The Italian national team manager Cesare Prandelli has said that the performance is not the most important aspect right now, but qualification to the 2014 FIFA World Cup is what matters. He has said that he will not be focusing on the performance of the team. Italy have started the qualification campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil by drawing the opening match against Bulgaria 0-0. They will be playing against Malta in the second qualifying match, from which the national team will be looking for its first win to get the campaign up and running.

There have been suggestions that Italy will steamroll Malta due to the quality of players within the team, but the manager has said that he is not worried about getting three points rather than the performance. The 55-year-old has been hugely praised for the way he has helped the Italian national team reach the final of the Euro 2012. The manager has previously suggested that he will be employing a 3-5-2 formation in this qualification campaign. The likes of Sebastian Giovinco and Pablo Osvaldo are expected to play key roles in this formation. The manager has said that the Roma midfielder De Rossi is a doubt for the game.

“The key word is qualification. Then we have to worry about quality of play. The Euros gave us important experience. There’s a little bit of worry because everyone expects a win. However, we give our best when we are a little afraid. They [Osvaldo and Giovinco] are in excellent physical condition, more so than the others, who are also in good condition. The only question is De Rossi, but the situation is more yes than no,” said Cesare Prandelli ahead of the match with Malta. Italy have important matches against Denmark and Armenia coming up.