ITALY V DENMARK MATCH PRESS KIT Municipal, Aveiro Wednesday, 24 May 2006 - 19:45 Local Time Final Tournament - Group Phase Group B - Matchday 2
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ITALY v DENMARK MATCH PRESS KIT Municipal, Aveiro Wednesday, 24 May 2006 - 19:45 local time Final tournament - Group phase Group B - Matchday 2 Italy and Denmark renew an old rivalry when they face off in Aveiro on the opening day of fixtures in UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group B. The two countries have met six times in this competition stretching back more than 14 years and their matches have always been a precursor to an Italian victory in the tournament, while Denmark are yet to defeat Italy. • The teams first came into opposition in the 1992 semi-finals, then played over two legs. The Azzurrini took control with an away win in the first match in Aalborg Ost, Renato Buso scoring in the first half, before second-leg strikes from Buso and Roberto Muzzi wrapped up a 3-0 aggregate success. Italy went on to beat Sweden 2-1 in a two-legged final. • Italy next encountered the Danes in qualifying round Group 1 in the 1998/00 competition. Once more Italy prevailed, triumphing 2-1 away despite Dennis Rommedahl giving Denmark an early lead, with Andrea Pirlo and Nicola Ventola turning the tie around. The return finished 3-1 to the Italian hosts thanks to Francesco Coco, Ventola and a Morten Petersen own goal, and Italy again lifted the trophy with a 2-1 final victory against the Czech Republic. • Italy inflicted more Danish misery in the final play-offs for the 2004 competition, though at least on this occasion the Scandinavian side escaped defeat. The first leg in Farum ended 1-1, Thomas Kahlenberg putting the home team ahead only for Stephan Andersen's own goal to restore parity. That proved crucial as a goalless second-leg draw sent Italy into the finals in Germany, where again they carried off first prize with a 3-0 final elimination of Serbia and Montenegro. • The nations have never met competitively at either U17 or U19 level, though in senior football they played one another in qualifying for the 1982 FIFA World Cup with each winning at home. Remarkably, it once more proved a good omen for Italy as they went on to claim glory in Spain. Italy also won 2-0 in the 1988 UEFA European Championship finals and overcame Denmark twice in UEFA EURO 2000™ qualifying. However, their last meeting will provoke different memories: a goalless draw at UEFA EURO 2004™ helping ensure the Azzurri failed to advance beyond the group stage while the Danes reached the quarter-finals. Team facts Italy Italy have enjoyed a stranglehold on the UEFA Under-21 European Championship in recent years, winning five of the last seven tournaments, and Claudio Gentile's team are again among the favourites to clinch the 2006 title in Portugal this summer. Qualifying Italy breezed through the group stage after winning eight of their ten games, dominating a section that also included Slovenia and Norway. After winning their first five matches, their one slip came against the Norwegians in Drammen, but that result failed to take the gloss off a campaign which saw them concede just three goals as they ended ten points clear at the summit. That earned a play-off tie against Hungary and after being held in Budapest, the Azzurrini won the return leg thanks to a solitary second-half strike from Gianpaolo Pazzini. Last Updated 24.5.2006 1:27:32CET uefa.com 1 ITALY v DENMARK MATCH PRESS KIT Team guide Voted Serie A's Young Player of the Year, the onus will be on Pazzini to provide more goals at the finals after Rolando Bianchi was ruled out for much of the season with a long-term knee injury. The Reggina Calcio forward ended the qualifying campaign as Italy's leading scorer but Claudio Gentile will have to assess his physical condition after a six-month lay-off. Former U21 linchpin Alberto Gilardino, now at AC Milan, believes Pazzini can step into his shoes if needed. "He is a complete striker," he said. "He looks destined to become a key player both for Fiorentina and the senior national team." Pazzini will be in good company in attack, with in-form Raffaele Palladino expected to partner him in Gentile's favoured 4-4-2 formation. The Juventus forward made a big impression on loan at Serie A high-fliers AS Livorno Calcio, while the same can be said of Fiorentina midfielder Marco Donadel. Pasquale Foggia also caught the eye this season, missing only a handful of games while on loan at Ascoli Calcio 1898 and Gentile is expected to look to his pace and creativity on the right flank. Italian teams are historically based on a sound defensive platform, and the current U21 crop is no different. Giorgio Chiellini established himself as first choice