Challengers Italy and continuing champions the Netherlands played out a goalless draw in Pescara tonight in a title match overshadowed by an apparently serious injury to Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.

The Dutch were the better side in the first half, and Dirk Kuyt came closest to breaking the deadlock.

Italy improved in the second half, and Giampaulo Pazzini had the ball in the Dutch net, only to have the effort disallowed off for handball.

Van Persie had left the field within the first fifteen minutes, after falling awkwardly following a challenge with Giorgio Chiellini.

The draw means that the Dutch retain the UFWC title, and will defend it on Wednesday against Paraguay.

On Saturday, Official Football World Champions Italy will take on Unofficial Football World Champions the Netherlands. How much more of a build-up does one match need?

Italy have been official champions since the 2006 World Cup final, of course, and had a brief spell as unofficial – and undisputed – champions in early 2007.

The Dutch have held the unofficial title for 51 weeks, winning seven and drawing three of ten UFWC title matches.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has called up debutants Davide Biondini of Cagliari and Antonio Candreva of Livorno. But he will be without Roma midfielder Daniele de Rossi, who fractured a cheekbone in a clash with Inter’s Patrick Viera at the weekend.

For Holland, Bert van Marwijk welcomes back Bayern Munich midfielder Mark van Bommel after injury, and also recalls Nigel de Jong, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie, who all missed last month’s UFWC draw with Australia in Sydney. Van Persie could be offered a central striking role following his strong run of form for Arsenal, and in the absence of out-of-favour Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The game will be played at the relatively small Stadio Adriatico in Pescara, Abruzzo, with all proceeds going to the victims of the recent Abruzzo earthquake. The stadium is home to Delfino Pescara 1936 (or Pescara Calcio), who play in Lega Pro Prima Divisione (formerly Serie C1).

Should Italy win, they will become undisputed Official and Unofficial Football World Champions, and they will take the UFWC title into a match against Sweden on the following Wednesday.

If the Netherlands win or draw, they will retain the UFWC title, and will look to defend it against Paraguay, also on Wednesday 18 November.

ITALY 3-1 WEST GERMANY, 11 July 1982
World Cup final, Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, Spain
Scorers: Rossi, Tardelli, Altobelli (Italy); Breitner (West Germany)

Spain 82 saw a UFWC / World Cup final double-header. The title had been taken into the 1982 tournament by Peru, then snatched by Poland, and then won by Italy at the semi-final stage.

West Germany saw off France on penalties in their semi – an epic match overshadowed by a brutal foul by German keeper Harald Schumacher on French defender Patrick Battison. That controversy, coupled with grumbles over an alleged fixed first round match between West Germany and Austria that saw both sides cruise through to the next round, meant that few neutrals were cheering on the Germans.

Italy had beaten Brazil and Argentina in the second round, and boasted the likes of Dino Zoff, Guiseppe Bergomi, Marco Tardelli, and Paolo Rossi in their side.

But the Germans had held England to a draw and beaten Spain in their second round games, and also had an impressive line-up including Schumacher, Paul Breitner, Pierre Littbarski, and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Few would have argued against the fact that Italy and West Germany were the best teams in the tournament. But which would come out on top in front of 90,000 spectators and millions of TV viewers?

West Germany enjoyed the best of the opening exchanges, but an Italian defence marshalled by Zoff and Bergomi held firm. And, after successfully soaking up the German pressure, Italy broke upfield and won a penalty. Antonio Cabrini stepped up to take the kick – but blasted the ball wide of Schumacher’s right-hand post.

In the second half, Italy began to show their superior technical ability and, in the 57th minute, Claudio Gentile’s curling cross eluded everyone but Rossi, whose stopping header shot past Schumacher to make the score 1-0.

With the Germans now forced to push forward in search of an equaliser, Italy exploited gaps at the back. First Rossi and Gaetano Scirea combined brilliantly to set up Tardelli, who scored with a low drive.

Then a surging run from Conti set up Alessandro Altobelli, who sidestepped Schumacher and scored a third.

Breitner pulled one back for West Germany with a drive from the edge of the area with seven minutes left to play, but his muted celebration suggested that the Germans knew it was nothing more than a consolation.

