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FORZA AZZURRI STATISTICS

THE WORLD CHAMPIONS

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CONGRATULATIONS ................................Roberto ROSETTI                                                                                                                                    - EURO 08 Final Referee

Forza Azzurri Statistics would like to congratulate the Italian Referee Roberto Rosetti who was selected by UEFA to control the final of the EURO 2008 on Sunday 29 June 2008 between Germany and Spain, played in Vienna Austria. Rosetti controlled in total four games in this edition of the European Nations Championship, including the opening match, thus he became the only referee ever to control both the inauguration game and the final of the same EURO edition. This was the third European Nations Championship Final controlled by an Italian Referee, after Sergio Gonella, who controlled the EURO final of 1976 and Pierluigi Pairetto, who controlled the final in 1996. Rosetti was born in Pecetto Torinese on the 18 September 1967 and made his debut in the Serie A in 1996 and as an international referee in 2002. He was one of the referees for the 2006 World Cup where he controlled four games. The Italians Griselli and Calcagno were the Assistant Referees during the final.

CONGRATULATIONS .............CHIEVO VERONA, BOLOGNA                                                                                                       & LECCE - Promoted to Serie A

Forza Azzurri Statistics would like to congratulate the Azzurro Club Chievo Verona in winning the Seria B League 2007-2008 thus winning also the promotion to Seria A after just one season in the Seria B. Forza Azzurri Statistics would like to congratulate also the Azzurro Clubs Bologna and Lecce in placing 2nd and 3rd respectively in the 2007-2008 Italian Seria B Championship, thus winning also the promotion to the Serie A. Bologna returns to the Serie A after three seasons and Lecce after two. On behalf of all the Azzurri Supporters all over the world, we would like to compliment in particular the Azzurri players Massimo Marazzina, Francesco Antoniolli (who never played in Azzurro although was called-up) and Marcello Castellini all of Bologna.

CONGRATULATIONS .............REGGIANA, ALESSANDRIA                                                                       & COMO - Promoted to higher divisions

Forza Azzurri Statistics would like to congratulate the Azzurro Clubs Reggiana, Alessandria and Como in winning their promotion in the lower divisions of Italian Football. Reggiana won Group B of the Serie C2 thus winning the promotion to Serie C1, whilst Alessandria and Como won Group A and Group B of the Serie D respectively, thus winning the promotion to Serie C2. On behalf of all the Azzurri Supporters all over the world, we would like to compliment these Azzurro Clubs and give them moral support in order to help them reach again the top divisions of Italian football where they used to play when they supplied the Italian National team with their players.

THANK YOU .........Roberto DONADONI - Ex National Coach

Forza Azzurri Statistics would like to thank Roberto Donadoni, whose contract as the Italian National Coach was terminated on the 26 June 2008 after the poor performance of the Azzurri World Champions in the EURO 2008 and the failure to qualify for the Semi-Finals of the same competition. Roberto Donadoni became National Coach on the 13 July 2006 and in two years he guided the Azzurri in 23 games, winning 13, losing 5 and equalizing 5. His debut was against Croatia on the 16 August 2006 when the Azzurri lost 0-2. His achievements as a National Coach were the Qualification for the 2008 EURO and the 6th place in the same competition after losing in the Quarter Finals stage against Spain with a penalty shoot-out. Under him, the Italian National team finished in the second place of the '2006 FIFA World Team of the Year' award (together with Lippi), finished in the third place of the same award a year later and won the '2006 FIFA Best Mover

WELCOME BACK ...............Marcello LIPPI - National Coach

Forza Azzurri Statistics would like to welcome back Marcello Lippi as the National Coach of the Italian National team. This will be the second term of Lippi as National Coach after finishing the first term by winning the 2006 World Cup with the Azzurri. In the History of the Italian National team, besides Lippi, only the legendry Vittorio Pozzo returned to coach the Azzurri for the second time. Marcello Lippi became National Coach on the 16 July 2004 and in two years he guided the Azzurri in 29 games, winning 17, losing 2 and equalizing 10. His debut was against Iceland on the 18 August 2004 when the Azzurri lost 0-2. His achievements as a National Coach were the Qualification for the 2006 World Cup and winning the same competition, thus becoming World Champion. Under him, the Italian National team won the runner-up award of the '2006 FIFA World Cup Most Entertaining Team', won the '2006 Laureus World Team of the Year' award, finished in the second place of the '2006 FIFA World Team of the Year' award

