ITALIA - The Italian National Football Team

Taylor_82

Taylor_82

Viv Anderson
I like the Azzurri.

I've followed them in every tournament since 2002.

They are definitely my international team.

Admire the Italian philosophy on football. I love clean sheets and these guys love defending. They celebrate a block or tackle like a goal. High fives all round.

gigi-buffon-leonardo-bonucci-andrea-barzagli-e-giorgio-chiellini-festeggiano-una-vittoria-con-la-juventus-1280x720.jpg


My favourite players throughout the years are:

Buffon

Panucci
Maldini
Cannavaro
Nesta
Materazzi
Zambrotta
Grosso
Barzagli
Chiellini
Bonucci

Gattuso
Perrotta
De Rossi
Ambrosini
Pirlo
Montolivo

Del Piero
Inzaghi
Totti
Montella
Vieri
Cassano
Toni
Gilardino
Di Natale

2006 was the pinnacle:


2006_1653007c.jpg


Shame about the current Italian squad and the lack of quality players available to them.
 
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F

Francis Benali (on loan)

Guest
Re: ITALY - The Italian National Football Team

Like watching the Italians generally. My team from 88 onwards...

Zenga
Panucci
Baresi
Costacurta
Maldini
Pirlo
Donadoni
Albertini
Del Pierro
Baggio
Schillaci
 
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Haych

Haych

John Robertson
Re: ITALY - The Italian National Football Team

The ‘BBC’ was a thing of beauty with Gigi in goal.

The modern game misses proper defending, chiellini at 35 and suffering injury problems is still one of the best defenders in the world, bollocks to Sky Sports telling me that Liverpool player is the best defender in the world
 
Alf-engelos Mindminackers

Alf-engelos Mindminackers

The Artiste formally known as "Wanksy"
Re: ITALY - The Italian National Football Team

Half Italian so Italy have always been my second team internationally after England. In fact the Golden-Shower generation of English football in Gerrard, Rooney, Lampard etc. actually put me of England a fair bit post 2002. So 2006 was uber-mint!

ITALIA! ITALIA!

Pearce is still better than Maldini though :psycho:



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Strummer

Strummer

Socialismo O Muerte!
LTLF Minion
F

Francis Benali (on loan)

Guest
Re: ITALY - The Italian National Football Team

Taylor_82 said:
Lippi as manager.

_41867676_lippi270.jpg
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Would have to be Sacchi.

Probably partly because of my age, and because he was coach of the classic Milan side too. He also has the better name for a football coach.

Both went to a shoot out in the World Cup Final. Not much in it.

Though if I was looking for cool, I'd have to pick Dino Zoff.
 
F

Francis Benali (on loan)

Guest
Re: ITALY - The Italian National Football Team

My team is selected largely on a policy of nostalgia and age bias.

Schillaci gets in for seven games at Italia '90. There have been a lot better, including Vialli whose place he took after the start of that tournament. But that tournament and Toto are iconic. It's also like track and field stars for national teams - having the best career is not what counts here, it's all down to who did what at the Olympics. If I was older, I'm sure I'd have Paolo Rossi.

Totti isn't getting in my side after spitting at Christian Poulsen at Euro 2004. Yet Frank Rijkaard is forgiven a similar transgression because I was then ten, I already thought he was great, he's seemed the nicest man in football when dealing with Mourinho as Barcelona coach, and I don't have a hard time convincing myself Rudi Völler might have asked for it because I already knew I didn't like Völler.

Also, Cannavaro is missing out for a wasp sting. And more specifically the hypocrisy of the media in how they treat that in football compared to track and sport. In one sport that makes the media a lot of money, excuses are accepted without question, everything forgotten and footballers idolised. In the other where the only money to be made from specifically this kind of stuff, reputations are ruined and the sport takes another kicking. So I've instructed Arrigo that Cannavaro is out on principle.

The most unlucky to miss out on selection is Dino Baggio. There were better again. But none others missing out called Baggio.
 
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Le Juif Rouge

Le Juif Rouge

Senior Mass Debater
Re: ITALY - The Italian National Football Team

The Italian National Team usually wears the best kit in any tournament they play it.
 
Ravi

Ravi

Upper Decker
Taylor_82 said:
I like the Azzurri.

I've followed them in every tournament since 2002.

They are definitely my international team.

Admire the Italian philosophy on football. I love clean sheets and these guys love defending. They celebrate a block or tackle like a goal. High fives all round.

