Il Muro Rossonero Crolla

Italian soccer fans bemoaned the collapse last week of the red-and-black wall (the AC Milan squad's defense is known as il muro rossonero in a nod to the team nickname, rossonero, which refers to their red-and-black jerseys).

In a defeat of historic proportions, the Milanese squad, ahead 3-0, ultimately lost the European Champions Cup (referred to as the Coppa UEFA in Italy) after their redoubtable defense - Cafu, Jaap Stam, Alessandro Nesta, and Paolo Maldini - gave up 3 goals in six minutes to Liverpool. The English team finally won the game on penalty kicks.

Silvio Berlusconi, the much-maligned prime minister of Italy, owns the AC Milan soccer team and is known for meddling with his coaches and offering (questionable) strategic tips, so perhaps the joke currently making the rounds was inevitable:

"Perché il Milan ha perso la partita decisiva di Coppa Uefa con il Liverpool? Semplice, Berlusconi gli aveva promesso la vittoria!"