Ciriaco Sforza (54) was the leader of the last national team to beat Italy. As the son of Italian immigrants, the duel was always a special occasion for him - and it still is today.
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- blue Sport expert Ciriaco Sforza talks about the round of 16 clash against Italy and his previous duels against the Squadra Azzurra. For him, as the son of Italian immigrants, it was a special affair.
- Italy come across as a collective and are a disciplined team, he says, "but we have to look after ourselves, not adapt to our opponents and perform like we did against Germany".
Ciriaco Sforza (54), one of the best Swiss footballers of all time, was born in Wohlen in 1970 as the son of Italian immigrants. Naturally, the duel between Switzerland and Italy remains special for the 79-time national team player, even many years after his retirement. "It's a very special affair for me," he tells blue Sport.
Sforza remembers legendary and successful duels against the country of his parents. There was the 2:2 and, above all, the 1:0 in the Wankdorf in Bern in the successful qualifiers for the 1994 World Cup.
"My mom and dad have a different passport"
He says that the games were always difficult for him right up until kick-off. "My mom and dad at home have a different passport. But it was always clear to me that I wanted to win. My heart belongs to Switzerland, I was allowed to start my career here. I was captain of the national team, got to play numerous international matches and was a happy and proud Swiss national player."
In the Sforza household, it was not quite so clear with the expressions of sympathy. "With mom, I knew how she thought. She always wanted me to win. It was a little different with dad," says Sforza with a grin. His father Fortunato was an ardent supporter of the Azzurri. "In the end, one of the two almost always won after the games."
Winless against Italy since 1993
And how is he looking ahead to the round of 16 clash? Sforza: "I expect the Italians to be stable and aggressive. The team comes across as a collective and has many young, disciplined players. But we Swiss don't have to hide. We have to look at ourselves, not adapt to our opponents and perform like we did against Germany."
The chances are good that Switzerland will win against Italy. It would be the first win against their neighbors since 31 years ago and the 1-0 win in the Wankdorf. Sforza was still on the pitch then.
