Given their embarrassing campaign in the World Cup of 2010, and the lightening season of some of its players and it's biggest domestic club, I'm going for an Italian win for the Euro 2012 Championships this summer.
The old-guard has been replaced with a newer batch of talent. From 2010, out go the likes of 2006 World Player of the Year Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Mauro Camoranesi, Genarro Gattuso, Alberto Gilardio and Vicenzo Iaquinta, and in come Christian Abate, Frederico Balzaretti, Andrea Barzagli, Antonio Diamanti, Manuel Giaccherini, Thiago Motta (who was also eligible to play for Brazil, but opted for la Nazionale), the ever-entertaining Mario Balotelli and two of 2011/12's brightest stars, Fabio Borini, formerly of Chelsea, and Sebastian Giovinco. Along with the mix of Serie A Player of the Year Andrea Pirlo, now of Juventus after leaving AC Milan on a free transfer at the end of 2010/11, Antonio Di Natale, who scored an astonishing 19 goals from open play, the second highest in Serie A, behind Uruguayan Edison Cavani, and Gianluigi Buffon and Giorgio Chiellini at the back, the squad boasts some of the finest players in the world in the blue shirt this summer.
Cesare Prandelli's tactical progression as Italy coach has been a consistent one. From the 23 players picked in this Euro 2012 squad, only the defenders of Abate, Maggio and Balzaretti offer any sort of wing-play advancement going forward, in that they can sprint forward as a wing-back, and rely on the remaining defenders to cover for them. Abate and Maggio are both likely to feature as a right wing-back, with my preference being Christian Maggio. Balzaretti is the only out-and-out left wing-back in the team after Domenico Criscito's departure, but this isn't surprising given the lack of good Italian wing-backs available in the national pool. So much so, that during the season with Juventus, the Serie A champions and a team that conceded just 20 goals all season in the league, Chiellini was allowed to foray along the left wing from the back three, sometimes cutting inside. The ability of the big man was quite astonishing at times, with his strength and control being highlighted. I would, however, expect Cesare Prandelli to demand he stay at the back, deployed more centrally, until a set-piece of some sort, to which his height and strength will be invaluable.
The midfield will either consist of Andrea Pirlo as a deep-lying playmaker - his now-natural position on a football field, and one he excels in - or Danielle De Rossi, who filled in at centre back for Roma this season, and did an outstanding job. Unlike Pirlo, De Rossi's best attribute is probably his tackling, whereas Pirlo's tackling is the only part of his game that lets him down. Prandelli has been known to use a 4-1-3-2 tactic, which begs the question as to whether De Rossi and Pirlo will actually play in the same games. If so, I would expect Pirlo to sit in the middle of the advanced three midfielders, with De Rossi behind them to act as cover, possibly alternating with Pirlo during the game.
I would also expect Pirlo's right-hand-man of this season Claudio Marchisio to continue to stand alongside Pirlo in the centre, with newest AC Milan signing Ricardo Montolivo on the other side. I would, however, like to see Diamante get a chance over Montolivo, as he has been Bologna's provider this season, scoring some stunning goals and setting up others. Manuel Giaccherini is also an exciting addition. Primarily a striker for Cesena, he played as a winger for Juventus this season. Prandelli may have to experiment with his 4-1-3-2 to make Giacc' fit in properly, as the midfield three is compact rather than spread out, thus, unaccommodating to wingers.
Up front is where a lot of debate could arise.
Mario Balotelli, with his erratic behaviour, will need a cool head if he's to see any sort of consistent and successful run in the team. Antonio Cassano, also known for his ill-tempered attitude, suffered what seemed to be a stroke in November of 2011, later being diagnosed as ischemic-based cerebral damage, and underwent minor heart surgery to rectify the problem. He made his return to football at the end of April, and scored on his return.
Antonio Di Natale, despite his age of 34, has shown time and again, domestically and in European competition, that he can play with the very best, almost single-handedly taking on Arsenal in the Champions League in 2011. But on the other side of that coin, the 21 year old Fabio Borini scored 9 goals in 25 games for Roma after joining from Parma after Chelsea let his contract expire in 2011, and Sebastian Giovinco, co-owned by Juventus and Parma, 15 goals and 11 assists in the league. Juventus are said to want him back there now, but Parma refuse to allow the 50% of his contract that they own to go for anything less than €20m. They paid €3m for it.
Prandelli is said to be a massive fan of Giovinco's form and Cassano in general, so it could be that you would see those two up front at least once for Italy. I, however, would demand Di Natale be the first name on the team sheet, with the power of Balotelli to partner him.
The team is strong, and Prandelli is not Marcello Lippi when it comes to sticking what the players that brought success in 2006. His tactics are progressive and will demand lots of possession, and the players have tasted a lot of individual and team success this season. Juventus' contribution to the cause is, once again, paramount, as it was in 2006, and I expect Italy to go far this season.
The teams I see as the biggest threat have to be fellow Group C participants Spain (the 2006 World Cup winners will face the 2010 World Cup winners in the first game of Group C in the opening days of the tournament), Germany and Holland. But, maybe Italy's biggest threat (or maybe their biggest motivator) is yet another betting scandal to break on the Italian Peninsula.
World Cup 1982 was Paolo Rossi's first games back from a 2-year suspension from football, stemming from the 'Totonero' scandal, in which Rossi has always proclaimed his innocence.
He scored 6 memorable goals to help Italy to win the cup after being branded a "ghost" by fans and pundits for the first few games due to his lack of fitness.
World Cup 2006 saw Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina in the middle of 'Calciopoli', which shook Italy to its core, relegating the then-champions Juventus to Serie B, carrying a 9pt deduction for the start of the season, and stripped of the 2005 and 2006 Scudetto for apparent match-fixing. (A court found in 2011/12 there was no hard evidence to support the accusations against Juventus, as well as justify their punishment, whilst new evidence implicated Inter, but the Statute of Limitations had passed so the case couldn't be re-opened.) Italy would go on to lift the cup.
And now, we see another scandal at another juncture in Italy's International footballing calendar nicknamed the 'Calcioscommesse'. This has cost left-back Domenico Criscito his place in the squad after he was photographed at a meeting authorities believe was a defining factor in the fixing of a Genoa game, with Leonardo Bonucci previously being involved, but having already presented evidence and a statement, Bonucci can continue with the La Nazionale. Can Italy make it a hat-trick under these circumstances? History tells us that they can.
The whole world is talking about yet another betting scandal in Italy, just like they were in 1982, and just like they were in 2006. Those circumstances seemed to bring out the best in the whole National team set up, but this time, Prandelli has stated that he believes it is a "cliché". But regardless of the investigations that will continue through the tournament, Italy have a strong squad of players capable of turning over anyone on their day.
My key player: Andrea Pirlo.
My XI (4-1-3-2): Buffon - Maggio, Barzagli, Chiellini, Balzaretti - De Rossi - Diamante, Pirlo, Marchisio - Di Natale, Balotelli.
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli) and Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain).
Defenders: Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Federico Balzaretti (Palermo), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Christian Maggio (Napoli) and Angelo Ogbonna (Torino).
Midfielders: Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Alessandro Diamanti (Bologna), Emanuele Giaccherini (Juventus), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (AC Milan), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain), Antonio Nocerino (AC Milan) and Andrea Pirlo (Juventus).
Attackers: Mario Balotelli (Manchester City), Fabio Borini (Roma), Antonio Cassano (AC Milan), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese) and Sebastian Giovinco (Parma).
Possible Euro 2012 Winners? 
