Where shall we start? With police descending on Italy’s training ground? With the match-fixing allegations that have led to the arrest of 19 people over the past week? With Cesare Prandelli, the coach, suggesting that his team could withdraw from the European Championship finals and Mario Monti, the Prime Minister, arguing that a cleansing isolation might be necessary? Or how about their chaotic 3-0 defeat by Russia in Switzerland on Friday?
This is Italy’s Saipan, a barely comprehensible controversy that cuts deep into the national psyche, except where Ireland’s team found strength and togetherness amid the bitterness of Roy Keane’s self-banishment from Japan and South Korea in 2002, their group opponents will travel with broken confidence.
They have been here before, of course, or at least in comparable territory. In 2006, Marcello Lippi was expressing his “trust” in Italian football after prosecutors delved into allegations of murkiness at Juventus. But while dark clouds hovered above them in Germany, they did go on to win the tournament. Stranger things have happened, but it is surely too much to expect a repeat.
Italy were unbeaten in their qualifying campaign, but they have lost three friendly fixtures in the run-up to the tournament. Against Russia, all the old certainties, such as rigour in defence, were absent.
A seemingly comfortable path to Poland and Ukraine was also illusory: they were awarded a 3-0 over Serbia after an outbreak of violence from visiting supporters in Genoa in October 2010, effectively handing them the group, while they struggled in matches against Faroe Islands and Slovenia. In attack, they will suffer from the absence of Giuseppe Rossi, but that is the least of their concerns.
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Tactics/Coach
Prandelli’s approach is more expansive than some of his predecessors, with much depending on the genius of Andrea Pirlo, of Juventus, in midfield, although scoring has been an issue of late. Theoretically, they have a sturdy enough base with Gianluigi Buffon in goal, Giorgio Chiellini at centre half and Daniele De Rossi in midfield, but the real question is now far more basic: can Prandelli rebuild a team spirit that has been shattered by off-field events?
What Ireland should fear
Unlikely, but any notion that they merely have to turn up to revel in Italian chaos. We are in the realms of cliché here, but instincts kick in when some teams reach a tournament (although it’s best to forget Italy’s first-round departure in South Africa).
Where Ireland can take advantage
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Giovanni Trapattoni is revered in his native country and he has built a side of great resilience. They are not a team you would wish to confront in a moment of uncertainty.
Star player
He is as likely to set fire to the team hotel as torment Italy’s opposition, but Mario Balotelli’s unpredictability could yet be a strength. It is asking a lot to base hopes around the maverick striker but perhaps it will take a moment of unheralded genius to lift Prandelli’s team
Sunday, June 10: Spain v Italy (PGE Arena, Gdansk, 5pm, ITV1).
Thursday, June 14: Italy v Croatia (Municipal Stadium, Poznan, 5pm, BBC One).
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Monday, June 18: Italy v Ireland (Municipal Stadium, Poznan, 7.45pm, BBC One).