World Cup: dismal title defences – from Uruguay in 1934 to Italy in 2010

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/24/world-cup-dismal-title-defences-uruguay-italy-spain

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1) Uruguay 1934

Technically not so much a dismal defence as a full-on political attack. Only four countries from Europe had bothered to sail halfway across the globe to take part in the first tournament, hosted and won by Uruguay in 1930, so the Uruguayans were understandably not in much of a mind to rush over to Italy four years later. When Uruguay next deigned to turn up for a World Cup, to the 1950 finals in Brazil (having not bothered with France 38 either), they argued that they were, in effect, still the reigning champions. To be fair, Uruguay proceeded to very much walk it like they talked it.

2) Italy 1950

The actual reigning champions at Brazil’s last World Cup were Italy, who had won the trophy in 1934 and 1938. War had denied Vittorio Pozzo’s team-of-the-Thirties a chance of defending their trophy in 1942. Then the 1949 Superga tragedy had denied Torino’s team-of-the-Forties, who almost to a man also made up the Italian national side, the possibility of victory in 1950. A new, hastily patched together Italy travelled by boat to Brazil, unsurprisingly reluctant to fly. They rolled down the gangplank well fed and badly exercised, and immediately lost 3-2 to Sweden. Italy were the first World Cup holders to lose a game, and the first to be eliminated at the group stage. They left for home, rather surprisingly considering everything that had gone before, by aeroplane.

3) Brazil 1966

This Brazilian side, clinging on to the glories of 1958 and 1962, were simply too old. The captain Bellini was 36, legendary right-back Djalma Santos was 37, and Garrincha was 33 and, after a career of intense scrutiny from defensive opponents, in possession of legs made from tattered ribbon. Meanwhile the one star who was not over the hill, Pelé, was kicked around Goodison Park like an old sock by the Bulgarians and the Portuguese. He missed the evisceration by Hungary, who scored one of the great goals in World Cup history and nearly added the greatest of all time.

4) France 2002

Until 1982, Italy’s 1950 vintage had been the only holders to lose their opening match. Since then, all bets have been off, with country after country lining up to come at the kings. César Luis Menotti’s Argentina were beaten by 1-0 by Belgium at España 82, while Carlos Bilardo’s version were unceremoniously dealt with at Italia 90 by the silent-movie slapstick revisionists of Cameroon. On both occasions, the reigning champs picked themselves up off the canvas and made it through the group. But there would be no such luck for France in 2002. Without the injured Zinedine Zidane, they lost 1-0 to Senegal in the opening game, a properly jaw-dropping result from the left-field. Idiotically, Thierry Henry was sent off early on against Uruguay for a vicious tackle, and France were lucky to survive with a goalless draw. Zidane hobbled back against Denmark, who were too strong against 10 and a half men, and won 2-0. France became the first holders to be sent packing without even scoring a goal.

5) Italy 2010

The killer blow to Marcello Lippi’s 2006 champions was administered by Slovakia, who ran out 3-2 winners in an eventful final group game. But the symbolic slaying was a draw, by the hand of tiny New Zealand, of whom nothing was expected. The 2,000-1 outsiders took on the holders, went ahead after seven minutes through Shane Smeltz, then, after Italy equalised, nearly won it at the death with a low Chris Wood shot that zipped millimetres wide. Not quite up there with Pak Doo-ik and North Korea in 1966, or falling behind against Haiti in 1974, but embarrassing enough.

The return of a still-injured Andrea Pirlo against Slovakia wasn’t enough to save them. Italy crashed out, though Fabio Quagliarella’s valedictory lob from distance deep into injury time ensured they at least departed South Africa with a flourish.