Adversity brings out the best in defiant Italy

BARI, Italy, Mar 29 (Reuters) Italy's players once again showed how adversity can bring out the best in them when they beat Scotland 2-0 in a Euro 2008 qualifier.

The world champions went into the game in Bari five points behind Group B leaders France and Scotland.

The build-up to the match was overshadowed by a series of media attacks on the team and suggestions that their coach Roberto Donadoni faced the sack if they failed to win.

The embattled Azzurri responded with their best qualifying performance to date, brushing aside the Scots with two goals by Fiorentina striker Luca Toni to close to within two points of the top of the group.

It was reminiscent of the way last year's match-fixing scandal galvanised the team as it swept to the World Cup title in Germany.

''We really wanted to win that. To tell the truth, this past week the coach has been massacred,'' midfielder Gennaro Gattuso told reporters after the game yesterday.

''We wanted to give him a hand, just like he's giving a hand to us.

''He's a good, young coach and he worked really hard during the week, but the press just kept laying into him.

''The problem is that here in Italy we worry too much before the matches. Now we have 10 points, two less than France, Scotland and Ukraine, and Donadoni has shown that he is here to stay.'' IDLE CHAT Donadoni, meanwhile, dismissed the speculation about his job as ''idle chat'' and ridiculed the ''short-term memory'' of the sporting press.

But that did not stop a number of Italy's World Cup-winning squad rallying to his defence.

''We are all behind the coach and we demonstrated that tonight,'' Toni said.

Captain Fabio Cannavaro praised Donadoni's ''great character''.

Defender Marco Materazzi said Italy's reaction proved the team was made of ''real men''.

''We knew we had to win at all costs. It wasn't an easy build-up,'' the Inter Milan player continued.

''The press thought that we didn't have the right characteristics, but the criticism should be constructive.

''We want to show in every match that we are the world champions. Sometimes you manage it, sometimes you don't.

''Materazzi, (Alessandro) Del Piero and (Andrea) Pirlo should be allowed to play, not criticised before the match even starts.

''We showed at the World Cup that we had ability. We showed that again tonight''.

REUTERS SAM BD1449