The Official Azzurri thread 2

[DavidP]

nobody has scored more goals for the azzuri than ddr from the entire 32-man provisional squad.

[Bagg10]

Di Natale has just as many goals(10), and Cassano has 9.

[Italiamia]

Just for the record, I had a dream Italy won the Euro.

[red]

Pile the cash on then - 14/1 for Italy to win.

Quite generous odds, really. Might have to stick a tenner on them.

[Bagg10]

I have a bad feeling Portugal is going to win it...

[DCGweez]

Italy are a dodgy proposition. First they have Spain so they are fighting for one spot in the group. Then they will more than likely go through second and face a group winner. Either France or England most likely.


Portugal is in the group with Holland and Germany.

[Bagg10]

That's why i said i have a "feeling", not a rational argument for it...

I'm actually worried about getting out of that group. Croatia and Ireland are not easy fixtures.

[DCGweez]

It was not an attempt to reprove you. Just stating an opinion.

Somewhat interesting article. I happen to think there is very little to get excited about from all the teams of Europe this year.

http://espnfc.com/us/en/news/1078073/sm ... ypes-.html

Bit of a fluff piece, but a positive article on Italy is tough to come by.

http://espnfc.com/us/en/news/1075849/le ... omise.html

[Bagg10]

Sunday May 27 2012

Spain name Euro 2012 squad for Italy
By Football Italia staff

Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque has named his final 23-man squad for Euro 2012, which will face Italy.

They are in Group C along with the Azzurri, Croatia and the Republic of Ireland.

David Villa and veteran Barcelona defender Carles Puyol were ruled out by injury, but they are joined by Adrian Lopez and Roberto Soldado in being cut from the long-list.

Italy take on Spain in the opening Group C match on June 10.

Goalkeepers: Íker Casillas, Reina, Víctor Valdés
Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Juanfran, Arbeloa, Piqué, Albiol, Javi Martínez, Jordi Alba
Midfielders: Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc, Cazorla
Forwards: Pedro, Juan Mata, Jesús Navas, Silva, Fernando Llorente, Fernando Torres, Álvaro Negredo

http://www.football-italia.net/19274/sp ... quad-italy

[Bagg10]

They look very beatable on paper...

[red]

Yup.

Midfield still has a lot to offer, but missing Puyol, Villa and pre-Chelsea Torres has to hurt them.

[red]

Azzurri try 4-3-1-2

Italy tried out the 4-3-1-2 system in training today with Riccardo Montolivo as trequartista behind Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano.

The Azzurri continued preparations for Euro 2012 and Tuesday’s friendly against Luxembourg.

Having tested out two different tridents this weekend, Cesare Prandelli went back to the 4-3-1-2 system for today’s session.

Montolivo has recovered from a thigh strain and played behind the front two Balotelli and Cassano.

Gigi Buffon was in goal, with Christian Maggio, Andrea Barzagli, Angelo Ogbonna and Domenico Criscito in defence.

Andrea Pirlo was at the centre of the midfield with Juventus teammate Claudio Marchisio on the left and Daniele De Rossi on the right.

Giorgio Chiellini and Thiago Motta worked separately on their fitness levels.

http://www.football-italia.net/19295/az ... ry-4-3-1-2



I'd imagine that (with Chiellini in place of Ogbonna) will be the Italy team for the first game.

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

Maggio-Barzagli-Chiellini-Criscito

-------De Rossi-Pirlo-Marchisio

---------------Montolivo

----------Cassano-Balotelli


Italy are going to have to do a really good job of controlling the game with possession, because I don't see that team being much good at sitting back and soaking up pressure.

[Bagg10]

Beat me to it...
That's a pretty attacking line-up. Maggio and Criscito are going to have to do a good job covering the flanks and pushing up as well. I like Marchisio and Criscito on the left. They played together in the youth system, and they have a pretty good understanding of each other.

I'm not too sure Cassano is going to start, unless he's in really good shape. I think we're better off starting with Di Natale, and bringing Cassano in the second half, at least for the first game(or two).

[p_maldini_3]

cassano's already played 90 mins twice for milan, i don't think his match fitness should be in any doubt now.

[Bagg10]

[DCGweez]

Supposedly he's in great shape. By the time he plays Spain they'll have played a few friendlies. I'm sure Cassano will get the runout with Di Natale coming in for a bit.

I think Toto will play vs Spain as his game fits a countering game plan.

[RomaShield27]

Italy's Euro 2012 camp hit by dawn police raid
Officers investigating match-fixing scandal search room of defender Domenico Criscito days before championships start

Tom Kington in Rome / http://www.guardian.co.uk / Monday 28 May 2012 / 12.01 BST

Police officers swooped on the Italian national football team's training camp at dawn on Monday to search the room of defender Domenico Criscito, and inform him he is being investigated in a widening match-fixing scandal.

