Scandy ‘scandal’ that saw Italians cry foul
ELIMINATED AZZURRI’S FURY AT COSY RESULT
Italian slang for a fixed football match is a ‘biscotto’. And the Azzurri and their fans believed that Denmark and Sweden took the biscuit at Euro 2004 – in a Scandinavian stitch-up which saw both Nordic neighbours go through while dunking Giovanni Trapattoni’s side out.
Fixing and favours has had its part in Italian culture from the time of Machiavelli and the Medicis, and the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal – which led to Juventus being stripped of the 2004-05 title and relegated to Serie B – would explode just two years later.
Conspiracy-minded Italians were fearing the worst before the final round of Group C games in Portugal, after drawing with both Denmark (0-0) and Sweden (1-1).
Both Scandinavian sides had beaten Bulgaria, and tournament tie-breaker rules meant a highscoring draw between them would eliminate Italy, no matter how many goals the Azzurri scored against Dimitar Berbatov’s Bulgarians. And guess what happened? Italy won their game 2-1 against Bulgaria in Guimaraes.
But in Porto, an 89th-minute equaliser from Sweden’s Mattias Jonson – after Danish keeper Thomas Sorensen had failed to hold a cross – led to a miraculous 2-2 draw. All three teams finished level on five points. But Italy were out.
Sweden’s main newspaper splashed a huge “2-2” on the front page with the headline “Congratulations Italy, you tipped correctly!”
The Italians did not see the funny side. AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said: “We got as many points as the players who are blond and beautiful. But we are darker and not as beautiful.”
Swedish football magazine Offside later revealed conversations between the two sets of players before, during and after the match.
At full-time, blundering Danish keeper Sorensen reportedly lifted his then-Aston Villa team-mate Marcus Allback in the air in celebration before the Sweden striker shouted, “Let me go, let me go, this is embarrassing!”
At Euro 2008, Italy risked another early elimination if Holland lost their final game to Romania.
Before the match, Italy legend Luigi Riva said: “In my time I have seen many ‘biscotti’.
“But [Holland boss Marco] Van Basten is not just a friend of [Italy manager] Roberto Donadoni, but of all Italian football. I am certain Holland will play their game.”
Helpfully, the Dutch won 2-0.
We got as many points but we are darker and not as beautiful