Prandelli makes third pilgrimage following Italy’s win over Germany
The coach has now covered over 40 km of ground, this time walking to a church in Krakow in the early hours of Friday after the Azzurri booked their place in the Euro 2012 final
30 Jun 2012 20:01:00
By Livio Caferoglu
Italy boss Cesare Prandelli has made yet another pilgrimage after walking a further 10 kilometres to a church in the aftermath of Thursday’s Euro 2012 semi-final victory over Germany.
According to La Repubblica, the 54-year-old and his backroom staff completed the trek on foot to the Church of the Sacred Family in Krakow, before returning to their hotel at around 05.00CET on Friday.
It marks the third time that Prandelli has completed the ritual, with his first coming after Italy’s progression to the knockout stages of the tournament, where he walked 22 km to the monastery of the Order of Camaldola.
The head coach made another pilgrimage following Italy’s quarter-final success over England, walking 11 km to the Wieliczka Monastery.
If the Azzurri defeat Spain in Sunday’s final, he has pledged to visit the Bieleny Monastery, located 11 km from the Turowka hotel, along with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
He hasn’t made a pilgrimage to my house yet 
Think they are mixing up their monasteries, one of them is mentioned twice in the article. But a lovely humble gesture.
It’s 24 years ago since Italy were eliminated in normal time in an international tournament knockout game - the European Championships semi-final against the Soviet Union being the last on 1988.
Penalty exits to Argentina (1990), Brazil (1994), France (1998) and Spain (2008). We lost out to France and South Korea in extra time in 2000 and 2002 respectively while in 1996, 2004 and 2010 we failed to qualify from our group. We didn’t qualify for Euro '92.
Some amount of background articles etc in the Guardian today.
This preview from Daniel Taylor is a decent read:
Euro 2012: Spain hope to pass into history as Italy look to Pirlo
Euro 2012 has been a success in many ways but is still waiting for its first classic match in the knockout stages. If a good tournament wants to be remembered as a great one a lot depends on what happens in the Olympic Stadium here on Sunday and whether the two finalists can conjure up the occasion the competition probably deserves.
Spain against Italy certainly has the potential after what the two teams served up, as a kind of appetiser, when they had a first look at one another during the group stages in Gdansk three weeks ago. Spain demonstrated that night, as they have before and since, that they will almost certainly dominate the possession, but there are legitimate reasons for Italy to deduce that the holders can be at least vaguely susceptible to the right combination of smothering tactics and quick, incisive attacking.
Once, that is, Spain give the ball away, considering this has been the tournament, like no other, when they have out-passed their opponents, more than two to one. Spain have accumulated 3,417 passes so far, compared with 1,530 coming back the other way. It has been a one-way demonstration in the art of greedily keeping the ball, cherishing it as if it were made of bone china.
Cesare Prandelli’s side had only 35% of possession in Gdansk but when they did have the ball they did at least pose a number of problems of their own. In fact, Spain’s defence of the title could feasibly have begun as dispiritingly as their first match of the last World Cup (a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland). Antonio Di Natale had opened the scoring in Poland and at that point Italy would already have been ahead had Mario Balotelli not passed up a glorious chance. Balotelli dithered, Sergio Ramos had time to make the saving tackle and Cesc Fábregas scored for Spain within four minutes of Di Natale.
Three weeks on, Balotelli looks like a more confident striker coming to the end of the tournament than he did at the start and if that kind of opportunity comes his way again, one senses he will not be so generous this time. Although on second thoughts, don’t bet your mortgage on it. The first lesson when it comes to Balotelli is that when things are going well in his life they tend to unravel. Prandelli has managed him excellently, getting the response to dropping him for the group match against the Republic of Ireland, but remember, this is Balotelli. Expect anything is probably the best ploy.
His improvement over the past three weeks, encapsulated in his semi-final goals against Germany, in particular the second (clocked at 75.9mph), does mark him out, however, as the most obvious threat to Spain’s hopes of becoming the first nation to win three major football tournaments in succession.
So far there have been only glimpses of the Spanish one-touch, pass-them-into-submission football at its most devastating. For the most part, their keep-ball has been decorative, often in areas of the pitch that will not really hurt the other side. One telling statistic is that they have taken 58 passes in this tournament for every shot. In the previous World Cup, it was 44. At Euro 2008, 33. Opponents have been worn down rather than subjected to chance after chance. Italy have actually played with a commitment to attack that vindicates what many Italians feel about the popular perception of their team as being constructed on defence-minded principles — namely, that it is an unfair stereotype.
Yet Prandelli has also shown an astute tactical awareness and a willingness to change formation that is in complete contrast to, say, the rigid 4-4-2 with which England operated. In Italy’s group game against Spain, Daniele De Rossi dropped back into defence in a 3-5-2 formation. He stayed there for the Croatia match but returned to the midfield as Prandelli reverted to a diamond formation, with Andrea Pirlo as its focal point. All indications are that for the final Prandelli will retain the diamond system that has produced Italy’s better performances. De Rossi has been so impressive in midfield the manager must realise that it is too much of a loss to move him back.
