Friday, 13th June, 2014
Italy players Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio believe that senior team-mates Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon will make the whole team play during the World Cup.
Both Pirlo and Buffon are vastly experienced and will take their knowledge into the tournament in Brazil.
It therefore comes as no surprise that their team-mates will put faith in them and hope that they deliver for their country.
"Pirlo and Buffon are our most important players," Chiellini told FIFA's official site.
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"They’ve got character and they make the whole team play, so we need to take good care of them."
The Juventus defender's sentiments are echoed by midfielder Marchisio who adds that Pirlo has been pivotal in teaching him about positioning.
“I’ve had the privilege of playing and learning with them, mainly with Pirlo, who’s taught me a lot about positioning.
"They’ve been the mainstays of this team for the last four years and they’re going to be so important in a competition like this."
The 2006 champions begin their World Cup campaign against England on Saturday.
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