You just couldn't have scripted it any better.

As Antonio Cassano wheeled away after scoring the goal that he thought would prove Italy's salvation, the awful realisation struck.

For less than a minute earlier, up the road in Porto, Mattias Jonson had scored the goal which rendered Cassano's strike utterly meaningless.

So it came to pass, the result they said wouldn't and couldn't happen – Denmark 2 Sweden 2.

But while the conspiracy theorists will have a field day after that Scandinavian showdown, the truth is a lot simpler.

Italy are out of Euro 2004 because they aren't good enough.

They came to the tournament once again with a classy pedigree, big-name players and big expectations.

But their big-name players were exposed and those expectations shattered.

Just as the Italian League is no longer the best in Europe, the stars who were once the jewels in its crown no longer shine brightly.

Christian Vieri and Alessandro Del Piero are now more show ponies than show stoppers, and that was their biggest problem.

Vieri failed to find the net once in a miserable campaign for him, while Del Piero looked yards off the pace – just like he has for a couple of years in fact.

The loss of Francesco Totti for providing that reprehensible spitting image against Denmark proved terminal. Without him Italy were average at best.

They are a team living in the past and until the likes Vieri and Del Piero are replaced by the new generation they'll continue to falter at the highest level.

Antonio Cassano provided a tantalising glimpse into the future for the Azzurri with some superb performances.

He replaced Totti against Sweden and shone in his two starts at the highest level.

The young Roma striker should be a fixture in this team for years to come, and now Italy must find more like him.

Their midfield lacks invention or quality, and their defence didn't live up to its vaunted reputation in this tournament.

It could well be the end of the road for Giovanni Trapattoni after this latest disaster, following on from World Cup 2002.

And maybe that's no bad thing.

Great coach though he's been, it should now be the time to usher in a new age.

And the last thing a team living in the past needs is a coach from the past.