The draw for next year’s World Cup finals, which took place at Costa do Sauipe in Salvador on Friday, could have been better for the Italian national team as the four-times world champions were pitted in the same group as England, Uruguay and Costa Rica.
This will be Italy’s 18th participation in the World Cup finals, having missed out on qualification in 1958 after missing out on the first edition way back in 1930.
There are no two ways about it… the Azzurri, who will make their debut of fire against Roy Hodgson’s England on June 14 in the Amazon city of Manaus, have to be on top of their game to reach the knock-out stages of the tournament.
There will be no room for complacency because Italy’s group opponents will be no pushovers.
In his comments after the draw, coach Cesare Prandelli said an intriguing task awaits his side in Brazil next summer considering Group D comprises three former world champions – Italy (1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006), England (1966) and Uruguay (1930 and 1950).
Prandelli is already aware of the tall order awaiting his side particularly the travel schedule and the awkward climatic conditions.
In this regard, and as already highlighted by the Azzurri mentor himself, the physical condition of the players for the entire duration of the competition will be a crucial factor.
Italy and Uruguay played at the FIFA Confederations Cup last summer, giving them a slight edge over England after having tested the same conditions they’ll be finding next year.
Prandelli, meanwhile, was more specific in identifying Costa Rica as the dark horses of the group, for two reasons mainly.
First, Jorge Luis Pinto’s side will not ex-perience the same kind of pressure as Italy, England and Uruguay to qualify from the group.
Secondly, Costa Rica are relatively unknowns on the international stage.
That could confound the pundits as happened in their first World Cup finals showing in 1990 when Los Ticos upset the likes of Scotland and Sweden to set up a second-round clash with Czechoslovakia.
This will be Costa Rica’s fourth participation in the finals following the tournaments of 1990, 2002 and 2006.
Italy may not be familiar with Costa Rica but they surely know a thing or two about England, the two countries’ clashing in the quarter-finals of the 2012 European Championship which the Azzurri won after a penalty shoot-out.
Despite the fact that England seldom make inroads in the World Cup, bar the fourth placing in Italia ’90 (following a 1-2 defeat to Italy in a play-off), the Whites cannot be discarded.
England will be tough opponents with their much-travelled manager boasting a good knowledge of the Italian game having coached Inter and Udinese in the Serie A.
Moreover, the Azzurri are notoriously slow starters so their opener against England represents, perhaps, their most tricky match of the group.
In the 2013 Confederations Cup, Italy beat Uruguay 5-4 after a penalty shoot-out to claim third place.
The 15-times South American champions, led by former Cagliari and Milan coach Oscar Tabarez, possess a squad replete with talent including star strikers Edinson Cavani, currently at Paris SG, and Liverpool’s Luis Suarez.
Italy have already crossed swords with the South Americans twice in the World Cup – a draw in 1970 and a 2-0 win in the 1990 tournament.
No match will be easy in the group stage next year but Prandelli has enough quality in his squad to lead Italy to the knock-out stages.
Of great importance for the coach will be his final decision on the ones making the trip to Brazil and the build-up to ensure his squad peak at the right moment at the tournament.
Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini stops Edinson Cavani, of Uruguay, during this year’s Confederations Cup.