The Italian press pulled no punches this morning as they
dissected the Azzurri's World Cup failure.
Marcello Lippi's men failed to negotiate a passage through the
group phase in South Africa after losing 3-2 to Slovakia on
Thursday in what was a weak defence of the trophy they won four
years ago in Germany.
Gazzetta dello Sport led the condemnation with a headline of:
'Humiliated by Slovakia, time to go home.'
Fallen giants: Italy duo Giorgio Chiellini (left)
Fabio Cannavaro (right) were outwitted by two-goal Slovakia striker
Robert Vittek
They also added: 'Home in shame.'
Corriere dello Sport continued in a similar vein with: 'Italy,
what shame! Out and last in the group.'
Italy's leading broadsheet Corriere della Sera carried the story
on its front page under the headline: 'Italy, farewell to the World
Cup.
In a special World Cup link, the paper added: 'Disastrous Italy,
the Azzurri go home.
Damming: The Italian media have labelled the team
'shamed' (left) and 'humiliated'
La Repubblica focused more on the impact the failure would have
on a country obsessed by football.
'Shame and tears, a nation to be rebuilt,' said its headline,
before adding: 'Slovakia win 3-2 in Johannesburg to knock the
Azzurri out in the first round, something that has not happened
since 1974.
'We now look to (new coach Cesare) Prandelli.'
Turin-based La Stampa blamed Lippi for the team's poor showing.
Their headline read: 'The failure of Lippi in South Africa.
'The blackest page of our footballing history.'