Gattuso backs Toni to lead charge

Gennaro Gattuso is confident an attack-minded Italy will be able to survive arguably the toughest group of UEFA EURO 2008™ and believes striker Luca Toni will be the guiding light to show them the route past the Netherlands, Romania and France.

Genial mood
Gattuso was in genial mood as he joked with reporters at Italy's Casa Azzurri base, ahead of their opening match against the Netherlands on Monday, almost falling off stage before the news conference. But true to form, the tenacious AC Milan midfielder was deadly serious when evaluating his team's Group C prospects, deeming it "an even section".

Even group
"Romania might not seem the best side on paper but they are a very strong outfit," Gattuso said. "Adrian Mutu is a brilliant player and they play in a very Italian way. They came first in a group including the Netherlands so they shouldn't be underestimated. The Netherlands, meanwhile, have fantastic forwards and midfielders and everyone knows what France can do so it's a very evenly balanced group."

Lady luck
If Italy are to survive what many observers are calling the 'group of death', Gattuso says they will need a slice of the good fortune they enjoyed when winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, with skipper Fabio Cannavaro ruled out by injury, it could be said the fates have been unkind to them so far. "Having seen reruns of our World Cup matches on TV, it's clear we came close to losing almost every match. We played to the best of our abilities but I've also realised you need the odd slice of luck."

'Knife between teeth'
Luck may have been on Italy's side in Germany, yet they also worked hard for their success. More of the same is required now. "We certainly can't afford to go into any match thinking we are world champions," the 30-year-old cautioned. "We will have to go into every game with the knife between our teeth." While Gattuso would be happy to carry the knife, the cutting edge should be provided by striker Luca Toni. The statistics back up Gattuso's belief in his colleague, given the FC Bayern München man just scored 39 goals in all competitions in his first season in Germany.

'Special Toni'
"Luca Toni is a special player," he said. "The way he controls impossible balls and turns them into good passes is incredible. He is also a great team player who will come back to help out the side. I think he could make the difference for us." Italy are certainly not short of attacking options, and Donadoni's willingness to deploy a 4-3-3 formation could herald an exciting round of Group C matches. "When a team play with Toni, Mauro Camoranesi and Antonio Cassano up front, it's fair to say we have an offensive approach," he said. "And we're playing against sides with a similar mindset."

Midfield enforcer
The same cannot be said of Gattuso, whose role is very much that of midfield enforcer. "I know I haven't had the best season with Milan. It's been tough for us but if I play I will give my best as always. This is the European Championship and wearing the Azzurri shirt is something special, though there's a lot of competition for places. Along with Steven Gerrard, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo are the best midfielders in the world."