Italy captain Buffon urges Van Basten to prevent a Romania 'fix'

The Azzurri captain remains bitter about the 2-2 draw between Sweden and Denmark in Porto and is increasingly anxious that a Dutch defeat to Romania tonight would render meaningless the Zurich result between Italy and France.

Memory: Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is still bitter

Holland boss Marco van Basten and Italian boss Roberto Donadoni won the European Cup together with AC Milan and Buffon is placing an emphasis on that friendship.

"I couldn't stand another fixed match like that 2-2 draw between Denmark and Sweden four years ago," said the goalkeeper. "I trust in the sportsmanship of the Dutch, and I also hope Marco van Basten remembers he is a friend of Roberto Donadoni's and of Italy in general.

"We have to go out there and play the match of our lives against France. If we get to the quarters it will mean we will have come up with a little extra. It's normal to feel the pressure and I am dying to get out there and play. We just have to focus on France.

"We cannot start doing maths. I didn't understand everything but from what they tell me we have a slightly better chance than France. We recovered from losing to Holland but we have to see how they react to losing 4-1."

Infamous: Marco Materazzi falls to the ground after being headbutted by France's Zinedine Zidane (right) during the 2006 World Cup final

Whenever Italy and France meet nowadays three words always linger in the background: Zidane, Materazzi, Berlin.

The French captain's astonishing headbutt in the World Cup Final in Germany in 2006 remains an enduring image of football's new Millennium. It stunned global audiences, ended Zidane's international career in a bitter, shameful manner, and left Italian hard-man defender Materazzi with little credit.

"I have had no contact with Zidane since that day in Berlin two years ago," said Materazzi, dropped for Italy's last game. "I have asked him for an apology but not had one. After a big war, countries tend to make peace. My door is always open for Zidane.

"But he is the one who has to say sorry. It was not good for the image of football and it is something that he will have to have attached to him for the rest of his life. It is the same for me, because my name will always be there alongside this incident."

Materazzi, remember, allegedly dishonoured Zidane's sister to provoke the headbutt that ended in a red-card before Italy won the trophy on penalties.

"I am not proud of my words that day," said the 34-year-old. "But it was only words, not an aggressive action. I did not even know, when I said it, that Zidane had a sister."