Wednesday, 28th June 2006 (4112 views)

In an interview with FIFAworldcup.com, the designer of the gold trophy to be presented to the eventual winners has declared his desire to see the World Cup "come home".

Silvio Gazzaniga may have a surname that begins as if he is a famous England star player but his loyalties lie firmly with his nation of birth – Italy.

"I'd love Italy to lift the trophy at the end of the tournament," Mr Gazzaniga said.

"For me that would be the utmost. I'd just love to see it come back home. There's already a lot of Italy in that sculpture but it would be very satisfying if the Azzurri were to win it again."

The trophy itself was designed in order to replace its predecessor, the Jules Rimet Trophy, which was won outright by Brazil after they became the first nation to capture the coveted title for a third time.

It is crafted from 18-carat solid gold, measures just over 38cm in height, weighs over six kg and means everything to football fans across the globe.

The base is encrusted with two layers of semi-precious malachite and placed just below it are the engraved names of all the tournament winners since 1974.

"The lines spring out from the base, rising in spirals, stretching out to receive the world," Mr Gazzaniga replied, when asked to describe his creation.

"The figures of two athletes rise from the remarkable dynamic tensions of the compact body at the stirring moment of victory."

The next name on Mr Gazzaniga's "baby" will be confirmed at the World Cup Final in Berlin on Sunday, 9 July.

 

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