EURO 2008 INFO

After a World Cup difficult to digest, Italy has regained its superb and his realism to finish his cannonball eliminatory phase. Winner at the last minute in Scotland, the Squadra Azzurra will be present at Euro 2008. Typical.

After his coronation planet, it is with the hangover that Italy has started his campaign for the Euro. A disastrous starts, which was punctuated by a draw at home to face Lithuania (1-1) and a defeat at the Stade de France (1-3), as a contrast to the 2006 World Cup. There was fear then the worst for the Squadra newly generated by Roberto Donadoni struggling to find its identity. Finally, as usual, Italy has qualified through his immense experience.
 
Left: The hero Panucci, caught by De Rossi. Italy has to pull its ticket to the Euro.
 
Doubt? The Azzurri do not know. Already up against the wall after only two playoff meetings, Transalpins reacted in the most beautiful way, in that they are great champions. Not necessarily irresistible, but sure of his strength, Italy has managed to be defiant at home and avoid the pitfalls on the outside. Before his tifosi, the Squadra has not received any purpose, signing three wins 2-0 and no one conceding the face of France (0-0).
Better yet, outside, the Italians won their last 5 trips! While it was not easy, but every time the team with four stars has managed to demonstrate its superiority. For the Faroe Islands (2-1), Lithuania (2-0) and Ukraine (2-1), Italy has imposed whenever thanks to a man, because Inzaghi, Di Natale Quagliarella and have to turn signed a tour doubled.
 
Grazie mille Panucci
 
Then came the latter moving to Scotland. A match which qualified directly to the winner and the loser virtually eliminated. One game into sudden sum, as the Azzurri craves. And Donadoni's men did not take long to put back in this crucial encounter, as from the 1st minute of the game Luca Toni opened the hallmark of a nice outside right in the skylight. The Italians believed even have doubled the bet in the 31st minute, but the goal of Di Natale will finally be unjustly denied for a offsides nonexistent. Worse, the pad with Cannavaro saw in the second half times the Scots back up (65e) thanks to a realization of Fergusson yet tainted with a offsides! Despite a big shift to physical vacuum, Italy would still have to find the resources needed to, as a first step, resisting the onslaught of the Tartan Army, and then as a second step, to go snatch victory of the qualification. The saviour is called Christian Panucci, holder in the absence of Oddo and therefore author purpose of the issuance of a head on a free kick in the very generous stoppages Thursday And for that, we can tell him "grazie" to the Christian friend. For this purpose, in addition to Italy, it is also France that ships in Austria and Switzerland the current defender of AS Roma, the former AC Milan, Real Madrid or Monaco.
 
Mal party, Italy has therefore, in the end, and as usual, qualified for a major international rendezvous with an impressive series. On his last 9 meetings, it has signed 8 wins and a draw, in the face of France. Next June, the Squadra Azzurra will be one of the great favorites of the euro, you can be sure.