Coach: Marcello Lippi
Tactics: Classic Italian game of strong defence and clever counter-attacking.
Star Player: Alessandro Nesta - dominant defender at the heart of the Azzurri's back four.
Verdict: Rarely mentioned as possible winners this time. That might suit Lippi's men as the weight of expectation can be a hindrance. Not short of quality though with a spine of Gianluigi Buffon, Nesta, Andrea Pirlo and the rapidly-emerging Luca Toni. Always tough to beat and Lippi is used to success after a trophy-laden spell at Juventus.
Ten things you didn’t know about Italy
1. They omit number 13 from their lottery because of superstition.
2. It is an offence in the city of Milan to walk about without a smile on your face unless you are visiting someone in hospital or are going to a funeral.
3. In medieval Italy kisses weren't taken, or given, lightly. If a man and a woman were seen embracing in public they could be forced to marry.
4. It is illegal to be a prostitute in Siena, Italy, if your name is Mary.
5. In Milan, Italy, when an operator dialled a wrong number, the phone company fined the operator.
6. A survey in 2003 of young people in Italy found their heroes were not pop stars or footballers, but Mother Teresa and the Pope.
7. All gondolas in Venice, Italy must be painted black, unless they belong to a high official.
8. In Italy, it is illegal to make coffins out of anything except nutshells or wood.
9. A new Italian study has shown that couples with TV's in their bedrooms have sex half as much as couples who do not.
10. Norwegian pop group A-ha only managed to reach number 17 in Italy with mega album Hunting High And Low.
