The Defending champion Italy Team has been washed out in the World Cup 2010...

lyopie, I have to beg to differ and stand to be corrected here. In the first place, Italy is never short of world class players and players like Cannavaro and company are no push overs. They are really very good players and if not some would consider world's best players. On the other hand, I find the European teams to be too heavily taxed by their professional league and UEFA champions league. If you would recall, the UEFA Champions League had just concluded barely 3 weeks before the world cup and some of the players were not available for centralized training. Also, the time table just happen to make these European teams peak during that time. Unlike Germany, their league ended way before the world cup and because they were knocked out of the Champions League, the players are well rested and prepared for the World Cup. Just imagine playing full 90 minutes every other day 3-4times a week, unless you are a horse - humans can get very tired and risk career ending injuries. Most of the European players you see are actually very tired and are still recovering from their hectic schedule. I have to blame that the UEFA and EPL for this as they should have toned down on the domestic leagues in view of the world cup. So, I do not think the players or the coaches are to be blamed for the poor showing here as far as Italy is concern.

I think somebody aptly commented about the Italian team that they came into the tournament old and slow. They left the tournament older and slower. That nicely summed up the Italian performance at South Africa. I think players like Cannavaro, Gattuso were playing as if their mind wanted them to be at one place, but their body was too slow to take them there!! I also think all the ramifications of the bribery scandal etc. are now being seen as there is no new younger breed of players available for Italy. Moggi yesterday said that Inter Milan won everything before them as they played with non-Italian players!! That just sums it up!! Cheers! Ram

lyopie, I am not a die hard soccer fan. I think though the other teams are just better this Wold Cup 2010. But Italy is a soccer country. It will come back.