KIEV, Ukraine — They did it in 1982. They did it in 2006. Now, Italy has a chance to win its third major title amid a match-fixing or betting scandal.
Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon, one of only four players left from the squad that won the 2006 World Cup, was asked before Sunday's Euro 2012 final against Spain how they do it.
The goalkeeper says "there's definitely something special, beyond all the talk that has been made out of it. Italians have a sense of respect and love for their jersey that stretches beyond all our limits ... Even if it's not easy sometimes, we're able to form a solid group."
Buffon also has patriotic fervor, as anyone who has watched him belt out the words to Italy's national anthem has surely noticed.