The two decades of failure that turned Italy from world champions to laughing stock: Left behind by cricket, rugby and baseball, cultural phenomenon holding back Azzurri's talent factory and the heroes of 2006's grand plan to bring back the glory days

The most surprising aspect of Italy's decline is that anybody is still surprised by it. Gianluigi Buffon called it hours after they were knocked out of the 2010 World Cup group stage.

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