EURO 2008 INFO

Pippo Inzaghi has roared into form as the season approaches its final stretch. Carlo Garganese asks whether Pippo Inzaghi could, and should, force his way into Roberto Donadoni’s Euro 2008 squad…

I will begin this debate with a posing question to every reader - how many times in the past have you written off Pippo Inzaghi? 

I’m pretty sure that more than a few of you believed that the striker was ‘finished’ in 2005/06 after he had barely played for two years due to injury. Yet back came Inzaghi with a prolific second half to the season, earning his place at Germany 2006, and picking up a World Cup winners medal.  

I’m certain that their were those who wrote off SuperPippo last year after he had scored just two goals in Serie A all season. Yet once again the veteran rose from the dead to score both goals in Milan’s Champions League final win over Liverpool in Athens.  

Once again this season, many have discarded Inzaghi, claiming that at the age of 34 he is too old. I have been one of Inzaghi’s biggest fans over the years, and I still to this day insist that I have never seen a forward in the history of the game with better movement and striker intelligence than the Milan man. I must confess though that even I have had my doubts whether this was the beginning of the end.  

Having watched Inzaghi rattle in four goals in his last two games, I can say that there is still some life left in his ageing limbs. Some sections of the Italian press are now calling for Inzaghi to be taken to Euro 2008, and the player himself says he is ready if called upon.  

“Roberto Donadoni knows me well,” he told Studio Sport.   

“He knows what I can do and my feelings about the Azzurri shirt. I played in lots of the qualification games. If I am needed then good, but the important thing is that I train without any problems and keep playing for a great team.”  

Inzaghi may have had an injury-hit campaign, but his statistics remain superb. In 1410 minutes that he has been on the pitch – just over 15 games in total – he has scored 12 goals.  

Once again he has proved to be a big game player, scoring in both of Milan’s finals, hitting the equaliser in the European Super cup win over Sevilla, and striking twice in the Club World Cup success over Boca Juniors.  

Inzaghi also scored four times in as many appearances in the Champions League, breaking Gerd Muller’s all-time UEFA scoring record in the process.  

What many people forget is that, despite the fact he has not played for Italy since last September, Inzaghi was actually the Azzurri’s second top-scorer in their Euro 2008 qualifiers, hitting the back of the net three times in six appearances. Only Luca Toni, with five, scored more.  

Roberto Donadoni has a plethora of striking options to choose from when he names his 23-man squad for Austria and Switzerland. To go through all these names would be exhaustive, but what we do know is that Luca Toni, Antonio Di Natale and Mauro Camoranesi, who will occupy the right-hand side of the trident, are guaranteed tickets.  

The one criticism directed at Donadoni over his squad selections for the recent friendlies with Portugal and Spain is that Italy lacked impact players who would be able to come off the bench and grab a goal if the team were behind.  

Inzaghi certainly would offer this option in the Euros if he was called, as would the likes of Alessandro Del Piero and Antonio Cassano, who also both possess an X-factor quality to their game.  

It is debatable whether the likes of Fabio Quagliarella, Marco Borriello or Vincenzo Iaquinta would be able to change a match, like the former three, if Italy were to find themselves trailing with 20 minutes to go.

No one is suggesting that Inzaghi starts for Italy, in fact this is just impossible with Toni in the side, but as a super-sub he could be a very potent weapon.