In the quarter-final clash, Zidane-led France managed to overcome the masters of insurmountable defence only by penalties, during which Albertini's surprising failure did induce the tides to turn against Squadra Azzurra.
The classification was first calculated in 1933; from 1974 to 2011, the leader of the mountains classification in the Giro d'Italia wore the maglia verde (from Italian: "green jersey"): in 2012, as part of a sponsorship deal, the jersey colour was changed to blue (maglia azzurra).
After his divorce from Roberta Lubich (mother of his two daughters, Maria Carolina and Benedetta), he started dating and eventually moved in with Azzurra Caltagirone, daughter of the famous Roman entrepreneur and publisher Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone.
During the 1980s, the firm ventured into boat-building (including Azzurra, Italy's first America's Cup contender) and eventually into oil rigs before closing in 1992.