Being low-key suits defending champs Italy fine

contenders for the Cup.

History is also against the Italians ufffd no country has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962.

Lippi's men, that includes nine players from the squad that triumphed four years ago in Berlin, were guarded by dozens of policemen as their plane touched down in Johannesburg.

They headed for Leriba Golf Lodge outside Pretoria to prepare for their opening Group F match against Paraguay in Cape Town on Monday.

Italy have rarely shone since their triumph against France in the 2006 final, but Italian Football Federation chief Giancarlo Abete insisted it would be a mistake to write them off.

"Italy are world champions, that should not be forgotten, but you cannot deny that other teams have done better than us in the last few years," Abete said during the flight to South Africa.

"For everyone the favourites are Brazil, Spain, Argentina and England, but we've got great belief," he added.

Lippi has lost key man Andrea Pirlo to a calf strain for the Paraguay game and the playmaker faces a race against time to be involved in any of the group games.

Italian Football Federation (FIGC) vice president Demetrio Albertini also warned doubters to write Italy off at their own peril, claiming a strong defence of the World Cup is sustainable. Fresh questions were raised over the Azzurri's credentials after they arrived here.

But Albertini, who was a member of the 1994 World Cup runners-up team, is feeding expectations as he fosters the campaign for success.

"There is a big group of favourite teams in South Africa, but Italy are also there," Albertini told mediapersons, adding: "This Italy group started off their journey two years ago and the players will play everything and have the potential to do well, even though there is always scepticism at the start."

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