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EspañolITALY NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
The 'Italian national football team' (''Nazionale italiana di Calcio'') is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) and represents Italy in international football competition. They are the current World Champions, having won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Italy is among the top teams in international football and the second most successful national team having won four World Cups (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), just one fewer than Brazil. To this tally they can add one European championship (1968), two Central European International Cup and one Olympic Gold Medal (1936).
The traditional colour of the national team (as well as of all Italian teams and athletes except in motor sports) is light blue[1] (''azzurro'', in Italian), and therefore national team members are nicknamed '''Azzurri'''.
History
Origins and first two World Cups (1910–1938)
Poster of 1934 World Cup edition.
The team's first match was held in Milan on 15 May 1910; Italy defeated France by a score of 6-2.[2]
The first success in an official tournament came with the bronze medal in 1928 Summer Olympics, held in Amsterdam. After losing the semi-final against Uruguay, a victory for 11-3 against Egypt secured third place in the competition.
After declining to participate in the first World Cup (1930, in Uruguay), the Italian national team won two consecutive editions of the tournament in 1934 and 1938, under the lead of coach Vittorio Pozzo and thanks to the genius of Giuseppe Meazza, one of the best Italian players ever. Other stars of that era included Luis Monti, Giovanni Ferrari, Silvio Piola and Virginio Rosetta
In the 1934 World Cup, the host ''Azzurri'' defeated Czechoslovakia 2–1 in Rome, with goals by Raimundo Orsi and Angelo Schiavio.
Italy won the Gold medal in the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in Berlin, thanks to a victory in the final match against Austria.
Italy's predominance on international football in the 1930s was confirmed by the victory in 1938 World Cup. The Italian team beat Hungary 4–2 in Paris, with two goals by Silvio Piola (the all-time top scorer in Italian football) and two by Gino Colaussi.
Post-World War II (1946–1966)
After World War II, the Italian national team did not perform at its pre-war levels.
The tragic loss in 1949 of the players of Torino (the winners of the previous four Serie A titles) in the Superga air disaster saw the loss of ten out of the eleven constituting the initial line-up for the national team. The following year, Italy did not advance further than the first round of the 1950 World Cup, partly due to the long and physically devastating boat trip to Brazil.
In the World Cup finals of 1954 and the 1962 that followed, Italy again failed to progress past the first round, and did not even qualify for the 1958 World Cup.
During the early 1960s, although Italian football clubs like AC Milan and Internazionale ruled the international scene, the National team was unable to replicate these results. Italy did not take part in the first edition of the European Championship in 1960 (then known as the European Nations Cup), and was knocked out by the USSR in the round of 16 (second round) of the 1964 European Championship.
Their participation in the 1966 World Cup is always remembered for their 0–1 defeat at the hands of North Korea. Despite being the tournament favourites, the ''Azzurri'', whose 1966 squad was rich with talent including Rivera and Bulgarelli, were eliminated in the first round by the semi-professional North Koreans and bitterly condemned upon their return home, while North Korean scorer Pak Doo-Ik was celebrated as the David who killed Goliath.[4].
European champions and World Cup runners-up (1968–1976)
In 1968, the ''Azzurri'' won their first major competition since the 1938 World Cup, defeating Yugoslavia in Rome for the European Championship title. The match holds the distinction of being the only major football tournament final to go to a replay. After extra time it ended in a 1-1 draw, and in the days before penalty shootouts, the rules required the match to be replayed a few days later. Italy won the replay 2-0 (with goals from Riva and Anastasi) to lift the trophy.
