The agent of Italy midfielder Mauro Camoranesi claims the player is the subject of an official approach from Birmingham.

Airtricity League side Shamrock Rovers face the might of Juventus tonight in the first leg of the Third Qualifying round of the Europa League at Tallaght Stadium.

JUVENTUS boss Luigi del Neri and Alessandro Del Piero swept into Tallaght Stadium yesterday afternoon with the cameras rolling and the paparazzi snapping.

Italy 1 New Zealand 1

DEFENDING champions Italy had to come from behind to salvage a draw in their World Cup Group F opener against Paraguay in Cape Town last night.

Italy 1 Paraguay 1

FORMER France defender Marcel Desailly believes the mood in les Bleus’ camp is upbeat ahead of their World Cup opener against Uruguay tomorrow night.

Italy team doctor Enrico Castellacci is confident Juventus winger Mauro Camoranesi will be fit for the Azzurri’s World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 14.

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

Italy 0 Holland 0

MICHAEL CIANI scored at both ends and Bordeaux missed two penalties as the French champions leapfrogged Bayern Munich to move to the top of Group A last night as the visitors finished the game with nine men.

Italy 3 Cyprus 2

Shay Given felt as if the Republic of Ireland had been dumped out of the World Cup when reigning champions Italy snatched a famous victory from their grasp.

ON Saturday night in Croke Park, Ireland were like the man whose numbers come up in the lotto only to discover that he’s lost the winning ticket.

Giovanni Trapattoni is confident no-one will relish being drawn against his Republic of Ireland team in the World Cup play-offs after their near miss against holders Italy.

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has urged his team to learn from their painful lesson after Italy snatched World Cup victory from their grasp.

Republic of Ireland goalscorer Sean St Ledger admitted his side's frustration despite holding world champions Italy to a draw for the second time in World Cup Qualifying Group Eight.

Republic of Ireland 2 Italy 2

Rep of Ireland 2 Italy 2

Half-time: Republic of Ireland 1 Italy 1

Liam Lawrence has been handed a World Cup debut as the Republic of Ireland attempt to keep their qualification dream alive against reigning champions Italy tonight.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi gave few clues about his line-up for tomorrow's World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

ITALY will need to display character to handle the problems the Republic of Ireland will inevitably cause them in tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier at Croke Park, Gianluigi Buffon said last night.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has named a 24-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers away to the Republic of Ireland on Saturday and at home to Cyprus four days later.

THREE goals in seven minutes helped Brazil dump world champions Italy out of the Confederations Cup with a convincing victory in Pretoria last night.

SACKING Claudio Ranieri was the “last resort” in a bid to halt Juventus’ slide down the Serie A table, according to general manager Jean Claude Blanc.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has called up in-form Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini for the World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Republic of Ireland.

DIDIER DROGBA rekindled Chelsea’s Champions League ambitions with a first-half matchwinner against Juventus.

Chelsea 1 Juventus 0

Brazil 2 Italy 0

WORLD champions Italy shared the honours with Greece after a low-key encounter in Athens ended in a draw between the two European rivals.

ITALY coach Marcello Lippi will give former Manchester United starlet Giuseppe Rossi his first senior start in tonight’s international friendly against Greece in Athens.

STRUGGLING Juventus are hoping for a confidence-boosting performance in the Champions League tonight when they face Group H leaders Real Madrid.

IN A press conference room just off the hallowed marble halls of the Vassil Levski Stadium, the thin-faced Plamen Markov yesterday pondered the past and future roles of Italian football in his career as Bulgarian coach.

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri has revealed he pulled out of a move for Xabi Alonso this summer because he felt the Liverpool midfielder was “too slow”.

Italy 2 Georgia 0

Spain 0 Italy 0 (Spain win 4-2 on penalties)

France and Italy walk out for their trans-Alpine clash at Zurich’s Letzigrund tonight knowing their Euro 2008 fate lies in the hands of Romania.

ARE Internazionale cracking? A title race that looked like being a procession for the second year running has been thrown into doubt after a week of results that reduced the gap at the top to four points.

Alex McLeish is determined not to let the cruel end of Scotland’s Euro 2008 dream derail the national team’s resurgence.

Scotland 1 Italy 2

Scotland manager Alex McLeish has told his players they should fear no-one as they prepare to face one of the biggest games of their careers at Hampden today.

Juventus and Italy midfielder Mauro Camoranesi will be out of action for around six weeks due to injury.

SCOTLAND manager Alex McLeish has urged his players to make history when they face world champions Italy in tonight’s crucial European Championship qualifier.