Italy Team of the Decade

Gattuso doesnt deserve a spot? You have gone loco. He was a star in the 2006 WC. Rest of the team is OK. Maldini did more in those 2 years,than Materazzi has done in 9 years since 2000.

i agree with most of the team but camoranesi is better than grosso in my mind and should fit in as a winger, zambrotta used to play on the wing too and could go on the other side. and im no fan of inter, but materazzi was a big influence at WC2006…

ps. paul, what team do you manage?

Posted from  United States

oh and as my duty as a juventus fan: WHERES DEL PIERO? lol

Posted from  United States

Clutch performance in getting sent off and conceding a penalty in the final…hardly vintage stuff. Scored a nice header though.

I think the point is this is the best performers in Azzurri over the entire time. Given Materazzi’s other performances, he does not make the grade. But you can keep whining alla Mourinho about club bias on this page, on the interwebs, and in life in general.

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THEY ALL SUCK

Posted from  Canada

I’m a Juventus supporter, but I really like this team (except maybe replacing Grosso with Camoranesi, and playing 4-3-1-2). While Del Piero has been phenomenal for Juve, he just hasn’t been good enough for the Azzurri to displace either Vieri or Inzaghi – and since he’s more of a second striker than a trequartista, Totti gets the nod for the playmaker role. Also, as I already mentioned, I would pick Camo over Grosso. Grosso had ONE excellent month this decade (that month in Germany where he was, without doubt, one of the main protagonists). Camo, on the other hand, has been the main creative force for the Azzurri throughout the decade. My 11: (4-3-1-2): Buffon; Zambrotta, Nesta, Cannavaro, Maldini; Camoranesi, Gattuso, Pirlo; Totti; Vieri, Inzaghi.

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Weston- I manage my home town club, Frosinone, they’re in Serie B. Here’s the line-up (3-5-2):

Fiorillo
Gubliato S. Bocchetti A. Bocchetti
D’Agostino Coppola
Pepe Eder Guberti
Inzaghi Dzeko

Gotta love how so many players are underrated in the game and you can get them so cheap (Got D’Agostino, Dzeko, and Guberti for less than 1 mil each)

And to the Juve Fans: The Del Piero stuff was all a joke, directed at my fellow psycho Roma supporters who think Totti is the greatest Azzurri player ever and De Rossi should be on the team of the decade. I love both of them,(no homo) but DDR has never had a great run with the national team yet and Totti always played better for Roma.

Posted from  United States

“But you can keep whining alla Mourinho about club bias on this page, on the interwebs, and in life in general.”

I have a Juventus supporter’s okay to do something? As any ref can tell you. that’s like soldi in the pocket! Thanks, Master, for the permission to point out the obvious here on this web page!

“So people are asking for Materazzi’s inclusion based on one tournament? Of which he only played two complete games? Team of the tournament; possibly, maybe as a reserve but Italian team of the decade; not a fucking chance. Nesta deserves his place as much as any from the World Cup winning squad for his contributions to that point.”

WC 2006
Group Stage

Italy v. Czech Republic – Materazzi comes on for Nesta at 17′

Round of 16

Italy v. Australia – Materazzi starts, is sent off at 50′

Semi Finals

Italy v. Germany – Materazzi starts

Finals

Italy v. France – Materazzi starts, scores at 17′, scores penalty (unlike Trez)

So does Nesta deserve a place on this decade team due to his work in germany? Not if you are sane…

Which means that over the 2 World Cups this decade, Materazzi has spent about the same amount of time in the back line as Nesta – maybe a little more – and he was definitely more productive.

Of course, if you don’t believe me then look it up yourself on the FIFA website: http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=155971/index.html

Hardly team of the decade material… but the alternative is to put in Materazzi, which we already know is not going to happen… Oh wait, it already hasn’t.

Yes, you have my permission to whine. Clearly, I control everything on this blog.

Posted from  United States

Thank you for letting me post facts, with links about the National team appearances and performances of 2 playes.

Clearly, this is the new definition of “whin[ing]“.

Oh, I forgot, I was doing it in favor of someone not Roma or Juventus approved. Well, then, that makes… er, sense…

It’s for the decade! That includes Euro 2000, Wc2002, Euro2004, WC 2006, Euro 2008

If anyone thinks Materazzi has been or is better than Nesta is a complete MORON

See the number of games for these tourneys and Nesta has played more games, and is miles better.

C’mon, it’s not even close

—————–Buffon
Zambrotta–Cannavaro–Nesta–Maldini
—–Camoranesi–Gattuso–Pirlo
—————–Baggio
———–Del Piero–Vieri

That’s the best possible team right there. Grosso, Inzaghi, Totti, etc fall just short of the starting XI in my opinion.

“If anyone thinks Materazzi has been or is better than Nesta is a complete MORON”

So, of Euro 2000, Wc2002, Euro2004, WC 2006 and Euro 2008 which of these did Nesta score two goals + a penalty kick in to help us win the cup?

It’s not about more, it’s not even about talent. It’s about production. And Marco produced in the highest stage. Nesta, more often than not, had a hard time finding the pitch.

And I always know that someone who doesn’t agree with me is on shaky factual ground when they start insulting me and pretends that makes a difference in whatever they are saying.

So thanks.

Nesta is miles better than Matrix- Fact I love Matrix for helping us win the WC, and I even think he is better than people give him credit for in general, but c’mon, better than Nesta? You gotta be kidding me.

Nesta was always first choice and Matrix only played when he got hurt.

