The cliché
No-nonsense masters of the clean sheet.
The reality
Twenty-four years after Dino Zoff lifted the trophy in Spain Italy go into a World Cup with expectations unusually low. The defence remains well-groomed (Nesta, Cannavaro and Zambrotta boast more than 200 caps) but the attack, led by Fiorentina's Luca Toni, is raw. Much depends on Francesco Totti's form after three months out with a broken leg.
Where they're staying
The Landhaus Milser in Duisburg. Looks like a Travelodge crossed with municipal baths but boasts lakeside dining and replica Italian terracotta interiors. The International Building Exhibition ("a former smelting works and slaughterhouse") should be worth a trip.
Grudge match
South Korea are the current horse's-head-under-the-sheets candidates. "It seemed as if they just sat around a table and decided to throw us out," declared the cabinet minister Franco Frattini after dodgy decisions from the Ecuadorean referee on the way to a 2-1 defeat in 2002. A quarter-final rematch is the ultimate revenge fantasy.
The politics
The Piedi Puliti judicial investigation into corruption at Juventus has overshadowed Lippi's preparations and has united the once antagonistic Juve and Milan factions in opposition to the disruption, if only temporarily.
Supported by
"Ultra" hooligan types tend to stick with their club sides, leaving the national team the preserve of bandana-clad men with precision-sculpted sideburns in sunglasses and beautiful, face-painted women in tricolour T-shirts.
Slogan on team coach
"To the finals with fire in our hearts"
The coach: Marcello Lippi
On his chalkboard
Lippi is an advocate of traditional 4-4-2 with an all-action "pressing" midfield. As ever debate will centre on which floppy-haired "fantasy" player should get the nod to partner Toni up front, with Totti expected to start ahead of the mildly resurgent Alessandro Del Piero.
In his closet
As well as three Champions League finals his spell as Juve manager coincided with accusations of players taking performance-enhancing drugs. Juve were cleared in court.
The players
Most likely to move to Bolton
A pre-tournament injury to the world's most tattooed man, Christian Vieri, has diminished the ageing superstar quota, although the 32-year-old Fabio Cannavaro could be due a swansong season at the Reebok soon.
Oscar nominee
Roma's Daniele De Rossi stunned Serie A with an uncharacteristic show of sportsmanship last season, owning up to scoring against Messina with his hand. The goal was chalked off. De Rossi was given a medal. And everyone else got on with diving and pulling shirts.
King of the endorsements
Totti has his own clothing line. The Never Without You range includes handbags, baby-grows, cuff links and even the Francesco Totti Pencil Case.
You'll be copying . . .
Pippo Inzaghi's wagging finger towards linesman after yet another offside flag.
Nation sweating on
Totti. The man dubbed "the best player in the world" by Pele (who must have been in Rome that week) came back from a broken leg only on May 11. Expelled from Euro 2004 for spitting, Italy hopes he can keep his phlegm to himself this time.
Rooney to have a grand on
Free-flowing Italian team unleash whirlwind of attacking football en route to beating Brazil 7-3 in the final. And the Pope announces he is no longer Catholic.
If they were shoes . . . Roller skates
Trundle along slowly and unsurely to start with but after a while begin to gather momentum. Then, just as onlookers are taking notice, there comes an undignified if spectacular fall - and red faces all round.
The stats
Fifa ranking 14th Odds to win 8-1
World Cup finals record P70 W39 D14 L17 F110 A67
World Cup bestWinners 1934, '38, '82
Record in qualifying P10 W7 D2 L1
Group fixtures
Ghana June 12, Hanover 8pm
USA June 17, Kaiserslautern 8pm
Czech Republic June 22, Hamburg 3pm
The country
On the psychiatrist's couch
Germany? We used to own this place you know. Which might explain my strange urge to dress up in jodhpurs and stride around the place building things out of gold. I must tell you about my cousin's uncle's brother: he works in the cement business but still loves his mama. All right then - I surrender.
What they eat
Pasta, panini (not the stickers) and pizza. Food very much like its football: great pedigree, global renown and all the right ingredients - but maybe just a tiny bit stuck in the past.
What they watch
Nepotism: this game show features famous people arguing the case for their otherwise unknown and hopeless brother/sister/cousin being handed a record contract or equivalent totally unwarranted celebrity break. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it's a huge hit.
Anthem in brief: Il Canto degli Italiani
The Italians announce their readiness to die when the nation calls. They are confident of winning whatever struggle should come because Scipio Africanus was a Roman and he beat Hannibal.
Well I never
It is illegal to be a prostitute in the Tuscan city of Siena if your name is Mary.
The squad
Goalkeepers
Gianluigi Buffon 1
Juventus
Age 28, 58 caps
Angelo Peruzzi 12
Lazio
36, 31 caps
Marco Amelia 14
Livorno
24, 1 cap
Defenders
Cristian Zaccardo 2
Palermo
24, 11 caps
Fabio Grosso 3
Palermo
28, 15 caps
Fabio Cannavaro 5
Juventus
32, 91 caps
Andrea Barzagli 6
Palermo
25, 7 caps
Alessandro Nesta 13
Milan
30, 73 caps
Gianluca Zambrotta 19
Juventus
29, 52 caps
Massimo Oddo 22
Lazio
29, 18 caps
Marco Materazzi 23
Internazionale
32, 26 caps
Midfielders
Daniele De Rossi 4
Roma
22, 15 caps
Gennaro Gattuso 8
Milan
28, 40 caps
Francesco Totti 10
Roma
29, 49 caps
Mauro Camoranesi 16
Juventus
29, 19 caps
Simone Barone 17
Palermo
28, 12 caps
Simone Perrotta 20
Roma
28, 22 caps
Andrea Pirlo 21
Milan
27, 22 caps
Forwards
Alessandro Del Piero 7
Juventus
31, 72 caps
Luca Toni 9
Fiorentina
29, 16 caps
Alberto Gilardino 11
Milan
23, 13 caps
Vincenzo Iaquinta 15
Udinese
26, 11 caps
Filippo Inzaghi 18
Milan
32, 48 caps