Euro 2020 Official Thread

Discussion in 'Italy: National Teams' started by calabrese8, May 28, 2021.

  1. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I was quoting the other quote but yes, the 2006 starters were incredible.

    I don’t think we will ever see these types of players ever again….

    Buffon, Cannavaro, Nesta , Materazzi, Zambrotta, Grosso, Pirlo, Gattuso, Cameronesi, Del Piero, Totti, and Toni.

    Those guys were levels above most top teams. Thinking of Vieri and if he was healthy and were to be included in that team , it had to be one of the best teams ever.
     
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  2. Mean Machine

    Mean Machine Member+

    May 23, 2018
    Yeah, I keep forgetting that Vieri was supposed to be there but picked up an injury. Our main issue in 2006 was lack of a star striker that could really create things by himself and Vieri could do all of that.

    Toni was very decent though. Gilardino as well worked really hard and was talented. I wasn’t really as fond of Iaquinta and Inazghi but they were ok backups.

    One thing I think that Lippi could’ve done better in 2006 though was play Del Piero as a false 9 in front of Totti and use Toni as a super sub. I feel we would’ve had more creativity that way. Del Piero was mostly playing out of position anyway as kind of a left midfielder/winger and interchanged with Perrotta. I felt if he put Perrotta there with Totti behind Del Piero, we would’ve been a lot bigger of a threat up top. What do you think?
     
  3. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Lippi loved Iaquinta and he quoted as such on his FaceTime with Cannavaro last year.

    Back in 2002-2010, he was highly touted. I think Barcelona wanted to buy him at one point. Sad that his career took a nosedive at such a young age.

    If he was in his prime today, I’m pretty sure he will have been a top forward in the Serie A. Same with Vieri , Inzaghi , Gilardino , Totti and Delpiero…
     
  4. johnny6

    johnny6 Member+

    AC Milan
    Italy
    Jun 29, 2011
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Facepalm.

    In Italy a large portion of people go out to bars/town squares to watch the game not sit at home. One bar showing on one screen = 1 viewer per tv ratings but in reality one bar showing one screen = 50+ viewers if not hundreds in some areas.

    Calcio is not dwindling, go troll another forum.
     
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  5. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    This is what I posted on facebook exactly 3 years ago today!

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Stamos

    Stamos Member

    Apr 6, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    From what I remember, Vieri was always a question mark for 2006. By that point, he just wasn't the same player anymore. I think Lippi was going to leave him out and the injury just made the decision easier for him.


    The game has evolved so much since that time and Serie A doesn't have the prestige it once did. The scandal in 2006 was a huge factor in that and it just never seemed to recover. So guys like Cannavaro, Nesta, Buffon, etc would have still excelled on the field, but off it they wouldn't have the star power they had at the time. Different times. Back then, someone like a Donnarumma or a Verratti would have been considered world class.
     
    Pietro Calcio repped this.
  7. Tifoso

    Tifoso Moderator
    Staff Member

    Juventus
    Italy
    Feb 24, 2007
    northern California
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Awesome, but mine is better.
     
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  8. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I don't think so. Lippi stated specifically he will have taken Vieri had he not gotten injured so he took Inzaghi instead.

    I was living in Italy at the time and the story was Super Pippo was on the outs because he was trying to hit on Marcello's dauther Stefania Lippi...

    [​IMG]

    When Vieri got injured, he had no choice but to take Inzaghi.....
     
  9. johnny6

    johnny6 Member+

    AC Milan
    Italy
    Jun 29, 2011
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Ha that's funny, i wonder if this is why he had such little playing time. I always thought that risky option to get around the Czech keeper one on one instead of passing (keeper almost won the ball) was the reason why we didn't see him again. Just like Zaccardo and the own goal against the u.s, we never saw him again.
     
  10. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Lippi held personal grudges. Baggio , Panucci and Cassano.

    Baggio was too old but he got rid of him twice at the club level.

    Panucci was a long grudge….
     
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  11. Stamos

    Stamos Member

    Apr 6, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    #486 Stamos, Jul 15, 2021
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2021
    Yes, I remember the Panucci grudge but what was the story on that?
     
  12. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy

    Panucci e la lite con Lippi che gli costò i Mondiali 2006 ...



    [​IMG]


     
    Stamos repped this.
  13. Mean Machine

    Mean Machine Member+

    May 23, 2018
    Baggio? He was really too old for 2006 World Cup. I think he should’ve gone to 2002 but he really was past it by 2006.
     
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  14. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    No I didn't mean that. I meant Lippi held grudges and with Baggio it was twice at the club level at both Juve and Inter.

    He retired in 2004 so he wouldn't have played in WC 2006 anyway.....

    Trap should have taken Roby instead of DLivio in 2002…,
     
  15. Mean Machine

    Mean Machine Member+

    May 23, 2018
    I was never a fan of Cassano either. I always felt that he thought he was more deserving than he really was and refused to fight for his place and prove his worth.
     
  16. Stamos

    Stamos Member

    Apr 6, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Lippi, for better or worse, was stubborn.
    2010 was one of those tournaments where you can completely understand why they brought him back but by that point, whether it was age, lack of passion or him already climbing the highest mountain with nowhere left to go, he just didn't have it. Leaving Rossi at home was a headscratcher and then saying how he never saw that side going to the Finals anyways - right after they were knocked out - not a good look...

    But 2006 is what we will - and should - remember him by.
     
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  17. Stamos

    Stamos Member

    Apr 6, 2013
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Cassano was a phenomenon. Truly a fantastic talent... I always felt he was misunderstood. Prandelli got alot out of him at the tail end of his career.
     
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  18. Mean Machine

    Mean Machine Member+

    May 23, 2018
    He didn’t perform in the 2014 World Cup. I know he did very well in Euro 2012 but was mediocre at best in 2014 World Cup.
     
  19. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Cassano by 2014 was past his prime. His time was from 2004-2010. He made Trap’s 2004 Euro team and did well but was excluded from Lippi’s 2006 & 2010 WC squad. I think he played in Euro 2008,

    I could just imagine 2006 with Totti , Cassano and Delpiero.

    Three #10’s of that caliber???? That would have been an incredible lineup even in rotation.
     
  20. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
  21. Mean Machine

    Mean Machine Member+

    May 23, 2018
    Totti and Del Piero were both there.
     
  22. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Not on the field together though. It was very rare that they played together. Totti and Cassano knew each other inside and out and could have done wonders offensively.
     
  23. Mean Machine

    Mean Machine Member+

    May 23, 2018
    Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Del Piero and Perrotta often rotated as a left midfielder/winger. What I wonder though is why was Del Piero playing there? He's normally a striker or second striker, why was he playing as a left midfielder? I think he should've played as striker with Toni on the bench.
     
  24. r0adrunner

    r0adrunner Member+

    Jun 4, 2011
    London, UK
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I don't know how the data is collected but I said it's interest which has fallen. It was reported the other day that viewing figures were lower than for the last tournament in 2016 which is suprising given Italy did much better this year.
     
  25. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy

    Starting in 2003, when Brescia transferred Luca Toni to Palermo , he ended up scoring 50 goals between the Serie B and promotion to the A. That season before the World Cup he had scored 31 goals for Fiorentina. That’s 81 league goals and 84 total in only 3 seasons and he was the hottest striker in Europe.

    Delpiero was always Lippi’s favorite but was 32 going on 33 in 2006 and Lippi just knew how to utilize him as a sub. He appearied in five matches, and two out of the three group stage games.

    At that point, there was no way he would have becnhed Toni though.
     

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