Italy's Marco Materazzi about to fall on the pitch after being head-butted by France's Zinedine Zidane during the final of the World Cup. - file
CLAIREFONTAINE, France (AP):
THE SNIPING has started between Italy and France ahead of today's World Cup final rematch.
Lilian Thuram insists Les Bleus deserved to win the World Cup, while Gennaro Gattuso says that if there was a championship for sore losers then France would win it easily.
"I know we usually complain after losses, but they do it even more," Gattuso said. "Italy are second to France in that."
France coach Raymond Domenech told fans not to disrespect Italy - at least before the match starts.
"I don't want anyone to boo their national anthem," he said. "It's a lovely tune. It's nice to sing along to. You have to respect them. Then once the match starts, the fans can get behind France and I don't mind a few whistles. But not before."
Domenech says he is still haunted by the World Cup defeat.
"Sometimes I wake up at night and think: 'Why did (Gianluigi) Buffon make that save?" Domenech said, referring to Buffon's stop on Zinedine Zidane's header in extra time.
"We will have the final in our minds," he said. "You can't just forget July 9. Nor can you forget Euro 2000, the 1998 World Cup, or 1938 ... when we first beat Italy."
Today's 2008 European Championship qualifier at the Stade de France is already important.
"We are doubly motivated," Domenech said. "We have a chance to beat the best team in the world, to beat a rival at home, and to put some points between us and them."
A win would put France five points clear of Italy - who drew their opening qualifier 1-1 at home to Lithuania. France won 3-0 at Georgia.
Points up for grabs
"It's obvious that we will want to win this match even more than in Georgia," Thuram said. "Italy's result is a good thing for the remainder of the competition."
The Azzurri have only one point in Group B. Scotland, Georgia and France lead the standings with three points each.
"It's decisive. There are three points up for grabs and we're coming off a game where an expected three points didn't come," Gattuso said. "We know it's a big game. We're motivated."
Thuram felt Italy were lucky to win the July 9 final.
"We should have won the World Cup," Thuram said. "We were much the better team."
Gattuso, one the fiercest tacklers in the game, says France are just bad losers.
"When we lost the European Championship 10 seconds from the end we didn't create this type of controversy," Gattuso said, referring to Italy's golden-goal loss in the 2000 final.
Italy captured their fourth World Cup title by winning a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. But the final will always be remembered for Zinedine Zidane's head-butt on Marco Materazzi's chest in retaliation for the Italy defender's verbal insults.
Italy coach Marcello Lippi, meanwhile, stepped down after the Berlin final.
France are missing striker David Trezeguet with a hamstring injury, while new Italy coach Roberto Donadoni is missing AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta, who has an injured thigh.
Donadoni is without nine of his World Cup-winning squad, including Francesco Totti, Luca Toni and Alessandro Del Piero.
"The absence of one or two strikers changes Italy's style of playing," Domenech said. "If it's (Filippo) Inzaghi up front, or Toni, it's not the same thing. They play differently."
France captain Patrick Vieira feels Italy may be "lacking rhythm" because most of their players are yet to start this season, and that it may take a while for Donadoni to assert his authority.
"It is surely not very easy for a new coach to come in just like that," Vieira said. "It takes the players a bit of time to adapt."
