Italians lose grip on own destiny

Old habits die hard.

When Italy went out of the 2002 World Cup to South Korea after their attempts to hold a lead had been scuppered by an 88th-minute equaliser, the great British television commentator Barry Davies was moved to one of his fabled rants.

“Italy,” he said in a tone of voice somehow both avuncular and schoolmasterly, “are going out of this tournament because they will not learn.”