World champions Italy Tuesday were awarded
a new badge commemorating their win at the Germany-hosted World Cup 2006, the
ADN-Kronos news agency reported.
Joseph Blatter, the president of world body FIFA, gave Italy's captain
Fabio Cannavaro the badge, which the Azzurri will keep on their jerseys until
the World Cup 2010. The ceremony took place at the Azzurri's training camp in
Coverciano, outside Florence.
The newly-created golden badge, bears the word FIFA, a symbol of the World Cup
and the year it was won.
A half-joking Cannavaro asked Blatter for an informal re-enactment of the
ceremony that the FIFA president missed in Berlin in 2006, causing a stir among
football authorities despite apologizing for his absence.
"Let's close that issue, president," Cannavaro said. "Kindly
give the World Cup (which was resting behind the footballer) to me today."
Blatter took the joke and pretended to forget the cup, then
put it in the hands of the captain, dpa reported.