Nickname: The Azzurri
FIFA Ranking: 9
World Cup history: 5 World Cup championships, 17 World Cup appearances
The Azzurri, as the Italian national team is known, is regarded as the second best team in the world after Brazil – this by virtue of four World Cup titles to their name, one less than Brazil’s five. The Italian side, which has appeared in every World Cup tournament since 1962, will appear for the 18h time in total.
After they won the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Italy shocked many when they failed to advance beyond the group stages of the tournament. It was the first time Italy had failed to win a single game at the World Cup after they had drawn against Paraguay, New Zealand and lost to Slovakia. They also became the third defending champions to be knocked out of the tournament in the first round after Brazil in 1966 and France in 2002.
The team has changed dramatically since they won the tournament eight years ago. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo are the only surviving members of that team.
They not only secured their place in Brazil with two games in hand, but once again went through their qualifying campaign without losing a single match
Players like Andrea Ranocchia, striker Stephan El Shaarawy and midfielder Marco Verratti have cemented their places in the team. The return of Giuseppe Rossi has also added some experience to the team, while the likes of Mario Balotelli and Pablo Osvaldo should add even more firepower.
The team’s road to Brazil has been very impressive. They not only secured their place in Brazil with two games in hand, but once again went through their qualifying campaign without losing a single match. Whether that will translate into a successful tournament in the land of the Samba remains to be seen. Especially, considering that The Azzurri, have never won the World Cup outside of Europe.
Key players: Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Mario Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy
Know your coach: Cesare Prandelli
So far, Cesare Prandelli, is known as the man who has restored The Azzurri’s reputation following the team’s disappointing performance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His success has, however, not come as a surprise for a man who spent most of his career in Italy and should understand the ins and outs of Italian football than any other imported coach.
The 56-year old was born in Orzinuovi, Italy. He’s a former player who played 323 games, scoring 17 mostly as a midfielder. He retired in 1990 playing for Atalanta and became the club’s youth coach. Over the years he coached teams like Lecce, Verona, Venezia, Parma, and Roma. Before he took over from Marcelo Lippi as the Italy national team head coach, Pranndelli spent five years at Fiorentina.
He hit the ground running with immediate success, transforming Fiorentina from a relegation contender to a championship contender. However, his success was marred by the match-fixing scandal that hit Italy and saw Prandelli’s club being stripped of its Champions League spot.
He took over from Marcello Lippi in 2010 and has had success with the team ever since. He will be hoping to cap his impressive run with the team with a memorable Brazilian voyage.
Country Profile:
Italy is one of the most crowded countries in Europe with a population of over 60 million people. The country’s capital Rome has a rich history of over 3 000 years. It has been a capital since 1871.
The name Italy comes from the word italia meaning calf land. Italy is home to some of the most famous painters, sculptors, poets, musicians and architects. These include Antonio Vilvadi, Luciano Pavarotti, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Tintoretto Botticelli and others. The country has also produced some of the famous opera of Verdi and Puccini.
The South Europe country is mountainous and bordered by Austria, France, Slovenia and Switzerland. Italy has a diverse culture and religion. Its culture has influence from the countries bordering it.
The population is predominantly Roman Catholic and has a growing Jewish and Muslim community. The church still has high influence in the country although there is a low percent of people who attend.
Italian is the official language and only 0.2 % of the population speaks Albanian. Toher languages in the country include Catalan and Sardinian.
Italians are careful about what they wear. In Italy what you wear reflects your social status and first impression last.
The people are fashion conscious and have some of the most famous fashion designers including Giorgio Armani, Prada, Valentino, Nicola Trussardi, Roberto Cavalli, Donatella Versace, Fendi Gianni Versace Prada and Dolce & Gabbana.
• Full name: Italian Republic
• Population: 61 million (UN, 2012)
• Capital: Rome
• Area: 301,338 sq km (116,346 sq miles)
• Major language: Italian
• Major religion: Christianity
• Life expectancy: 79 years (men), 85 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents
• Main exports: Machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, clothes, wine
• GNI per capita: US $35,320 (World Bank, 2011)
• International dialling code: +39
– By Sipho Kekana and Lerato Matlala
