Injured Italy stopper Alessandro Nesta hit back Wednesday at offensive jibes a German weekly published following the Azzurri's last-gasp World Cup win over Australia.
On Tuesday the online version of Der Spiegel featured a supposedly humorous opinion piece that described Italian men as "greasy", "parasitic", "cheats" and "mummy's boys".
"We are a people of hard-workers," responded Nesta.
"Italians have taken their fashion and food all over the world. They criticize us for the way we are, but then they want to dress and eat like us. There is a touch of jealousy in it". The piece was fuelled by suggestions that Azzurri defender Fabio Grosso dived to get the penalty that enabled Italy to beat Australia 1-0 in Monday's second round clash.
The magazine later apologised for using the expression "parasitic forms of life" to describe Italian males. The AC Milan star, considered the world's best defender by many, also rejected criticism of the way Italy are performing in Germany 2006.
"If everyone attacks us, it means they fear us," the 30-year-old continued. "We are indifferent to these things; the words are
carried away by the wind.
"It has become fashionable to attack Italian soccer, but we are playing more offensively at this World Cup than usual".
Nesta confirmed that a groin injury which flared up during Italy's 2-0 group-phase win over the Czech Republic will keep him out of Friday's quarter-final with the Ukraine of former club-mate Andriy Shevchenko. "You have to be 100% to contain him," he explained. "You have to make the least possible number of mistakes. "He has no weak spots and you can't let him go for the whole 90 minutes".
But Nesta promised that he "will do everything to be in the semi-final", if Italy go through. With Marco Materazzi suspended, Nesta's place in the centre of the back four will go to Andrea Barzagli, who made his World Cup debut in the Australia victory.
During Wednesday's press conference Azzurri goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi stuck up for the squad's star player, Francesco Totti, who is still struggling to regain his best form after breaking his leg in February. "Totti does not weigh us down," said the deputy to number-one keeper Gianluigi Buffon.
"If you go and ask (England's Sven Goran) Eriksson or any other coach here at the World Cup, they would take Totti as he is.
"Francesco is coming back from a bad injury. He has recovered and he is playing well. "It's obvious that he can't go at 1000km/ph after training for just 20 days. But he's working to get back to 100%".
Totti was dropped from the starting line-up for the Australia game, but came off the bench to drill home the winning penalty.
