Did you Know?
Del Piero is currently Italy’s joint fourth all-time leading scorer, along with Roberto Baggio, with 27 goals in 91 appearances, with 2 goals for Italy coming in 12 World Cup matches and 1 goal in 13 European Championship matches; alongside Enrico Chiesa, he also holds the unique record for the most goals scored by an Italian international as a substitute. Del Piero initially played for the Italian U-21 side on 12 occasions, scoring 3 goals, and was a member of the team that won the 1996 European Under-21 Championship, appearing in the quarter-finals. Del Piero made his senior debut under Arrigo Sacchi at the age of 20, on 25 March 1995, in a 4–1 win over Estonia in a Euro 1996 qualifying match. Del Piero scored his first goal for Italy on the 15th November 1995, in a 4–0 win over Lithuania in a Euro 1996 qualifying match. His tournament debut was at UEFA Euro 1996, where he made his only appearance in the first half of a group match win against Russia as a left-winger, wearing the number 14 shirt, before being substituted at half-time by Roberto Donadoni.
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
U-21
Euro 2006
Match Worn Shirt
Donadel Marco
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Donadel was the captain of Italy under-21 team between 2004 and 2006, and won the 2004 European Under-21 Football Championship, totalling 31 appearances and 1 goal. Donadel also won a bronze medal with Italy at the 2004 Summer Olympics football tournament.
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Chiellini made his debut for the Italian national team on 17 November 2004 against Finland under Marcello Lippi, at the age of 20, and has since become a regular squad member. He previously represented Italy at all youth levels, and he won the European Under-19 Championship with Italy in 2003, and was also a member of the Italy team that won the bronze medal at the football tournament of the 2004 Summer Olympics. He participated in the 2006 and 2007 U-21 Championships as Italy’s captain, scoring 2 goals over both tournaments, although Italy were eliminated in the group stage on both occasions. He was named in the ‘UEFA Team of the tournament’ of the 2007 U-21 Championships held in the Netherlands, where Italy also obtained qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics. In total, he made 26 appearances for the Under-21 side, scoring 6 goals. He scored his first goal for Italy on 21 November 2007, against the Faroe Islands, in Modena, in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match.
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
2006-2007
Euro 2008 Qualifying Game
Match Worn Shirt
Iaquinta Vincenzo
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Iaquinta made his international debut for Italy on 30 March 2005, as a half-time substitute for Luca Toni in a 0–0 home friendly draw against Iceland at the Stadio Euganeo in Padua. Iaquinta was a member of the Italian squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup under manager Marcello Lippi. His first international goal came in his nation’s opening match of the tournament: Iaquinta scored Italy’s second goal in the 2–0 victory against Ghana. He played in 5 out of 7 of Italy’s matches, including the semi-final and final, in which he came on after 61 minutes for Simone Perrotta. Iaquinta missed out on Roberto Donadoni’s Italy squad for Euro 2008 due to injury. He later took part at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and he also played for Italy in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in which he scored a penalty in a 1–1 draw against New Zealand in the second group match. His 40th and final international appearance came in the last group game on 24 June, in which Italy were defeated 3–2 by Slovakia and eliminated from the tournament. In total he scored six goals for Italy.
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
“Euro 2008” Qualifiers
France vs Italy
Match Worn & Signed Shirt
Zambrotta Gianluca
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This shirt has been worn by Gianluca Zambrotta during the “Euro 2008” qualifiers game between France and Italy which took place in Paris, “Stade de France”, on September 6th 2006. France defeated Italy 3-1 and at the end of the game, Zambrotta gave his worn shirt to a his team mate at Barcelona F.C. whom we got it from. Zambrotta also signed the shirt on the back with a golden marker. France turned the tables on World Cup winners Italy with a 3-1 victory in a pulsating Euro 2008 Group B qualifier in Paris. Sidney Govou gave France the perfect start with a superbly struck volleyed goal after just two minutes and Thierry Henry added to the advantage just past the quarter hour mark. Italy replied almost immediately through Alberto Gilardino but Govou bravely headed home a third early in the second half to seal a revenge victory for the beaten World Cup finalists. The result leaves world champions Italy struggling with a mere point from their opening two qualifying matches under new coach Roberto Donadoni. By contrast, France trail early group leaders Scotland merely on goal difference after two wins from two games. Their confidence was sky-high as Govou volleyed in a cross by William Gallas after an incisive early move. France increased their lead after 17 minutes when Henry slotted a superb right foot strike from close range after Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon failed to hold a powerful shot from Florent Malouda. Italy pulled a goal back with Gilardino’s header three minutes later but Govou struck again 11 minutes into the second half with a powerful header from 10 meters from a Willy Sagnol free kick. After the explosive first half, the second period at the Stade de France provided less goalmouth action, but France were comfortable winners to the satisfaction of coach Raymond Domenech. “The perfect match is where you score on every attack and where you are never in danger,” he said. “I have to admit we weren’t far from the perfect match.”
