Euro 2016: Previewing Italy’s Road to the European Championships

After another disappointing World Cup, the Italian national team will once again start to reboot itself on the road to the European Championships. Cesare Prandelli totally reinvented the team in the run-up to Euro 2012, and the side made a surprising run to the final of the tournament.  He was due to guide the Azzurri to the tournament in France, but Italy’s flop in Brazil—due in large... 

Antonio Cassano vs. Giuseppe Rossi: Who Should Italy Take to Brazil?

Giuseppe Rossi and Antonio Cassano are likely fighting for a single spot on Italy’s final World Cup roster. Both were named to the provisional squad two weeks ago by coach Cesare Prandelli.  Whichever of the two makes it to Brazil, he will likely take on a role similar to the one Alessandro Del Piero served for Marcello Lippi in 2006—that of the attacking supersub that can give the... 

World Cup 2014: Predicting Italy’s Final 23-Man Roster

A major milestone is being reached in the run-up to the World Cup.  Rosters are being announced every day. Some nations, like England and Japan, have already named their 23-man final rosters for the tournament. Others, like Italy, have named a provisional roster of 30 or so with a deadline of June 2 to announce their final selections. Once the European season ends, manager Cesare Prandelli will... 

Italy World Cup Rewind: The Third Star—1982 vs. West Germany

Welcome again to Bleacher Report’s series of Italy World Cup Rewinds.  Over the last few months we’ve been taking a look back at some of the best—and worst—moments in the history of the Azzurri at the World Cup.  Two weeks ago we relived the second-round match between Italy and Brazil that sent Italy on to the 1982 semifinals.  Today we move forward one week to... 

Italy World Cup Rewind: Paolo Rossi Silences His Critics, 1982

Welcome back to Bleacher Report’s series of Italy World Cup Rewinds.  Over the last few months we’ve been looking at the best and the worst of Italy’s history in world soccer’s showpiece event.   Today, we look at the game that sent the Azzurri catapulting to their first World Cup title in 44 years—and that legitimized both Italian soccer and forward Paolo Rossi... 

Italy World Cup Rewind: The Match of the Century, 1970

Welcome back to Bleacher Report’s continuing series of Italian World Cup Rewinds.  We’ve been through a fairly bleak period in Azzurri history in our last few editions, but today’s edition brings a look at the moment when things turned around and Italy once again rose toward the top of the international game.   The game would become known to history as The Match of the Century—and... 

Cesare Prandelli’s Contract Extension the Best Thing for Italy

A week ago, Cesare Prandelli agreed to a two-year contract extension that will see him coach the Italian national team through the European Championships in France in 2016. Simply put, this is thoroughly deserved—and the best thing that FIGC could have done. It’s rare in this day for international managers to last much more than one World Cup cycle.  It’s rarer still for a coach... 

Italy World Cup Rewind: Humiliation at the Hands of North Korea, 1966

Welcome back to Bleacher Report’s series of Italy World Cup Rewinds, where we take a look back at the prestigious history of the Azzurri in the tournament’s history—both in good times and in bad. Today, we’ll be looking at another of the lower points—the shocking 1-0 loss at the hands of North Korea that knocked the team out of the 1966 tournament and went down as one... 

5 Things Italy’s Andrea Pirlo Does Better Than Spain’s Xavi

Andrea Pirlo and Xavi have been the key cogs in the Italian and Spanish national teams for the better part of a decade.  The two deep-lying playmakers have carried the torch for their disappearing role and kept it relevant in today’s game. The two have been hailed as some of the best midfielders of their generation but while Xavi has been catapulted into international acclaim by the success... 

Italy World Cup Rewind: Infamy at the Battle of Santiago, 1962

Welcome back to Bleacher Report’s series of Italy World Cup rewinds, a revisit of the highs and lows of Italy’s history in soccer’s most prestigious competition.  Today, we will look back to the lows for the first time.  It’s one of the most infamous games of soccer in the history of the sport: 1962’s Battle of Santiago between the Azzurri and Chile.   The... 

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