ITALY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - EURO 2008 - Italians celebrate victory against France following Group C showdown

Record ID: 745630

  • Title: ITALY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - EURO 2008 - Italians celebrate victory against France following Group C showdown
  • Date: 19th June 2008
  • Summary: CHILDREN CHEERING
  • Embargoed: 4th July 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA89VAU9LJL6ICJCLZAJWJJHAGA
  • Story Text: Overjoyed Italians have celebrated qualifying for Euro 2008 quarter finals.
    Italians were thrilled after their national football team came out on top in a tense three-way tussle for a place in the Euro 2008 quarter-final against Spain.
    In the city's popular Testaccio Neighborhood, where Italy supporters withstood heavy rain to watch their world champions beat 10-man France 2-0 in Group C to qualify for quarter finals.
    Andrea Pirlo put Italy in front from the penalty spot in the 25th minute of the match on Tuesday (June 17) which was an eagerly-anticipated repeat of the 2006 World Cup final.
    The penalty was awarded after Eric Abidal clattered into Luca Toni and was dismissed by Slovakian referee Lubos Michel.
    Abidal's sending off was a second hammer blow for the French after inspirational playmaker Franck Ribery was carried off on a stretcher at Zurich's Letzigrund stadium with a knee injury.
    As Italian fans took to the streets to celebrate, some said they never doubted Italy would go through.
    "Italy is like that, it is a team that suffers, that plays until the end and it wins. If Italy puts its heart in the game at the end it wins," said Rome resident Luigi Maggio, comparing the team to Italy's centre left opposition's shadow government.
    "Until yesterday Italy seamed a shadow team like our shadow government. Today, they came out of the shadow. When Italy plays, it plays," added fellow football fan Giovanni Grassi.
    Shortly after the game Romans rushed to central Piazza Venezia carrying Italian flags, blowing horns and tuning slogans as if Italy was already the winner of Euro 2008.
    Italian jubilation was tempered, however, by the knowledge that Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso were both booked and will miss the Spain match when they meet on Sunday (June 22).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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