It is rare that a coach changes the football culture of a nation to its advantage and satisfaction. Several England managers have tried, without success, to bring a Continental possession-based style to the national team; various Brazilian managers, including World Cup winners, have been vilified for imposing a greater pragmatism on the purveyors of the beautiful game; at this year's World Cup, Bert van Marwijk, the Dutch coach, reached the final but at a price; a team admired for three decades of playing "total football" was reduced to clogging.

QPR co-owner Flavio Briatore has revealed his "dream" to have former Italy coach Marcello Lippi in charge of the club if they reach the Premier League.

Italy have a new coach, a gaggle of promising new players and a new outlook after their disastrous first-round exit from the World Cup. But still the Azzurri cannot find a way to win.

"The World Cups of 20 and 16 years ago were garden parties compared to what is involved now, with the pressures that have developed. The increase in pressure seems continuous from one competition to the next. Now it is almost completely out of hand. In nearly all the countries of the world football is the most popular sport and today the media bring it to the masses and bring the feelings and demands of the masses back to those working in the game. It is my great fear that one day the World Cup will no longer be the sporting event [people] enjoy, it will become too big, too important, too hard on the people concerned, just impossible to go on with."

Italy's outgoing captain Fabio Cannavaro believes the deposed world champions may continue to struggle because of a lack of top talent.

The Italian press pulled no punches this morning as they dissected the Azzurri's World Cup failure.

There will be no more poignant exit from this World Cup than the one made by the reigning champions Italy here yesterday.

Today's bet: Slovakia v Italy. Draw at 16-5