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EURO 2016

ITALY

Swedes fear Italians’ deep balls

Sweden's players need to communicate well to avoid being hurt by deep balls, said midfield veteran Kim Källström ahead of a crunch encounter with Italy on Friday that could decide their Euro 2016 hopes.

Swedes fear Italians' deep balls
Emanuele Giaccherini celebrates scoring Italy's opening goal against Belgium. Photo: Antonio Calanni/AP

Kallström said communication, and pressing Italy while they have possession, will be key.

“We have to find the right balance betweeen attack and defence. We can't leave them too much space. Against Belgium, they played a lot of balls in deep so we have to communicate well to avoid being caught in the trap,” said Kallström.

Sweden coach Erik Hamrén meanwhile played down uncertainty over the club future of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Speculation over Ibrahimovic has been mounting since the Sweden striker left Paris Saint Germain after four years in the French capital, with Manchester United favourites to become his next destination.

But Hamrén insisted on Thursday the news has not swayed the Swedes from their objectives.

“With a player like Ibrahimovic there are always rumours, but they don't affect us,” Hamrén told media in Toulouse on Thursday.

“It doesn't bother us and I don't see anything negative about it. That's football.”

Hamrén, however, will be hoping Ibrahimovic finds his scoring boots after a disappointing performance in a 1-1 Group E draw with the Republic of Ireland that has dented the Scandinavians' hopes of qualifying for the last 16 knockout phase.

Adding to their woes is the fact Italy upset pre-tournament predictions to stun Belgium, ranked number two in the world, 2-0 in their opener this week.

A win would see Antonio Conte's men, beaten finalists in 2012, secure their place in the next round ahead of their final group game against the Republic of Ireland in Lille next week.

Italy's Juventus-inspired defence of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini was rock solid, while the Azzurri's midfield and attack performed well above expectations.

When Italy defend, their wingbacks quickly track back to form a five-man defence, a tactic Hamrén believes will make it more difficult for Sweden to create scoring chances.

Hamrén added: “We'll be up against a very well organised team which is very strong in defence, but also in attack.

“The biggest threat will come from their attack. They get forward quite easily so it will be up to us to close them down. We saw how solid they are, they have three extra central defenders.

“It's likely we won't have a lot of chances, so we have to be efficient.”

“We also have to keep the pressure on them, that will be key for us.”

The Republic of Ireland dominated Sweden for 60 minutes, taking the lead through Wes Hoolahan's brilliant strike before Ciaran Clark turned a cross by Ibrahimovic into the Irish net late in the second half.

Hamrén added: “Italy are a more quality side than Ireland, so I expect it to be a more difficult match.”

ACCIDENT

German tourists among 13 dead in Italy cable car accident

Thirteen people, including German tourists, have been killed after a cable car disconnected and fell near the summit of the Mottarone mountain near Lake Maggiore in northern Italy.

German tourists among 13 dead in Italy cable car accident
The local emergency services published this photograph of the wreckage. Photo: Vigili del Fuoco

The accident was announced by Italy’s national fire and rescue service, Vigili del Fuoco, at 13.50 on Sunday, with the agency saying over Twitter that a helicopter from the nearby town of Varese was on the scene. 

Italy’s National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps confirmed that there were 13 victims and two seriously injured people.

Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported that German tourists were among the 13 victims.

According to their report, there were 15 passengers inside the car — which can hold 35 people — at the time a cable snapped, sending it tumbling into the forest below. Two seriously injured children, aged nine and five, were airlifted to hospital in Turin. 

The cable car takes tourists and locals from Stresa, a resort town on Lake Maggiore up to a panoramic peak on the Mottarone mountain, reaching some 1,500m above sea level. 

According to the newspaper, the car had been on its way from the lake to the mountain when the accident happened, with rescue operations complicated by the remote forest location where the car landed. 

The cable car had reopened on April 24th after the end of the second lockdown, and had undergone extensive renovations and refurbishments in 2016, which involved the cable undergoing magnetic particle inspection (MPI) to search for any defects. 

Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Twitter that he expressed his “condolences to the families of the victims, with special thoughts for the seriously injured children and their families”.

Infrastructure Minister Enrico Giovannini told Italy’s Tg1 a commission of inquiry would be established, according to Corriere della Sera: “Our thoughts go out to those involved. The Ministry has initiated procedures to set up a commission and initiate checks on the controls carried out on the infrastructure.”

“Tomorrow morning I will be in Stresa on Lake Maggiore to meet the prefect and other authorities to decide what to do,” he said.

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