Last chance for Trapattoni

The 64-year-old Trapattoni is Italy8217;s top winning coach, with eight national titles as well as one in Germany with Bayern Munich. In the autumn of 2000 he took over the helm and steered Italy to the 2002 World Cup, where his team was eliminated early.

The qualification for Euro 2004 seems to have taught Trapattoni some lessons and he seems to have switched to a more attack-minded style of play that saw Italy score 14 goals and concede just one in the last five qualification games to top Group 9.

8216;8216;Certain kinds of defensive tactics are part of our DNA,8217;8217; Trapattoni said before his country8217;s ill-fated World Cup campaign in 2002, when Italy lost in the quarter-finals to hosts South Korea. Some critics wielded the statement like a weapon against him after the Korean game.

With a list of strikers like Vieri, Filippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti, critics argued any other coach would have fielded at least a two-pronged attack.

Italian fans feel that the ingredients for a good showing in Portugal are all there. There is determination, big names and a famous coach who wants to leave his job on a high note.