Select a language
“Azzuri: defeat and shame”, leads Corriere della Sera. After the shock elimination of 2006 Berlin finalists France, World Cup holders Italy have crashed out of the tournament without winning a single match. The Italian press is far from amused about the worst ever result in Italy’s illustrious World Cup history, calling the players a bunch of “jelly-legged millionaires”. The 24 June 3-2 defeat to Slovakia has put wind in the sails of the regionalist Northern League, however, which despises this symbol of national unity. Minister Roberto Calderoli of the xenophobic party blames the defeats on an “insane sports policy” that has led to teams like Inter Milan winning the Champions league with an exclusively foreign line-up. “Now we should make our teams employ only Italian players”, he argues.
Do you like our work?
Help multilingual European journalism to thrive, without ads or paywalls. Your one-off or regular support will keep our newsroom independent. Thank you!