Sorry for the name calling, but Nesta is one of the best Italian defenders ever. Matrix had a couple of good games in the WC. For which I will be forever grateful

cassano would have been in the list if he were consistent with his discipline and life style and physique..
cassano è un giocatore con una caratteristica molto rara: IL BARICENTRO BASSO

questo gli consente di avere un equilibrio perfetto anche se dovesse provare 10.000 dribbling. Cassano ha un carattere veramente di merda, ma a oggi, se fossi in moratti lo comprerei al volo. Con lui pazzini è andato in nazionale, ed ho detto tutto…

FANTANTONIO IN NAZIONALE!!!!!!
…e magari anche all’inter mi piacerebbe, con lui Milito ed Eto’o farebbero sfracelli…

Why you don t try to count how many goals Del Piero scored for Italy?

Inzaghi doesnt deserve that place

Posted from  United States

Buffon

Cannavaro – Nesta – Maldini

Zambrotta Grosso

Gattuso – Pirlo

Totti

Inzaghi – Del Piero

Only one change for me, besides that I think it’s a fantastic team, and note the 6 Milan players as well!

Posted from  United States

Del Piero is a legend.Face it.In a level much more than Totti/Inzaghi/Vieri/Pirlo could ever imagine for.He was magnificient in Euro 2000.Don’t tell me he wasted 2 golden chances.I have seen all his games in Euro00 and he was amazing.He took the game vs Sweden by storm.He was world class in WC02.If not for him,Azzurri would have bought tickets to Rome following the Mexico game.He was running past Korean players with ease too much more than Totti.In 2006 WC,Germans were getting control of the game trying to win it in penalties (the German efficiency we speak of);thats when Lippi put Alex into the play and what happened next was a complete transition of game play.Alex would take on Kehl and Freidrich and made helluva lot of spaces.He made Klinsmann to put Neuville for Klose not to add more pace to the game but to add more men in the flanks which ADP was raping the hell off.He took that cool corner and sealed the game with a finish which in that circumstance was one among the best world cup goals scored ever.In Euro 2008,he was again brilliant against Romania.He created a chance for Toni out of nothing with a square ground pass which i don’t think many would have seen.The difference was seen again in the game against Spain when he was painfully close to scoring the victory goal in extra timeby beating 4 spanish defenders from the edge.That was ‘THE SKILL’ of the tournmaent.Without a doubt,ADP is an Azzurri legend and with 27 goals as a SS,he would be head and shoulders ahead many among the fake ones in the AZZURRI SQUAD OF THE LAST DECADE.

“Clutch performance in getting sent off and conceding a penalty in the final…hardly vintage stuff. Scored a nice header though”

That was phantom penalty and every one knows it..ADP does not deserve a sopt with the team reason number 1. Euro 2000 cost us the game bury a damn chance never performed well with the azzuri Bobo Vieri much better.

Second point is that Federico Macheda is our best italian prospect and is never talked about here, if he earns a spot w man u he should make the wc2010 squad.

“Nesta is miles better than Matrix-”

Talent only counts in Football manager. I don’t care if he’s better. In fact I think he is better. So what? Talent is a tool. Don’t use it and it’s nothing.

Here’s the fact: Marco played as much as Nesta did in both World Cups so far this decade and outplayed him.

I reiterate my question: of Euro 2000, Wc2002, Euro2004, WC 2006 and Euro 2008 which of these did Nesta score two goals + a penalty kick in to help us win the cup?

When you answer, None, tell me again how great Nesta and how that means more than performance. And then tell me how Marco isn’t up to being on the team of the decade when for him the above answer is the F’n World Cup!

But then again MAD, the job of a center back is to defend isn’t it? I give Marco all the props in the world for being so deadly in the air, but your argument almost seems like he’s up for nomination as a striker on the team of the decade.
Nesta was almost always solid in the back in every tournament. Marco was on the bench. Sure he played well in ‘06, but defending duty wise he was sent off once and gave up that penalty (yes, both were shitty calls, I know)
Marco is definately one of the top clutch players in Azzurri history, but one of the all around best of the decade? Maybe if the decade was only 2006. He just misses out for me. No doubt top sub.

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Did anyone see the comments that Lippi made??!! He just doesn’t get it, and needs to snap out of the ether and wake the fuck up. Lippi essentially was quoted as saying that he would rely upon the same ‘experienced’ squad that he brought to Confederations, and by implementing new “talent” he means players that lack quality, i.e. Pepe, Dossena and whoever else you manage to add to that category. Sad sad sad day when we crash out, because of this man’s stubborness and indignation.

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Totti doesn’t deserve to be on there either.. He performs fantastically with Roma but he had 1 great tournament and one decent tournament with Italy. Plus 2 disasters.

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Although goal.com’s argument is pretty convincing if the information were actually true about all the assists. I don’t remember it well enough to argue for or against that info though.

But I still think there is someone better than Del Piero and Totti to put on there… not necessarily a trequartista.

Posted from  United States

““Nesta is miles better than Matrix-”
Talent only counts in Football manager. I don’t care if he’s better. In fact I think he is better. So what? Talent is a tool. Don’t use it and it’s nothing.
Here’s the fact: Marco played as much as Nesta did in both World Cups so far this decade and outplayed him.”

Get one thing clear, if it wasnt for Nesta’s injuries, Matrix would have never seen the pitch and would have continued to warm the bench…..and we all saw how “good” Materazzi was in Euro 2008 when he played next to Barzagli, he was substituted at half time against Holland and never saw the pitch again, correct? Nesta is one of those players that can lead others to perform, and even make them look good, just like Cannavaro did for Matrix (2006), (and Barzagli during the Euro 2008 campaign).

Posted from  United Arab Emirates