Berlusconi's paper rubbishes Britain

London, July 14 (ANI): A newspaper owned by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has severely criticized Britain by saying the country is in a sorry state of decline and overshadowed at every turn by Italy.

The verdict of the Il Giornale was published under the headline: "Dear Brits, we've beaten you at everything and it's time you realised it."

The Italian attack on all things British comes in the wake of Berlusconi's claim that reports of his sexually charged antics have been fabricated as part of an elaborate British plot, The Times reports.

"We're talking about the country that many people still consider to be a beacon of journalism, politics, economics and sport. But Great Britain is no longer great," the paper wrote.

On Monday, Italy's Opposition MPs demanded that Berlusconi appear before Parliament to explain allegations of escort girls at his parties.

His supporters blame the allegations on a conspiracy between the Italian Left and the foreign media.

In a front-page editorial, Il Giornale attacked Britain's political management and handling of the economic crisis.

The report went on to compare British industry, crime rates, immigration, fashion, tourism and the media unfavourably with Italy's.

It said that the British press - including newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch, the chairman and chief executive of News Corporation, the parent company of The Times - had lost its reputation by fabricating stories, including predictions of chaos at the G8 summit.

"They have super-rich teams with champion players, but their most famous players are nearly all foreign and the national team has been in deep water for several years now. Things are so bad that they had to entrust the team to Fabio Capello, Italian miracle worker," the write-up even mentioned Premier League football to support its claim. (ANI)