Italy were champions, officially, unofficially, and indisputably.

Hungary are the new Unofficial Football World Champions, defeating Italy and depriving the Azzurri of the unofficial and undisputed titles.

Italy started brightly, but were twice denied by Sunderland goalkeeper Marton Fulop, currently on loan at Leicester City. The hosts fought back, and created good chances, but at half-time the score remained 0-0.

The deadlock was broken four minutes into the second half, with substitute Antonio Di Natale finishing smartly to give Italy the lead. But the Azzurri looked out of sorts, perhaps as a result of the late start to the Italian domestic season, and Hungary capitalised.

Roland Juhasz was left unmarked in the box to equalise after 61 minutes, skipper Zoltan Gera converted a penalty on 66, and Robert Feczesin finished a brilliant team move on 76 to give Hungary a fine 3-1 win.

Italy, who can no longer claim to be undisputed world champions, were deserved losers, and Fabio Cannavaro bore the brunt of the criticism from Italian fans. The 33-year-old World Cup-winning defender conceded the rash penalty that led to Hungary’s second goal, and was easily beaten in the build-up to the third.

But Hungarian newspapers toasted their nation’s win after years of underachievement. Magyar Nemzet proclaimed, ‘Something has returned from the old, forever lost glory, we beat the world champions 3 to 1.’ Nepszabadsag called the result, ‘the most beautiful soccer feat in recent memory.’

Hungary become UFWC champions for the first time since 1971. The country’s next UFWC title match is a Euro qualifier against Bosnia-Herzegovina on 8 September.
Hungary vs Italy – watch the goals
Hungary: Fulop, Szelesi, Vasko, Juhasz, Vanczak (Csizmadia 73), Vass, Tozser (Leandro 59), Hajnal (Filkor 59), Gera (Buzsaky 90), Priskin (Feczesin 73), Dzsudzsak (Halmosi 82)

Italy: Buffon, Oddo (Grosso 46), Cannavaro, Materazzi (Barzagli 46), Zambrotta, Pirlo, Aquilani (Palombo 66), Ambrosini, Quagliarella, Toni (Inzaghi 46), Del Piero (Di Natale 46)

This hastily-arranged friendly sees UFWC champions Italy visit Hungary. For Italy this fixture represents a potential stumbling block before a much-anticipated clash with France in September. Will Italy still be the undisputed official and unofficial champions when they line up against the French, or will Hungary have taken the UFWC title?

Hungary’s Magical Magyars were the ‘golden team’ of the 1950s, although they never made a real impression on the UFWC in that decade. Hungary have won the title 14 times, but never since 1971. Hungary are ranked 65th in the world by FIFA, and were beaten 4-0 by Norway in the last game in June.

The Hungary squad contains eight UK-based players: Sunderland goalkeeper Marton Fulop, defenders Bela Balogh (Colchester United) and Tamas Vasko (Bristol City), Plymouth Argyle duo Peter Halmosi and Akos Buzsaky, and forwards Zoltan Gera (West Bromwich Albion) and Tamas Priskin (Watford).

None of the Italian squad play their league football in the UK. Coach Roberto Donadoni has recalled striker Luca Toni and defender Fabio Grosso. Toni missed the Azzurri’s last two games through injury, and last played and scored in Italy’s 2-0 UFWC win against Scotland. Daniele De Rossi, Simone Perrotta and Vincenzo Iaquinta all miss out, while Alessandro Nesta and Francesco Totti have both now retired from international football.

Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella scored two wonder goals on his full international debut to help Italy defeat Lithuania and retain the UFWC title. The 23-year-old had only made two substitute appearances prior to this start but, with Luca Toni injured and other Italian strikers misfiring, coach Roberto Donadoni gambled on playing him behind the vetran Filippo Inzaghi – and the gamble paid off.

Quagliarella struck first in the 31st minute, cutting in from the right wing and driving a superb 20-yard left-foot shot into the far corner of the net. His second strike came moments before half-time, this time a controlled right-foot shot from a similar distance that found the same far corner of the goal.

