Roberto Donadoni was full of praise for his players after their UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-final defeat by Spain on Sunday, insisting that Italy "should be proud of what they achieved", but whether the mood in his homeland reflects his sentiments remains to be seen.

Great expectations
In Italy, expectations for the national team are always sky high, not least when they are reigning world champions. But although Donadoni will, inevitably, come under mounting pressure over the next few days, this UEFA European Championship was always going to be a particularly difficult enterprise for the Azzurri.

Cannavaro blow
Unlike predecessor Marcello Lippi, Donadoni had to make do without Alessandro Nesta and Francesco Totti, who have both retired from international football, as well as injured striker Vincenzo Iaquinta. Secondly, Italy were pitted against the Netherlands, France and Romania in a group most regarded as the toughest of the opening stage and thirdly, on their very first day in Austria, inspirational captain Fabio Cannavaro was ruled out of the tournament with ankle ligament damage.

Romania reshuffle
That said, Italy were comprehensively outplayed by the Netherlands in their opening group game, succumbing to a 3-0 reverse, described by Gennaro Gattuso as a "proper hiding". Donadoni reacted by making five changes in the next match against Romania and completely reshuffling his defence. Out went the central defensive pairing of Marco Materazzi and Andrea Barzagli and in came Giorgio Chiellini alongside Christian Panucci, who was moved across from right-back. Fabio Grosso was deployed at left-back and Gianluca Zambrotta switched sides.

Impressive Chiellini
The defensive changes proved successful. The Azzurri rode their luck against Romania as Adrian Mutu's late penalty was memorably saved by Gianluigi Buffon — although a draw was probably a fair result. Thereafter, Italy kept clean sheets against both France and Spain thanks to excellent performances by Buffon, Grosso and Chiellini; the latter, Panucci predicted, will become "one of the best central defenders in the world."

Goal drought
Donadoni's problems were at the other end of the pitch where not even in the penalty shoot-out against Spain did any of his strikers find the net. The three goals in four matches, by Panucci, Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi, were a meagre return and none came from open play. Toni was clearly struggling for form but, though Donadoni never played the same team twice, the FC Bayern München striker started every match in spite of his catalogue of misses. The attack looked both toothless and leaden.

France reprieve
Salvation came in the form of a 2-0 win against France, coupled with a favourable result in the other group match. Gattuso gave a committed display and Pirlo was again at his creative best. Pirlo's importance to the side was highlighted by his opening goal and several chances he fashioned for his team-mates. De Rossi also impressed, although the injury to Franck Ribéry and Eric Abidal's dismissal certainly influenced the outcome of the match.

Pirlo dependence
However, the reprieve was only temporary; the suspension of Gattuso and, crucially, Pirlo for the Spain match proved costly. They did, in the end, only go out on penalties, following a hard-fought 0-0 draw in the heat of Vienna, but ultimately their overdependence on Pirlo and the poor form of their strikers — Toni, Antonio Di Natale and Antonio Cassano all flattered to deceive — cost the side dearly.

Optimism
Nonetheless, there remains cause for optimism among frustrated Italy fans. The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign should see the establishment of a central defensive partnership of Chiellini and Cannavaro before the peerless Buffon. Pirlo remains a dependable and uniquely blessed playmaker, who can benefit from the midfield presence of De Rossi, Gattuso, Alberto Aquilani and Riccardo Montolivo. Meanwhile, a fit-again Iaquinta can bring athleticism to an attack, which will soon be augnemted by the newly-naturalised Juventus forward Amauri. In the words of Donadoni: "Tomorrow we start again and look forward."