Barzagli was forced to pull out of today's session and tests have since confirmed that the 27-year-old defender will require surgery after rupturing the meniscus in his left knee.

Though Barzagli was not expected to start against Spain in any case, Azzurri boss Roberto Donadoni now has scant cover for the centre-back position, with only Marco Materazzi and the unexperienced Alessandro Gamberini left to deputise for current first-choice pairing Christian Panucci and Giorgio Chiellini should the need arise.

The news is especially bitter for Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, who had just completed the signing of the defender from Palermo weeks ago.

There is no word yet on how long Barzagli is expected to be out of commission for, but the recovery from even less severe knee meniscus injuries are measured in months rather than weeks.


Author: Derek Wanner

De Rossi: Win By Georgia Was Possible

Daniele De Rossi admitted that during the Azzurri's friendly game against South Africa, the players were also trying to find out the result of the Georgia-Scotland game.

"An ear was pointed towards what was happening there," admitted the Giallorossi's player. "A win by Georgia was possible. Now it's all in our hands. For technical values, we could have also won in Scotland."

De Rossi then went on to describe the honour he had at wearing the Azzurri's captain armband.

"It was a particular night with regards to the armband," he said. "The performance was important, and it was very good from all of us, even those who made their debut.

"It wasn't easy and each one of us, for different reasons, wanted to do well."

Buffon: It Isn't Easy To Win In Georgia

Taking into account the worst sometimes helps to face the future with less apprehension. That's what Italy goalkeeper and, for tonight, captain Gigi Buffon did tonight after the 2-0 victory over Georgia, as he spoke about the prospect of failing to qualify for Euro 2008.

"There is the possibility, looking at the standings, that we could be eliminated with a high amount of points," the keeper said, "it would be a real injustice because all we can blame ourselves for are the first two games against Lithuania and France."

According to the Juventus number one, however, it's not yet certain the Azzurri need to win at all costs in Scotland.

"I have faith in Georgia," he said, "I think they will make things difficult for the Scots: I'm not so sure their three points are already guaranteed. But if they win, we will go to Glasgow with the same objective..."

Donadoni: Del Piero Still Can To Play

Many sections of the Italian media have speculated that we may have seen the Golden Boy play his last game in an Azzurri shirt.

“There are many players who have done a great deal for the Italian national team and Del Piero is obviously one of these,” Donadoni told Rai television.

“I hope myself that he can return and still give a lot to the Azzurri shirt.”

Donadoni is not the only person to claim that Del Piero’s Azzurri days are not over. Milan defender Daniele Bonera said on Thursday: "The coach has to make his choices, but I don't think that Del Piero or any other great footballers, are excluded for good.”

Gianluigi Buffon echoed these sentiments. “Del Piero’s adventure with the national team has not ended,” the shot-stopper stated earlier in the week.

“Donadoni has not said his time is over and he has the desire to win his place back. He will return and prove his worth.”

Italy VS France

VS 

Over the years there have been a number of major rivalries between national football teams. England and Germany, Argentina and Brazil, and Serbia and Croatia are some of the most obvious that spring to mind. Italy against France is another contest that can now be added to this list.

The two teams meet tomorrow night in a crucial Euro 2008 qualifier, with the winner taking a huge step towards qualification to Austria and Switzerland. France currently lead the Azzurri by two points at the top of the Group B standings but a win for Roberto Donadoni's men will allow them to leapfrog their rivals into first place.

The build-up to the match in Milan has been littered with controversy, most of it emanating from the French camp. Les Bleus coach Raymond Domenech received a one-match touchline ban after openly accusing the Azzurrini (the Italy Under-21's) of fixing an Olympic qualifier against his French side in 1999.

This led to a furious response from 1982 World Cup-winning hero Marco Tardelli, who branded Domenech "an idiot and a sore loser." The flames seemed to have subsided a touch until, earlier this week, new Arsenal signing Lassana Diarra cranked up the tension by accusing Italy of being a nation of "provokers and cheats."

The reason for this hostile rivalry can be explained by the recent meetings between the two European neighbours.




In the 1998 World Cup France knocked out Italy in the quarter-final stage after a penalty shootout. Two years later the two squads met in the final of Euro 2000. The Azzurri led 1-0 in Rotterdam through a Marco Delvecchio goal and looked all set to claim their first major silverware for 18 years.

However, after Italian golden-boy Alessandro Del Piero missed two gilt-edged chances to double their advantage, France equalised in the fourth minute of stoppage time through Sylvain Wiltord, before fellow substitute David Trezeguet scored a golden goal in extra time to break Italian hearts.

The defeat had a devastating effect on the Azzurri. They badly underperformed in the next two major championships, losing to hosts South Korea in the second round of the 2002 World Cup and then failing to even navigate their way out of the group stages of Euro 2004.

It seemed only a victory against the team that had 'stolen' their trophy could banish the ghost of Rotterdam. Italy gained their revenge in the final of the 2006 World Cup in Germany after another penalty shootout, but the means in which they achieved World Cup glory only served to intensify the animosity between the two nations.

The infamous sending-off of French legend Zinedine Zidane for a head-butt on Marco Materazzi and the controversy that surrounded the incident would linger on for weeks and months. Indeed the Inter defender only disclosed last month exactly what he said to Zidane that provoked the star to retaliate with a head-butt.

Less than two months after the World Cup Final, the two nations met again, in Paris, in the second round of Euro 2008 qualifying and the Azzurri, minus the suspended Materazzi, were convincingly overpowered 3-1 by a pumped-up French team.

Returning to the present, both teams have severe selection headaches and it may be the team that copes best with this situation that emerges victorious. Italy are without Materazzi through injury and Francesco Totti and Alessandro Nesta due to international retirement, while serious doubts also remain as to whether captain Fabio Cannavaro and talismanic striker Luca Toni will be fit to play.

The French also have numerous first-choice players unavailable. Goalkeeper Gregory Coupet and defensive stalwarts William Gallas and Willy Sagnol have been ruled out, while both Barcelona's Lillian Thuram and Internazionale's Patrick Vieira have had limited playing time this season and may not be deemed ready for such a blockbuster of a game. There are suggestions that the latter could be handed a start. 


After Game:



ITALY 0 - 0 FRANCE

Italy: Buffon; Oddo, Cannavaro, Barzagli, Zambrotta; De Rossi, Gattuso, Pirlo, Camoranesi (Perrotta 58); Del Piero (Di Natale 83), Inzaghi (Lucarelli 65).
Yellow Cards: Gattuso 31, De Rossi 86

France: Landreau; Lassana Diarra, Thuram, Escude, Abidal; Ribery (Toulalan 86), Makelele, Vieira, Malouda; Henry, Anelka.
Yellow Cards: Makelele 5, Henry 56