Terror in their hearts, heads and legs

ITALY coach Marcello Lippi took full responsibility for his side’s World Cup group exit, admitting the reigning champions had played with “terror in their hearts, heads and legs”.

Lippi, who had always planned to stand down at the end of the tournament, was shocked his side had fallen at the group stage after yesterday’s defeat to Slovakia which meant the eastern European side reached the last 16 in their World Cup finals debut.

In one of the World Cup’s most memorable upsets, 34th-ranked Slovakia, appearing for the first time as an independent nation, stunned the ageing Azzurri to reach the second round together with Paraguay in Group F.