left-back as Juventus claimed the Scudetto, while another Serie A regular, Michele Canini, has enjoyed a prodigious rise at Cagliari Calcio. He should slot into the back four alongside Cesare Bovo, a player looking to add another winners' medal having claimed this title in 2004. UEFA European Under-21 Championship record: winners 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2004; runners-up 1986; semi-finals 1984, 2002; quarter-finals 1978, 1980, 1982, 1988. Denmark With a solitary semi-final appearance in 1992 their best performance at a UEFA Under-21 European Championship, Denmark have high hopes that their present crop of talented youngsters can go one better in Portugal following an impressive qualifying campaign. Qualifying Flemming Serritslev's team were paired with Ukraine, Greece and Turkey in a congested qualifying section, but never looked back after Thomas Kahlenberg's last-gasp penalty handed them a 3-2 victory against the Ukrainians in their opening game. By the time the Danes lost by the same scoreline in Turkey - their one blemish during the campaign - their place in the finals was virtually assured and they made sure with a 1-0 win against Georgia in their next outing. Their reward was a play-off tie against Russia and after winning the first leg 1-0 in Moscow, Denmark coasted home 3-1 in the return as the visitors capitulated, ending the game with just seven men. Team guide "This team can go all the way!" was coach Serritslev's reaction to that win and there is certainly reason for optimism. Defender Daniel Agger and midfielders Thomas Kahlenberg and Rasmus Würtz have all already graced the senior national side and the U21s are confident they can vanquish painful memories of their elimination last time around. "Two years ago we had a great U21 team who were eliminated in the play-offs on away goals - despite not losing - against eventual winners Italy," Serritslev said. "Our current team is even better." The trio of full internationals are sated by the experience of Bundesliga-based duo Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard and Leon Andreasen, while in Morten Nicolas Rasmussen they have a striker that knows how to find the net. The young forward scored eight of Denmark's 34 goals in qualifying and the consensus is that he can only get better since joining Danish high-fliers Brøndby IF from perennial strugglers AGF Århus. With clubs in the Superligaen increasingly turning to homegrown talent, Rasmussen is one of a crop of youngsters enjoying the fruits of a policy which could have an even greater impact in Portugal. However, Rasmussen will face competition for the centre-forward spot in Denmark's 4-3-3 formation after the emergence of Arsenal FC striker Nicklas Bendtner. The 18-year-old scored twice on his debut against Spain in mid-May and having claimed the 1992 UEFA European Championship after a last-gasp call-up, his late emergence bodes well for the Danes. UEFA European Under-21 Championship record: semi-finals 1992; quarter-finals 1978, 1986. Last Updated 24.5.2006 1:27:32CET uefa.com 2 ITALY v DENMARK MATCH PRESS KIT Records for single match finals (since 1992-94 competition) 1992-94 20.04.1994 - Italy 1-0 Portugal (After extra time) (Stade La Mosson, Montpellier, France - 6,263 - Serge Muhmenthaler (SUI)) 1994-96 31.05.1996 - Italy 1-1 Spain (After extra time, Italy win 5-4 on penalties) (Estadio Olímpico de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain - 35,500 - Günter Benkö (AUT)) 1996-98 31.05.1998 - Greece 0-1 Spain (Ghencea stadium, Bucharest, Romania - 7,000 - L'uboš Michel' (SVK)) 1998-2000 04.06.2000 - Czech Republic 1-2 Italy (Tehelné Pole stadium, Bratislava, Slovakia - 9,170 - Karl-Erik Nilsson (SWE)) 2000-02 28.05.2002 - France 0-0 Czech Republic (After extra time, Czech Republic win 3-1 on penalties) (St. Jakob-Park, Basle, Switzerland - 20,400 - Tom Henning Øvrebø (NOR)) 2002-04 08.06.2004 - Italy 3-0 Serbia and Montenegro (Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany - 20,092 - Luis Medina (ESP)) 6: Finals Six single match finals (from a total of 14) have taken place in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship since the finals format changed for the 1992-94 competition. To date, Italy have won all four finals in which they have appeared with Spain and the Czech Republic having won the other two. Other teams to have been involved in the six finals are France, Greece, and Serbia and Montenegro. 5: Red cards To date, five red cards have been issued in UEFA European Under-21 Championship single match finals. The last dismissals came in the 2002-04 final when Serbia and Montenegro players Nikola Mihajlović (33) and Branislav Ivanović (90+1) were both sent off by Spanish official Luis Medina in their 3-0 defeat by Italy.