By Anna Italia
Covering the 2010 World Cup South Africa from an Italian Perspective

Thursday,  June 24, 2010 marking  a sad day for Italian football and for the country after waiting to see the Italian National soccer team doing a decent job in the 2010 World Cup, instead humiliated and eliminated by Slovakia. I give full credit to Slovakia for having played their game and to our young Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik being the Captain of Slovakia for a well deserved victory too. Italy the 2006 World Cup defending champion.... clearly, not ready to defend the title in 2010. Ouch.

I took the afternoon off to digest this defeat, to cry  while  trying to understand how our players were feeling, what went wrong.  I recorded the news from  different media Italian, French, Spanish, and English just to see their views and my DVR already full... out of memory.    How it hurts to see our beloved Italy in the rock bottom of Group F with only 2 points compared to Paraguay 5 points, Slovakia 4, New Zealand 3.

The Italian show "Notti Mondiali" fully discussing the embarrassing elimination and the poor performance of the Azzurri as the mistakes from Lippi.  Ivan Zazzarroni and Fulvio Collovati being the most conscious on the actual condition of the nazionale.  I also agree with the comments from "Fuera de Juego  con Fernando Palomo, and Futbol Picante with Ruso Brailovski." This was not the usually Italy, the true Italy but just a shadow.

Result SLOVAKIA 3 - 2 ITALY Goals by Robert Vittek, Antonio Di Natale, and Fabio Quagliarella World Cup Group F Thursday June 24, 2010

As a fan, I feel betrayed by my own team and coach in this World Cup.  I am sure million of  Italian football fans feel the same way as many expressed during different news coverage.   We trusted the team, but if even Italy head coach admits that the team  was unrecognizable for about 75 minutes, then, it is no wonder why "us" fans feel also bad for the way we were eliminated.  What makes me mad is that Lippi himself  thought he could not win the World Cup again, so how on earth did he expect  the players to feel empowered?  Come on, even smallest teams, go to the World Cup with the dream to win, to play well.  Does this mean I no longer support the Italian national team? NO. On the contrary, I fully support my Azzurri and ready for a rebuilt, a come back, and pushing the Azzurii bandwagon all over again. 

I give credit to Lippi, at least, for admitting it was his mistake and that he did not prepare the team well.  These are the declarations from Lippi after the game during the press conference.

"I take all responsibility for what happened.  I believed this team could have done  great things and I did not prepare it well.  This is evident when you see a team playing   with terror in their head, heart and legs.  I would have expected anything except  that Italy  played for an hour and fifteen minutes like they did, playing without ideas.  It;s my fault. that  did not  know  how to give them the right motivation, when certain things happens it's always the fault of the coach. I say it because I believe it, just as I believed having had an important part when the team was winning.    I still believe in this Italy, we cannot believe it is this team seen against Slovakia.  Italian football is not  living a good moment, but is not the team seen by the Nazionale  for an hour and fifteen minutes."


Photo Getty Images

Italy head coach Marcello Lippi  during the unforgiven game where Italy lost against Slovakia and eliminated from the 2010 FIFA World Cup on June 24, 2010.

Lippi continue saying, "I did not think I could win the World Cup again, not this.  Though, certainly to offer a different show.  The problem, most of all, has been psychological.  I did not succeed to prepare the team in the right way for such an important game.  We should have played this game from outside or inside as it were one of the final eighth games, just like England and Germany did.  It saddens me a lot for the federation, the fans, everybody."

A clear, visible sad Lippi adding, "I don't regret having returned to the Nazionale.  It's an experience I wanted to do again.  I was convinced to do different things and I am sorry. I am sorry to end in this way 4 wonderful years. I wish all the best to my successor and I will take some months to think about my future.
 
                            


This is the FINAL 2010 FIFA World Cup Group F Teams Standing Italy ending in the bottom last place... OUCH.
 

2010 FIFA World Cup group F Standing June 24, 2010	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	PointsPts
Paraguay	3	1	2	0	3	1	5
Slovakia	3	1	1	1	4	5	4
New Zealand	3	0	3	0	2	2	3
Italy	3	0	2	1	4	5	2

Click the video to watch the press conference from Italy head coach Marcello Lippi after the defeat against Slovakia and elimination of the 2010 World Cup in the first round. Slovakia 3 - 2 Italy on Thursday, June 24, 2010.






What do you think of the  declarations from Italy Head coach Marcello Lippi, agree, disagree, and why?





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