Fatigue finally caught up with Italy. Forced by injuries to end the match with 10 men, the Azzurri had no answer for Spain's passing wizardry in the European Championship final.
Even "Super" Mario Balotelli couldn't break free to rescue the Azzurri this time, and the result, a 4-0
loss, was the most lopsided final in tournament history, eclipsing West Germany's 3-0 win over the Soviet Union in 1972.
Still, for a squad that entered this tournament without any big expectations and was hobbled by a match-fixing scandal, Italy can hardly be disappointed with a runner-up finish.