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Chiellini was called up to Italy’s squad for UEFA Euro 2008 under manager Roberto Donadoni, and injured captain Fabio Cannavaro in a collision during a training session, that resulted in Cannavaro missing out on the tournament. He was sidelined in the opening game against the Netherlands, which Italy went on to lose 3–0. He subsequently received the nod to partner Christian Panucci at centre-back from the second game onwards, cementing his place in the Azzurri defence; in the second group match of the tournament, he assisted Panucci’s equaliser in a 1–1 draw against Romania. While he also featured in the final group game, keeping a clean-sheet in a 2–0 win against France, his most impressive display was arguably against Spain in the quarter-finals, where he famously neutralised the threat of the Spanish attacking duo of David Villa and Fernando Torres. The game ended 0–0, with Italy eventually losing 4–2 on penalties.
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Toni was called up to the 23-man Italian squad for UEFA Euro 2008 by manager Roberto Donadoni, but his form in the tournament was disappointing, as he failed to score; he managed a goal in Italy’s second group match against Romania, but it was incorrectly disallowed for offside, as Italy drew the match 1–1. Toni’s main contribution for the team was winning a decisive penalty kick in the final group match against France, which ended 2–0, and allowed the Italians to progress to the knock-out round. Italy then bowed out of the tournament on penalties to eventual champions Spain in the quarter-final, following a 0–0 draw after extra-time. Despite disappointing at Euro 2008, Toni was called up by returning coach Marcello Lippi for Italy’s first two 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
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During the Olympic Games teams don’t use regular own country’s football federation logos on chest. Due Olympic Committee rules all of the teams of all sports must have the same NOC’s logo on their uniforms. Also the supplier sponsors on shirts are smaller than usual. Italy Team is usual instead to keep the same supplier sponsor’s size on the shirt but there is only one logo instead of two as it happens in all of the other competitions shirts.
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Giovinco has represented Italy at every youth level from the under-16 level onwards. He was called up to Italy under-21 by head coach Pierluigi Casiraghi to make his U-21 debut in the 2009 European Championship opening qualifier on 1 June 2007 and helped in their 4–0 defeat of Albania. He also played at the 2008 Toulon Tournament, where he was voted most valuable player, scoring two goals in the opening game against the Ivory Coast, and netting the winning penalty in the semi-final match against Japan. Italy ultimately won the competition, defeating Chile 1–0 in the final. That summer, he and Juventus teammates Claudio Marchisio and Paolo De Ceglie were named in the squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. On 7 August 2008, he scored the opening goal in a 3–0 win against Honduras in the first match of the competition where he struck the ball from outside of the box with his weaker left foot. In the summer of 2009, Giovinco was called up to the U-21 side for the European Championships in Sweden after playing a part in their successful qualifying campaign. Giovinco started in every single match at the tournament, but Italy lost to eventual winners Germany 1–0 in a tightly contested semi-final.