So often against Spain the opposition manager will base his tactics around stopping the world champions. Prandelli needs to show caution, too, but can afford to be a little more adventurous given the width and penetration his team have shown in their past two games. To win, however, they will need to be clinical in front of goal, as they were against Germany but not as they were against England. Spain are simply too good and too restrictive for their opponents to waste chances.
“We don’t expect to be in charge from the first to the last minute,” Prandelli said. “We have a lot of respect for them, but we must take advantage of our moments. We will have to be at our top level because they are the best side in the world.”
Otherwise this might be one of those rare occasions when Spain have to pay special attention to their opponents. When Manchester United have come up against Pirlo in Milan’s colours, the ploy has been to keep Park Ji-sung close to him and not allow him time to dictate the tempo. England and Germany both resisted this option and, ultimately, it was a mistake. If Spain do likewise, Italy are playing with enough confidence to believe they can win this tournament for the first time since 1968.
Preview from ZM:
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2012/06/30/euro-2012-final-spain-v-italy-preview/
Euro 2012 final: Spain v Italy preview
Of the 30 games at Euro 2012 so far, the 1-1 draw between these two countries in the first game of Group C was probably the most fascinating in a tactical sense. A back three battled against a false nine – not a formation match-up you see very regularly.
Unfortunately, we’re unlikely to see such a contest this time around, now Italy have moved away from a 3-5-2 to a midfield diamond. But then again, the diamond is also unique in this tournament – and besides, it gives us an entirely different tactical battle.
It’s odd that these two managers should produce interesting strategic battles. Both are fine coaches, but neither are particularly keen tacticians.
Vicente del Bosque is primarily an organiser, a communicator and a father figure. His talents shouldn’t be underestimated – he’s won the World Cup, and did so because of some excellent strategic moves – but he is more concerned with creating a harmonious dressing room, and making the most of Spain’s cohesive footballing identity. According to him, Spain’s success has “foundations in many things – in the structure of our football, in the academies, and in better coaches.” He downaplays his own role: “When the players are good, the manager is good.” It’s his usual modesty, and it’s partly to deceive the opposition. But it’s also partly true.
Prandelli is not dissimilar. He focuses upon getting his side to play a positive, attractive brand of football and avoids game-to-game switches based around the opponent. Granted, he’s changed formation completely from a 3-5-2 to a diamond in this competition, but in natural tactical terms, moving away from a three-man defence for the Ireland game was an unconventional move. The 3-5-2 thrives against a 4-4-2 – whereas Italy’s diamond had problems against it, particularly down the flanks. Listen to why Prandelli changed formation – “We maintained a certain balance over the last few games…the team that opened the tournament had a different approach, but over time we found fitness and the balance we had been looking for, so rediscovered the certainty we had lost before the competition” – and it’s all about his own players being comfortable, rather than because of the challenge of specific opponents.
But this is a challenge for Prandelli – Spain are both the favourites and the more predictable side. The tactical battle is all about how Prandelli can stop Spain, and exploit their weakness – he’s spoken at length about this in pre-match press conferences.
Spain formation & selection
To a certain extent, it’s the same as always. The first nine names on the teamsheet are unquestionable (despite some reports Xavi could be dropped) but the balance and feel of the side changes according to the names of the centre-forward and the right-sided attacking midfielder.
The centre-forward – if you can call him that – seems likely to be Cesc Fabregas. You can take it as a process of elimination – Fernando Llorente hasn’t featured yet, Fernando Torres hasn’t convinced, Alvaro Negredo was invisible against Portugal – but it’s probably more accurate to look at the midfield battle. In basic terms Italy have a 4 v 3 in that zone, and having struggled to cope with Andrea Pirlo when it was a 3 v 3, del Bosque will want the extra midfielder to compete there, and possibly to put direct pressure upon Pirlo.
The right-midfielder will, in all probability, be David Silva. He’s started all five games, but so frequently the introduction of a proper winger, Jesus Navas, has made Spain more dangerous. The previous meeting against Italy was a fine example – OK, it was against a three-man defence, but with Italy’s full-backs likely to lack protection from ahead here, a natural wide player would stretch the play and create gaps for others. Silva will probably start the game but not finish it.
Italy formation and selection
Will Prandelli consider moving back to the 3-5-2? “In all honesty, no, I haven’t considered it,” he says. “We maintained a certain balance over the last few games, although we understood that during the match we can switch to a 3-5-2 if we want to.” That settles that.
Giorgio Chiellini should continue at left-back alongside his Juventus centre-back colleagues, and the real question is on the other side. Ignazio Abate is the natural option, but might not be fit. Christian Maggio is naturally right-sided, but is more of a wing-back than a full-back, so Federico Balzaretti is more likely to continue – he played well there against Germany, though is probably the weakest of the three players going forward from that flank, as he’s played at left-back for the past few years.
