Despite a disastrous 2010 World Cup, Azzurri fans certainly can be optimistic ahead of Euro 2012 and World Cup 2014 and there is enough top class young talent coming through for Italy to challenge for the title again in Brazil under new coach Cesare Prandelli.

Many of the class of 2010 will be long gone by the time 2014 comes around. Fabio Cannavaro and Rino Gattuso have already retired from international football, but Mauro Camoranesi, Vincenzo Iaquinta, and Antonio Di Natale will all be in their mid-to-late thirties and thus far too old. Andrea Pirlo, at 35, cannot be completely ruled out due to his unique style of play but even he is a long-shot. Angelo Palombo and Alberto Gilardino will both be 32 and have better options in front of them.

Injuries-permitting, Gianluigi Buffon is unlikely to be challenged in goal although Palermo’s Salvatore Sirigu could become his new deputy ahead of the shaky Federico Marchetti of Cagliari. In defence new Juventus signing Marco Motta and Inter’s Davide Santon will take the full back positions, although there will be competition from Fiorentina’s Lorenzo De Silvestri, Genoa’s Domenico Criscito, Palermo’s Mattia Cassani, and Torino’s Angelo Ogbonna. Inter's Giulio Donati could be a darkhorse. At centre back, there will be an all-Juventus pairing of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Alternatives in this position include the supremely talented, yet impulsive, Fabiano Santacroce of Napoli, Bari’s Andrea Ranocchia and Genoa’s Salvatore Bocchetti.

In centre midfield, Roma symbol Daniele De Rossi is a guarantee and he will be partnered by Sampdoria starlet Andrea Poli, who should have developed into a top class performer by 2014. Substitutes Claudio Marchisio of Juventus, Liverpool’s Alberto Aquilani (if he is fit), Fiorentina’s Riccardo Montolivo (due to the Prandelli connection), Sevilla’s Tiberio Guarente, Napoli's Luca Cigarini, Zenit’s Alessandro Rosina, and Cagliari’s Andrea Lazzari will be worth looking out for. Cesena's Ezequiel Schelotto and Sampdoria's Roberto Soriano have been touted for their potential also. Antonio Cassano will finally get the chance to shine on the biggest stage and will be the main creative force with Inter enfant terrible Mario Balotelli to his left and Udinese’s Antonio Candreva to his right. New Juventus signing Simone Pepe will have to shed his tag as a Marcello Lippi favourite if he is to stick around.

As the lone attacker, Manchester United’s Federico Macheda has the raw attributes to be a real handful come 2014. There will be plenty of other firepower for coach Prandelli to choose from, such as Juventus’s Sebastian Giovinco, Villarreal’s Giuseppe Rossi, Cagliari’s Alessandro Matri, Parma’s Davide Lanzafame, Sampdoria’s Giampaolo Pazzini and Guido Marilungo, Parma's Alberto Paloschi, and even Lazio’s Argentine-born fantasista Mauro Zarate if he pledges his allegiance to Italy.

 
Subs: Sirigu (27), Santacroce (27), Ranocchia (26), Marchisio (28), Aquilani (29), Giovinco (27), Rossi (27)

World Cup 2014 Objective: Winners