Former Italian international striker Giuseppe Signori said it would be difficult for the defending world champions to win the World Cup again, but he is confident that Italy can reach the semifinals.

"It is very important to win the first match, because a victory over Paraguay would immediately raise the spirit of both Italy's players and their fans," the 42-year-old Signori told Xinhua in an interview on Sunday.

"I think that our national team can reach the last four and it would be a great success. Knowing well some of the players, I am exactly aware of what they can do," he added.

Signori, who works as a commentator during the 2010 World Cup, showed positive feelings before Italy's first match on Monday. "Many Italians have a skeptical attitude towards the national team. In 2006 nobody would have predicted Italy's victory, but we became world champions instead, so why shouldn't it happen again?" he observed.

"In World Cup 2006, the match-fixing scandal threatened to diminish Italian soccer worldwide, but Italian unexpected triumph helped it reemerge from the shadows and back into the international spotlight," Signori said.

In Signori's view, Italy coach Marcello Lippi made the right choice to rely on the group that brought him the title four years ago, bringing nine veterans from 2006 along with a few newcomers.

"I think that in a World Cup tournament, the unity and cohesion of the whole group is far more important than individual performance. Having already announced that he will leave after the World Cup finals in South Africa, Lippi wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to his best players," he noted.

Signori also said Italy's first match will help him recall the unforgettable moments he had when he played with Italy in the World Cup 1994.

"As I listened to the Italian national anthem, I strongly felt that I was wearing my country's shirt. It was an unequalled emotion, it was the dream of every soccer player and of every child in the world coming true," he said.

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