Tough Euro 2012 draw for Azzurri

Italy's route to Euro 2012, to be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, looks anything but straightforward as the Azzurri were drawn in Group C, alongside Serbia, Slovenia, Northern Ireland, Estonia and the Faroe Islands.

Group C is the only one that features three teams that have qualified for this summer's World Cup finals. Only the nine group winners and the best runner-up will gain automatic qualification.

Play-offs, between the remaining eight runners-up, will be needed to determine the other four finalists of Euro 2012 to be contested by 16 teams.

Although Italy start as favourites to top their group, Serbia and Slovenia will be no pushovers. In South Africa this summer, Slovenia will take on England, US and Algeria in Group C while Serbia will be up against Germany, Australia and Ghana in Group D.

Slovenia did well in the World Cup qualifiers, finishing runners-up behind Slovakia.

Following the two-legged play-off, Slovenia completed the job in style by knocking out Guus Hiddink's Russia.

Serbia, on the other hand, claimed top spot in Group Seven and forced runners-up France to take on Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland in the play-offs.

The highly-rated teams that were ousted by Slovenia and Serbia in the World Cup qualifiers attest to the strength of ex-Yugoslav republics who have a reputation of giving Italy a hard run for their money in competitive matches.

Estonia and Faroe Islands should not pose any problems to the group favourites but Northern Ireland could prove to be tricky opponents, particularly on home soil.

Winning all points available at home is an absolute must for Italy to make the finals without having to resort to the play-offs. To this end, the awkward trips to Belgrade and Ljubljana could well prove decisive.

By the time the qualifiers get underway, Italy could well have lost the world crown as the finals in South Africa are likely to bring the curtains down on coach Marcello Lippi's second stint at the helm of the national team.

Speculation is rife that Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli is the favourite to succeed Lippi.

According to media reports, Italy's new coach could be unveiled before the World Cup starts in June even though the move could backfire and seriously undermine Lippi's work.

Whoever takes the job from Lippi faces a challenging task to assemble a new squad, practically from scratch.

There are no two ways about it. The national team needs to be rejuvenated. The golden generation of players like Cannavaro, Totti and Del Piero is way past its best.

This seems crystal-clear to everyone except to Lippi. And Italy's fiasco in last year's Confederations Cup did little to make him change his mind.

Many reckon Lippi should have started the rebuilding process soon after replacing Roberto Donadoni following Italy's quarter-final exit in Euro 2008 at the hands of eventual winners Spain. But Lippi has constantly ignored his critics by keeping faith with the players who took Italy to the world title in Germany in 2006.

The players knocking on the door of the national team are Giorgio Chiellini, Marco Motta, Davide Santon, Andrea Ranocchia, Leonardo Bonucci, Domenico Criscito, Gaetano D'Agostino, Luca Cigarini, Riccardo Montolivo, Alberto Aquilani and Mario Balotelli.

The good news for Italian football is that there are more promising players coming up. It really depends on the new generation.

The more ambition and willpower to succeed these young players exhibit, the better are their prospects of claiming a regular place in their club's starting line-up. Their eventual progression would also make things easier for the future Italy coach.

Serie A statistics

1 point collected by misfiring Fiorentina in their last five outings. Last weekend, they were floored by high-flying Sampdoria who recorded their fourth straight win and are now level on points with fourth-placed Napoli. Milan returned to winning ways, after a three-match winless streak, as they edged Udinese 3-2. Udinese are the only top division side still in search of their first away success.

2 penalties were given last weekend. Fabrizio Miccoli made Palermo's defeat at Roma less sour by converting an 80th-minute penalty and Juve's Alessandro Del Piero notched his second goal of the day from the spot in a 3-2 win over Genoa.

5 positive results in a row (three wins and two draws) saw Bologna move five points clear of third-from-bottom Livorno. In Sunday's basement clash, Bologna handed Livorno their sixth home setback. Serse Cosmi's side have now gone five games without a win (two draws and three defeats).

6 months had to pass for Lazio to record their second away win of the term. New coach Edy Reja could not have hoped for a better debut as Lazio beat Parma away 2-0. All Parma have to show from their last eight games are two draws (vs Udinese 0-0 and Inter 1-1).

7 points currently separate leaders Inter from nearest pursuers Roma. Inter held tight for a goalless draw at Napoli to extend their unbeaten run to nine games (five wins and four draws). The stalemate was Napoli's third on the run following 0-0 draws against Palermo and Genoa.

25 goals were scored on the 24th day. Total number of goals scored so far amount to 603. Andrea Masiello (Bari) committed the only own goal of the day. Four players - Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Milan), Matteo Brighi (Roma), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) and Marco Rossi (Genoa) - grabbed a brace each. Udinese's Antonio di Natale (17 goals) is three goals clear of Diego Milito (Inter) in the scorers' list.