In the modern game of football, 600,000 Euros is an extremely insignificant price to pay for a player. It is a low risk, high reward situation for the club. If the player ends up as a failure then the loss was very minimal. However if the player goes on to be a success, than it looks like a genius move.

On October 11 last year in the provincial city of Pescara, Italy ended their qualifying campaign with a 3-0 win over Northern Ireland. It was the perfect ending as Italy finished top of their group. It was also just reward for coach Cesare Prandelli who managed to rebuild a strong Azzurri from the wreckage of the 2010 World Cup disaster.

On October 11 last year in the provincial city of Pescara, Italy ended their qualifying campaign with a 3-0 win over Northern Ireland. It was the perfect ending as Italy finished top of their group. It was also just reward for coach Cesare Prandelli who managed to rebuild a strong Azzurri from the wreckage of the 2010 World Cup disaster.

Despite the importance of club football, Euro 2012 dominates the majority of the continent's players' thoughts going into the second half of the season. Italian football has had it's share of ups and downs over the last decade, with the elation of winning the World Cup in 2006 counteracted by scandal in the domestic game; Italy need a strong performance in the tournament.

By JOHN BOSCHINI

After flirting with Arsenal and Chelsea during the summer transfer window, Gary Cahill will likely be heading to Chelsea in January after a transfer fee was agreed upon with Bolton Wanderers.

The central defender has become an England national team regular and will look to stabilize a defense that will lose Alex in January and could be without John Terry for an extended period following a criminal racism charge.

There are a number of ways to get called up to a historically prestigious national team, among them simply owning an Argentinean passport between the years 2008 and 2010. Not on that list is being a 29 year old defender for a minnow languishing near the bottom of Serie B. Typically, anyway, if things are being judged on merit.

[caption id="attachment_4685" align="alignleft" width="800" caption="Do you remember the first time?"][/caption]

While some (primarily English) observers consider Brazil's 1982 "jogo bonito" side to be the best team never to win the world cup (which is, in itself, ridiculous. The Grande Inter of the 1960s, just to name one, never won the world cup.

[caption id="attachment_4582" align="alignleft" width="600" caption="Feast your eyes on this."][/caption]
During the friendly against Uruguay, it was not only the style of play expectorated out by our boys in blue that caught the eye, nor simply Riccardo Montolivo's pale, cold, and bewitching face, and more than just Cesare Prandelli's jacket, it was the dazzling new blue shirts worn by the Azzurri that truly slapped the mind of this restless footballing warrior (apologies to Elton John for that metaphor) with the cold hand of seduction, perfumed on the wrist with a heady glamour tinged with the unearthly fumes of nostalgia, all the while softly intoning in a luscious Pisan accent a call for it's soft, azure fabric to be worn in sickness and in health, an irresistible siren's call from an antique realm.

If you are ever planning a party, don't invite Uruguay. They famously scuppered Brazil's World Cup festivities back in 1950. And, on a much more minor scale, they burst the balloons blown up for the match to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification in Rome. It brought the Azzurri back down to earth after a victory over one of the hosts of next year's European Nations a few days.

If you are ever planning a party, don't invite Uruguay. They famously scuppered Brazil's World Cup festivities back in 1950. And, on a much more minor scale, they burst the balloons blown up for the match to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification in Rome. It brought the Azzurri back down to earth after a victory over one of the hosts of next year's European Nations a few days.

Italy and Uruguay face off in just a few hours, and, providing the two sides don't resort to the type of defense necessary in a match termed a "friendly", this one promises a bit of excitement. Think about it: Mario Balotelli and Luis Suarez on the same pitch, facing off against each other. The possibilities for an epic showdown involving biting, kicking, tantrums and possibly a.

The Italian national team was dealt a double blow with the participation of Giuseppe Rossi and Antonio Cassano in Euro 2012 thrown into doubt, yet the emergence of Mario Balotelli could serve as the perfect remedy for coach Cesare Prandelli's concerns.

Balotelli had a slow start to the English season but he has been scoring regularly in recent weeks prompting Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini to praise him.

