DELDEN, Netherlands, June 9 (Reuters) - Coach Mustafa Denizli enjoyed a coffee and cigarette with the Turkish ambassador on Friday and said his players were ready to upset Italy in their Euro 2000 opener.

With a broad smile, he added that he feared his group B opponents.

'Only the Italian journalists are not afraid of Italy. Everyone else is afraid,' the 50-year-old coach told a group of reporters allowed into the team hotel.

'Italy are always one of the favourites in every championship. If you look behind them, you can see the background ... three world championships.

'It's important for players to know where they are coming from,' he added.

Some of his players, appearing in their second successive European championship finals, were ushered in to greet new ambassador to The Hague Aydan Karahan after returning from prayers at a mosque in nearby Enschede.

But there was no contact with the media and team spokesman Turgay Vardar said the squad would be kept in seclusion until after the game in Arnhem on Sunday.

They had their last 'tactical' training sessions on Friday in the grounds of their country hotel and will inspect the pitch at Arnhem on Saturday afternoon.

Denizli said Turkey were ready for the match as was key striker Hakan Sukur, linked to a move to AC Milan. He did not rule out Leicester City's English-born midfielder Muzzy Izzet getting a game either.

'All the 22 are there for playing,' he said.

He claimed he had no strategy beyond not losing but expressed a fear that some players might see the match as a chance to put themselves in the shop window rather than to concentrate on teamwork.

'If you think just that I will play well, then you can't be a team. You must have teamwork,' he said.

Both Denizli and the ambassador assured reporters there would be no problems from Turkish fans after ugly scenes at the recent UEFA Cup final between England's Arsenal and Turkish champions Galatasaray.

'Our fans are not hooligans,' said Denizli.

'We have been playing in Europe for 40 years and nothing happens. We see this for the first time when we play against an English team.'

Three Turkish fans draped in the red and white flag appeared in the afternoon and posed outside the security gates to the hotel.