Saturday, June 6, 2009
Tonight: Italy – Northern Ireland
The Italian national team tonight will be playing in Pisa against Northern Ireland in the first of two friendlies before the Confederations Cup. The other match against New Zealand will played in Pretoria in South Africa. The only bianconero who will be on the field against Northern Ireland is Nicola Legrottaglie. The defender will then also take part in the South African adventure with team mates Buffon, Chiellini, Camoranesi, Iaquinta and Cannavaro who will join the azzurri group in the evening.
LEGROTTAGLIE’S AZZURRO PORTFOGLIO
On Saturday 6th June 2009, Italy vs Northern Ireland could see Nicola Legrottaglie making his 12th appearance for the national team.
In 2009 Marcello Lippi’s Italy played 3 matches. Nicola Legrottaglie was in the starting line-up of the first, the friendly against Brazil lost by 2-0.
His debut came on the 20th of November 2002 when he was still a Chievo player. The match was a friendly against Turkey which ended in a 1-1 draw. The coach at the time was Giovanni Trapattoni.
The Juventus central defender scored one goal up to now. It was on the 30th of April 2003 during Switzerland-Italy in a match which ended in a 2-1 victory for Italy: Legrottaglie on the 10th minute answered to the opening goal by Frei with Cristiano Zanetti scoring the winner fifteen minutes from the end.
PREVIOUS MATCHES AGAINST NORTHERN IRELAND
Italy and Northern Ireland met three times in Italy on a friendly match basis. The first time dates back to the 25th April 1961 in Bologna and Juventus dressed in azzurro was an absolute protagonist. Italy won by 3-2 thanks to two goals by Juventus left wing Gino Stacchini and a third goal scored by Omar Sivori on his debut with the Italy jersey in a time when quite a few nationalised South Americans were called-up. Out of the 11 fielded by captain Ferrari there were another two Juventus players who were about to win the 11th scudetto: right wing Bruno Mora and centre-forward Bruno Nicolè, the azzurri captain.
The second meeting took place on the 22nd of January 1997. The match was played in Palermo and the match is the debut of Cesare Maldini on the Italy bench (to substitute Arrigo Sacchi). The match saw Italy winning by 2-0 thanks to two own-goals by Wright but the real protagonist of the evening was Alessandro Del Piero. Together with Pinturicchio, in his 12th appearance for Italy, there were another three Juventus players: Angelo Peruzzi, Angelo Di Livio and Ciro Ferrara.
Finally comes the match played on the 4th of June 2003 in Campobasso. Trapattoni’s Italy won by 2-0 thanks to goals scored by Corradi and Delvecchio. In the starting line-up the only bianconero is Marco Di Vaio. In the second half with the victory already in the bag Alessandro Birindelli came on for Perugia player Fabio Grosso.
Juventus.com
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