At the same time as the visit, which came just days before the start of the European football championships, police arrested 19 people, including 11 players, among them Stefano Mauri, the captain of leading Serie A side Lazio, and placed Antonio Conte, the manager of champions Juventus, under investigation.

Officers arrived at the Italian team's camp at Coverciano in Tuscany at 6.40am to tell former Genoa defender Domenico Criscito he would face questions in the investigation into gambling on fixed results, which has already seen one team docked points and players handed lengthy suspensions.

"You can imagine the atmosphere here, everyone knows everyone and people are not exactly calm," one official at the camp told the Guardian. Of the 32 players invited to Coverciano, around 27 were due to be named on Monday on a provisional list for championships by team manager Cesare Prandelli, with the final list of 23 to be unveilde on Tuesday. Criscito, who plays for Zenit St Petersburg, was expected to make the cut.

Magistrates in Cremona who are running the investigation have focused previously mainly on Serie B matches, but Monday's operation revealed that investigators now have the top division in their sights.

Among those arrested were Omar Milanetto, the former captain of Genoa, and Sampdoria striker Christian Bertani, as well as fixers who allegedly paid off players to lose games or pre-arrange the number of goals to be scored. The investigation of JConte concerns his time at Siena.

The Juventus manager's lawyer, Antonio De Rencis said: "Conte's reaction is that of someone who's completely innocent and strongly determined to prove his total innocence."

Siena president Massimo Mezzaroma has also been placed under investigation.

"The searches are connected to what's happening with Siena," said Cremona prosecutor Roberto Di Martino. "There are seven, eight games being looked at and there have been statements that make us think they were manipulated. The searches involved players, coaches and directors of the club, including Conte and Mezzaroma."

Di Martino said said the search of the national squad's training camp concerned just one player

"We shouldn't place too much emphasis on the blitz at Coverciano, it is a problem that concerns only Criscito and not other players in the national team at the moment," he said.

"Also we shouldn't place too much emphasis on this anyway, the notification of an impending investigation is a tool we have, but not a guilty judgment. There's been no action taken against Criscito travelling, he can play at the Euros easily."

Italian media reported that Serie A games last season under suspicion involved Napoli, Sampdoria, Brescia, Bari, Lecce, Palermo, Lazio and Genoa.

La Repubblica reported on Monday that investigators were interested in a meeting held in May 2011 in a Genoa restaurant by Genoa players Giuseppe Sculli and Domenico Criscito, two members of Genoa's Ultra fan groups and a known Bosnian criminal.

Investigators believe that much of the match-rigging was organised by an eastern European gang known as The Gypsies, which allegedly paid out thousands of euros to players.

Cremona magistrates have been issuing arrest warrants since last year as they work through their investigation, dubbed Last Bet. They are also passing their conclusions to Italy's football federation, which is referring players to its own sporting tribunal, which is handing down sporting convictions well ahead of pending criminal trials.

The federation will start a massive trial on 31 May involving 22 clubs, 52 players and 33 matches, mostly played in Italy's Serie B in recent seasons.

Magistrates in Bari and Naples are meanwhile mounting their own investigations into match fixing.

Italian football was rocked in 2006 by the Calciopoli match-influencing investigation, which resulted in relegation for Juventus and the stripping of two of its league titles. A number of players playing for team tainted by the scandal were preparing for World Cup duty as the news broke, but went on to lift the cup.

"I would say without doubt that is devastating news," said Giovanni Trapatoni, the Italian manager of the Irish national team. "What could be the Italian team's reaction? On one side it is clear that news like this can bring people down, but it could also push them to show the clean face of football," he said. "As someone who has been abroad for years, I have to say we are creating an ugly image for our football."

---------

Criscito out of Euro 2012, say Italy
By / Monday May 28 2012

Italian Football Federation Vice-President Demetrio Albertini has confirmed that Domenico Criscito will not be in Italy’s Euro 2012 squad. The decision was taken after the Zenit St Petersburg player was caught up in the betting match fixing investigation.

Police raided the player’s room at Italy’s Coverciano training base at 6.25am this morning. Although the player has protested his innocence, the left-back will not be taken to Poland and the Ukraine this summer.

“Criscito won’t be a part of the championships,” Albertini stated. “He’s eager to sort out his own personal situation. That is his objective.

“He’s disappointed that he’s created this situation, even if he has underlined that he has done nothing wrong. Italy boss Cesare Prandelli spoke to him this morning, then he spoke with the lawyers and myself. It’s enormously disappointing.

“The decision to not include Criscito is understandable. The Federation has given its support to Prandelli. “Criscito has gone to the changing rooms today, he spoke with his teammates who all showed him their affection.”

[red]

[p_maldini_3]

if ranocchia gets the nod in front of ogbonna it will be a tragedy.

[p_maldini_3]

and while cassano has only been playing for a month, he's been training since march, so, again, his fitness levels should not be in doubt.