(together with Donadoni), won the '2006 FIFA Best Mover of the Year' award (with Donadoni) and the Azzurri were also awarded the '2006 European National Team of the Year' (with Donadoni) by 'France Football'. In 2006 he was invested 'Commendatore' in the 'Order of Merit of the Italian Republic' for his achievement in the 2006 World Cup and was voted 2006 'Best National Coach of the World' by IFFHS (International Federation of Football History and Statistics) and the 2006 'Manager of the Year' by 'World Soccer'. Lippi was born on the 12 April 1948 at Viareggio and started playing football in 1963 with the youth team Stella Rossa Viareggio. As a player he played with Sampdoria, Savona and Pistoiese for a total of 354 league games, scoring 8 goals in a thirteen year career (1969-1982). He never played in Azzurro except two games with the Under 23 National Team. Marcello Lippi started his coaching career in 1982 and coached Sampdoria (youths), Pontedera, Siena, Pistoiese, Carrarese, Cesena, Lucchese, Atalanta, Napoli, Juventus and Inter before becoming National Coach of Italy in 2004. As a club coach with Juventus he won five Italian Serie A Championships, one Coppa Italia, four Italian Super Cups, one UEFA Champions League, one European Super Cup and one Intercontinental Cup. He was awarded also a number of individual awards such as three times the 'Oscar del Calcio' award as Italian Serie A Coach of the Year by the AIC (Italian Players Association) (1997, 1998, 2003), twice the 'World's Best Club Coach of the Year' by IFFHS (International Federation of Football History and Statistics) (1996, 1998), once the UEFA Club Coach of the Year (1997/98), once the 'Onze Coach of the Year' by 'Onze Mondial' (1997) and four times the 'European Coach of the Year' by ' El Pais' (1996, 1997, 1998, 2003), On behalf of all the Azzurri Supporters all over the world, we would like to welcome back Marcello Lippi and wish him all the best with the Azzurri to continue winning and giving us satisfaction.

of the Year' award (with Lippi). The Azzurri were also awarded the '2006 European National Team of the Year' (with Lippi) by 'France Football'. Donadoni was born on the 9 September 1963 at Cisano Bergamasco and started playing football in 1981 with the Atalanta youth team. As a player he played with Atalanta, Milan, the American club New York Metro Stars and the Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad for a total of 445 league games, scoring 29 goals in an eighteen year career (1982-2000), winning six Italian Serie A Championships, three UEFA Champions Leagues, three European Super Cups and two Intercontinental Cups, all with Milan. In Azzurro he made his debut on the 8 October 1986 when Italy won 2-0 against Greece in a friendly match. In total he played 63 games in Azzurro and scored 5 goals. Four of these games where played whilst he was playing in America with the New York Metro Stars, thus becoming the first player to play in Azzurro from a foreign club. Roberto Donadoni is one of only ten Azzurri players who scored in the first minute of an Azzurro match and he formed part of the Italian National Squad when the Azzurri finished second in the 1994 World Cup, third in the 1990 World Cup and fourth in the 1988 European Nations Championship. In 1991 he was invested 'Cavaliere' in the 'Order of Merit of the Italian Republic' for his achievement in the 1990 World Cup, although he was one of the Azzurri who missed a penalty in the Penalty Shoot-Out against Argentina which eliminated Italy in the Semi-Finals. Donadoni started his coaching career in 2001 and coached Lecco, Livorno and Genoa before becoming National Coach of Italy in 2006. On behalf of all the Azzurri Supporters all over the world, we would like to thank Roberto Donadoni and wish him all the best for his coaching career.

CONGRATULATIONS ..............................Gianluigi BUFFON                                                      - UEFA EURO 2008 Team of the Tournament

Forza Azzurri Statistics would like to congratulate the Azzurro Gianluigi Buffon who was selected by the UEFA Technical Team to form part of the 'UEFA EURO 2008 Team of the Tournament', the EURO 08 Best 23 Players Squad. Buffon is the only Italian representative in the squad that contains also nine Spanish players, four Russians, three Germans, two Dutch and Portuguese, and one each from Turkey and Croatia. Buffon thus became the nineteenth Italian player to be selected in the 'UEFA Team of the Best Players' of each European Nations Championship, together with Paolo Maldini (1988, 1996, 2000), Dino Zoff (1968, 1980), Giacinto Facchetti (1968), Angelo Domenghini (1968), Luigi Riva (1968), Alessandro Mazzola (1968), Claudio Gentile (1980), Gaetano Scirea (1980), Marco Tardelli (1980), Giuseppe Bergomi (1988), Giuseppe Giannini (1988), Gianluca

Vialli (1988), Francesco Totti (2000), Alessandro Nesta (2000), Fabio Cannavaro (2000), Demetrio Albertini (2000), Francesco Toldo (2000) and Gianluca Zambrotta (2004). On behalf of all the Azzurri Supporters all over the world, we would like to congratulate Gianluigi Buffon for this success.