Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi has revealed he will play in defence against Spain in Sunday's Euro 2012 Group C opener.

Italy midfielder Thiago Motta believes Mario Balotelli will be an influential figure for the Azzurri at Euro 2012.

For many it will be a summer to savour. For an unlucky minority though, Euro 2012 will bring only despair and frustration as, for one reason or another, they won’t be there, says Darren Norris

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said that he believes last night's defeat to Russia will only make his team stronger ahead of the European Championship.

The full scale of the match-fixing crisis in Italy was made clear yesterday as coach Cesare Prandelli said he would have “no problem” if the national team was withdrawn from Euro 2012, nine days ahead of their opening fixture against Spain.

Italy football federation vice-president Demetrio Albertini has reassured fans that the Azzurri will play at Euro 2012.

World Cup winner Marco Tardelli is not expecting the Republic of Ireland’s Group C rivals Italy to make a sensational withdrawal from Euro 2012.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has claimed he would have “no problem” if his team was withdrawn from Euro 2012 as the national game suffers another match-fixing crisis.

Italy’s Euro 2012 plans are in danger of being derailed by outside forces as a betting scandal clouded coach Cesare Prandelli’s announcement of his squad for the tournament.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has defended his decision to include Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci in his Euro 2012 squad.

Italian Premier Mario Monti has suggested that football in the country should be suspended for two to three years after another match-fixing scandal.

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci was today included in Italy’s final Euro 2012 squad despite being mentioned in the latest match-fixing investigation to engulf the country.

Typically they feature dawn raids and search warrants; obscure provincial prosecutors with snappy wardrobes and an eye for publicity; pictures of sheepish young men emerging from police stations; extracts from mobile phone taps selectively leaked to the papers; condemnation and summary convictions; and then a five-year appeal process during which it emerges that everyone was doing it but the accused had the misfortune or the stupidity to be caught.

Giovanni Trapattoni tonight spoke of his humiliation at the latest match-fixing scandal to engulf Italian football.

Italy host Luxembourg in a Euro 2012 warm-up tomorrow in Parma with the country gripped by a new match-fixing scandal.

Italy defender Domenico Criscito will not play at the European Championship as he is under investigation in the country's latest match-fixing scandal.

Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni has described the latest match-fixing scandal to hit Italy as "devastating" and believes it further tarnishes the image of Italian football.

Lazio captain Stefano Mauri and former Genoa midfielder Omar Milanetto have been arrested by police in connection with a match-fixing probe in Italy.

Italy 0 United States 1

Faroe Islands 0 Italy 1

Northern Ireland 0 Italy 0

ITALY coach Marcello Lippi took full responsibility for his side’s World Cup group exit, admitting the reigning champions had played with “terror in their hearts, heads and legs”.

Slovakia 3 Italy 2

Italy have dropped Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi from their 23-man World Cup squad.

Two own goals from captain Kakha Kaladze gifted Italy victory over a toothless Georgia in Tbilisi tonight to keep the visitors out in front at the top of the World Cup qualifying Group Eight table.

ITALY goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has offered exiled star Antonio Cassano some hope in making it into Marcelo Lippi’s squad for next summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

Switzerland 0 Italy 0