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MILAN. — Italy coach Cesare Prandelli might not admit it, but in Brazil the pressure is on to finally end the pain of a disastrous 2010 World Cup soccer finals that plunged Italy into despair and sent the Azzurri into redemption mode.
Yet negotiating safe passage through a “tough” Group D in Brazil, admits Prandelli, remains the priority ahead of bigger tests that could finally heal Italy’s World Cup wounds for good.

“We know we’re in a particularly tough group, our first objective is to qualify, and then we’ll see,” Prandelli said.
“Only once we’re into the second round can we start to harbour any real ambition.”

Although the mood has been more upbeat of late, with Prandelli recently declaring that his squad has been “designed with getting to the final in mind”, Italy would be forgiven for enduring some jitters in the group phase.

In December 2009 a collective sigh of relief was heard when Italy were drawn with Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Barely three games in, sighs turned to cries and optimism to despair as Marcello Lippi’s men finished bottom of their group following consecutive draws with Paraguay and New Zealand and a crushing 3-2 defeat to Slovakia.

After Brazil (1966) and France (2002), Italy became the third World Cup holders to fail to get past the first round in the next edition. Worse, Italy failed to win a single game at the tournament for the first time.

Italy have since made amends: a surprise Euro 2012 final under Prandelli (and an eventual 4-0 humbling by Spain), followed by a jittery but overall positive qualifying campaign for Brazil 2014.

But despite the quiet optimism — midfielder Daniele De Rossi said on Sunday Italy were “among several teams” with the chance of making it to the final — Italy have it all to prove.

Italy have slumped to ninth in Fifa’s rankings and in Brazil England, Costa Rica and Uruguay now lie in place of relative minnows Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia.

For their group opener in the steamy Amazonian venue of Manaus, England v Italy already has the makings of a classic. — AFP.