Two years later, the defending European Champions reached the final of the 1970 World Cup, held in Mexico. First, Italy won its first round group scoring only one goal, after a series of dull, uninspired games against Sweden, Uruguay, and Israel. The quarter-finals saw a transformed Italy prevail 4-1 over host Mexico after trailing 0-1. Then came the semifinal between Italy and West Germany which is remembered as one of the greatest games ever played. This match, won by Italy 4-3 after extra time, is known as the Game of the Century, and a marker at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City still commemorates it. Italy took a 1-0 lead through Boninsegna in the 8th minute, leaving Germany to press forward for the rest of the game. The score remained unchanged until the very end when sweeper Schnellinger, then with Italy's AC Milan, popped up unmarked in the penalty area to score in injury time. In extra time, Müller gave Germany the lead on 94' before defender Burgnich levelled the score with a rare international goal. On 104', Riva made it 3-2, only for Müller to equalize six minutes later with a glancing header. The TV cameras were still replaying this goal when Rivera met a Boninsegna cross with a first-time shot past Sepp Maier for the winning goal in the 111th minute. For the very first time, people gathered in the streets of Italy in the late night to cheer for the victory, and after many years this game still remains the best remembered in Italian football history.
In the two games against Mexico and West Germany, coach Ferruccio Valcareggi had Rivera replace Mazzola in a planned second half substitution, which was called ''staffetta'' (meaning relay as in athletics). This tactic was not repeated in the final, where Italy was defeated by Brazil. In the first half, Boninsegna answered Pelé's 18th minute goal to level the scores. In the second half, Brazil's firepower was simply too much for a tired Italian side, with Jairzinho, Gerson and Carlos Alberto each scoring. The final 4-1 result consecrated Brazil as ''tri-campeão'' (three-time champion).
This generation of great Italian players, like Riva, Rivera, Mazzola and Facchetti, did not keep up the same level of performance at the next 1972 European Championship where they did not reach the playoffs. In 1973 they achieved prestigious victories in friendly matches, beating Brazil once and England twice. In particular, Italy stormed Wembley Stadium, winning 1-0 with a goal by Fabio Capello. Despite these encouraging results, coach Valcareggi resigned after the Italian team's elimination in the first round of the 1974 World Cup. Italy was also eliminated at an early stage in 1976 European Championship.
World Cup winners for the third time (1978–1982)
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, held in Argentina, saw a new generation of Italian players, the most famous being Paolo Rossi, coming to the international stage. Italy played very well in the first round, being the only team in the tournament to beat the eventual champions and host team Argentina. Second round games against West Germany, Austria and Netherlands led Italy to the third place final, where it was defeated by Brazil 2-1. As in the match against the Netherlands, Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff was beaten by a long-distance shot and thus blamed as the main culprit for the defeat. Italy then hosted the 1980 UEFA European Football Championship, the first edition to be held between eight teams instead of four, and with the host team automatically qualified for the finals. Italy was beaten by Czechoslovakia in the third place match on penalties.
After a scandal in Serie A where some National Team players such as Paolo Rossi were prosecuted and suspended for match fixing and illegal betting, the ''Azzurri'' arrived at the 1982 FIFA World Cup amidst general scepticism and discomfort. Italy qualified for the second round after three uninspiring draws against Poland, Peru and Cameroon. Having been loudly criticized, the Italian team decided on a press black-out from then on, with only coach Enzo Bearzot and captain Dino Zoff appointed to speak to the press.
Italy's strength finally showed in the second round group, a true Group of Death with Argentina and Brazil - the defending champions and the team favoured to dethrone them. In the opener, Italy prevailed 2-1 over Diego Maradona's side after an ill-tempered battle in which Italy's defenders and midfielders proved their mastery in the rougher side of the game. Italy's goals, both excellent left-footed strikes, were scored by Marco Tardelli and Antonio Cabrini. After Brazil defeated Argentina 3-1, Italy needed to win in order to advance to the semifinals. Twice Italy went in the lead with Paolo Rossi goals, and twice Brazil came back. When Paulo Roberto Falcão scored to make it 2-2 Brazil would have been through on goal difference; but in the 74th minute Rossi poked home the winning goal in a crowded penalty area to send Italy to the semifinals after one of the all-time greatest games in World Cup history[5]. In the wake of its brilliant second round performance, Italy easily dispatched Poland in the first semi-final with another two goals from Rossi.
