Italy v Bulgaria - PREVIEW
Paranoid Italy fear skulduggery
Italy will only be sure of a place in the quarter-finals if they beat whipping boys Bulgaria and there is a winner in the other Group C game between Sweden and Denmark.
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| Italy's midfielder Gennaro Gattuso gestures during a training session at the Restelo stadium in Lisbon 09 June 2004 in preparation for the European Nations championship. Italy will train in Lisbon until 14 June when they fly to Porto for their first Euro 2004 match against Denmark. AFP PHOTO/ Vincenzo PINTO |
However, a high scoring draw in the Sweden v Denmark clash would enable both teams to qualify at Italy's expense, regardless of the Azzuri's result.
Sweden and Denmark both have four points, but the Swedes top the group because of their superior goal difference. Italy are in third place on two points, while are already eliminated.
The build-up has been overshadowed by suggestions that the Swedes and the Danes might have shaken hands on their result and the Italians want the match closely monitored.
Italy are unhappy with the way Danish television cameras tracked their striker Francesco Totti for the whole 90 minutes of their game against Denmark and caught him spitting in the face of defender Christian Poulsen.
The pictures led to a three-match ban for Totti.
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| Italy's forward Antonio Cassano (2dL) is congratulated by his teammates forward Alessandro Del Piero (L) and midfielder Simone Perrotta (R) as Sweden's defender Olof Mellberg reacts after he scores the first goal against Sweden, 18 June 2004 during their Euro 2004 Group C football match at the Dragao stadium in Porto. AFP Photo / Miguel RIOPA |
Gennaro Gattuso hit out at the treatment received by the Italians: "In these last few days everybody has been following our movements, now let's see how they behave. I'm sick of being lectured. We are Italy and we have a tradition. Let's look in their houses."
Gattuso carried on moaning: "The truth is that we Italians are not well-liked," he growled. "Maybe it's because our championship is the most beautiful in the world.
"I've heard people say that UEFA respect us, but in every tournament recently something strange happens to us."
Together with Gattuso, Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro is also suspended so Parma's Matteo Ferrari could step in to play alongside Alessandro Nesta in the centre of defence.
Bulgaria will be weakened by the loss of their influential captain Stilian Petrov, sent-off in the 2-0 defeat to Denmark.
Teams
Italy: Gianluigi Buffon; Christian Panucci, Alessandro Nesta, Marco Materazzi, Gianluca Zambrotta; Stefano Fiore, Andrea Pirlo, Simone Perrotta; Alessandro Del Piero (capt); Antonio Cassano, Bernardo Corradi
Giovanni Trapattoni
Bulgaria: Zdravkov (capt); Daniel Borimorov, Zlatomir Zagortchitch, Predrag Pazin, Ilian Stoyanov; Milen Petkov, Zoran Yankovich, Marian Hristov; Zdravko Lazarov, Dimitar Berbatov, Martin Petrov
Coach: Plamen Markov
Referee Valentin Ivanov (RUS)