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Italy dash Iraq's medal dream
Italy ended Iraq's dreams of winning only their second Olympic on Friday, beating the war-torn country 1-0 in the bronze medal match.
Italy ended Iraq's dreams of winning only their second Olympic on Friday, beating the war-torn country 1-0 in the bronze medal match.
In an emotionally charged match in Thessaloniki, Italy's players wore black armbands in honour of an Italian journalist who was killed by kidnappers in Iraq.
Iraq captain Abdul Wahab presented his counterpart Andrea Pirlo with a bouquet of flowers in a touching gesture before the game.
Parma striker Alberto Gilardino headed home a Pirlo cross after eight minutes to seal victory and deny Iraq a second Olympic medal in the war-torn country's history.
Italy won gold at the infamous 1936 Berlin Games and the bronze at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.
Argentina take on Paraguay in the final to be played at the Olympic Stadium in Athens on Saturday.
Reporter Enzo Baldoni was seized by Islamic extremists on a road between Baghdad and Najaf. The Italian government said on Thursday that his captors had killed him.