In the final match, Italy met their traditional opponent West Germany, who had advanced thanks to a penalty shootout victory against France. The first half ended scoreless, after Cabrini missed a penalty awarded for a Hans-Peter Briegel foul on Bruno Conti. In the second half Paolo Rossi again scored the first goal, and while the Germans were pushing forward in search of an equaliser, Tardelli and substitute Alessandro Altobelli finalised two perfect counterattacks to make it 3-0. Paul Breitner smashed home West Germany's consolation goal seven minutes from the end, making him the second man after Pelé to score in two different World Cup finals.
Tardelli's scream after his goal in the final is still remembered as the symbol of Italy's 1982 World Cup triumph. Paolo Rossi won the Golden Boot with six goals, and 40-year-old captain-goalkeeper Dino Zoff became the oldest-ever player to win the World Cup.
World Cup and European Championship runners-up (1984–2004)
For twenty-four years following the 1982 triumph, the ''Azzurri'' figured prominently on the world stage but did not win another tournament. Italy failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championship and were knocked out in the Round of 16 of the 1986 World Cup by France. 1988 saw them reach the semifinals of the European Championship, where they were defeated 2-0 by the USSR.
Italy hosted the World Cup for the second time in 1990. The Italian attack featured talented forwards Salvatore Schillaci and a young Roberto Baggio. Despite being favourites[6] to win and not conceding a goal in their first five matches, Italy lost in the semifinal to defending champion Argentina, losing 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw after extra time. Schillaci's first half opener having been equalised in the second half by Claudio Caniggia's header for Argentina. Aldo Serena missed the final penalty kick (with Roberto Donadoni also having his penalty saved by goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea). Italy went on to defeat England 2-1 in the third place match, with Schillaci scoring the winning goal on a penalty to become the tournament's top scorer with 6 goals. Italy then failed to qualify for the 1992 European Championship.
In the 1994 World Cup, Italy started very slowly but reached the final. They lost the opening match against Ireland 0-1, this being the only match Italy would lose (not counting games lost after shootout) over the span of three World Cup finals from 1990 to 1998. After a gritty 1-0 win against Norway and a 1-1 draw with Mexico, Italy advanced from Group E based on goals scored among the four teams tied on points. In the Round of 16, Italy was down 0-1 late against Nigeria, but Roberto Baggio came to the rescue with a splended equaliser in the 88th minute and a penalty in extra time to snatch the win.[3] Baggio scored another late goal against Spain in the quarter-final to seal a 2-1 win and two beautifully taken goals against Bulgaria in the semi-final for another 2-1 win.[4][5] In the final, Italy and Brazil played 120 minutes of scoreless football, taking the match to penalty shootout. Italy lost the subsequent shootout 3-2 after Baggio missed the final penalty kick of the match, shooting over the crossbar.[6]
Italy did not progress beyond the group stage at the finals of Euro 96. Gianfranco Zola failed to convert a decisive penalty against Germany, who eventually won the tournament. Then, during the qualifying campaign for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the ''Azzurri'' beat England at Wembley for the second time with Zola scoring the only goal. In the final tournament, Italy found themselves in another critical shootout for the third World Cup in a row. The Italian side, where Del Piero and Baggio renewed the controversial ''staffetta'' (relay) between Mazzola and Rivera from 1970, held the eventual World Champions and host team France to a 0-0 draw after extra time in the quarterfinals, but lost 4-3 in the shootout. With two goals scored in this tournament, Roberto Baggio is still the only Italian player to have scored in three different FIFA World Cup editions.
In the Euro 2000, another shootout was this time to favour Italy, in the semifinal against the co-hosts the Netherlands. Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo saved one penalty during the match and two in the shootout, while the Dutch players missed one other penalty during the match and one during the shootout with a rate of one penalty scored out of six attempts. Emerging star Francesco Totti scored his penalty with a very brave ''cucchiaio'' (spoon) chip. Italy finished the tournament as runners-up, unluckily losing the final 2–1 against France (to a golden goal in extra time) after conceding ''les Bleus' equalizing goal just 30 seconds before the expected end of injury time (94'). After the defeat, coach Dino Zoff resigned in protest after being unfairly criticized by A.C. Milan president and politician Silvio Berlusconi.