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De Rossi in 2017 is still the highest scoring midfielder for the Italian national side post-World War II, with 20 goals in 112 international appearances, and the all-time second highest-scoring midfielder for Italy, behind only Adolfo Baloncieri. De Rossi earned his first cap with the Italy senior squad on 4 September 2004, scoring on his international debut in a 2–1 win against Norway in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match, at the age of 21. He wore Italy’s captain’s armband for the first time in the second half of a 0–0 friendly draw against Iceland on 30 March 2005. After Totti decided to retire from international football following Italy’s victorious 2006 World Cup final, De Rossi was also given the honour of wearing the number 10 shirt. He also captained the team on three occasions: two friendly matches, against South Africa on 17 October 2007 (his first starting appearance as Italy’s captain), and Portugal on 6 February 2008, respectively, and in the Euro 2008 qualifier against the Faroe Islands. He scored his first double with the national team in a 2–0 home win against Georgia on 10 September 2008, in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
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For the Fifa World Cup 2010 Qualifying games a new badge was introduced by FIFA. Since then the team who won the previous World Cup has an extra WORLD CUP WINNER’s badge on chest representing the World Cup Champions. Italy was the first team to introduce this badge. Also for the World Cup 2010 Qualifying games Italy played with match details printed on sleeves as happened once only before, during the game vs Iceland in 2004.
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
World Cup 2010 Qualifying
Montenegro vs Italy
Unwashed Match Worn Shirt
Buffon Gianluigi
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This shirt was worn by Gianluigi Buffon during the Fifa World Cup “South Africa 2010” Qualifiers between Montenegro and Italy which took place in Podgorica, “Pod Goricom” Stadium, on March 28th 2009. Italy defeated Montenegro 2-0 and at the end of the game Buffon swapped his shirt with the Montenegro’s goalkeeper whom we got it from. Upon Marcello Lippi’s return, Buffon was confirmed as the starting goalkeeper. He played all three group matches during Italy’s disappointing 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup campaign in South Africa, in which they finished third in their group in three-way three-point tie. He earned his 100th cap on 14 November 2009 in a friendly match against the Netherlands. He was a key player in Italy’s World Cup qualifying campaign as they finished top of their group, undefeated.
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This shirt was worn by Simone Pepe during the Fifa World Cup “SOUTH AFRICA 2010” qualifying game between Italy and Montenegro which took place in Lecce, “Via del Mare” Stadium, on October 15th 2008. Italy defeated Montenegro 2-1. In spite of a first poor year in the Serie A, Pepe was selected by the Italian under-21 team to the 2006 UEFA European Championship, but he did not play in any games in Portugal in an eventual group stage exit. He made his debut with the senior side on 11 October 2008, under manager Marcello Lippi, in a 0–0 away draw against Bulgaria for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Pepe was part of the squads at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup, both in South Africa. He totalled five appearances in the tournaments, starting in all three matches in the latter, as the Azzurri were sent home after the first stage on both occasions.
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Due to his performances and dedication at international level, De Rossi was tipped by several in the media to be a possible candidate for Italy’s captainship after the retirement of Fabio Cannavaro. His ability to perform well and score in important matches and his pivotal role in breaking down the opposition’s play as a box-to-box midfielder won him admiration from the Italian fans. Indeed, De Rossi scored several crucial goals for Italy in their Euro 2008 and 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns; at the international level, De Rossi’s goal ratio was much greater than at club level during this period, as he played mainly as a defensive midfielder for Roma, whereas he was able to play in more advanced positions for Italy, due to the presence of Gennaro Gattuso in the team’s holding midfielder role.
Captain Armband
127th Italy National Team’s Cap
Aug.12th 2009
Switzerland vs Italy
Match Worn
Cannavaro Fabio
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On August 12th 2009 Fabio Cannavaro broke the appearance record for the Azzurri during the friendly game with Switzerland. Cannavaro surpassed Paolo Maldini with 126 appearances. Cannavaro made his 127th appearance. Cannavaro’s debut for Italy was during a crucial World Cup qualifying game against England at Wembley in February 1997. Thrown in at the deep end in one of football’s most intimidating arenas, Cannavaro produced a master-class to completely silence Alan Shearer as Italy won 1-0 thanks to Gianfranco Zola’s iconic goal. A special captain armband was made to celebrate this record with a golden 127 embroidered on.
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The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009, as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg. The tournament was won by Brazil, who retained the trophy they won in 2005 by defeating the United States 3–2 in the final.
