Italy

Coach:

Roberto Donadoni

Born: 09/09/63

Goalkeepers

Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)

Born: 28/01/78 Caps: 82 Goals: 0

Italians believe he is the best in the world. Prone to wearing a strange bobblehat with a hole in the top.

Marco Amelia (Livorno)

Born: 02/04/82 Caps: 6 Goals: 0

Despite being part of a smaller team and there being little other competition for the reserve keeper's slot, Amelia deserves his place after keeping relegated Livorno in games it otherwise would have lost.

Morgan De Sanctis (Sevilla)

Born: 26/03/77 Caps: 2 Goals: 0

De Sanctis has made a rare appearance for Sevilla this season.

Defenders

Fabio Grosso (Olympique Lyon)

Born: 28/11/77 Caps: 31 Goals: 3

His career has stalled since scoring the winning goal in the World Cup. A move to Inter did not work out and he has not been on top form at Olympique Lyon.

Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina)

Born: 27/08/81 Caps: 2 Goals: 0

Called into the squad after Fabio Cannavaro's tournament-ending injuries.

Christian Panucci (Roma)

Born: 12/04/73 Caps: 53 Goals: 3

Ignored during the victorious campaign because of a disagreement, the experienced defender has come back into the fold and scored the last-minute header which put the team into the tournament.

Marco Materazzi (Inter)

Born: 19/08/73 Caps: 40 Goals: 2

Injuries curtailed much of the season, but he will be fresh at least. Materazzi was upset when his words to Zinedine Zidane before being head-butted in the World Cup final were leaked.

Andrea Barzagli (Palermo)

Born: 08/05/81 Caps: 22 Goals: 0

Materazzi's injuries at the start of the season meant that Barzagli became first-choice centre back for the remaining qualifiers. He let no-one down with some top performances but has looked less commanding in Palermo's fetching pink kit this term.

Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)

Born: 14/08/84 Caps: 10 Goals: 1

Has forced himself into the reckoning with a series of strong performances for Juventus in the middle of the defence.

Gianluca Zambrotta (Barcelona)

Born: 19/02/77 Caps: 71 Goals: 2

A winger-turned-fullback, the team looks far more effective when he's on the pitch. Constant speculation he will join Milan from Barcelona in the close season.

Midfielders

Gennaro Gattuso (Milan)

Born: 09/01/78 Caps: 58 Goals: 1

Does not quite have the bite of old but “The Pitbull” is still one of the most feared defensive midfielders in the game.

Andrea Pirlo (Milan)

Born: 19/05/79 Caps: 46 Goals:6

A threat from dead ball situations and precise with his passing, Pirlo is the team's heartbeat, even if his form has dipped this season. Shares his surname with an alcoholic tipple from his home town of Brescia.

Massimo Ambrosini (Milan)

Born: 29/05/77 Caps: 31 Goals: 0

The third member of the Milan midfield to also make up the team's engine room but less noticed than Pirlo and Gattuso.

Simone Perrotta (Roma)

Born: 17/09/77 Caps: 40 Goals: 2

The World Cup winner has had an indifferent season but his left foot means he retains his place in the squad.

Daniele De Rossi (Roma)

Born: 24/07/83 Caps: 33 Goals: 4

Fierce in the tackle and the shot. His enthusiasm sometimes gets the better of him and has held back his international career.

Alberto Aquilani (Roma)

Born: 07/07/84 Caps: 5 Goals: 0

Another Roma midfielder with a good pass, his opportunities in the capital this season have been hampered because of injuries and a plethora of rivals for a first-team spot.

Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus)

Born: 04/10/76 Caps: 35 Goals:4

Can feature on either the midfield or the right of the team's favoured three-pronged attack.

Forwards

Luca Toni (Bayern Munich)

Born: 26/05/77 Caps: 34 Goals: 15

Tall and bustling, he is not a traditional Italian striker which makes him even more effective as the sole frontman. A late flourisher, he was part of nine clubs before joining Bayern Munich.

Marco Borriello (Genoa)

Born: 18/06/82 Caps: 3 Goals: 0

Banned for three months for failing a drugs test while at Milan.

Antonio Di Natale (Udinese)

Born: 13/10/77 Caps: 18 Goals:7

The diminutive team member is the critical part of the team's tactics where he operates as a left winger or left attacker. Injuries or suspension to Udinese's top scorer would give Donadoni a big headache.

Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese)

Born: 31/01/83 Caps: 8 Goals: 3

Di Natale's strike partner at Udinese, he burst onto the international scene with two goals in the team's qualifiers. His form has stuttered since though.

Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus)

Born: 09/11/74 Caps: 86 Goals: 27

Following a lacklustre showing in a draw with France, Del Piero has been in sparkling form and has forced the coach's hand. Although Donadoni hinted that he was getting too old for international soccer, he has rediscovered some pace of late.

Antonio Cassano (Sampdoria)

Born: 12/07/82 Caps: 11 Goals: 3

The temperamental but mercurial forward was Donadoni's wildcard pick following a superb season back in the top flight. A five-game ban for verbal abuse looked to have ended his chances of a call-up.