Italians struggle to comprehend ‘mortifying result’

IT may have been unmissable in Manchester but it was ‘unwatchable’ in Rome, at least according to the front page headline in Il Messaggero, the capital’s daily paper, as Italy woke up to its heaviest defeat in nearly 40 years of international football.

Statistics show that Juventus lost 7-0 in Vienna in 1958 in the first round of the European Cup – but Italy were not world champions back then and the consequences of this rout could be far greater, judging by reactions in the media.

“Carrick, Smith, Rooney, Ronaldo, Ronaldo, Carrick, De Rossi, Evra. Not a nursery rhyme, it’s the list of scorers – and a 7-1 scoreline that will leave its mark on the whole of Italian football,” says Ruggiero Palombo of the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“It wasn’t a contest in Manchester. There’s some excuse, but very little in the face of such a mortifying result.”

For Roberto Renga of the Messaggero, Cristiano Ronaldo was like: “the wicked man out of your worst nightmares, the giant with a thousand arms.”

‘‘Roma didn’t turn up.

“The men from Manchester couldn’t believe it themselves: worried about being knocked out of the Champions League, instead they found themselves playing on their own.”

For the Gazzetta’s Nicola Cecere, Old Trafford seemed more like Ceasar’s Palace or Madison Square Garden.

“It was if Roma had gone into the ring and come up against a young Mike Tyson. Biff, boom, bang – out for the count in under 19 minutes.

‘‘But football isn’t boxing and you can’t throw in the towel. After the Night of the Handcuffs at the Olimpico, Manchester Utd fans enjoyed a night of triumph.”

Was it an English football lesson, or a Roman scandal? Both, say the Italians.

“Manchester United produced a stellar performance in the first half, but it’s equally true that they were put into orbit by some terrible errors from Roma’s defenders.”

Lucianio Spalletti, Roma manager, has come in for severe criticism.

“Roma should have approached the game more prudently – leaving such space to the English is a mortal sin,” observed Massimo Cecchini of the Gazzetta.

But, he added: “Alex Ferguson is not a Sir for nothing.

‘‘He played a 4-2-3-1 to match Spalletti, and both the shape and the one-on-ones opened up the opposition defence like a tin can. Hats off to him.”

“Will there be a place for an Italian team in the English Cup?” they were asking last night, as Milan sought to overcome Bayern’s away-goals advantage in Munich.

Ruggiero Palombo had his doubts: “If the old lions Inzaghi, Nesta and Maldini can’t do it then it will be judgment time. For an entire system.”