Sports

>>>FORZA ITALIA flat

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How did you like that preceding video? If you did not already know, Italy had the great victory of winning the 2006 FIFA WORLD CUP in Germany.

- Go to the following link for a narrated video of the matches: []



=2006 FIFA WORLD CUP= Quarter-finals|| Match
 * **Teams:** 32
 * **When:** 09 June 2006 to 09 July 2006
 * **Final:** 09 July 2006
 * **Matches:** 64
 * **Goals Scored:** 147 (average 2.3 per match)
 * **Attendance:**3359439 (average 52491)
 * **Winner:** Italy
 * **Runners-Up:** France
 * **Third:** Germany
 * **Fourth:** Portugal
 * Date ||  || Home Team || Results || Away Team ||   ||
 * 57 || 30 June ||  || Germany || [|1:1 a.e.t. (1:1, 0:0) 4:2 PSO] || Argentina ||   ||
 * 58 || 30 June ||  || Italy || [|3:0 (1:0)] || Ukraine ||   ||
 * 59 || 01 July ||  || England || [|0:0 a.e.t. 1:3 PSO] || Portugal ||   ||
 * 60 || 01 July ||  || Brazil || [|0:1 (0:0)] || France ||   ||

Semi-finals|| Match
 * Date ||  || Home Team || Results || Away Team ||   ||
 * 61 || 04 July ||  || Germany || [|0:2 a.e.t.] || Italy ||   ||
 * 62 || 05 July ||  || Portugal || [|0:1 (0:1)] || France ||   ||

Third place|| Match
 * Date ||  || Home Team || Results || Away Team ||   ||
 * 63 || 08 July ||  || Germany || [|3:1 (0:0)] || Portugal ||   ||

Final|| Match

=STATS= Shirt badge/Association crest || = THE TEAM =
 * = [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/97/FIGC_logo.svg/120px-FIGC_logo.svg.png width="169" height="240" caption="Shirt badge/Association crest" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FIGC_logo.svg"]]
 * ~ [|Nickname(s)] || //Azzurri// (The Blues) ||
 * ~ Association || [|Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio] ||
 * ~ Confederation || [|UEFA] (Europe) ||
 * ~ Head coach || [|Cesare Prandelli] ||
 * ~ Asst coach || [|Gabriele Pin] ||
 * ~ Captain || [|Gianluigi Buffon] ||
 * ~ Most [|caps] || [|Fabio Cannavaro] (136) ||
 * ~ Top scorer || [|Luigi Riva] (35) ||
 * ~ [|FIFA code] || ITA ||
 * ~ [|FIFA ranking] || 9 ||
 * ~ Highest FIFA ranking || 1 ( November 1993, February 2007, April–June 2007 ) ||
 * ~ Lowest FIFA ranking || 16 ( April 1998, October 2010 ) ||
 * ~ [|Elo ranking] || 11 ||
 * ~ Highest Elo ranking || 1 ( June 1934 – March 1940, December 1940 – November 1945, July–August 2006 ) ||
 * ~ Lowest Elo ranking || 21 ( November 1959 ) ||

**Goalkeepers:**

 * Gianluigi Buffon || [[image:buddon align="center"]] ||
 * Angelo Peruzzi || [[image:peru align="center"]] ||
 * Marco Amelia || [[image:images.jpg align="center"]] ||

**Defenders:**

 * > Cristian Zaccardo ||> [[image:index.jpg align="center"]] ||
 * > Fabio Grosso ||> [[image:gro align="center"]] ||
 * > Fabio Cannavaro ||> [[image:can align="center"]] ||
 * > Andrea Barzagli ||> [[image:bar align="center"]] ||
 * > Alessandro Nesta ||> [[image:nes align="center"]] ||
 * > Gianluca Zambrotta ||> [[image:zam align="center"]] ||
 * > Massimo Oddo ||> [[image:oddo align="center"]] ||
 * > Marco Materazzi ||> [[image:mat align="center"]] ||

**Midfielders:**

 * Daniele De Rossi || [[image:ROS align="center"]] ||
 * Gennaro Gattuso || [[image:GAT align="center"]] ||
 * Francesco Totti || [[image:TOT align="center"]] ||
 * Mauro German Camoranesi || [[image:CAM align="center"]] ||
 * Simone Barone || [[image:bar align="center"]] ||
 * Simone Perrotta || [[image:PAR align="center"]] ||
 * Andrea Pirlo || [[image:PIR align="center"]] ||

**FORWARDS:**
 * Alessandro Del Piero || [[image:DEL align="center"]] ||
 * Luca Toni || [[image:TONI align="center"]] ||
 * Alberto Gilardino || [[image:GIL align="center"]] ||
 * Vincenzo Iaquinta || [[image:IAQU align="center"]] ||
 * Filippo Inzaghi || [[image:INZA align="center"]] ||



In the 2006 World Cup Final vs. France, French midfielder, Zinedine Zidane Head butted, Italian defender, Marco Matterazzi in the chest. It is believed that Zidane Head butted Materazzi due to a a comment the Italian made about Zidane's sister. A video of the event follows:

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List of sports Italy takes part in:

=**Football:**= This is by far the most popular sport in Italy, that goes for viewers and players. The country has had the honor of holding the football world cup for four times in 1934, 1938, 1982 and most recently 2006. It is the current world champion and over the years the Italian national team has won the European Nations cup once and received a gold medal in the Olympic Games.

=**Auto Racing:**= Given the fact that Italy produces some of the world’s finest sports cars it is no surprise that Auto Racing is very popular for the country. The nation plays host to a number of racing events such as the famous Italian Grand Prix.

=**Rugby League:**= Rugby is also a much loved sport in Italy as the country holds various local tournaments and takes part in a number of international championships as well. They are also an easy entry into the Rugby World Cup.

=**Volleyball:**= This sport is in fact very common around the country. The Italian Volleyball League is considered in the top 4 teams of the world.

=**Cycling:**= Italy is only second to Belgium in terms of winning Cycling Championships. There are a number of cycling tournaments held in the country during the year, some being up to 3 weeks long.

=**Athletics:**= The Italians are very good on both track and field. The participants in national and international competitions are highly regarded in the eyes of the public.

=**Roller Hockey:**= The Italian national team of Roller Hockey is counted amongst the top four national teams in the world.

=**Traditional Sports:**= There are some unique games are only played in Otaly. Sphaeristerium, a team ball game, is very famous in the country. There are many different versions of these kinds of sports that can be seen in the different regions of the country. National tournaments take place every year, including games such as; bocce, billiard and palio.

=SPORTS FEEDS= rss url="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2012/02/05/sp-soccer-de-rossi.html?cmp=rss" link="true" number="10" rss url="http://worldsoccer.about.com/b/2012/01/15/inter-back-in-title-picture.htm" link="true" number="10" rss url="http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=387057" link="true" number="10"

=ITALY REGIONS FLAGS= ABRUZZA || BASILICATA || CAMPANIA || CALABRIA || FRIULI - VENEZIA GIULIA || LIGURIA ||   LOMBARDIA  ||  SARDINIA ||
 * [[image:ABRUZZA width="197" height="138" align="center"]]
 * [[image:FRIULA width="197" height="138" align="center"]]
 * [[image:SCILIY width="197" height="138" align="center"]]

SICILIA ||  TUSCANY || <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%; text-align: center;">UMBRIA || **<span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">VENETO^^ (MY REGION) **  ||

Take me back home

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