In the 2002 World Cup, Italy again had a difficult time. A comfortable 2-0 victory against Ecuador with two Christian Vieri goals was followed by a 2-1 defeat to Croatia, a match in which Italy had two goals bizarrely disallowed. A 1-1 draw with Mexico thanks to a goal from Alessandro Del Piero proved enough to advance to the knockout stages. However, co-host country South Korea knocked out Italy in the Round of 16, reviving the 1966 nightmare. The match was marked by controversy, as Ecuadorean referee Byron Moreno gave Francesco Totti a second yellow card in extra time for an alleged dive, and disallowed a goal in extra time by Damiano Tommasi. Replays seemed to indicate both that the card was unfounded and the goal was good, but the decisions stood and South Korea won 2-1, again with a golden goal in extra time.[7].
A three-way tie in the group stage of the 2004 European Championship left Italy as the "odd man out", and they failed to qualify for the quarterfinals after finishing behind Denmark and Sweden on the basis of number of goals scored in matches among the tied teams.[8] The winning goal scored during stoppage time against Bulgaria by Antonio Cassano resulted useless, leaving the Italian striker in tears at the end of the game.
2006 World Cup: Champions for the fourth time
Italy's campaign in the 2006 World Cup hosted by Germany was accompanied by open pessimism[9] due to the controversy caused by the 2006 Serie A scandal. These negative predictions were then refuted, as ''Azzurri'' eventually won their fourth World Cup.
Italy won their opening game in style against a spirited Ghana side 2-0, with goals from the excellent Andrea Pirlo (40') and substitute Vincenzo Iaquinta (83'). The team performance was judged the best among the opening games by FIFA president Sepp Blatter[10].
The second match was a much less convincing 1-1 draw with USA, with Alberto Gilardino's diving header equalized by a Cristian Zaccardo own goal. After the equalizer, midfielder Daniele De Rossi and the USA's Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope were sent off, leaving only nineteen men on the field for nearly the entirety of the second half, but the score remained unchanged despite a controversial decision when Gennaro Gattuso's shot was deflected in but disallowed for a non-existent offside. De Rossi was suspended for four matches for elbowing American player Brian McBride and could only return for the final match.
Italy finished on top of Group E with a neat 2-0 win against the Czech Republic, with goals from defender Marco Materazzi (26') and striker Filippo Inzaghi (87'), advancing to the Round of 16 in the knockout stages, where Australia were beaten 1-0. In this match, Materazzi was controversially sent off early in the second half (53'), but in the end, after much unfruitful possession by the Australians, the ''Azzurri'' won a controversial penalty kick after contact between Fabio Grosso and Australia defender Lucas Neill. The penalty was expertly converted by Totti in the 94th minute with the last kick of the game.
In the quarterfinals Italy despatched Ukraine 3-0. The superb Gianluca Zambrotta opened the scoring early (6') with a left-footed blast from outside the area and Luca Toni added two more (59' and 69'). Manager Marcello Lippi dedicated the victory to former Italian international Gianluca Pessotto, who was in hospital recovering from an apparent suicide attempt.[9]
In the semi-final, which would be remembered as the most memorable game of the event, Italy beat hosts Germany 2-0 with the two goals coming in the last two minutes of extra time. After an exciting half hour of extra time during which Gilardino and Zambrotta struck the post and the crossbar respectively, Grosso scored in the 119th minute after a disguised Pirlo pass found him open in the penalty area for a bending left-footed shot into the far corner past German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann's despairing dive. Substitute striker Alessandro Del Piero then sealed the victory by scoring with the last kick of the game at the end of a swift counterattack.
