Who is the fairest , Italy or France?
8 July 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com
The 2006 FIFA World Cup™ Final in Berlin on Sunday brings together France and Italy, two genuine heavyweights of the European game. FIFAworldcup.com takes a closer look at the contenders for the football’s ultimate prize.
1. Best ever moment
ITALY: The Final of the 1982 FIFA World Cup Spain. Italy beat West Germany 3-1 to become world champions for the third time. Marco Tardelli’s manic celebration after the second goal is as memorable today as it was at the time.
FRANCE:
The Final of the 1998 FIFA World Cup France. Didier Deschamps led the hosts to victory against favourites Brazil on an unforgettable night in Paris.
2. Nightmare match
ITALY: De Kuip Stadium Rotterdam, 2 July 2000. Having reached the Final of UEFA EURO 2000 under coach Dino Zoff, the Azzurri were in the mood for revenge. Back in 1998, hosts France had put paid to Italy’s FIFA World Cup hopes at the quarter-final stage after a dramatic penalty shoot-out. In Rotterdam, Marco Delvecchio put Italy into the lead on 55 minutes only for Sylvain Wiltord to grab an equaliser deep into injury-time. In extra time, up stepped France substitute David Trezeguet to break Italian hearts with a golden goal winner.
FRANCE: Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville, 8 July 1982. France faced West Germany in the semi-final at Spain 82. The French took a deserved 3-1 lead in extra time only to be pegged back to 3-3 before succumbing in the inevitable penalty shoot-out, Maxime Bossis missing the all-important kick. The real villain of the piece however was Germany goalkeeper Harald Schumacher, responsible for poleaxing Patrick Battiston when clean through on goal. The Frenchman was carried unconscious from the pitch while Schumacher remained, indifferent to his crime.
3. Key players
ITALY: Most people would have picked forwards Francesco Totti or Luca Toni before the tournament kicked off, but here at Germany 2006 the team spirit in the Italian camp has emerged as the overriding factor. Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo have materialised as unsung heroes from a squad bristling with talent.
FRANCE: Zinedine Zidane is the playmaker and soul of France, able to inspire the whole team with his brilliance. Patrick Vieira plays a vital role in the midfield engine room and Lilian Thuram is still one of the best defenders in the world. These three give a solid backbone to the team, a key ingredient for success on the football field.
4. The coach’s hand at work
ITALY: Marcello Lippi is the real architect of the Italian miracle. He has successfully built morale and united a squad still haunted by the debacles at Korea/Japan 2002 and UEFA EURO 2004. For the fist time in years the Nazionale bear a remarkable resemblance to their helmsman. Concentration, self-belief and tactical acumen are the winning cards favoured by Tuscan-born tactician Lippi.
FRANCE: Raymond Domenech was heavily criticised when he announced his squad but has been true to his stated objective of reaching the Final in Berlin. He has successfully created a solid team sprit in a squad left disillusioned by events at Korea/Japan 2002. The former France U-21 coach also has an uncanny ability to take pressure off his players by placing it on himself.
5. Style of play
ITALY: Italy have stumbled upon their best formation which involves a lone striker supported by Francesco Totti and two players down the flanks. Midfielders Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso have also demonstrated the understanding honed at club side AC Milan. The former acts as a deep-lying playmaker shielded by Gattuso’s ferocious ball-winning skills. There are a plethora of wide players in the squad, all equally effective in defence as in attack. Central defenders Fabio Cannavaro and Marco Materazzi have provided the sure-footed platform needed at the back to prosper at this level.
FRANCE: France are a solid unit based on a powerful defence and combative midfield. The use of solitary target man Thierry Henry means the team have been functional rather than spectacular, but the creative genius of Zinedine Zidane can prove decisive at any moment. Zidane’s free role is made possible by the defensive contributions of the indefatigable Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele.
6. Secret weapon
ITALY: Italy’s trump card is Filippo Inzaghi. The AC Milan hitman may have played a bit-part role up to now, but his strike against the Czech Republic showed that few players share his understanding of the goal-poacher’s art. He should not be underestimated.
FRANCE: David Trezeguet is one of the most prolific strikers in Italy’s Serie A. He therefore knows the Italian defence well and will take great encouragement from the winning goal he scored against the Azzurri in the Final of UEFA EURO 2000. He has yet to score at Germany 2006.
7. Club sides
ITALY: All 23 members of the Nazionale squad play in Italy. Juventus and AC Milan are the largest contributors with five players each, followed by Palermo with four.
FRANCE: Only four members of the usual starting line-up play in France: Fabien Barthez, Eric Abidal, Florent Malouda and Frank Ribery. The other players ply their trade abroad in various European leagues. A total of five either play or have played for Juventus: Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet. The team supplying most squad members is Lyon with five: Abidal, Malouda, Sylvain Wiltord, Gregory Coupet and Sidney Govou. Coach Raymond Domenech also has playing and managerial experience with Lyon.
8. Television viewing figures
ITALY: The total television audience for the semi-final against Germany was 26,026,854, the second highest figure ever for an Italian broadcast after the 27,537,000 viewers who tuned in to follow the Italy-Argentina semi-final at Italy 1990. Both records look set to tumble during Sunday’s match against Les Bleus.
FRANCE: In France a total of 22,199,760 viewers watched the semi-final with Portugal. This is a record for 2006 and exceeds the number who watched the Final of UEFA EURO 2000 (21.4 million) and the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final (20.6 million).