Recife: Italy coach Cesare Prandelli lamented the physical toll the Confederations Cup schedule and hot Brazilian climate were taking on his players on Wednesday. Prandelli watched his side overcome Japan 4-3 in the best game of the competition so far but complained that his players were exhausted and needed more recovery time between matches. "This is an interesting tournament but perhaps there should be more rest days," Prandelli said. "This...
08:32 AM, Jun 20, 2013
Recife, Brazil: Mario Balotelli is so unpredictable that even his coach has trouble keeping tabs on the prized Italy striker. Balotelli's winning goal in the Azzurri's 2-1 win over Mexico at the Confederations Cup was a prime example. The goal showed off Balotelli's combination of brute strength and sheer athleticism. But the AC Milan striker immediately took away some of the moment's lustre by stripping off his shirt, earning a...
09:04 AM, Jun 19, 2013
Japan are favourites to beat Italy in the Confederations Cup on Wednesday because of their Italian manager and the fact they have had more rest, according to Azzurri coach Cesare Prandelli. He believes Japan's Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni's familiarity with his compatriots might cause Italy problems. "Japan will have the slight edge, I think, because they have an extra day of rest," said Prandelli. "Plus, Alberto knows us very well,...
08:26 AM, Jun 18, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said he was frustrated with Mario Balotelli after the striker's shirtless goal celebration in the Azzurri's 2-1 victory over Mexico in the Confederation Cup. Chilean referee Enrique Osses cautioned Balotelli after the 21-year-old followed his 77th-minute winner on Sunday by repeating the flexed-muscle pose he made famous during last year's European Championships, reports Xinhua. The AC Milan forward was immediately benched by Prandelli...
12:37 PM, Jun 17, 2013
Italy striker Mario Balotelli apologised for his red card and furious reaction in their World Cup qualifier away to the Czech Republic on Friday with coach Cesare Prandelli telling him he must to get used to being provoked. "Good morning. Yesterday my reaction was not the right one, I offer an apology," Balotelli wrote on his Twitter account. "SORRY...to my team...I need to learn...still." He was dismissed in the second...
10:56 PM, Jun 08, 2013
Rome: Italy head coach Cesare Prandelli named his 23-man team for the Confederations Cup tournament where Angelo Ogbonna and Andrea Ranocchia are the noticeable absentees. In addition to the two young defenders Ogbonna and Ranocchia, goalkeeper Michael Agazzi, midfielders Giacomo Bonaventura and Andrea Poli and forward Marco Sau were also dropped Monday, reports Xinhua. Luca Antonelli pulled out earlier Monday after having suffered an ankle injury during Friday's friendly against...
12:47 PM, Jun 04, 2013
Bologna: Leave Mario Balotelli alone. That's the message from Italy coach Cesare Prandelli a day after the striker was accused of drug dealing by a confessed member of the Neopolitan Camorra crime group. Speaking to Italian state TV on Friday ahead of a friendly with San Marino, Prandelli said: "It's intolerable to keep coming after him and dragging him into every situation." The accusation came during testimony in a money...
05:33 PM, May 31, 2013
Florence: Italy must adopt a zero tolerance policy towards racism in football if they are to eradicate the problem from the sport, national team coach Cesare Prandelli said on Monday. A number of Italian clubs have been punished for racist incidents recently. "It is a serious problem, a problem that is not only the national team's or Milan's but Italian football's," Prandelli said. "If we want to be credible on...
09:15 AM, May 21, 2013
Parma: Italy head coach Cesare Prandelli insists his side did not deserve to lose 1-2 to France in a football friendly played here. Prandelli used a 4-3-3 format for the first time, with Stephan El Shaarawy, Mario Balotelli and Antonio Candreva up front, while Marco Verratti got his first senior start and Alessandro Florenzi his debut Wednesday, reports Xinhua. In-form AC Milan striker Stephan El Shaarawi gave the hosts a...
01:24 PM, Nov 15, 2012
Italy laboured to a scrappy 2-0 win over Malta in a World Cup Group B qualifier in Modena on Tuesday as an early strike from Mattia Destro and a late Andrew Cohen own goal earned them the three points. AS Roma striker Destro capitalised on Italy's fast start when he latched on to a smart Claudio Marchisio through-ball to score after five minutes, but Cesare Prandelli's side struggled to create...
09:23 AM, Sep 12, 2012
Kiev: Italy coach Cesare Prandelli was generous in his praise of European champions Spain after their 4-0 victory in Sunday's final but was left ruing the lack of preparation time his team had. Spain's win makes them the first team to win two consecutive European Championships with a World Cup sandwiched in between and Prandelli said they deserve all the plaudits they will get for that achievement. "They made history...
09:38 AM, Jul 02, 2012
For the past three weeks, Italy have been living the dream. On Sunday night in Kiev, unfortunately, the dream turned into a nightmare. Having been written off before the tournament began, each passing success over the past three weeks only intensified the feeling across the peninsula that the Azzurri were destined to win Euro 2012. The parallels with the World Cup triumph of six years ago were just too difficult...
09:09 AM, Jul 02, 2012
Krakow: Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said he will hone in on Spain's weaknesses in the short time he has to prepare his team for Sunday's Euro 2012 final. The Italians beat Germany 2-1 on Thursday and have a day less than the Spaniards, who beat Portugal on Wednesday, to get ready for the clash at Kiev's Olympic Stadium. "I hope to be able to prepare in the best way possible...
10:33 PM, Jun 29, 2012
Warshaw: Most expected Italy to lose in the face of a flying German side but Cesare Prandelli's side ripped up the form book and their Euro 2012 dream is only just beginning, according to their coach. "When you dream, you always dream big. This is the beginning of the dream," Prandelli told a news conference after an impressive 2-1 victory over Germany in their semi-final on Thursday set up a...
09:24 AM, Jun 29, 2012
Cesare Prandelli has declared that Italy will take the game to Germany in Thursday's Euro 2012 semi-final showdown in Warsaw, even though he believes his side will be severely handicapped by having had two fewer days of rest ahead of the game. The Azzurri only booked their place in the last four on Sunday, defeating England on penalties after a 120-minute war of attrition. Die Mannschaft, meanwhile, cruised through courtesy...
10:35 AM, Jun 26, 2012
