Euro 2008 Draw - Italian Perspective

[Aladino]

Originally Posted by Joel

A win against Holland would set us up nicely with Romania just after.

I'd hate to go into the final game against France needing a win.

Excatly!

[Jager]

No team can do that really. Italy must try to win all their games if possible.

First game is Holland, lets concentrate on that. The draw is done, there aren't any easy games.

If we do well, we are set up nicely, that goes for all the teams.

I'm very confident that the players will be ready to play.

[dukeofdavinci]

agree wth jager.no point in aiming to win this and that.instead aim to win every single game we come face to face.

since 3 pts in every game would be a ticket to next one that is what we should focus on.

well the draw is made teams are ready lets go azzurrini and reach that final!!!

[Aladino]

Originally Posted by dukeofdavinci

agree wth jager.no point in aiming to win this and that.instead aim to win every single game we come face to face.

since 3 pts in every game would be a ticket to next one that is what we should focus on.

well the draw is made teams are ready lets go azzurrini and reach that final!!!

They are the Under 21's

[D-Kin]

It's also worth mentioning that if we make it through we'll face one of two teams from Group D (Spain, Sweden, Russia, Greece).

[Aladino]

Originally Posted by Joel

It's also worth mentioning that if we make it through we'll face one of two teams from Group D (Spain, Sweden, Russia, Greece).

Interesting, never thought that far ahead. Thanks Joel. Some stromg teams, at least there is no germany

[Jager]

June 9 Romania-France (17.00, Zurich)
June 9 Holland-Italy (19.45, Berne)
June 13 Italy-Romania (17.00, Zurich)
June 13 Holland-France (19.45, Berne)
June 21 Holland-Romania (19.45, Berne)
June 21 France-Italy (19.45, Zurich)

[dukeofdavinci]

my bad miss spelled azzurri wth ading the "ini"

well i think after getting kicked down the gutter in the last edition of euro i think our lads will be fired for this one.

even its a tough opener game but we can do it if we retained the grit determination and united self we showed in the wc and the qualy campaign.

uefa.com has pic of don and domench and i dont what don was thinking but domench was really turned up side down and his face shows it all after being drawn together.

[Aladino]

Group of Death draws mixed reaction


The look on France coach Raymond Domenech's face said it all as Les Bleus were the second team drawn in Group C after the Netherlands. Being placed alongside the Dutch was bad enough, but Domenech's expression of horror signalled the realisation that worse was to come. Romania were next out of the pot, then the hammer blow – Italy. The Group of Death. Every tournament has to have one and UEFA EURO 2008™ has not disappointed with the UEFA EURO 2000™ and 2006 FIFA World Cup finalists scheduled to reprise their rivalry on 17 June in Zurich. The two sides also met in qualifying, as did the Netherlands and Romania, so it was a time to renew acquaintances when the four coaches faced reporters together after today's draw in Lucerne. "Va bene?" asked a journalist as Roberto Donadoni took his place at the table. The Italy coach shrugged and smiled wryly. Domenech could not hide his disappointment though, admitting he would rather have "avoided these three teams" before leaving early.

Roberto Donadoni, Italy coach
It was not an easy qualifying round and now we have not been too fortunate with this draw. I had a gut feeling that it would turn out this way. But now we have to cope with what we have been given.

Raymond Domenech, France coach
Not necessarily all the coaches are happy with the way the draw has turned out. I would have preferred to have avoided these three teams. But we have to proceed with the draw as it is.

Marco van Basten, Netherlands coach
You can say we have a really heavy group. We have to play against the World Cup finalists Italy and France. These are the two big countries. They have lots of experience, good players, so we have a really hard group. In the last World Cup we had a 'group of death' and I am very curious what they will call this one. We start against Italy, then France and then Romania so it will be a tough group for us. Italy is a real football nation that always gets far in tournaments. The same goes for France in recent years. This will be a very tough job.

Victor Piţurcă, Romania coach
It is a very nice and easy group, with the world champions, the World Cup runners-up and Holland who we know very well. We hope it will be an extraordinary experience for us and why shouldn't we be one of the two teams to qualify?

