All Roads Lead to Rome

And the Italians have no one to blame but themselves for being sent packing so early in the tournament. This time there was no crazy referee, no conspiracy theory (despite what Del Piero alleged) and no jet lag to be made the scapegoat. The Azzurri simply weren’t good enough. And they know it. So does every single Italy fan. From the first game against Denmark where pass after pass went astray, to the woeful finishing in the draw against Sweden, to the hard fought but ultimately immaterial win over Bulgaria, the Italian team never really showed up.

Francesco Totti owes an apology to every single Italian who traveled to Portugal only to see him disgrace his team and his country by spitting on Christian Poulsen. This petulant prima donna deserves more than a paltry three-match ban. Eight matches and a public flogging would have been more appropriate. To think that Italy rested its hopes on such a player is appalling. Talent on the field is worth nothing if one doesn’t carry oneself with dignity and integrity and, sooner or later, players like that will be found out as Totti was.

Just as after Korea/Japan, the Italians will have much to think about and much to rue. Trapattoni’s head will most probably roll but it is unclear as to how much any successor, no matter how capable, can do. Success for Italy isn’t just about changing players or tactics, it’s about changing a mindset. Perhaps releasing the old guard will be the best way to go. The likes of Del Piero, Vieiri and, maybe, Totti are past their prime and it is time to bring in fresh talent to add to the likes of Cassano and Pirlo who were the better performers in midfield and attack. Recovering from this massive setback will definitely be hard but Italy’s time will come. They definitely have the talent, all they need is the mentality. They’ve got two years to put right the wrongs but for now, all there is to be said is, arrivederci.