Within the crowd in the Circus Maximus in Rome, after the Italian team scored against France
The ''Azzurri'' won their fourth World Cup, defeating France in Berlin, on July 9, 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time. French captain Zinedine Zidane opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a chipped penalty kick, controversially awarded for a foul by Materazzi. Twelve minutes later, a powerful header by Materazzi from a perfectly placed corner by Pirlo brought Italy level. In the second half, a headed goal by Toni was disallowed for a very close offside which was nevertheless correct. At 110', Zidane was sent off after a head butt, provoked by an insult allegedly aimed at him by Materazzi; the two players were eventually fined by FIFA for this incident. Italy then won the penalty shoot-out 5-3, the crucial penalty being David Trézéguet's attempt which hit the crossbar and stayed out unlike Zidane's during the match. Italy scored all five attempts in a shootout for the first time ever (Pirlo, Materazzi, De Rossi, Del Piero and Grosso). Grosso's conversion of the final penalty past French keeper Barthez crowned a superb tournament for him and the team.
Ten different players scored for Italy and five goals out of twelve were scored by substitutes, while four goals were scored by defenders. Seven players - Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Totti and Toni - were named to the 23-man tournament All Star Team.[10] Buffon also won the Lev Yashin Award, given to the best goalkeeper of the tournament; he conceded only two goals in the tournament, the first an own goal by Zaccardo and the second from Zidane's penalty, and remained unbeaten for 460 consecutive minutes.[11]
After the World Cup
Days after the Italian triumph in the World Cup, Lippi announced his resignation.[12]1994 World Cup star Roberto Donadoni was announced the new coach of the ''Azzurri'' on July 13. Italy is currently playing in the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group B, along with France.[13] On February 14, 2007, FIFA ranked Italy 1st in the FIFA World Rankings, moving them up one from their previous rank, 2nd. The ''Azzurri'' had not received such an honour since 1993.[14]
Tournament records
World Cup record
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D ★ | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | ''Did Not Enter'' | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1934 | 'Champions' | '1' | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| 1938 | 'Champions' | '1' | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 |
| 1950 | Round 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 1954 | Round 1 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| 1958 | ''Did Not Qualify'' | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1962 | Round 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 1966 | Round 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1970 | Runners-Up | '2' | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 |
| 1974 | Round 1 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| 1978 | Fourth Place | '4' | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 |
| 1982 | 'Champions' | '1' | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 6 |
| 1986 | Round 2 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 1990 | Third Place | '3' | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| 1994 | Runners-Up | '2' | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 |
| 1998 | Quarter-Finals | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| 2002 | Round 2 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 2006 | 'Champions' | '1' | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| 'Total' | 16/18 | '4 Titles' | 77 | 44 | 19 | 14 | 122 | 69 |
:''
★ Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.''
:''
★
★ Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.''
European Championship record
★ 1960 — ''Did not enter''
★ 1964 — ''Did not qualify''
★ 1968 — 'Champions'
★ 1972 — ''Did not qualify''
★ 1976 — ''Did not qualify''
★ 1980 — 4th place
★ 1984 — ''Did not qualify''
★ 1988 — Semifinals
★ 1992 — ''Did not qualify''
★ 1996 — Round 1
★ 2000 — Final
★ 2004 — Round 1
★ 2008 — (Qualifying Round in progress)
Honours
:''This is a list of honours for all of the senior Italian national teams, including Olympic and Military teams''
★
★
★
★
★
Coaches
During the earliest days of Italian nation football, it was common for a Technical Commission to be appointed. The Commission took the role that a standard coach would currently play. Since 1967, the national team has been controlled only by coaches.
For this reason, the coach of the Italian national team is still called ''Technical Commissioner'' (''Commissario tecnico'' o ''CT'').
