Italy Seeks Revenge Against France
You don’t have to go back very far in the record books to find a rivalry between Italy and France. The two teams met in the quarterfinals of the 1998 World Cup with France ousting the Azzurri in a penalty shoot out. The two countries met again in the final of Euro 2000 and it was Les Bleus who once again came out on top. Regardless of who you are supporting in Sunday’s match, let’s hope this final turns out to be as exciting as that game. Video highlights and requisite cheesy YouTube music below. You’ll recognize quite a few of the players.
Euro 2000 Final
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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 83 comments.
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By jackie | July 7th, 2006 at 1:49 am 
wait. im confused kwang. italy didnt play france in the 1998 final. they were in the 1994 final and lost to brazil (aka the only team italy has ever lost a final to). i really dont get what your talking about at all. and i respect zidane as much as everyone else, but its not like the italians dont know how he plays.. he was a juve star.
Posted from 
United States
By Catherine | July 7th, 2006 at 2:11 am Notice how the only player any one going for France can talk about is Zidane?
Zidane may be the best player in the world, but he isnt 11 men… 11 talented men!
Sorry France, but you cant just rely on 1 guy to score…
Posted from 
Canada
By lg | July 7th, 2006 at 2:20 am with all do respect yes zidane is a great player, but please he is far from the best donot forget ronaldinho,kaka toni and many more
By Nola | July 7th, 2006 at 2:35 am I’m among those that think Zidane is the greatest player on Earth. However, I don’t know if it will be enough. The whole Italian squad is formidable — not to say that France team isn’t, but Italy is a very dangerous team. It will be a nail biter, for sure, especially with Barthez in goal (though I love the man, I really do).
I want France to win with all my heart, but I just feel like Italy has the edge.
Posted from United States
By mojo_lo | July 7th, 2006 at 2:38 am Kwang, I was quoting someone else…OK la.
Don’t worry, I will not need to shoot myself , and I haven’t banged my head since I was an Iron Maiden fan 
Italy has so much quality at every position, and their “ace in the hole” is Buffon, who far outclasses Barthez.
Posted from United States
By ciccio | July 7th, 2006 at 2:52 am italy will win and zidan will retire go azzurri
Posted from United States
By sal | July 7th, 2006 at 3:25 am Sheeesh, Germany was a crap team and Brazil was the tough team to beat?? I dunno how some of you can even think that?!
Germany looked like a MACHINE, many people pegged Germany to take the Cup this time. Germany PUT UP A FIGHT making it classic match.
Brazil, well, they messed up. It was a group of INDIVIDUAL superstars vs Zidane.
By Joseph from Malta | July 7th, 2006 at 8:38 am What a great final this promises to be….truly the best two teams made it to the Final.
France scraped through vs. Portugal, but they are still a GREAT team.
Let’s hope we’ll see again the lovely football & great sportsmanship that all the world witnessed in the Germany-Italy semifinal.
(Aussies around here do watch a replay of that match)
May the best team win…..& may the Ref NOT try to be the primadonna.
Posted from 
Malta
By Steve Goh | July 7th, 2006 at 1:08 pm France will win, definitely. With Henry around, to get a goal or two should not be a problem at all
Posted from 
Singapore
By Sam Gioskos | July 7th, 2006 at 1:19 pm Italy wins 2 france 1. drawn game at fulltime. Italy scores the winning goal in extra time. 1 goal for Zidane.
Posted from 
Philippines
By sc | July 7th, 2006 at 3:47 pm France has aged, unlike a fine wine.
I think it’s Italy’s, they’ve earned it. They’re a fine balanced squad.
Posted from Canada
By Sam | July 7th, 2006 at 4:39 pm Sam Gioskos: That sounds like a pretty fair prediction.
I’d be the happiest cat in the world if Italy played the offence-heavy game they played against Ukrain. THAT would give the French a nasty shock!
Posted from United States
By Chris | July 7th, 2006 at 6:14 pm France played it very well against Portugal, keeping its energy for the final. Not that they did not look tired at the end of the game… They are the oldest team on the pitch!!! But you can imagine that it would have been worse if they kept the same pace after they got to 1-0. From that moment, Portugal couldn’t get past the defence. When Kwang says that Zidane keeps his magic for the finale, he is exactly right!!! Not to mention, the French team had 6 yellow cards to get rid off. Excellent Job, Masterful!!! Maybe our Northern American friends are not aware of the yellow cards rules… mojo_lo you are talking BS! Everybody says BS in these blogs, Brazil is the best then Brazil is crap, Spain is the best then Spain is crap, Germany is the best or Argentina etc. You cannot play at your best in all matches or you will run out of energy from the beginning of the second round when the big teams come on the field. This is the World Cup, not Premiership!!! Italy like France showed their best when they were expected to do so and you can be sure that they will be at their best on Sunday. Make predictions on the previous matches is nonsense. You have to be dumb to think like that. You can compare players but not team performance regardless of the opponent and the match that is played. And when you do compare players, keep in mind what they do best, because that’s what they will do for the final. I would not make a pronostic but I remember that nobody gave a chance to France or Italy at the beginning of the competition. I will support France and I am happy they are the underdogs, that way they will have less pressure. Vive Zidane! Vive La France!
