Group E Czech Republic v Italy Problems? What problems? In the immediate aftermath of Italy's 2-0 defeat of the Czech Republic in Hamburg yesterday, Italian coach Marcello Lippi was busy putting a happy face on a dramatic day.
Asked about the potential impact on his players of the ongoing corruption investigation into Italian football back home, Lippi smiled a big smile and said: "All you foreigners think my players do nothing other than think about what is going on back at home but we're here to play and stay in the World Cup. This is the chance of a lifetime and we're not going to let it slip away."
Half an hour later, "what is going on back at home", namely the investigation into allegations of systematic corruption and match fixing in Italian football, raised its ugly head when the football federation's special commissioner Giudo Rossi announced four famous Serie A clubs and 30 unnamed persons have been indicted for "sports fraud".
The clubs - Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina - and the persons (believed to include club directors, federation officials and referees) will all stand trial in a unique federation disciplinary hearing due to start next week and expected to conclude by July 8th, the weekend of the World Cup final.
For those not familiar with Italy and its football, it is tempting to conclude this latest development will have dealt a mortal blow to Italy's campaign. The reality, however, is different. For a start, it is the clubs and club officials but not the players who are "in the dock".
For a second, there was no new element in Guido Rossi's annoucement yesterday. Rather it was only the confirmation of five weeks of intense media speculation which had argued that some of the biggest footballing names in the land had a case to answer.
It is true, of course, the investigation could lead to dramatic consequences. For example, Juventus, Italy's most famous and successful club, could yet be relegated to the second or even third division and could yet be stripped of at least one league title, that of the 2004-2005 season. Also, those officials and others involved risk hefty, even lifelong bans from football.
All of that, however, will not come until mid-July. After that, too, there will be a brief appeals process. By the time, we get to a definitve sports judgment, the World Cup will be last month's news.
In the meantime, the gods smiled on Italy in Hamburg yesterday. Against a Czech side which had only one half-fit striker up front, which played the entire second half a man down and which has the oldest average age in Germany, Italy had to do little to win. An opening goal from Marco Materazzi, against the run of play, did no harm either.
A day that could have been a lot worse ended well. Italy march on. Lippi is still smiling. Problems? What problems?
