AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta announced on Wednesday that he is retiring from international football.
"I'm not going to play for the national team any more, my Azzurri adventure is over," the 31-year-old star told a press conference at Milan's training ground.
The defender, who has 78 Italy caps and was part of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad, said physical factors were behind his decision to quit.
"I'm sorry because the Azzurri shirt has always been dear to me, but physically I can no longer play all these games," he explained.
"I think that, with more rest, my level of performance can stay good as time passes".
His announcement comes two weeks after AS Roma captain Francesco Totti retired from international action for similar reasons and leaves Azzurri coach Roberto Donadoni unable to field two of Italy's finest players.
Nesta has taken part in the last three World Cups as well as Euro 2000, when Italy were runners-up, and Euro 2004.
But his international career has been dogged by injury.
He said the Germany 2006 triumph "feels only half mine" because a thigh problem picked up in the group-stage win over the Czech Republic ruled him out of the rest of the tournament.
The player admitted that his decision to abandon his national side was not absolutely his final word on the subject and that he might consider playing in the 2010 World Cup.
"Right now the door (to the national team) is closed. Later we'll see. Maybe in three years' time, if I'm still up to it, I could try to get a last outing with the Azzurri".
The former Lazio player rejected Italian media speculation that frosty relations with Donadoni were behind his decision.
Nesta, ranked as one of the world's best defenders, made his Azzurri debut aged 20 in October 1996 in a 3-1 victory over Moldova.
His last international appearance was in October's Euro 2008 qualifier in Georgia, which Italy won 3-1.
He also won the European Championships with Italy's Under-21 team in 1994.
In the run-up to Germany 2006, world soccer legend Pele' called Nesta Italy's "true phenomenon".
He said Brazil "would be unbeatable with someone like him in the side".
Nesta joined Milan in 2002 for around 30 million euros from Lazio, where he won the 2000 league title.
He has lifted the Champions League trophy twice with Milan (in 2003 and in May this year) and won the 2003-04 Serie A title with the club.