Haha, Domenech? Feeling scared now are we? Idiot!



Priceless, you can see the fear. And Donadoni is like ok whatever!

[dukeofdavinci]

now thats funny.

well between i dont know who got to the rest room and throw up since the draw.and who will loose tonights sleep..i know i alredy lost tonights peace after it...but still keeping my head high

[azzurri]

Good, this will force Italy to play right from the opening.

[LAF]

I fear for the Azzurri they are famously slow starters in tournaments and I actually think you'll be lucky to get second.
Although I feel Italy are better than Holland (who are quite poor under van Basten these days) and Romania.

[dukeofdavinci]

2008: Domenech: 'Italy provoke' Sunday 2 December, 2007

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As ever, France boss Raymond Domenech’s reaction to facing Italy in Euro 2008 was typically controversial.


Les Bleus have been drawn with the Azzurri, Holland and Romania in the so-called Group of Death.


“One certainly can’t be happy in a group like that, but the draw is done now and we have to get used to it,” commented the Coach.


“It is a difficult group with the final game anything but simple against Italy. In fact, it could even be irrelevant, as we have to ensure Romania and Holland don’t knock us out first.


“We all know the quality of the Dutch, but be careful of Romania, as they finished ahead of Holland in qualification.”


The last match in Group C is Italy-France in Zurich on June 21 – the fourth time these teams would have crossed paths in less than a year.


The Azzurri won the World Cup Final on penalties in Berlin after Zinedine Zidane’s dismissal for head butting Marco Materazzi.


The tension from that game has festered with two ill-tempered Euro 2008 qualifiers, a 3-1 home win in Paris and the 0-0 at San Siro.


When Domenech was asked a question about Materazzi and the possibility of facing him again, the Coach stormed out of the Press Conference.


“I don’t talk about Materazzi, the Italians do,” said the tactician who picked up a touchline ban during qualifying for false allegations against Italy.


“First they provoke me and then blame me for everything, but I won’t let myself get swept up in it.”


Italy’s record against France is of 17 wins, nine draws and eight Bleus victories, having scored 77 goals and conceded 48.


However, the peninsula nation hasn’t beaten France over 90 minutes since the 1978 World Cup.


Most notably the Euro 2000 Final was decided by a David Trezeguet Golden Goal. Dino Zoff’s Italy had been leading 1-0 until approximately 30 seconds from time, when Sylvain Wiltord equalised.

he says....

2008: Don expected the worst Sunday 2 December, 2007

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Roberto Donadoni always thought Italy’s Euro 2008 draw would be tough and believes they are ready for it.


“I was hoping for a little more good luck, but that is fine,” said the Coach after they were placed in Group C alongside Holland, Romania and France.


“I had a feeling it was going to be a very difficult group and it is just the latest challenge that we must face with a relaxed state of mind. There are more worrying things in life than football.”


It is a revenge mission all around, as Holland are still smarting from their Euro 2000 semi-final defeat on penalties against 10-man Italy, while relations with France have deteriorated to an all-time low after the ill-tempered World Cup Final and qualifying campaign.


France boss Raymond Domenech showed he is still angry about the encounters with the Azzurri, as he walked out of today’s Press Conference when asked about Marco Materazzi.


“I don’t talk about Materazzi, the Italians do,” said the tactician who picked up a touchline ban during qualifying for false allegations against Italy.


“First they provoke me and then blame me for everything, but I won’t let myself get swept up in it.”


Donadoni was told of the incident, but decided not to get involved in another media melee.


“It is not up to me to judge Domenech’s behaviour,” said the former Livorno Coach. “All I say is that to avoid another run-up to Italy-France with a poisonous atmosphere we must all use common sense.


“Speaking personally, the idea of taking on France again does not create any particular emotions in me.”

and don says


and i say
prick of french **** domench who cant shut himself up whn it lands him in hot water

[D-Kin]

As usual Domenech is talking shit.