The holders slope home on Friday with their tails between their legs after a nightmare 3-2 capitulation against Slovakia in their final Group F game which summed up their lax preparation and lack of confidence.
To exit the tournament in the group stage as champions is bad enough, but to not win a match has prompted unprecedented soul-searching in Italy, where just four years ago the streets were filled with jubilant fans who were on top of the world.
Midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, who now retires from internationals, was brutally honest about his side's dreadful showing in the 1-1 draws with Paraguay and New Zealand and the shock defeat by World Cup debutants Slovakia in Johannesburg.
"Four years ago we were hailed as champions, today we are playing like billy goats. We made a very bad impression," Gattuso told reporters.
"I think Italian soccer has reached the bottom and we all have to take responsibility. The curtain falls."
LIPPI'S FAULT
"I really firmly believed that the men I chose would have been able to offer something different," Lippi said.
"This time I wasn't capable of motivating the guys like I should have, not to win the World Cup but to keep our standards high."
He now departs for a second time, a pre-arranged move which saves Lippi some of the flak which will come the team's way, although top sports websites were running headlines of "Back home in shame" and "It's your fault Lippi" on their front pages.
Lippi stuck by him because he felt he needed a leader with World-Cup-winning experience but instead Cannavaro's mistakes led to the goals for Paraguay and New Zealand while he was again shaky against Slovakia.
