Italy selects seaside training base for World Cup

ROME (AP) — Italy's training base for the World Cup will be a seaside resort 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Rio de Janeiro.

The Italian football federation says the Azzurri will stay at the Portobello Resort & Safari in Mangaratiba, where there are also training grounds.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli preferred the resort two hours from Rio over a city base to avoid wasting time traveling between the team hotel and training base like at this year's Confederations Cup.

Italy will depart for Brazil on June 5.

Drawn into Group D, Italy will face England in Manaus on June 14, Costa Rica in Recife on June 20 and Uruguay in Natal on June 24.

Each of the group matches are more than 2,000 kilometers (1,000 miles) away from the training base.