Flags, horns greet Italy's return to final

"We completely deserved it," grinned 18-year-old Gabrielli Costantino, wearing an Italian flag like a cape as he climbed onto the back of a motorscooter.

The streets ahead of him were gridlocked with supporters waving the Italian tri-colour, blaring horns and chanting "I-TAL-IA" as Romans celebrated the country's first appearance in the World Cup final since 1994.

University student Ivanna Balato said she stood with a crowd numbering in the tens of thousands at Rome's ancient chariot race track of Circus Maximus to watch the game on a big screen.

The mood was tense until the very end when extra-time goals from Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero sent Italy into the final for the first time in 12 years.

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Hundreds of fans across the street climbed and crowded around tall Catholic statues facing the towering Basilica of St. John in Lateran, where German-born Pope Benedict frequently presides.

For many Italians, the victory over Germany in the semi-finals was also a welcome break from a match-fixing scandal that has dominated the headlines.

The prosecutor in the trial against four clubs -- Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio -- said earlier on Tuesday he wanted all of them demoted from the top flight.

"This win is very important for Italian soccer, especially given the scandal," said Ricardo Gonzalez, a teacher in Rome. "It shows that Italian soccer is still alive -- despite everything."

(Additional reporting by Gilles Castonguay in Milan)