If Ireland are to regroup and successfully renew their World Cup campaign after Friday’s humiliation, Marco Tardelli might be the man to get the players to put it behind them.

Match of the Century, they called it. There’s even a plaque on the wall of the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City to commemorate the delirious 4-3 win that sent Italy through to the final of the 1970 World Cup at the expense of West Germany.

No one can be more qualified than Marco Tardelli to under-stand the pressures on players in a major tournament — and the twists of fate that separate triumph from disaster.

Marco Tardelli has made it clear that he wants his native Italy to play Ireland as scheduled in Euro 2012.

We got the full monty here in Montecatini this week, from earth tremors to a minor eruption by Mt Trap.

Typically they feature dawn raids and search warrants; obscure provincial prosecutors with snappy wardrobes and an eye for publicity; pictures of sheepish young men emerging from police stations; extracts from mobile phone taps selectively leaked to the papers; condemnation and summary convictions; and then a five-year appeal process during which it emerges that everyone was doing it but the accused had the misfortune or the stupidity to be caught.

ITALY’S 1982 World Cup-winning coach, Enzo Bearzot, died in Milan yesterday.

TRADITIONALLY, Brazil were the team that made f-words not only acceptable but unavoidable. Words like finesse, flair, flash, flamboyant. And going into yesterday’s World Cup quarter final against Holland, they seemed to have been superceded by another, more all-embracing term: formidable.

ITALY goalkeeper Federico Marchetti is excited about the opportunity to fill in for injured veteran Gianluigi Buffon tomorrow against New Zealand.

Juventus were facing the bleakest moment in their club history tonight after being relegated from Serie A.

Legendary Italian striker Paolo Rossi is tipping Fabio Cannavaro to edge Zinedine Zidane for the best player award at the World Cup.

Police today raided the headquarters of 12 Italian soccer clubs, including four from Italy’s top league, as part of a nationwide investigation into an alleged betting scandal masterminded by the Neapolitan Camorra crime organisation.

MICKEY LINDEN will celebrate his 40th birthday next Friday.

England defender Rio Ferdinand has been snubbed by world governing body FIFA.

Australia-born Christian Vieri is the injury-jinxed footballing nomad who names cricketing legend Allan Border as his sporting hero and caused alarm in the Vatican when Inter Milan signed him three years ago.

One of the leading hitmen in Europe, Trezeguet's career has come on leaps and bounds since his