AZZURRI BLUES
For a nation with four World Cup wins on the résumé, Italy have suffered an unusually large number of widescreen humiliations at the greatest tournament of all. At Mexico 70, they conceded the most famous goal in World Cup history, Carlos Alberto setting the seal on the joint-largest, and certainly most iconic, spanking in a final. Four years earlier, a loss to North Korea led to their getting pelted by tomatoes upon arrival back home, protest registered via the medium of pizza topping. In 1950, they opted to travel to Brazil by boat having been spooked by Superga, then stank the place out and flew home anyway. Diego Maradona ran rings around them, on and off the pitch, at their own party in 1990. Roberto Baggio’s penalty is still climbing over LA. And in 2014 they only narrowly managed to beat Mr Roy’s England. The litany of gaffes, fiascos and faux pas is seemingly endless.
