Italy welcomes diversion of Azzurri glory

ROME, July 10: Italians today savoured their team's World Cup victory as the champions returned home from a triumph that temporarily took minds off the imminent outcome of a match-fixing trial.

The plane carrying the Azzurri back from Germany landed at Pratica di Mare, a military airport on the coast just south of the capital.

The pilot hung an Italian flag out of the cockpit window as the plane came to a halt and team captain Fabio Cannavaro held up the gold trophy as he and coach Marcello Lippi emerged to cheers from thousands of waiting fans.

''Winning the World Cup only happens maybe once in your lifetime,'' said Manuel De Paolis, 19, one of the flag-draped fans waiting on the tarmac.

''I would have done anything I could to be here today. And to have beaten the French in the final was just fantastic a bit of revenge after they beat us in 1998 and 2000,'' he said.

''We came because we're only in our 20s and didn't see the World Cup in 1982. For us, this is the first one that counts,'' said Federica Cotticelli, 19, also draped in an Italian flag.

The Air Force's Tri-Colour Arrows acrobatic jets performed an aerial ballet over the base, forming a huge red heart with their exhaust fumes after trailing the red, white and green national colours.

From the airport, the team was due to make its way to Rome to be thanked by President Giorgio Napolitano and Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

Lippi and his players were scheduled to ride through the centre of the city in an open-top bus to the Circus Maximus where up to a million people were expected.

Italy's penalty shootout win over France has become an instant source of pride for a country marred by scandals in recent years, from corruption trials of ex-prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to a multibillion-euro fraud at food group Parmalat.

''This is a triumph. Everyone was against us and we went all the way. Viva Italia!,'' said Mauro Cucucci, perched on his Vespa motor scooter at Rome traffic lights.

But even as the celebrations hit high gear, the supporters of four of Italy's elite clubs were turning their attention to a sports tribunal in Rome which is set to announce its verdict in the match-fixing trial.

Many fans of Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio are hoping the World Cup exhilaration might soften the punishments the tribunal is expected to announce, possibly tomorrow.

''Juventus has had the best players in the World Cup, not only for Italy but also for France and other teams and a club like that cannot be sent down to the third division,'' said Giuseppe Del Fiorentino, president of a Juventus supporters club in the Tuscan city of Lucca, speaking late on Sunday.

A sports prosecutor has recommended Juventus be relegated to at least the third division, the annulment of the club's last two Italian titles and a deduction of points at the start of next season.

He has recommended the other clubs should be sent to the second division, also with points deducted.

The clubs have denied the match-fixing charges.

Shortly before the Italian team's plane arrived, Juventus announced that Didier Deschamps would replace coach Fabio Capello, who left for Real Madrid last week.

REUTERS

Related Stories:
Bayern ready to talk over Nistelrooy move
Lippi to discuss future with federation
Zidane's farewell party ends in tears
Fabio Grosso stole the show yet again