Italy on the Road to Humiliation Again?

Just noticed Italy's very poor form the last nine months.

They only managed a 1-1 draw with Luxembourg this week and haven't won a game since September last year (seven games).

Results:

I think there are signs they may struggle again in their group and England and Uruguay, even Costa Rica, are certainly in with a chance...

I think Italy have only lost twice in regular time in competitive matches in the last 4 years - a confeds cup group game against Brazil and the Euro final. Prandelli uses friendlies to experiment with tactics and combinations and doesn't seem to care about results unless there's something riding on the game: that game against Armenia was after Italy had already qualified so may as well have been a friendly. I'm a bit of an Italy fan so I'm a tad biased but I wouldn't read too much into that record.

They're the sort of team that'll do just enough though. Some of those draws are ok results (eg Germany). One win and two draws in group will be enough, them it's knock out and that's their type of game. Can't say I'm confident in them but I'm certainly not writing them off.

Italy's final warm-up game vs. Brazilian club Fluminense - LIVE Sommet Sport Monday 8.30 am

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Estádio Raulino de Oliveira

Fluminense currently second on the Brazilian Serie A table.

Yes they are on the road to humiliation.

draw gets them through... probably to play Colombia. 

Mr Suarez might have something to say about that.

hopefully, coin in on Uruguay making quarter-finals.

Someone in Group D certainly is...

Two humiliations?

Yes, question in the forum title answered - the Azzurri started with a hiss and a roar like a Ferrari F40 and in the end, rattled off like a Fiat 124...

But some improvement for Italy: May not have made it out of the group stage but some slight improvement on 2010, finishing second-to-last in their group instead of outright last in 2010.

Last time = worse than NZ

2014 = improved to as good as NZ in group position.

"Azzurri - We Aspire to Surpass New Zealand One Day..."

(1) FROM THIS:

(

Speed and style.

(2) ENDED LIKE THIS:

Thin metal and no rust-proofing meant it leaked in the rain.

Cool to be the benchmark for Italy

Luckily, the Soviets bought a commercial licence in early seventies to build them at home and made it into a hugely improved product:

Otherwise known as the Lada.

the Lada.

There was a far right cult here in Chch who had serious issues with this vehicle. Eg

I've spent a fair bit of time in Russia and tell you what there's plenty of those still running around (and Nivas) in pretty rugged conditions in the country side.

Unlike Fiat 124 which is no longer made anywhere since the Mirafiori (131) supplanted it. My point exactly.

Pretty sure those original Ladas aren't made either.

There was a story where people were actually importing them back into Russia from Western Europe to use.

NZ to hit the ground running 2018 in a vehicle all of their own making.....

Ha! I live in Christchurch too and remember them too - "Zenith Applied Philosophy." Eccentric but sinister right-wing nutters.

They decked out a Lada with slogans like "Russian slave labour car" and would park it in the Square.

They would "approach people on the street shouting about unions, or democracy, or bang on the roofs of Lada cars berating their owners for driving a communist car."

One of the more bizarre cults in the Western world. Lead by a chap called "John Ultimate" who had been kicked out of Scientology.

Totally controlled his daft followers and took all their money. Ran many businesses and scams around Chch.

Famously dodgy property developer David Henderson (he who sold millions of dollars of dud buildings to the City Council) was one of their leading lights. The Zappers had Henderson buy up fast food outlets around Chch and that's how he started his business career. Source of profit for John Ultimate.

Henderson a decade ago conned people into feeling sorry for him over some conflict with IRD and had some suckers make a feature film about him with the main guy from "Packed to the Rafters" playing him (former Chch actor Thomson).

The former ACT Party vice-president was also a member.

John Ultimate died in 2001 and his widow lived in a multi-million dollar apartment in the Heritage Hotel in the Square.

Many interesting details here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenith_Applied_Philos...

Hilarious times:

 http://www.webcitation.org/5aUmAvO4Q

"The early years of the movement were wild times by all accounts. The founder, John Dalhoff, formerly of Golden Bay and whose parents were from Denmark, claimed to have mastery of the physical universe and at one time asserted he had absorbed a Wellington earthquake which would otherwise have cracked open containers hiding Soviets ready to take over the country. He expelled two followers whom he accused of being aliens. He called himself John Ultimate. His house at 193 Clyde Road was declared centre of the universe..

...Dalhoff would participate in the gatherings but only by way of an intercom. He had become morbidly obese and seemed to have an aversion to meeting people face to face although he would telephone adherents. The meetings continued for 10 years, during which time attendees did not see him once..."

^ I believe D Henderson still owns the prime apartment on Princes Wharf downtown Auckland, which he's had on the market for last coupla years - if you've got 10.5 mill handy anyone.