But if Quagliarella’s performance was eye-catching, the Italian side as a whole never looked like world champions. Despite dominating their opposition, they once again squandered several goalscoring opportunities. Lithuania had few chances, the best of which – a fierce shot from Marius Stankevicius – was held by Gianluigi Buffon.

Italy will need to improve for their next match – a UFWC/Euro double-header against France on 8 September.

Undisputed Unofficial and Official World Champions Italy only narrowly defeated the Faroe Islands – fielding a side with only six full-time professionals – in this Euro 2008 Qualifier. The win moves Italy clear of France and Sweden in 8th place in the all-time UFWC rankings.

Veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi was the Azzurri hero, netting both Italian goals in a rain and wind-swept Torshavn. In for the injured Luca Toni, Inzaghi opened the scoring in the 13th minute, brilliantly controlling a long ball with his right foot, then poking it past the Faroes’ goalkeeper with his left. He added a second goal three minutes into the second half, rising at the far post to head home Aimo Diana’s cross.

Italy continued to dominate, but wasted a succession of chances to kill the game. And the lowly Faroes shocked the visitors in the 77th minute, when Rogvi Jacobsen rose to power a superb header past goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. The Italians were rattled and, with just seconds remaining, substitute Christian Holst almost hit an equaliser, only to be thwarted by a great save from Buffon.

Luca Toni (12, 70)

Italy are the undisputed official and unofficial football world champions! Two goals from man-of-the-match Luca Toni ended Scotland’s short but sweet tenure as UFWC title holders in this intriguing Euro Qualifier and FIFA/UFWC ‘unification match’.

38,000 fans, including 6,000 Scots, packed Bari’s Stadio San Nicola, and they saw Italy dominate the early stages. Near-misses from Marco Materazzi and Toni served as warnings to the Scots, and it was no great suprise when, in the 12th minute, Toni headed Massimo Oddo’s free kick past Craig Gordon. Italy could have been expected to run riot from that point, but Scotland immediately improved, putting together some nice passing moves, and creating a number of half-chances, the best of which fell to lone striker Kenny Miller. But Scotland failed to score, and Italy took advantage.

In the second half Hearts keeper Gordon kept his country in the game with a couple of brilliant saves from Antonio Di Natale. But Italy kept up the pressure, and were rewarded in the 70th minute when Toni headed home a Mauro Camoranesi cross. There was no way back for Scotland.

The result moved Italy to fourth spot in Euro Qualifying Group B, two points behind France, Scotland, and Ukraine, who top the group based on head-to-head results. Italy’s next match is a Euro qualifier against the Faroe Islands in June.

This is the third time Italy have held the title of ‘Undisputed Football World Champions’ – holding both the official World Cup and unofficial UFWC title simultaneously – more than any other nation. The Italians were the first side to win the undisputed title, back in 1939. Germany, Brazil, Argentina, and France have all been undisputed football world champions twice, and Uruguay and England have both held the honour once.

Disappointed members of the Tartan Army can seek some solace from the fact that their side remains the all-time Unofficial Football World Champions, having won some 61 more title matches than the Italians.

Italy: Buffon (Juventus), Oddo (Milan), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Materazzi (Internazionale), Zambrotta (Barcelona), Gattuso (Milan), De Rossi (Roma); Camoranesi (Juventus), Perrotta (Roma), Di Natale (Udinese), Toni (Fiorentina). Substitutes used: Del Piero (Juventus), Pirlo (Milan), Quagliarella (Sampdoria).

Scotland: Gordon (Hearts), Alexander (Preston), McManus (Celtic), Weir (Rangers), Naysmith (Everton), Teale (Derby), Brown (Hibernian), Ferguson (Rangers), Hartley (Celtic), McCulloch (Wigan), Miller (Celtic). Substitutes used: Maloney (Celtic), Boyd (Rangers), Beattie (Celtic).

UFWC champs Italy played this warm-up friendly just six days before their opening match in the 1988 European Championships. The Italians had taken the unofficial title from official world champions Argentina 12 months previously. They then went on an eight-game unbeaten run, defeating Yugoslavia, Sweden, Portugal, and the USSR along the way. Skipper Guiseppe Bergomi was a veteran of the 1982 World Cup winning side, and he was surrounded by a new generation of stars including Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Roberto Mancini, and Gianluca Vialli.

