Italy in trouble
With just two points from two games, Italy must win tonight against Bulgaria to have a hope of making it to the next round of Euro 2004. An unconvincing start against Denmark, the three-game suspension of Francesco Totti for spitting and the inability to hold a one-goal lead against Sweden show just how shambolic the Azzuri have become. The mighty have fallen — and far. It's all a bit reminiscent of the economic situation in the country, actually. Berlusconi's team has pumped big money into the faltering domestic football league, but it's a bit more complicated when it comes to propping up national champions such as Alitalia, the failing flag carrier, of which the government owns 62 percent.
What Italy needs right now if it is to play the European game at the top level is a decent banking group and a large energy entity. The country's small firms, the backbone of its economy, can't continue to do all the heavy lifting, but the needed reforms that would take the strain off their shoulders are as far away as ever. Put bluntly: failing companies need to be shown the red card. Unless this is done, Italy will continue to rush towards its destiny of becoming the Florida of Europe, a place where the affluent young go to relax and the rich old go to retire. Italy is still G8 but relegation may not be far away.
