D. Albertini – on the 1994 World Cup final: players were hiding

2026-02-09 18:36 © Reuters

In the past, famous Italian footballer Demetrio Albertini recalled the 1994 World Cup final, in which the Italians clashed with the Brazilian team.

Regular time and extra time ended without any goals, so the teams participated in an 11-meter penalty shootout, where the South American representatives performed better.

"It was terrible to lose the final in such a way. On the other hand, I was 22 years old then and had my whole career ahead of me.

I remember when coach Arrigo Sacchi asked me if I could take an 11-meter penalty. Without any hesitation, I accepted the challenge.

Meanwhile, other players hid behind the substitutes' bench just to avoid such responsibility. I don’t want to mention their names, but one played for Milan and the other for Inter,” said D. Albertini.