Italy's World Cup Finals trip faces internal problem
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Italy's soccer player Leonardo Bonucci (L) challenges his teammate Alberto Gilardino (2nd L) as Gianluca Zambrotta (2nd R) and Fabio Cannavaro watch during their training session in Sestriere, an alpine village in northwest Italy, May 25, 2010. [Xinhua/Reuters Photo] |
No one would question the strength of the defending champion Italy, but before conquering heavyweight rivals from Europe and South America, Italy face some problems from itself, like age problem and some players' down state.
No one would forget that during the extra-time period of 2006 World Cup finals, Marco Materazzi was head-butted in the chest by Zinedine Zidane and then fell on the field painfully. Zidane was sent off at once and then, after the match, he was blamed for his irrational action which was believed to lead to the lost.
However Materazzi, who had become an icon of Internazionale, could relax himself this summer at home with ease, watching many his ever teammates, with whom he held the gold cup high at the end of the Germany' s summer, that still play their utmost to defend the reputation of defending champion after 4 years.
Lippi announced Tuesday the final national team list, including 9 players that has contributed themselves to the triumph in 2006. Probably the majority of them (and even all of them) would still be key players and play very important role during the 2010 summer.
Gianluigi Buffon may be the most dazzling star in the new Azzuri. The 32-year-old Juventus goalkeeper is considered by many fans and experts as one of the most dominant and powerful goalkeeper in the world today. During the 2006 World Cup finals he kept five clean sheets and a 453-minute scoreless streak, the only two goals conceded were an own goal and a penalty.
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