Roberto Donadoni has admitted he is already looking ahead to Italy's Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland next month.
Italy coach realises importance of game at Hampden
Roberto Donadoni has admitted he is already looking ahead to Italy's Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland next month.
The Azzurri cruised to a 2-0 victory over Georgia on Saturday, but Scotland and France also won to keep things tight at the top of Euro 2008 qualifying Group B.
Italy and Scotland occupy the top two places but Donadoni realises that if his side do not win the penultimate match of their campaign, at Hampden Park on 17th November, they could miss out on a place in next summer's finals.
"This will be our final, everything will be decided in 90 minutes," Donadoni told the Italian press.
"We are technically better than them but we have to impose our game, a big performance is required in Glasgow."
New faces
Donadoni has decided to rest the majority of his senior players for this Wednesday's friendly against South Africa.
He has taken the opportunity to call up a number of new faces, including Paolo Cannavaro, brother of Fabio, Antonio Nocerino and Alessandro Rosina.
Vincenzo Iaquinta is back after missing the Georgia game with a fever, but Alessandro Del Piero has once again been overlooked.
Donadoni has offered Del Piero words of encouragement, however, telling the Juventus captain that the door is still open for a recall.
"There are players who have done a lot for the national team and one of them is Del Piero," he said.
"I wish for him and for Italy that he can do it again."
No concern over Lippi
World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi announced over the weekend that he was ready to return to management, and refused to rule out the possibility of once again taking charge of the Italian national side.
However, Donadoni insists he was not concerned by Lippi's comments, adding: "I would have said the same thing.
"I left Livorno but I never said I would never go back. These things can happen in a coach's life."
Squad for South Africa friendly
Marco Amelia (Livorno), Gianluca Curci (Roma); Cristian Zaccardo (Palermo), Giandomenico Mesto, (Udinese), Daniele Bonera (Milan), Alessandro Gamberini(Fiorentina), Paolo Cannavaro (Napoli), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus); Andrea Dossena (Udinese), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Antonio Nocerino (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Franco Semioli (Fiorentina), Pasquale Foggia (Cagliari), Stefano Mauri (Lazio); Alessandro Rosina (Torino), Cristiano Lucarelli (Shakhtar Donetsk), Alberto Gilardino (Milan), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus)