1f62fcbe85ba509dd4b440de31c244f2-67273-1448142964_50.jpeg


My favourite players throughout the years are:

Buffon

Panucci
Maldini
Cannavaro
Nesta
Materazzi
Zambrotta
Grosso
Barzagli
Chiellini
Bonucci

Gattuso
Perrotta
De Rossi
Ambrosini
Pirlo
Montolivo

Del Piero
Inzaghi
Totti
Montella
Vieri
Cassano
Toni
Gilardino
Di Natale

2006 was the pinnacle:


2006_1653007c.jpg


Shame about the current Italian squad and the lack of quality players available to them.
Click to expand...

Got to love a team who celebrate keeping a clean sheet as much as a win.

They also wear the best kits. One of the main reasons I was happy we got Macron.


Zoff
Bergomi
Cabrini
Collovati
Gentile
Scirea
Oriali
Tardelli
Conti
Graziani
Rossi

Altobelli



best moment:

 
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Alf-engelos Mindminackers

Alf-engelos Mindminackers

The Artiste formally known as "Wanksy"
Surprised not to see a bit moer love for Vieri. I'd have him in my first 11...............

Buffon, Maldini, Cannavaro, Nesta, Baresi, Pirlo, Totti, Del Piero, Baggio, Vieri
 
BryanRoy22

BryanRoy22

Ian Bowyer
I've always admired their mentality and their footballing philosophy too.

They've produced some great players over the years but like the Dutch, they're going through a reboot period at the moment.

Staying with the Italian football theme and thinking of great reading, A Season with Verona and The Miracle of Castel di Sangro are probably two of the best books I've ever read.
 
Barry

Barry

Where's me hammer?
Italian football on channel four.. boring as f***. Watch a game for 80 mins just two teams cancelling each other out, no shots just diving and fouling. Go for a piss come back and it was 2-0 both screamers. Every f***ing week.

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Strummer

Strummer

Socialismo O Muerte!
LTLF Minion
Barry said:
Italian football on channel four.. boring as f***. Watch a game for 80 mins just two teams cancelling each other out, no shots just diving and fouling. Go for a piss come back and it was 2-0 both screamers. Every f***ing week.

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Click to expand...

James Richardson and the incomparable Peter Brackley made it essential viewing though.

GGOOOOLLLLLAAAAZZZZOOOOO!!!

(In other news, I’ve had to edit the thread title, because it was bugging me).
 
Huxley

Huxley

John Robertson
Strummer said:
James Richardson and the incomparable Peter Brackley made it essential viewing though.

GGOOOOLLLLLAAAAZZZZOOOOO!!!

(In other news, I’ve had to edit the thread title, because it was bugging me).
Click to expand...

He does a podcast of the same name covering Calcio and it's eccentricities down the ages. It's a good listen if anyone's got half an hour to kill.
 
Raymondo Ponte'

Raymondo Ponte'

It's all about mid-table...
Barry said:
Italian football on channel four.. boring as f***. Watch a game for 80 mins just two teams cancelling each other out, no shots just diving and fouling. Go for a piss come back and it was 2-0 both screamers. Every f***ing week.

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Click to expand...

Don't watch it Baz, gerrin Wetherz.
 
Strummer

Strummer

Socialismo O Muerte!
LTLF Minion
On this subject: for some holiday reading, I can thoroughly recommend Calcio: A History of Italian Football by John Foot.

It’s a brilliant journey through Italian football and it’s eccentricities.
 
DanR

DanR

Steve Chettle
First World Cup I watched was 1982, that Italy side took some time to get going but had some decent players. If you're looking for a ball-playing centre half then you can't get much better than Gaetano Scirea. Pair him up with Claudio Gentile for a decent combination. The Tardelli celebration has already been posted.

I'd pick the semi-final of Euro 2000 as one of my favourite games - versus Holland in Amsterdam, a man down in the first half, and although they were helped by Holland missing two penalties, it's a masterclass in defensive play.
 
Huxley

Huxley

John Robertson
Gentile vs Maradona.

Now there was a man who's name didn't fit his playing style.
 
Huxley

Huxley

John Robertson
Another strange selection from Mancini for tonight Vs the Greeks.

Having previously gone with youth he's decided on a couple of aging cb's and a cf who has struggled all season.

Fully behind the dropping of Gigio in favour of Sirigu who is the better keeper.

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Eddie Yates

Eddie Yates

Steve Chettle
Claudio Gentile, Marco Tardelli & Paulo Rossi

I loved the 82 World Cup & Tardelli’s celebration knocks the bollocks out of the stupidity of taking your shirt off, sticking your tongue out or making a silly sign to camera like today’s little twats do.

Back to the 82 WC England P5, W3, D2 scored 6, conceded 1 and were still knocked out, what a wank format dreamt up by some bellend at FIFA
 
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