The Azzurri are one of football's top teams around the world. However, if Italy have enjoyed a lot of success on the International stage, they also had to endure many twists and turns.

Italy's Football History

Italy played its first game in 1910 against France in Milan. The Azzurri's overwhelming 6-2 victory over Les Bleus was therefore rewarded with the crowd throwing out cigarettes packs as presents to the players. The Azzurri's biggest ever defeat came in 1924, where they heavily lost 7-1 to Hungary in Budapest. However, the Italians quickly raised their standard with a successful 1928 Summer Olympics campaign in Amsterdam where they won bronze medals. The third place - secured by an 11-3 crushing victory over Egypt - was a huge consolation for the Azzurri who had lost in the semi-finals against Uruguay.

Italy turned down participation to the planet's first ever World Cup tournament in 1930. Four years later, the Italians - led by Vittorio Pozzo - hosted the competition and went in to lift the trophy after defeating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the final in Rome. Italy then successfully defended their World Cup title in 1938. These were the years of the famous Giuseppe Meazza, Luis Monti, Giovanni Ferrari, Silvio Piola or also Virginio Rosetta; but the black days in Italian football was just about to arrive...

In 1949, the tragic loss of Torino's players saw Italy lose eleven out of the team's twelve regular starting line-up players; the Azzurri were devastated. The country failed to progress to the second round of the World Cup held in 1950 after the team suffered a physically disastrous trip to Brazil in boat.

The black days in Italy as a football nation continued as the Azzurri were again dumped out of the 1954 and 1962 World Cups while they couldn't even reach the promise land in 1958. Italy had nothing to cheer about in the 1964 European Championship either as they lost to the USSR in the second round of the tournament.

More troubles arrived two years later when giants Italy were ousted from the World Cup by semi-professionals North Korea.

Thirty years had to pass before Italy won their first major trophy since the 1938 World Cup. The Azzurri triumphed in the final 3-1 on aggregate after having to do a replay. (With the match ending 1-1 after extra-time, a replay was needed to separate the two sides as the penalty shootout rule did not exist at that time).

In 1970, after a thrilling and memorable semi-final clash against West Germany - which Italy won 4-3 in extra-time - the Azzurri reached the final of the World Cup in Mexico but unfortunately lost to Brazil.

Key players Riva, Rivera, Mazzola and Facchetti couldn't perform at the same level in the 1972 European Championship where Italy failed to reach the playoffs. However, series of good results in friendly games - such as the victory over Brazil or the 1-0 triumph at Wembley by Fabio Capello's lone goal - seemed to have uplifted the Azzurri's spirits.

But miserable campaigns in the 1974 World Cup and the 1976 European Championship saw Italy endure some other frustrating moments. World Cup glory in 1982 helped the Italians to recover from their wounds but this major trophy was also their last one until July 2006 where Coach Marcelo Lippi led them to the final to defeat France in style and clinch the World Cup once again.

This victory in the final, marked by Zinedine Zidane's infamous head butt on Marco Materrazzi meant that Italy had won their fourth World Cup title in the history of football. This didn't come without controversy though. In their road to glory in Germany, Italy had ousted Australia by a Francesco Totti penalty in the dying minutes of the game - something which left the Aussies infuriated.

But this didn't keep the Azzurri from celebrating a wonderful adventure in Germany in which they had to overcome the distraction caused by the country's match fixing allegations.

Marcelo Lippi resigned after successfully leading Italy to their fourth World Cup title. Former 1994 World Cup star Roberto Donadoni took charge of the Italian squad.

However, he failed to guide the Azzurri on the mesmerizing track laid by Lippi, as a poor performance in the Euro 2008 Championship saw them struggle to reach the quarter-finals where they eventually lost to Spain in a dramatic penalty shootout marked by Iker Casillas' heroics.

Donadoni was subsequently ordered the sack only for Marcelo Lippi to return to football as a coach. The Azzurri are currently on the brink of qualifying to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

How Italy qualified to this year's Confederations Cup

Italy won a place in the Confederations Cup as winners of the World Cup. Founded in 1992, the Confederations Cup never welcomed the Azzurri. It will be Italy's first time appearance in the Confederations Cup.

About the coach

"A group of players do not necessarily make for the best team", this is one of Marcelo Lippi's numerous thoughts and philosophies on football.

The 61-year-old - author of the book "Il gioco delle idee: pensieri e passioni da bordo campo" (A game of ideas: thoughts and passions from the sidelines) is regarded as a true tactician.

Lippi has been successful at club level too, winning the UEFA Champions League and the Coppa Italia once amongst many other titles with Juventus. Adding to this achievement are a bunch of individual honors as well as the prestigious World Cup trophy. Marcelo Lippi could mark another moment of his career by successfully guiding Italy to the Confederations Cup in South Africa

Star Players

Gianluigi Buffon and Cannavaro used to be part of Italy's solid rock in defense, but their recent poor form in their respective clubs could turn everyone's attention more on striker Luca Toni.

The 31-year-old Bayern Munich striker was recalled to the national team after miserably failing to score at least a goal in the Euro 2008 tournament. Luca Toni will have some point to prove when Italy play in the Confederations Cup. But the reigning UEFA Cup top scorer originally possesses the killer instinct to devastate opponents with his firing shots.

Another man in the spotlight could be Antonio Cassano. It is not clear whether the Sampdoria striker will be part of the Italy squad that will travel to South Africa to play in the Confederations Cup tournament, but his sparkling form in the Italian Seria A is very promising.