 2 games during his tenure, but tied 8 times. Lippi won the only competitive tournament of his tenure.

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Tributes and Articles about Roberto Baggio: 

One of the most respected, loved, and enigmatic players in recent history. He is also known affectionately as il Codino Divino (The Divine Ponytail.) During his storied career, he played for Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, AC Milan, Bologna, Inter Milan, and Brescia. He had 56 appearances for Italy, and scored 27 goals, which ranks him fourth on the all-time list. He scored 205 goals in the Serie A, along with countless assists. He also holds the record for the most penalty kicks taken and converted in Italian football history. He was a rigorista. That is the player who specializes in penalty kicks. The penalty kick shoot-out miss against Brazil at the 1994 World Cup final was his only failure at the National Team level. 

Arrivederci, Robi: Italy v. Spain. RAI Italian Language text and video. You can watch the entire game at this site. This was Roberto's 56th and last appearance for the Azzurri.

A Sad Goodbye to the Divine Ponytail by Glenn Debattista of SoccerAge.

Baggio Steals the Show by news24.com of South Africa.

Baggio Black and White Artistic Image by J. Wood of Elite Sport.

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.)

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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.

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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.

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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.

Italian Football Federation Officials (FIGC)

Former President Franco Carraro must pay a fine of 80,000 euros. Vice-President Innocenzo Mazzini was suspended for five years.

Referee Officials

President Tullio Lanese banned for two years and six months, and vice-commissioner Gennaro Mazzei was banned for a six months. Observer Pietro Ingargiola received a caution. Referee Designator (the one who assigns referees in the Serie A) Paolo Bergamo was deferred; however, Pierluigi Pairetto was banned for three years. Fabrizio Babini and Claudio Puglisi were banned for six months.

Referees

Massimo De Santis, who was an FIFA international referee, was banned for four years. Paolo Dondarini was cleared. Gianluca Paparesta was banned for only three months. Pasquale Rodomonti, Paolo Bertini, Domenico Messina, Gianluca Rocchi and Paolo Tagliavento were all exonerated of any charges.

Referee's Assistants

Claudio Puglisi and Fabrizio Babini were both banned from football for a year.

Promotions

Formerly relegated Messina will return to the Serie A for 2006-2007.

Proud to be listed in the Open Directory Project and the Best of the Web
for the Italian National Team category.

 

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