Italy enters the World Cup surrounded by scandal, high expectations and injuries.
Fortunately, these three things are very familiar to the ``Azzurri`` going into their Group E opener against newcomers Ghana on Monday in Hanover, Germany.
The Italians may have the most controvery surrounding any of the World Cup teams as investigations continue to explore a match-fixing ring centered around the former board of directors at Serie A power Juventus and include AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina.
The ``Azzurri,`` which enter any tournament as favorites, consists of 13 players from these teams, including five from Juventus - the team formerly coached by Italy manager Marcello Lippi.
The national team has deflected questions regarding the scandal that has seen starting goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who plays for Juventus, accused of illegal betting.
``The only place we can give a good response is on the field,`` said Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro, who plays for Juventus and also has been questioned by prosecutors in the scandal dubbed ``Calciopoli`` by the Italian media.
The last time scandal surrounded the Italians was prior to the 1982 World Cup in Spain - the last time they won the Jules Rimet trophy. Then, Paolo Rossi returned from a two-year suspension after a betting scandal and proceeded to score six goals to lead the tournament, including a second-round hat trick against Brazil.
Injuries may be the bigger concern for Italy, which has four starters are either questionable or out of Monday`s opener.
Defender Gianluca Zambrotta and midfielder Gennaro Gattuso will not play against Ghana with thigh injuries. Defender Alessandro Nesta aggravated an adductor muscle injury and is questionable. Playmaker Francesco Totti is reportedly not fully fit after suffering a broken ankle playing for AS Roma on Feb. 19. If he can not play, Juventus` Alessandro Del Piero will start in his place.
Totti hopes to redeem himself for past international failures with the ``Azzurri`` in this World Cup. He was controversially ejected for diving in Italy`s 2-1 overtime loss to South Korea in the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, and he was suspended for four games at the 2004 European Championship after spitting on Denmark`s Christian Poulsen during a scoreless draw in Italy`s opener.
``La Nazionale`` failed to qualify from the group-stage at that tournament.
Lippi, who succeeded Giovanni Trappatoni, is one of the most successful coaches in Italy with five Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia and a Champions League crown - all with Juventus.
He revamped the team, forgoing the famed ``cataneccio`` style of defensive play to a 4-3-1-2 offensive formation that features Totti as the playmaker behind the two forwards, expected to be World Cup first-timers Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino.
Toni led Serie A with 31 goals for Fiorentina this season, and Gilardino scored 17 in a limited role for AC Milan.
The new-look Italians eased through qualifying with a 7-1-2 record and outscored opponents 17-8 despite Buffon missing the final four qualifiers with a dislocated shoulder.
Italy has not been to the finals since 1994, when it lost on penalty kicks to Brazil.
Ghana is making its first trip to the World Cup after qualifying with a 6-3-1 record, outscoring group rivals 17-4. The ``Black Stars`` outlasted two-time World Cup participant and 2010 host South Africa in the group.
``We`ve been waiting for a long time to be in this competition. Now we are here and we`re proud of ourselves,`` said Ghana captain Stephen Appiah, who played in Italy from 1997-2005 for Udinese, Parma, Brescia and Juventus. ``You can see this is something different, the atmosphere. This is the top, so we`re having fun.``
Appiah is one of five ``Black Stars`` who play or have played in Italy. He is expected to be joined in the midfield by one of them - hard-working Sulley Muntari of Udinese.
The midfield may be Ghana`s strongest unit with Chelsea`s Michael Essien expected to play a major role. The 23-year-old Essien is considered one of the best players in Ghana`s history along with Appiah and the retired Abedi Pele.
He helped Olympique Lyonnais to back-to-back French Ligue 1 championships and was voted the league`s player of the year in 2005.
Chelsea paid a record $47 million to sign him from Lyon prior to the 2005-06 season. He played 37 games - 32 starts - scoring twice to help the Blues to their second consecutive English Premier League title.
Asamoah Gyan and Matthew Amoah have combined for 15 goals in international appearances, but they are the only strikers on Ghana`s roster to score internationally.
Italy continues group play June 17 against the United States at Kaiserslautern, Germany, while Ghana plays the Czech Republic the same day at Cologne.
source : Associated Press
