No surprise, his money's on Italy

FRANCESCO Calvo wears a bemused look when I ask him who he thinks will win the big World Cup game between Italy and England tomorrow morning. The commercial director for Italy's most successful football club, Juventus, takes only a second to confidently declare that the Azzurri (Italy's nickname) will beat the Three Lions in the crucial Group D match.

His club is, after all, supplying six of Italy's 23 players at the World Cup in Brazil, among them veteran goalkeeper and national captain Gianlugi Buffon, defender Giorgio Chiellini and midfielder Andrea Pirlo.

"There is a very high expectation back home for Italy to do well this year," says the Turin-born businessman, even as he acknowledges the fact that many bookmakers only rate them as seventh-favourites to lift the trophy next month.