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In Form Pellè Providing Relief for Conte & Co.

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In Form Pellè Providing Relief for Conte & Co. Graziano Pellè’s toes have been stepped on before. His parents Roberto and Doriana were keen ballroom dancers. They used to hit the floor at the Colelli dance hall in Porto Cesareo. It caught the imagination of Pellè’s older sister Fabiana. She wanted to give it a go. The o...

Wilmots Needs to Find Right Attacking Blend for Belgium

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Wilmots Needs to Find Right Attacking Blend for Belgium Ahead of Monday night’s Euro 2016 opener with Italy in Lyon, the two ends of the pitch contrast like night and day for Belgium. Even if Marc Wilmots has the best centre-back partnership in England at his disposal in the shape of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen - should he use them as a ce...

Conte Needs Entire Squad to Shoulder Goalscoring Burden

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Conte Needs Entire Squad to Shoulder Goalscoring Burden Before Italy kicked off their final warm-up game before the Euros against Finland in Verona, Carlo Tavecchio, the bumbling FIGC president, honoured Luca Toni for his services to the national team with a handshake and a commemorative shirt. Printed on the back was his name, the No.9 along with the me...

Six Main Storylines Set to Drive Euro 2016

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Six Main Storylines Set to Drive Euro 2016 There are many elements that properly mark an international tournament, from the level of the football to the drama of the moments, but even they are elevated by one of the most important aspects of all: the quality of the storylines. Brazil 2014 stood out in this regard, with everything from the co...

The Top Tips in Each Group at Euro 2016

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The Top Tips in Each Group at Euro 2016 Euro 2016 is the first of its kind with 24 teams. With more teams able to progress from the group stage, the final round of matches will give headaches to those calculating what the best outcome would be in order to secure the best passage in the knockout phase. Compared to previous editions, the fa...

Italy's Questionable Decision to Hand Motta the Iconic Number 10

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Italy's Questionable Decision to Hand Motta the Iconic Number 10 Restraint is a sign of maturity. A frequent piece of advice to people who have trouble controlling their temper or are struggling to shake that habit of putting their foot in their mouth is to count to 10 before opening it. Unfortunately, it’s the No.10 that is causing so much heated debate at...

Italy Future Bright Despite Underwhelming Current Crop

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Italy Future Bright Despite Underwhelming Current Crop Fourteen different nationalities were represented. Slovenia, Japan, Colombia and Brazil, France, Argentina, Montenegro and Ghana, Serbia, Switzerland, Mali, and Greece, Portugal and Croatia. One was conspicuous by its absence: Italy. The fans who bought tickets to watch Inter play Udinese at San Sir...

Lack of Italian Striking Talent a Concern Ahead of Euro 2016

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Lack of Italian Striking Talent a Concern Ahead of Euro 2016 Luca Toni threw himself into his seat in the dug-out at the Bentegodi. As he leaned back and stretched out, he brought his hands to his face as if to wash it of tears. One of his teammates gamely slapped his thigh as if to say: ‘You did it! The rest of your life starts now.’ But the emot...

Italy's Lack of Top Striking Talent a Concern for Euro 2016

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Italy's Lack of Top Striking Talent a Concern for Euro 2016 “We don’t have strikers used to playing at the top level, used to handling the pressure. People like Inzaghi, Del Piero, Totti or like me. That’s depressing.” To an extent, it’s difficult to disagree with Luca Toni’s comments on Italy’s current striking pred...

Team Focus: Belgium Not Yet Transcendent but Among Euro Favourites

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Team Focus: Belgium Not Yet Transcendent but Among Euro Favourites Plenty still claim that international friendlies are meaningless, but you’d have had a job on your hands telling that to Belgium fans last week. The King Baudouin Stadium has been the venue for significant outpourings of joy in the past few years - most recently after the 3-1 victory over Isra...