The Official Azzurri thread

[Bagg10]

-----------------------Buffon

Oddo-----Cannavaro---Materazzi---Zambrotta



--------Gattuso-------Pirlo-------De Rossi



----Quagliarella---------------------Miccoli

--------------------------Toni


thats wat i want to see against france...!

[vtec]

[marco]

[vtec]

[p_maldini_3]

[marco]

[marco]

[p_maldini_3]

[vtec]

[marco]

[marco]

[vtec]

pirlo wouldn't really fit into a formation with this much width. you can substitute one of de rossi or gattuso by perrotta to give one more option pushing up. also, if bonera has a clutch season, he should definitely be there ahead of barzagli, but for now, barzagli's role in palermo is bigger than bonera's in milan.

[RomaShield27]

Nesta bids Azzurri farewell
– Wednesday 1 August, 2007

Alessandro Nesta has followed in Francesco Totti’s footsteps and announced his retirement from international football. The Milan stopper hasn’t featured in the Azzurri’s recent qualifiers and it has now been confirmed that the 31-year-old has played his last game for Italy.

“I’ve always been so attached to the national jersey and playing for my country has been the best thing in my career,â€

[Zoff82]

Good riddance. There was a time where I thought Italy would be garbage without Nesta but that guy has been hurt in almost every tournament. We did great without him. Maybe he was a jinx.

[morra10]

[Bagg10]

[vtec]

Refereeing A Concern In Games Involving Italy - Domenech

France coach Raymond Domenech has raked up the issue of controversial refereeing agead of the Euro 2008 qualifier against Italy. He also had another go at Marco Materazzi.


Les Bleus take on the Azzurri at the San Siro in an absolutely crucial Euro 2008 qualifying clash in just a few weeks, and Raymond Domenech has decided to wade into muddy waters.

The France coach believes that refereeing is a concern in games involving Italy, and has openly pointed to instances of the Azzurri fixing the match, in what is sure to raise the pitch ahead of the clash.

"The main problem could be the referees, but that’s often the problem with Italy," he told Le Parisien.

"In the past there have been rigged games like the France v Italy Under-21 qualifier for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

"They had bought the ref and the cheating was incredible. If it happens once you have doubts. There are hidden agreements in Italian football."

Domenech also raked up the Materazzi-Zidane incident during the World Cup final.

"He [Materazzi] scored, he got his best opponent sent off, and he converted his penalty; he was the star of the final, not Andrea Pirlo," he said tongue in cheek.

"It’s not about insults, but provoking someone until they boil over. It happens in every sport, even volleyball across the net. On the pitch any way you can unbalance the opponent and exploit their weaknesses benefits your team.

"Whoever provokes shows strength, whoever reacts shows weakness.

"As a coach I want my players to give the English response and give compliments after the game regardless of the insults during it."

He ended on a positive though, praising the players and the fans: "You can say whatever you like, but the Italians have exceptional players and I admire them. They play the most efficient football in Europe, perhaps the world, and I like it. We'll see who the great players are at the San Siro with 80,000 whistling fans."

So we head into another Italy-France game with match-fixing and Marco Materazzi at the top of the agenda.

[vtec]

Platini Warns Domenech Against Italy Bashing

Uefa president Michel Platini has criticised France coach Raymond Domenech for accusing Italy of fixing matches.

France meet Italy at the San Siro in a pivotal Euro qualifying group B clash on September 8, and Raymond Domenech set the tone yesterday by suggesting that matches involving Italy always had reasons for concern.

He spoke rather openly about Italy fixing an under-21 game during an Olympic qualifier by paying the referee, and accused the Italians of indulging in the same regularly.

"If it happens once you have doubts, but there are hidden agreements in Italian football," he had declared.

However, the barrage of accusations has not gone down well with Michel Platini, who is now demanding concrete proof.

"If Domenech does not submit evidence supporting what he has said he will be punished," Platini told L’Equipe.

"We will send a letter to the French Federation asking for proof of what was claimed. If they fail to submit it we will take action and punish the coach."

Punishment or not, the scene has been set for a fiery encounter in a month's time.



it's good to see platini have at least enough of a spine to reprimand that idiot, even if it only amounts to a slap on the wrist.

[juventino_italiano]

[vtec]