Rome: Italy's humiliating first round exit from the World Cup is the fault of scandalously overpaid "luxury immigrant" footballers who have swamped the country and killed off native footballing talent, a minister said.
"They are paid millions, have legs made of jelly and are short of breath," railed Legislative Reforms Minister Roberto Calderoli, who is the coordinator of Italy's anti-immigrant Northern League party.
"This defeat brings the torment of our national side to an indecorous and predictable end," he added, describing Italian national coach Marcello Lippi as arrogant.
"Italy's premature elimination is merely the result of an insane sports policy which has seen the league, the FA Cup and the Champions League being won by teams who do not have a single Italian, including the coach," he said Thursday.
"Unfortunately for Lippi, luxury immigrants can't play for the national side and today's result is the logical consequence of this fact."
Italy crashed out of the World Cup in South Africa on Thursday in a shock 2-3 defeat to Slovakia.
"We need to get our own homegrown lads playing in our clubs," Calderoli said.
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