Trapattoni: Ireland Can Top Italy in WCup Group

Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni says he's not willing to accept second place to Italy, aims to beat the defending World Cup champions Saturday -- and isn't the slightest bit worried about upsetting his beloved homeland in the process.

"Do you have a friend? Do you play cards? Do you want to win or do you want to lose?" Trapattoni said on the eve of Ireland's long-awaited qualifier with Italy in Dublin's Croke Park stadium.

The Italians, four points ahead of Ireland with two rounds to play, need only a draw to clinch Group 8 and earn automatic qualification to next year's World Cup in South Africa. They even could lose to Ireland and still top the group by beating Cyprus at home Wednesday.

To overtake the Azzurri, Trapattoni's Ireland must beat both the Italians and then Montenegro next week in Dublin -- and pray that Italy somehow fails to take three points from the Cypriots.

Impossible?

"Anything can happen in football," said Trapattoni, who coached Italy from 2000-04 and before that was the most successful club manager in Italian league history. "The important thing for us tomorrow is to play the game and do the best we can to keep our distance on Bulgaria."

Third-place Bulgaria, which visits Cyprus on Saturday, is five points behind Ireland -- and clings to its own slim hopes of overtaking Ireland for the playoff spot.

The Italians say they see plenty to admire in their opponents and former coach. Under Trapattoni, the Irish are undefeated in group play -- including a 1-1 draw at 10-man Italy in April -- and are particularly tough to break down at home.

"It will be great to meet Trapattoni again," said Italy defender Nicola Legrottaglie, who is expected to replace the suspended Fabio Cannavaro in central defense. "He was the first coach to believe in me and call me up and put me in the lineup."

Italy coach Marcello Lippi praised Trapattoni's quick turnaround of an Ireland squad that failed to qualify for the last World Cup and the last two European Championships.

"He has brought a serious organizational capacity to Ireland and he has made them into a real team. He has also done a lot for their self-belief, making them capable of providing serious opposition for any side," said Lippi, who warned his team against taking the Irish lightly.

"The age of David and Goliath in football has gone. There are no Davids and Goliaths anymore," Lippi added. "Every team is well prepared and organized -- all the more so if it is coached by 'Trap."'

The Irish do concede that a second-place playoff is their most likely fate. Team leaders have denounced FIFA's decision this month to seed the playoff round rather than stick to a random draw. The new system makes it more likely that a playoff-bound Ireland would possibly face France, Croatia or Russia.

"It is a joke, let's be honest, because they (FIFA) always seem to bend rules and change things," Ireland left back Kevin Kilbane said.

Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given accused FIFA of switching to a seeded system "because some of the big nations are struggling."

"It's beyond belief ... and pretty disgusting," Given said. "We are a smaller nation, and for them to move the goal posts a few weeks before the end of the campaign is pretty poor."

Montenegro hosts Georgia in the other Group 8 match Saturday.