Elsewhere the only slight question is at the top of the diamond. Thiago Motta did well against Spain in the first game, but lost his place to Riccardo Montolivo because of injury. There’s no reason he should get it back – Montolivo’s forward-playing destroyer role worked brilliantly against Germany, although this drains his energy, which means Motta has a good chance of replacing him midway through the game.
Mentalities
Spain will do their usual – relentless ball retention, moving it quickly between players, but rarely moving it forward with any speed. They’ll attempt to tire Italy in the first half, before attempting the breakthrough with greater penetration after half-time. It always feels like del Bosque would be happy with a 0-0 at the break (even against much weaker sides), safe in the knowledge Spain will have conserved energy, and have more options from the bench.
Italy’s approach is more uncertain. Prandelli says Italy are “not so arrogant as to say we’ll control the game from start to finish,” and accepts that “Spain will go into the game as favourites.” Italy are likely to take a hybrid approach, not seeking to dominate possession wholly, but trying to minimise Spain’s dominance to frustrate them. When Spain do have long periods on the ball, Italy are likely to break forward quickly through the forwards. “Our tactical approach will be positive and attacking, where the first objective is to close space to get the ball back. Obviously where we try to win back possession will depend on our attitude and Spain’s performance,” Prandelli states.
Key battlezone 1 – the midfield zone
Spain’s usual area of strength is in midfield, but del Bosque will be concerned about being outnumbered in that zone. As a result, expect to see others playing drifting there – all three attackers are likely to drop even deeper than usual to make up the numbers. This means Spain will lack width high up the pitch, and who will provide runs in behind Penetration will be an afterthought.
Prandelli is looking to “create superiority in midfield” and knows that “the other midfielders work in such a way as to allow Pirlo to control the midfield.” This probably means that Prandelli wants Daniele de Rossi, Claudio Marchisio and Riccardo Montolivo to push back Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso, creating space for Pirlo to dictate the game from. Getting him free is the key, and if de Rossi has to drop in and allow Pirlo forward, Italy will use that approach too.
Key battlezone 2 – the advance of the Spanish full-backs, and the space in behind
Del Bosque will need to make the most of the full-backs’ freedom. This is a tricky battle, because the more the full-backs advance, the more Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano will drift wide (Pirlo’s diagonals will find them) and drag the centre-backs out of position. Therefore, moving only one full-back at a time would make sense. Jordi Alba could push forward more permanently and attack down the left, leaving Alvaro Arbeloa to effectively form a back three, keeping a spare man.
Against Spain in the first match, and then again against Germany after they went 1-0 up, the Italians forwards took up very wide positions. They’ll probably look to block off a simple pass to the full-backs, but not actually track them – simply making them nervous about moving forward. Then, when Italy win possession, Balotelli and Cassano should be in a position to break quickly into the channels.
A related tactic against Spain was how Italy looked to attack the space to the side of, and in behind, Gerard Pique when Arbeloa was high up the pitch. Both strikers moved more to the left of the pitch than to the right; one would drop deep and try to bring Pique out, then the other would sprint in behind. Their first goal against Germany was vaguely similar – it depended upon the German right-back being dragged up the pitch (Silva must watch Chiellini), then one centre-back being dragged towards Cassano on the left, and Balotelli headed in. Despite the fact the ball won’t spend much time there, that zone in and around Pique could be the most important on the pitch.[font=Verdana][size=2]
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It would be a massive mistake to play Balzaretti at full back, he would easily be pressed into mistakes by the Spanish on that side of the pitch.
I have acquired an Italian jersey for this. I hope they come out on top tonight. Has been an excellent tournament and I expect another entertaining game tonight.
I have a couple of bottles of Peroni and a bottle of Franangelico ready for tonight. I will be placing an order with my local pizzeria before the match as well. I have the Italian tricolour hanging up on the wall and I’m currently listening to Ludovico Einaudi in an attempt to settle my nerves. This is my fifth tournament final as an Italian, we have won two and lost two in that time, I’m hoping to enjoy my first European Championship victory tonight.
FORZA ITALIA!
Are you heading out for a few pints to watch it Lar?
I can’t decide whether to have Barolo or a Rioja Gran Reserva with the dinner.
No not tonight mbb. Couple of heavy days on the booze lately so off it for a bit now. How about yourself?
Any team news ?
From BBC:
Spain make one change, as Cesc Fabregas comes in for Alvaro Negredo, while Italy have right-back Ignazio Abate back from injury.
Wont stir, hit it heavy last night down in the old country so in no mood for it tonight.
I am conflicted tonight as to who I want to see win due to my manlove for both Mario and Ramos.
Pleased Abate is back for Italy. Think that might be enough to force it for them. Brings more balance to the team and allows the midfielders to stay narrow if required to get in among the Spanish numbers.
Come on Italy. 
Forza Italia.portarlo a casa.
This is shaping up to be a smashing closing ceremony. My knowledge of classical music is quite embarrassing but that music sounds awful like The Incredibles theme music.