★ Technical Commission (1910–1912)
★ Vittorio Pozzo (1912)
★ Technical Commission (1912–1924)
★ Vittorio Pozzo (1924)
★ Technical Commission (1924–1925)
★ Augusto Rangone (1925–1928)
★ Carlo Carcano (1928–1929)
★ Vittorio Pozzo (1929–1948) — 'World Champions 1934, World Champions 1938'
★ Ferruccio Novo (1949–1950) — as ''Technical Commission Chairman''
★ Technical Commission (1951)
★ Carlino Beretta (1952–1953)
★ Technical Commission (1953–1959)
★ Giuseppe Viani (1960)
★ Giovanni Ferrari (1960–1961)
★ Technical Commission (1962)
★ Edmondo Fabbri (1962–1966)
★ Technical Commission (1966–1967)
★ Ferruccio Valcareggi (1967–1974) — 'European Champions 1968', ''Runners-Up World Cup 1970''
★ Fulvio Bernardini (1974–1975)
★ Enzo Bearzot (1975–1986) — 'World Champions 1982'
★ Azeglio Vicini (1986–1991) — ''3rd Place World Cup 1990''
★ Arrigo Sacchi (1991–1996) — ''Runners-Up World Cup 1994''
★ Cesare Maldini (1997–1998)
★ Dino Zoff (1998–2000) — ''Runners-Up European Championships 2000''
★ Giovanni Trapattoni (2000–2004)
★ Marcello Lippi (2004–2006) — 'World Champions 2006'
★ Roberto Donadoni (2006-current)
Players
Current squad
The following players named for the Euro 2008 qualification match against France and Ukraine on September 2007.
Caps and goals as of September 8, 2007, included against France.
Recent call-up
The following players have all recently been called up to the Italy squad. Bracket shows last call-up time.
Previous squads
★ 2006 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 2004 UEFA European Football Championship squads - Italy
★ 2002 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 2000 UEFA European Football Championship squads - Italy
★ 1998 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1996 UEFA European Football Championship squads - Italy
★ 1994 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1990 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1988 UEFA European Football Championship squads - Italy
★ 1986 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1982 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1980 UEFA European Football Championship squads - Italy
★ 1978 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1974 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1970 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1968 UEFA European Football Championship squads - Italy
★ 1966 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1962 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1954 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1950 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1938 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
★ 1934 FIFA World Cup squads - Italy
Notable players
:''Players are ordered by year of debut with national football team
Most capped players
As of September 9, 2007, the players with the most caps for Italy are:
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paolo Maldini | 1988–2002 | 126 | 7 |
| 2 | Dino Zoff | 1968–1982 | 112 | 0 |
| 3 | Fabio Cannavaro | 1997— | 110 | 1 |
| 4 | Giacinto Facchetti | 1963–1977 | 94 | 3 |
| 5 | Alessandro Del Piero | 1995— | 85 | 27 |
| 6 | Franco Baresi | 1982–1994 | 81 | 1 |
| Giuseppe Bergomi | 1982–1998 | 81 | 6 | |
| Marco Tardelli | 1976–1985 | 81 | 6 | |
| 9 | Demetrio Albertini | 1991–2002 | 79 | 3 |
| 10 | Gaetano Scirea | 1975–1986 | 78 | 2 |
| Alessandro Nesta | 1996–2007 | 78 | 0 |
Top goalscorers
As of September 9, 2007, the players with the most goals for Italy are:
| # | Player | Career | Goals (Caps) | Goals per match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luigi Riva | 1965–1974 | 35 (42) | 0.83 |
| 2 | Giuseppe Meazza | 1930–1939 | 33 (53) | 0.62 |
| 3 | Silvio Piola | 1935–1952 | 30 (34) | 0.88 |
| 4 | Roberto Baggio | 1988–2004 | 27 (56) | 0.48 |
| Alessandro Del Piero | 1995— | 27 (85) | 0.32 | |
| 6 | Alessandro Altobelli | 1980–1988 | 25 (61) | 0.41 |
| Adolfo Baloncieri | 1920–1930 | 25 (47) | 0.53 | |
| Filippo Inzaghi | 1997— | 25 (57) | 0.44 | |
| 9 | Francesco Graziani | 1975–1983 | 23 (64) | 0.53 |
| Christian Vieri | 1997—2005 | 23 (49) | 0.47 |
Trivia
★ List of teams whose balance with Italy is positive, taking into account only competitive games.[15] Data are Italian victories-draws-defeats:[11]
★
★ Brazil 2-2-3
★
★ Chile 1-1-1
★
★ Croatia 0-1-2
★
★ France 3-4-4
★
★ Netherlands 1-2-2
★
★ North Korea 0-0-1
★
★ USSR 0-5-3
★
★ Uruguay 1-1-2
★ The team's kit suppliers are currently Puma.
