Trap lays down the law

Italy's Euro 2004 squad were presented with a list of six commandments by coach Giovanni Trapattoni when they arrived for their pre-tournament get together today.

Top of the forbidden list is having wives or girlfriends staying in the team hotel while in Portugal. Meetings of one hour after dinner will be permitted but not the night before a match.

Mobile phones must also be switched off during meals and team talks, punctuality for meals will be enforced and there will be a limit of 10 tickets per player at the tournament.

Trapattoni, who has been in charge of Italy since 2000, is keen to erase their humiliation of the 2002 World Cup when they were knocked out by South Korea.

Other regulations include a limit on the amount of money spent on telephone calls from their rooms at the Pestana Carlton Palace Hotel near Lisbon.

Trapattoni has also demanded that all family, journalists and agents are banned from the hotel and wives or partners allowed in will be searched before their evening visit from 9 to 10pm.