Stade de Suisse, Berne
Monday 9 June 2008 – 20.45CET (20.45 local time)
Group C
Just once, eight years ago, have the FIFA World Cup holders won the ensuing UEFA European Championship. Italy, beaten in that 2000 final, begin their bid to emulate France on Monday against a Netherlands team confident they can overcome the absence of Arjen Robben.
Burden
Azzurri coach Roberto Donadoni succeeded Marcello Lippi after the 2006 World Cup victory in Germany and, as he considered the Netherlands encounter in Berne, as well as the subsequent Group C tests against Romania and France, he admitted that their exalted status could be a burden. “When a side are world champions, there are obviously expectations,” Donadoni said. “People think that because you won the World Cup it is a guarantee that you are going to win. But it happens at club as well as international level – you can win the UEFA Champions League but it doesn’t mean you will win it again. Every time there is a different winner and it is very difficult to repeat victories.”
Materazzi favoured
The captain from 2006, Fabio Cannavaro, is out with an ankle injury and Marco Materazzi is favourite to take his place alongside Andrea Barzagli in central defence while Antonio Di Natale could beat the squad’s new skipper, Alessandro Del Piero, to a start on the left of the attack. Christian Panucci did tweak a knee tendon on Friday but Donadoni – who was still experimenting with different lineups in Sunday training – said the right-back has “no problem” now. As for Italy’s opponents, Donadoni said: “The Netherlands did well in qualifying and have some interesting players with plenty of skill, so we have taken that into consideration. It is not going to be easy.” He added: “I think the Netherlands team are helped by the fans all dressing in orange – you really notice them. Aesthetically, it is beautiful.”
Van Persie hope
Donadoni’s former AC Milan club-mate Marco van Basten, who was already without Ryan Babel for the tournament, lost winger Robben to a groin injury which the Netherlands coach said looks likely to rule him out for “at least seven days” – including for the France game on 13 June. However, Robin van Persie is training again after a thigh complaint and may yet pip Ibrahim Afellay or Dirk Kuyt to selection; right-back Mario Melchiot has recovered from a pubic bone problem. Van Basten said: “Robben is an important player – it is a disadvantage that he is not playing. But we played a lot of qualifying matches without Arjen and other players, so we are still capable of getting a good result.”
‘Difficult job’
Not that it will be easy against Italy, whom the Netherlands have not defeated since 1978. “Two years ago they were world champions and they still have mostly the same players,” the Oranje trainer continued. “It is going to be a difficult job for us and the group will be difficult with France and Romania. We will have to perform very well but we will give it a try.”
Van Bronckhorst up for a challenge
Giovanni van Bronckhorst is more than happy for the Netherlands to begin their UEFA EURO 2008™ campaign against the world champions as they take on Italy in their Group C opener at Berne’s Stade de Suisse Wankdorf.
Respect
With 78 caps, the Feyenoord man is the Netherlands’ most experienced outfield player, and he is not afraid of the Azzurri’s status as FIFA World Cup holders. “I think it’s a good match to start the tournament,” Van Bronckhorst said. “It’s a difficult match for us against the world champions of two years ago. We are very determined to have a good first game. We have a lot of respect for Italy and what they have achieved but we will do all we can to get the three points.”
Confidence
Van Bronckhorst knows this territory, having already played in two UEFA European Championship semi-finals, including the 2000 defeat by the Azzurri, whose strength he again emphasised. “Italy have won a lot of titles, their players play for the biggest teams in Europe, they have a lot of experience and it is no accident that they are the reigning world champions,” the 33-year-old said. “Any team would have trouble in beating them, but we have confidence in ourselves and we will go out there to pick up the points.”
Preparations
A midfielder for his club, Van Bronckhorst reverts usually to left-back in Marco van Basten’s Oranje team and says the squad are in ideal condition for the tests to come in Group C against Italy, France and Romania, despite the withdrawal of Ryan Babel and Arjen Robben’s current absence with a groin problem. “We have prepared for three weeks and worked very hard to get into top shape, and I think we are in peak condition,” Van Bronckhorst said. “Unfortunately we have some players who cannot start but we have good players to replace them, players who will give 100 per cent for their country.”
Buffon seeks repeat of 2000
When it comes to the UEFA European Championship, Dutch football fans have unhappy memories of Italian goalkeepers. Eight years ago, the brilliance of Francesco Toldo denied the Netherlands a place in the final of UEFA EURO 2000™ in a semi-final where he saved a first-half penalty from Frank de Boer and then, after the Azzurri’s ten men had hung on for a goalless draw, secured their 3-1 shoot-out triumph by stopping Paul Bosvelt’s kick.
Missed out
Ironically, Toldo only took his place between the posts in the 2000 finals because of an injury to the man preparing to line up against the Netherlands in Berne on Monday, Gianluigi Buffon. The Juventus goalkeeper, then 22 and playing for Parma FC, had been poised to feature in his first major international tournament before withdrawing from the squad with a hand injury. This time Buffon is ready to take centre stage against Marco van Basten’s Oranje and another pre-tournament injury, that suffered by defender Fabio Cannavaro, should give him the chance to start as Italy captain. With Alessandro Del Piero, the most-capped player in Roberto Donadoni’s squad, expected to begin on the bench against the Netherlands – Antonio Di Natale is favourite to partner Luca Toni in attack – Buffon is the obvious candidate to wear the armband.
‘Pleased to wear armband’
“I’m very sad about Fabio’s absence. He is most of all a point of reference for all of us,” Buffon told euro2008.com on the eve of Italy’s opening Group C fixture. “However, I think we still have a good defence, I’m positive abut that. It would be a great pleasure for me to wear the armband even if it would not be the first time. I think I deserve it as 12 years have passed since I made my debut with Italy. It’s a matter of age – sooner or later I would have become captain anyway.”
‘Team to beat’
The 30-year-old, capped 82 times, is confident about the world champions’ prospects in Austria and Switzerland, describing them as favourites to win UEFA EURO 2008™ and secure their first European crown since 1968. “Yes, I think we are the team to beat. We have worked well and we are curious to see how far we can go. We are starting to feel the right degree of tension ahead of the big game. It’s very important to start well. We know that when you struggle in the first game everything becomes more complicated. We are fully aware of the importance of this game and we are ready.”