Carboni tips Spain to beat ´in crisis´ Italy

Ex-Italy international Amedeo Carboni feels Spain are favourites to win Sunday’s Euro 2012 Group C opener against Cesare Prandelli’s side.

Spain can become the first team to defend the European championship while also holding the World Cup, and Carboni claimed that the under-pressure Italians would not relish the prospect of facing a side that have swept all before their path in recent years.

“Spain are the favourites,” the former Valencia defender told Marca. “Italy are in crisis, with many uncertainties.

“We have a good team with good players who have not won in Europe, (but) this Spain team have won everything.”

Carboni, however, downplayed the impact of the match-fixing scandal that has rocked Italy’s build-up to the tournament, pointing out that the Azzurri have traditionally proved themselves to be competitive even in crisis situations.

“I think we will manage,” he said. “Each time there has been a mess, both in the 1982 and the 2006 World Cups, we have gone on to win the tournament.

“When we play with problems, we get the best out of ourselves.”

Italy’s hotly-anticipated Group C opener with Vicente del Bosque’s side is in Gdansk, Poland, on Sunday.