What made the Italian newspaper headlines today?
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Humiliated and shamed: Italian press condemn Azzurri as defending champions crash out
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.'
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Italy's main problem is that traditionally, their coaches don't trust or develop young players..
and their main strength was their watertight defence which is also lacking now..
and it doesnt help that most of their better players retired after the WC 2006..
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you can see the best italian defence in 1982. they were in the same group as favourites brazil and argentina in the 2nd round.