Riccardo Montolivo wants Euro 2012 spirit at 2014 World Cup

Italy international midfielder Riccardo Montolivo has urged his teammates to invoke the spirit they had at Euro 2012 in next summer's World Cup finals in Brazil.

The Azzurri reached the final of the competition by registering a 2-1 semi-final victory over Germany, whom they face in a friendly international at the San Siro on Friday.

"I am half-German, so this is never a game like the others for me," he told reporters. "If I look back to the Euros, I can say more than a team we were a family, as we were like a single body.

"I hope we will be able to recreate that fantastic atmosphere at the World Cup, which is the most important thing within a team. We have quality and now Giuseppe Rossi is returning to his level too. We always believed in him and waited for his return.

"It's not just Rossi and Mario Balotelli, but also the likes of Lorenzo Insigne, Dani Osvaldo and Alberto Gilardino, so we're in good shape in attack."

Italy qualified for the World Cup as Group B winners in the European zone.