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
Confederation Cup 2009
Match Worn Shirt
Santon Davide
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This style of shirt was especially designed by Puma for the Confederation Cup in South Africa. It was never used anymore in any other competitions. Most of the games were played by the players in long sleeves as the competition was in July that is South African winter time. Davide Santon made his debut with the senior Italian team at age 18, on 6 June 2009 in a friendly match against Northern Ireland, played in Pisa. On the same night future Newcastle teammate Shane Ferguson made his debut as a substitute for the visitors. He played the whole match and his solid performances earned him praise from his peers as well as coach Marcello Lippi. Lippi was impressed enough to name him in the roster for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, but Santon did not manage to make an appearance in the tournament. The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009, as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg. The tournament was won by Brazil, who retained the trophy they won in 2005 by defeating the United States 3–2 in the final.
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Cannavaro captained Italy at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, once again under Marcello Lippi, although his performances were not as strong as in previous editions, and he and the Italian squad received criticism from the press. The defending champions crashed out of the competition in the first round, losing 3–2 to Slovakia after drawing against New Zealand and Paraguay. Following Italy’s failure to progress past the group stage, Cannavaro announced his retirement from international football. In total, Cannavaro made 136 appearances for Italy between 1997 and 2010, scoring 2 goals, making him the second-most capped Italian player of all time, behind only Gianluigi Buffon. Cannavaro currently holds the most appearances for Italy as captain, wearing the armband on 79 occasions.
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During 2010 World Cup qualifying, Chiellini cemented his place as an undisputed first-choice in Marcello Lippi’s squad. He played the full 90 minutes in all three group matches at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup but Italy were eliminated at the group stages on goal difference.[65] He was also the starting Italy centre back, along with Cannavaro, in the 2010 World Cup, although Italy disappointed and exited in the first round, finishing in last place in their group with two points, and failing to win a match or keep a clean sheet.
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
FIFA World Cup “SOUTH AFRICA 2010”
Match Worn & Signed Shin Pads
Chiellini Giorgio
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“Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, called “Waka Waka (Esto es África)” in Spanish, is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring the South African band Freshlyground. It was released on 7 May 2010 by Epic Records as the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was held in South Africa. Written, composed, and produced by Shakira and John Hill, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” is a pop song whose lyrics encourage one to aim for their goals like a soldier on a battlefield. The song was adapted from the Cameroonian band Golden Sounds’s 1986 song “Zangaléwa.” The song initially generated controversy after numerous South Africans expressed disappointment in FIFA’s decision to select Shakira to sing the song, opining that a native artist should have been assigned the role. FIFA’s decision to choose “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” as the official song was negatively received by South African people, who felt Shakira was not the “right person to represent the country’s first World Cup,” arguing that an African artist should have been assigned the role. South African musicians were also displeased regarding the lack of native acts scheduled to perform at the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert on 10 June 2010. The music video for “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” was directed by Marcus Raboy and shows Shakira and a group of dancers and children dancing to the song together. It features cameos by various footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. It became popular on YouTube, receiving 1.5 billion views as of August 2017 and becoming the twenty-ninth most-watched video of all time on the site. Shakira performed the song at the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony on 10 June as well as at the closing ceremony on 11 July. It was also included on the set list of her The Sun Comes Out World Tour (2010–11).
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This shirt comes a friendly game before Fifa World Cup “South Africa 2010”. Di Natale took part at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, under manager Marcello Lippi, where he was given the iconic number 10 shirt. Italy was placed into Group F at the finals, drawing their first two group games by a score of 1–1 to Paraguay and New Zealand, respectively. In their final group game on 24 June 2010, he scored a goal in the 3–2 defeat against Slovakia, which resulted in Italy finishing bottom of its group.
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Pirlo wore this shirt against Mexico on June 3th 2010, the last friendly game of Italy National Team before the Fifa World Cup “South Africa 2010”. During this game he got injured and on June 4th he left Italy Team’s headquarter in Sestriere (Italy) and ready to quit his participation to the World Cup. Just few hours before the team flew to South Africa, manager Marcello Lippi decided to include Pirlo in the official World Cup player’s list even if had to skip some games of the group stage. Pirlo was not able to play the first two games. He came off the bench for Italy late in the match on 24 June against Slovakia. Even with his help in orchestrating a renewed Italian offense, Pirlo could not prevent Italy from being knocked out of the first round.