Milan fullback Ignazio Abate has used the term ‘beautiful' to describe his debut for the Azzurri in their 2-0 win over Poland in Friday. "It was beautiful to start, and we had a good game," Abate told Rai Sport after the game. "Poland pressed high in the first half, but we hit them at [...]

Milan fullback Ignazio Abate has used the term ‘beautiful' to describe his debut for the Azzurri in their 2-0 win over Poland in Friday. "It was beautiful to start, and we had a good game," Abate told Rai Sport after the game. "Poland pressed high in the first half, but we hit them at [...]

Guest writer/Matthew Coccoluto With international break again upon us, a few European countries will be squaring off in the Euro 2012 playoff rounds. The rest will be using these upcoming friendlies to further prepare for the tournament in June. Cesar Prandelli will be without some key players as they face Poland on Friday and host Uruguay on Tuesday.

Mario Balotelli has been in scintillating form for leaders Manchester City in this season's Premier League, with 5 goals already to his name after just 7 appearances, and a goal each in the Champions League and the Carling Cup as well.

The 21 year old ‘s brace against Manchester United, which capped of a brilliant all-around performance from him, is a sign that he is capable of competing and dominating at the very highest level.

Milan defender Ignazio Abate has said the kind of words that will endear him to Milan fans even further. Amid speculation that PSG are snooping around for his signature, Abate has stated that he wants to stay at Milan for "as long as possible". Former Milan boss Leonardo deserves much credit for helping Abate's transformation [.

The Azzurri qualified to Euro 2012 without being tested as coach Cesare Prandelli attempted to build the national team around younger and talented players such as Mario Balotelli and Giuseppe Rossi. Various niggling injuries and a plethora of ridiculous antics performed by Balotelli meant that Prandelli was not able to rely heavily on the controversial Manchester City attacker.

Bad news for Italy's coach Cesare Prandelli, as one of his most talented forward could miss Euro 2012, on the next June. Antonio Cassano has suffered a small ischaemia after the winning of AC Milan against Roma last saturday. When it happened the player was with his teamates on the airplane, coming bacfrom Rome to Milan.

Bad news for Italy's coach Cesare Prandelli, as one of his most talented forward could miss Euro 2012, on the next June. Antonio Cassano has suffered a small ischaemia after the winning of AC Milan against Roma last saturday. When it happened the player was with his teamates on the airplane, coming bacfrom Rome to Milan.

Huge blow for Villarreal who will be without striker Giuseppe Rossi for six months after tearing a cruciate knee ligament in his right knee. The 24-year-old Italian international got hurt in last nights's match against Real Madrid, and subsequent tests have shown the full extent of the injury.

Italy have had a solid qualifying campaign for Euro 2012, which has seen the side go unbeaten and concede a mere two goals. The side has also looked impressive in some recent friendlies, beating World Champions Spain 2-1 back in August. Although it could be argued that the Spain squad fielded that day was somewhat experimental, it is still quite an achievement for a national side that only a year previously was in crisis and bereft of confidence.

Italy finished off their qualifying campaign for Euro 2012 in fine fashion as they defeated Northern Ireland 3-0 with Antonio Cassano again the star. A superb volley for his first strike the Milan striker got his brace after a neat finish past the helpless Maik Taylor. His performance for the Azzurri reinforced one thing: this [.

Italian football blog: Prandelli's progressive approach is bad news for Northern Ireland but good news for Juve

For the new season, MirrorFootball is teaming up with some of the blogosphere's best new writers to bring you even more great football reads every single day.

Ah, leave it to the Azzurri to tour the football pitch in style! Seriously though, you could set up a fashion runway right in the middle of Belgrade's Marakana stadium and the Italian national team won't look an inch out of place. Work it, bellissimo!

Liverpool have this week been linked with defender Angelo Ogbanna, who plays for Torino in Italy's Serie B. His lower league status has not stopped Cesare Prandelli calling him up for the National team though, and if his recent comments are anything to go by, he would love come to Anfield.

