Forza Azzuri!!!

The beautiful game turned vicious, even venomous Sunday. It was all still beautiful to Italy. And very ugly for France, which lost captain Zinedine Zidane with a red card after his nasty head butt in extra time, and then went down 5-3 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw. (AP)

Italy does it again, an amazing 4th world cup. Only Brazil has more now. The final was entertaining, nerve-racking and definately controversial at times. At the end of the day, Italy deserves to be on top of the world. The match fixing scandal only made the team stronger, just like what happened in 1982.

I don't know what to say about Zidane, ending a glorious career in an inglorious way, what a shame, what a waste. All I can say is "You must be ashamed of yourself". The BBC summarized this nicely: It was not meant to end like this for one of the game's legendary figures - sent from the world's biggest stage in shame and into retirement.

Here in london, the celebrations are wild, it's "fiesta" all night long. Tens of thousands of people line the streets, jumping, dancing, shouting. Wherever you look, it's green, white and red.

In the end, well done Germany, simply "more than a game". Hard luck France, you've done well. Last week, you were favourites to go out, now you're the second best team.

Last but not least, congratulazione Italia e FORZA RAGAZZI!!!!!