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Goalkeepers
1-Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) Date of birth: 28.1.78 Matches for the national team: 58 Goals: 0
He played his first league match at just 16 years old for Parma and made his debut for the national team in 1997 becoming the second youngest goalkeeper in the history of the Italian national team. In 2001, after moving to Turin Juventus for over $45 million, he became the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. He missed a significant part of the 2005/06 season due to hand injuries. Voluntarily gave testimony to Italian court officials investigating the football betting scandal and spoke to them as a "person who could know the facts." Denied committing any violations of the law.
12-Angelo Peruzzi (Lazio) Date of birth: 16.2.70; Matches for the national team: 31 Goals: 0
A former Juventus and Inter goalkeeper, after Francesco Toldo retired from the national team after a successful season with Roma Lazio club returned to Marcelo Lippi's national team. He should be the replacement for Gianluigi Buffon in the World Cup.
14-Marco Amelia (Livorno), Date of birth: 12.4.82 Matches for the national team: 1 Goals: 0
The third goalkeeper in the Italian national team, winning a spot on the team over Juventus reserve Christian Abbiati. He played for the national team only once in November 2005 in friendly matches against Ivory Coast. Started his career at Roma but was unable to establish himself in the team and moved to Livorno. He missed the 2003/04 season playing for Lecce and returned to Livorno the following year when the club was promoted to the top flight.
Defenders
5-Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus) Date of birth: 13.9.73 Matches for the national team: 91; Goals: 0
Established himself in the Italian national team after a superb performance in the 1998 World Cup in France and since then became a constant member of the team. He compensated for his lack of height with the ability to position himself well, speed, and timing. After the 2002 World Cup, he took over Italy's captaincy from Paolo Maldini and had much success at Juventus after a failed period at Inter.
13-Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan) Date of birth: 19.3.76 Matches for the national team: 73 Goals: 0
Nesta, the pillar of the Italian national team's defense, has everything you can expect from an Italian center-back. He stops opponents flawlessly, reads the game intelligently, and dominates in the air. Head coach Marcelo Lippi has no reliable alternative to Nesta, so he needs to pray that the player avoids injuries. His partnership with Cannavaro has been one of the most stable in the Italian national team in recent years.
19-Gianluca Zambrotta (Juventus) Date of birth: 19.2.77 Matches for the national team: 52 Goals: 1
While still training the Juventus team, current Italian national team strategist Marcelo Lippi moved Zambrotta from right-back to left-back, and this change was beneficial not only for the club – Italy found a suitable replacement for Paolo Maldini. Zambrotta can play on either side of defense and usually covers a wide area, giving coaches various options. He is one of those Italian national team players guaranteed a place in the starting lineup.
3-Fabio Grosso (Palermo) Date of birth: 28.1.77 Matches for the national team: 15 Goals: 1
An attacking left-back who rose to fame playing for Serse Cosmi's Perugia and unexpectedly moved to then-Serie B Palermo in 2003. He played impressively for the Sicilians as they rose to Serie A and maintained his excellent form for the team in the top flight – his strong runs down the left and passes to team attack leader Luca Toni were crucial for the team. He did not make the squad for the 2004 European Championships but became a regular member of the national team under Lippi.