Gazzetta dello Sport Ranieri in Gazzetta
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Proprio ora che Ranieri lo aveva recuperato dal forzato esilio della panchina impostogli da mister Gasperini, ora che era pronto a dire all'Italia ed al mondo che, a comprarci con anticipo il biglietto per portarci a giugno in Polonia ed Ucraina per l'europeo con quel gol contro la Slovenia, era stato lui, il Pazzo si [.

Good draw for England in the Euro 2012 as they have been drawn against Ukraine, France and Sweden. It is by now way an easy group for England, but considering who England could have been drawn against, Fabio Capello cannot be too upset.

In every tournament there is a proverbial "Group of Death" and Euro 2012 is no exception.

Italy march into the International break with qualifications to the Euros already assured in what has been a quite impressive qualifying campaign so far. Cesare Prandelli has settled in nicely with a 4-4-2 diamond formation (or 4-3-1-2 depending upon who you ask) that has been consciously trying to play "modern", possession football as espoused by some zealots in a certain part of Spain (or is it Catalonia)?

On Friday, Italy will travel to Belgrade to play Serbia in their penultimate Euro 2012 qualification match. The game comes just under a year since the events in Genoa on 12 October 2010 which saw Serbian hooligans forcing the game to be called off, and leading to harsh punishments being meted out against the Serbian National team.

Siamo finalmente in una competizione di spicco, dopo il bel goal di Pazzini (indovinato il cambio con un Cassano). L'Italia vola ad Euro 2012, grazie al successo con la Slovenia, arrivato all'84′ con la firma del bomber nerazzurro. Sembrava durissima ritornarci dopo la disastrosa spedizione sudafricana, targata Lippi.

Germany, Italy, Spain and Netherlands (plus hosts Poland and Ukraine) are the first nations to be qualified to Euro 2012 with still two more rounds of matches to play in October.

In this moment Germany and Spain seemed the best European national teams. Last saturday Joachim Loew's team has won 4-0 for the 4th time in the season and they're ready to improve the second place in Euro 2008 and the semifinal of the last Wolrd Cup.

By Chris Wright

Along with Cesare Prandelli and Gigi Buffon, Mario Balotelli paid a visit to Sollicciano prison in Florence yesterday and was immediately greeted as some kind of demi-god, being mobbed by the inmates as soon as he entered the hall...

I was fearing for his diamond earring at one point there.

Gazzetta dello Sport Euro Pazzo Pazzini goal: Italy qualify for Euro 2012. And what a Balotelli! Spain are OK Capello almost Trap draw Cavani: "Mazzarri, a Scudetto man" Juve, a show to baptise the new stadium Tuttosport Cairo: "Ogbonna, the new contract is ready" "It's a great stadium. Now a great Juve is needed" Lippi: "I remember the emotions at the Nou Camp, and I.

The good news is that Italy, with a 1-0 victory, have secured qualification to the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine next summer. The bad news it's not that bad is that the they haven't been living up to the hype recently. Italy have been compared with Barcelona an awful lot during Cesare Prandelli's tenure in charge of the Azzurri, but any viewers.

The good news is that Italy, with a 1-0 victory, have secured qualification to the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine next summer. The bad news it's not that bad is that the they haven't been living up to the hype recently. Italy have been compared with Barcelona an awful lot during Cesare Prandelli's tenure in charge of the Azzurri, but any viewers.

iSub Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli risked the wrath of Italy coach Cesare Prandelli after being caught playing with his iPad on the substitutes' bench for their match against the Faroe Island. Balotelli, a dab hand at benchwarming so far this season, decided to shun watching his team-mates in action in favour of some action [.

guest writer/Frank Tigani This week the Azzurri recorded a highly impressive victory over reigning World and European Champions Spain. Sure, it may have just been a friendly, however, considering the strength of the two line ups it was clear that neither Cesare Prandelli nor Vicente del Bosque took to the contest lightly.

guest writer/Frank Tigani This week the Azzurri recorded a highly impressive victory over reigning World and European Champions Spain. Sure, it may have just been a friendly, however, considering the strength of the two line ups it was clear that neither Cesare Prandelli nor Vicente del Bosque took to the contest lightly.