★ Italy played in the two World Cup finals that ended in shootouts. In 1994, they lost to Brazil and most recently in 2006, they emerged victorious over France.
★ There has been at least one Juventus player in every Italian World Cup squad since they first entered in 1934.
See also
★ Battle of Highbury
★ Battle of Santiago
★ Game of the Century
Notes
1. Light blue was the colour of the royal house of the Kingdom of Italy. In its first two matches, the Italian national team wore white shirts with shorts from the club of each player; the azure shirts were introduced in the third match.
2. [1]. Some turmoil kept the players of Pro Vercelli, the best team of the league, out of the game. At the end of the match, the players received as a prize some cigarette packets thrown by the 4,000 spectators.[2] The Italian team (2-3-5): De Simoni; Varisco, Calì; Trerè, Fossati, Capello; Debernardi, Rizzi, Cevenini I, Lana, Boiocchi.[3]
3.
Match Report - 1994 FIFA World Cup USA (TM): Nigeria - Italy
4.
Match Report - 1994 FIFA World Cup USA (TM): Italy - Spain
5.
Match Report - 1994 FIFA World Cup USA (TM): Bulgaria - Italy
6.
USA 1994
7. See 2002 FIFA World Cup (match reports). Subsequent comments by Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni and some other public figures in Italy [7], coupled with more bad refereeing decisions in South Korea's subsequent quarterfinal against Spain (in which two Spanish goals were mysteriously disallowed) led to a conspiracy theory that South Korea were being unfairly favoured by officials. Even Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, recognized that several wrong or controversial decisions against the ''Azzurri'' had taken place during the course of the tournament, including Totti's yellow card, even though he rejected any conspiracy against the Italian team and indicated that inadequate refereeing standards were to blame.[8]. Referee Byron Moreno was suspended and removed by his federation a few years later, due to similar unfair decisions in other local matches.
8. There was some controversy as both Sweden and Denmark knew before their final match that a 2-2 draw between them would let both Scandinavian sides qualify at the Italians' expense, and that is exactly what transpired. Totti again found himself at the center of controversy for the Italian side after being suspended for three games for a spitting incident in the match against Denmark.
9.
Lippi dedicates win to Pessotto
10.
Azzurri prominent in All Star Team
11.
Buffon collects Lev Yashin Award
12.
Lippi the latest to be sucked into crisis Kevin Buckley
13.
Lippi resigns as Italy head coach
14.
Italy oust Brazil to take top spot
15. Competitive games considered are those belonging to: Olympic Games 1912 - 1952, Coppa Internazionale 1927 - 1960, World Cup 1934 - 2006, European Nations Cup 1962 - 2004, U.S.A. Tournament 1976, Copa de Oro 1981, Torneo "Scania 100" 1991, U.S. Cup 1992 and France Tournament 1997.
External links
★ Italian Football Federation (Official news about the national team)
★ Italy World Cup News
★ RSSSF archive of international results 1910—
★ RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
★ RSSSF archive of coaches 1910—
★ Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup
★ Planet World Cup archive of squads in the World Cup
★ Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup qualifiers
★ Profile of the Italian national team on footballdatabase.com
★ Forza Azzurri Statistics — A comprehensive Statistics archive
★ Italian Calcio by Steve Amoia. History of the Azzurri and the Serie A. English language site.
Titles
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