Posted from 
United Kingdom
By Chris | July 7th, 2006 at 6:23 pm Catherine, in case you do not know there are plenty of world class players in the french team not Just Zidane. Henry best Striker of England (probably of the world), Viera, Makelele, Sagnol, Ribery, are all playing in prestigious european teams. They already have won a World cup and a European cup for some Barthez, Thuram, Zidane and one player only couldn’t have achieved that. Stick to make-up! And all Northern American football beginners, go back to Baseball!
Posted from United Kingdom
By jaclyn | July 7th, 2006 at 7:22 pm chris. that was an extremely sexist comment, telling her to go back to makeup. you really sound like a chauvanist pig. girls can play football // know about football. and not everyone in north america likes baseball. i for one think its the most boring thing ever. i like playing it, but id rather be shot than watch it. so stop stereotyping. i makes you look really bad, and makes your reasonable and honest comments that i personally agree with easier to disregard when you act like an ass.
Posted from United States
By football fan | July 7th, 2006 at 10:41 pm France should send their greatest gratitude to Ricardo Carvalho. Why ? Because of his stupid tackle, France was able to win easily.
Before the penalty goal, the game was even if Portugal wasn’t in the upperhand. After the penalty goal, France just sat back and relaxed, saving their energy for the final. If France wasn’t get that early penalty goal, I believe that the match would be extended to extra time and with one day rest advantage, Italy will be the fittest team on Sunday.
Posted from 
Qatar
By go football | July 7th, 2006 at 11:20 pm I don’t think France have the edge this time, they played a dull uninspired game against Portugal and went through on a penalty shot. The rest of the time they were fending off the portuguese not conserving their energy, I think it takes more energy to play defensively throughout the whole match than it is to play an offensive match. I just don’t feel France have the magic anymore just lucky that their opponents didn’t find the back of the net with that idiot Bartez in goal. I feel Italy are extremely fired up by the semi-final win and all the scandal, bad press and constant critism they receive about being cheaters and so forth. Bad publicity is actually good publicity and it is going to allow Italy to rise above it and do something remarkable. If Zidane isn’t 100% on his game the French are a very mundane team to watch and unfortunately France are playing the “sit on a one goal lead” game and italians should know very well from Euro 2000 that this can cost a team everything. Be very careful France this isn’t the same italian team you faced 6 years ago, this team is actually scoring goals and not allowing them.
Posted from Canada
By R.M | July 10th, 2006 at 8:14 am turns out ITALY won this year and i just wanna say to the people who were so confident France was gonna win, your stupid and don’t know anything about soccer. Italy obviously had the momentum and fitness to beat this French team. and Zidane did the dumbest thing to end his career for France, poor sport. “football fan” and “go football” knew what they were talking about.
Posted from Canada
By sal | July 10th, 2006 at 1:36 pm MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
***+*
Posted from Canada
By Chris | July 10th, 2006 at 1:55 pm For all of you fan of Italy! Here is a little link to your champion Materazzi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpG4AHlZrL4&search=materazzi
Also to say, second half and extra time to France with a definitely fittest and more creative team. Italy played it for the penalty in the second half while France played for Panache. Thanks to Zidane to giv ethis Materazzi thug a good Head Butt! Zidane Golden Bowl! France proud!
Posted from United Kingdom
By Chris | July 10th, 2006 at 2:12 pm I m gonna watch that Head Butt over and over with absolute delight. 
Zidane you are a hero!!!
Posted from United Kingdom
By sal | July 10th, 2006 at 3:01 pm Zidane a hero? LOL!
What a way to retire! You can even blame a little on their loss.
I “HEADBUTT” your comment!
“INSANE ZIDANE”!
Posted from Canada
By Chris | July 10th, 2006 at 3:52 pm Ah Yes! But there are lots of people with a very different opinion than yours! You cannot headbutt words, don’t get frustrated! LOL! Zidane is golden ball! Best player of the World Cup! France showed the best display! Zidane will be shown in the Football school for the future generations and is the best of his own. One of the rare who has scored in 2 World Cups like Pele. Yes he has a bit of a temper when he meets disgusting thugs like Materazzi. His end had meaning regardless of whatever happened. I wouldn’t be surprised if some racist comments had been made to provoke such a reaction. It was foolish to react like this but hey, this guy gave us a dream and an ideal! Thanks to France to for fighting until the end. The class 98 has been the best team of this last decade and his captain a legend!
Posted from United Kingdom
By sal | July 10th, 2006 at 4:10 pm The “real Zidane”.
In 1998 Zidane was thrown out of a match for head-butting another player!
Gee I wonder what insults he hurled at poor Zidane?
Then, Zidane was tossed out of another game for stomping on a Saudi Arabian player!
Oh, poor, misunderstood Zidane…tisk,tisk…
Posted from Canada
By Chris | July 10th, 2006 at 4:23 pm Well the world of Football is vicious and we will know for sure what happened some day. You just need to have a look at the Italian calcio at the moment to understand that fact. Until then, there are no reasons to cry for Zidane. rather the opposite. He will come back and get applause. You probably won’t be there but I will.
Posted from United Kingdom
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