Prandelli praises England team for its skills

Andy Goldberg, dpa

Italy manager Cesare Prandelli had warm words of praise late Friday night for the England team, less than 24 hours before the crucial first round with the Azurri.

But while traditional England teams have been famous for their physicality and commitment, the current team was also blessed with a high level of technical skills, the Italian boss said at a press conference. 

Prandelli said the current England team was better than the one Italy dominated at the European Championships in 2012. "This England is a different team. They have changed their system and their style of play. They are very well organized and count not only on their physical abilities but their technical abilities, especially in attack."

Prandelli said he had prepared his Italian squad for the new style England.

"They have personality and psychological strength. They are very good at running and are a fast team and recently I have seen players with great technical skills and a lot of ability," he said. "The attackers can use space in a very dangerous way and we have to mark them and control the midfield. That will be the key."

Like his England counterpart Roy Hodgson, Prandelli downplayed concerns about the state of the pitch in Manaus. "It was said to be in very bad condition, but it's actually in very good condition," he said. "Not exceptional, but good."

Prandelli said that his side's victory over England in 2012 would count for nothing under the floodlights of Manaus.

"When you go to a World Cup you go back to square one - history doesn't matter," he said.

But he was optimistic that the result would be the same - a victory for Italy. 

"We have to be optimistic because we have worked very well," he said. "We are optimistic because im convinced we will see a team that knows what to do on the pitch. When someone has worked hard you have to remember all the hours you have put in when playing in the game."