Italy's World Cup players have returned home after their early exit in South Africa, amid indifference from fans and a few insults.

Players who landed at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport on Saturday morning were largely ignored. A small group of fans shouted "Shame on You!" as the footballers and coach Marcello Lippi walked in the terminal.
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Other players traveled on to Milan's Malpensa, where virtually no fans awaited them.
After disappointing draws with Paraguay and New Zealand, the Azzurri were kicked out of the tournament with a shocking defeat to Slovakia, finishing last in their group.
Not since 1974 had Italy failed to qualify to the second round.
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