According to the Italian bookmakers, Alessandro Del Piero will be preferred to Antonio Di Natale for the Azzurri抯 first match of Euro 2008 against Holland.
Italy open up their Group C campaign against the Dutch in Berne on June 9, and the speculation has already started as to what starting XI Coach Roberto Donadoni will select.
Donadoni抯 4-3-3 system will almost certainly, barring injuries, see Luca Toni play at centre forward, with Mauro Camoranesi on the right.
Antonio Di Natale was originally believed to be the favourite to take the left-side role, having played in that position in the final qualifying games, and in the recent friendly matches against Portugal and Spain.
However Di Natale has come under threat ever since Donadoni named both Alex Del Piero and Antonio Cassano in his Euro 2008 squad.
According to the Italian bookmakers, Del Piero will win the race to start against Holland, with Di Natale and Cassano having to settle for places on the bench.
Christian Panucci will also be preferred to Fabio Grosso in defence, allowing Gianluca Zambrotta to take up his left back role, while Gennaro Gattuso is preferred to Milan club colleague Massimo Ambrosini in midfield.
Team to face Holland according to Italian bookmakers: (4-3-3). Buffon, Panucci, Cannavaro, Barzagli, Zambrotta, Gattuso, Pirlo, De Rossi, Camoranesi, Toni, Del Piero.
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Calcio Debate: Azzurri Set For Golden Age?Last night the Italy Under-21 side won the Toulon Tournament after beating Chile 1-0 in the final. Carlo Garganese believes that a new golden generation of Italian youngsters are coming through匸/color]
Having watched every one of the Azzurrini抯 games during the 2008 Toulon Tournament in France, I can safely say that the future looks very bright for the senior Italy national team.
Some question marks have been raised about Roberto Donadoni抯 23 men that will travel to Euro 2008. The squad is in fact the oldest of all 16 teams participating, with an average age of 29.57. Eight of the first XI are over the age of 30, including the entire back five, Gianluigi Buffon included. While at Euro 2008, this experience, as it was in Germany at 2006, could be invaluable, it is quite clear that much of this team will have to be broken up and rebuilt come South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014.
Fortunately, the youngsters coming through are possibly the best that Italy have had in years. Pierluigi Casiraghi抯 Under-21s were hugely impressive in winning the Toulon Tournament, with most of the squad making a big impact.
Empoli抯 Davide Bassi was commanding throughout the festival, and was named goalkeeper of the tournament. Marco Motta and Lorenzo De Silvestri both suggested that they have Azzurri futures ahead of them by impressing in the full back positions, while the likes of Andrea Coda, Lino Marzorati and Salvatore Bocchetti were mean in defence. All in all the Azzurrini conceded just one goal in five games and 450 minutes of football
Italy striker Alessandro Del Piero cannot stop breaking records as his participation in Euro 2008 will mean he becomes the first Italian to smash the record for playing in his fourth consecutive European Championship.
Del Piero joins a list of greats including Denmark抯 Peter Schmeichel who also played in four European Championships 1988, 1992, 1996 and Euro 2000.
Pinturricchio抯 inclusion Roberto Donadoni抯 side this year means he breaks an Italian record as he becomes the first Azzurro to play in four different European Championship抯.
The Juventus legend, who holds the record for the Bianconeri抯 all time appearances and goals scored, played his first Euro for Italy in England in 1996.
He then played in Holland and Belgium in 2000 where he was blamed for Italy抯 defeat to France in the final.
The Juventus hit-man was called up by Giovanni Trapattoni to represent the Azzurri in Portugal during Euro 2004 but Italy had a woeful tournament and they went out at the group stage.
Now, Del Piero will be flying the flag for Italy once again as he is set to play a big part in what is likely to be his last European Championship for La Nazionale.
France抯 Lillian Thuram and Holland抯 Edwin Van Der Sar will also be appearing in their fourth European Champiosnhips.
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Calcio Debate: How Will Italy Cope Without Cannavaro? Disaster struck the Azzurri yesterday when Fabio Cannavaro suffered an ankle injury in training and was ruled out of Euro 2008. Carlo Garganese asks just how big a blow this is to their hopes of glory in Austria and Switzerland
Post time 27-5-2008 07:53 PM
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