Wales had fewer star names, with Second Division Hull City’s Tony Norman deputising for keeper Neville Southall, and midfielder Kevin Davies drafted in from Fourth Division Swansea City. But up front Wales had true international class in Mark Hughes and Ian Rush. Hughes was plying his trade in Germany with Bayern Munich, while skipper Rush was having a less happy time in Italy with Juventus. Rush failed to settle in Italy, and was considered to be something of a flop. But on this night Italy would see the real Ian Rush.

Wales, playing in yellow, were scarcely in the game for the first 37 minutes, with Italy looking superior in every department. Then the Welsh won a throw-in near to Italy’s right-hand corner flag. Everton’s Pat Van den Hauwe launched a long throw into the box, Hughes peeled away to draw out the defence, and Rush received the ball at the near post, spun around, and rifled it into the far corner. The 30,000-strong crowd was stunned into silence. Italy attempted to bounce back, with Vialli, Mancini, and Altobelli all going close. But, with the indignant whistling of their supporters ringing in their ears, they could not find an equaliser. Despite having proved his worth to the Italians in dramatic style, Rush re-joined Liverpool later in the summer.

This is an edited extract from the official UFWC book The Unofficial Football World Championships by Paul Brown.

This was truly a clash of footballing titans. England were the unofficial champions, still widely regarded as the best team in the world, and Italy were the official champions, having won the World Cup five months earlier. Italy were coached by the great Vittorio Pozzo, and had lost only four out of 34 games under the tactical maestro. ‘Il Vecchio Maestro’ (‘the Old Master’) is credited with establishing the Italian metodo system of pragmatic defending and precise counter attacking. The Italians lined up with nine World Cup winners, including the great goalscorer Giuseppe ‘Peppino’ Meazza, and three controversial South American ‘ringers’, including Luis Monti, who uniquely played in the 1930 World Cup final for Argentina and in the 1934 World Cup final for Italy. (‘If they can die for Italy, they can play football for Italy,’ Pozzo reasoned.)

England, still selected by committee, had never been beaten on home turf by continental opposition. They offered debuts to Arsenal duo George Male and Ted Drake. Indeed, seven members of the England team were Arsenal players, including Cliff Bastin, Frank Moss, and skipper Eddie Hapgood. Their Highbury home ground was rammed with more than 56,000 supporters, and enveloped in fog and rain. That the match is remembered as ‘the Battle of Highbury’ says much about what followed.

Within a minute of the kick-off England won a penalty. But Manchester City striker Eric Brook saw his spot-kick brilliantly saved by Italian keeper Carlo Ceresoli. 60 seconds later Ted Drake got stuck into a tackle with Luis Monti that saw the Italian stretchered from the field with a dislocated kneecap. The furious Italians, forced to play the remaining 88 minutes with 10 men, were convinced that the injury had been inflicted deliberately, and began to kick and lash out at the English. Undeterred, Brook immediately made up for his penalty miss by heading a third-minute goal. He added a second direct from a free-kick in the 10th minute, and Drake made it 3-0 in the 12th. But the Italians’ kicking game was beginning to take its toll on the English. Hapgood had his nose broken, and was forced to leave the field for 15 minutes. Brook suffered a broken arm, and Drake acquired two black eyes and a cut leg, although both played on. Several other England players suffered bruises and cuts.

At half-time, as England patched up their wounds, Italy calculated a comeback. Perhaps coach Pozzo reminded his charges that Mussolini, who had offered the team huge win bonuses, would not accept sporting failure. Certainly it was a more focussed and determined Italian side that emerged after the interval. As the game restarted in pouring rain, the brilliant Peppino Meazza took control of the game, scoring two goals in quick succession in the 58th and 62nd minutes, before hitting the crossbar, and forcing Frank Moss into a raft of saves. Ultimately, however, the battered English were able to hold out against the 10-man Italians. England won the battle between unofficial and official champions by the skin of their loosened teeth.

This is an edited extract from the official UFWC book The Unofficial Football World Championships by Paul Brown.