why are the italians refered to as the azzure if there is no color blue on their flag?
341214
It's the official color of their football (soccer) jersey.
997572
In the first attempt to create a democratic and unified Germany, leaders of the 1848 Revolution adopted the tricolor flag in the National Assembly or Frankfurt Parliament. \n\nThe flag was not actually used until 1918 when the German National Assembly of the democratic Weimar Republic adopted it officially. When Hitler came to power in 1933 he abolished the tricolor flag. \n\nIn 1950, the flag was reintroduced by the German Parliament as the official symbol for the Federal Republic of Germany.
1010648
Australia will wear their away strip which is blue,, I understand that when when conflicting colours occur the "A" team wear their own colours,, in this case Brazil is the A team that is they were drawn before Australia in the pool
1108642
Because of a very simple reason. The Dutch Royal family is called van Oranje, Of Orange. A few hundred year ago there was a man called Willem van Oranje. He used all off his family fortune to free The Netherlands, ( Also called Holland because the two most important provinces are called North and South holland ). In that time Holland was occupied by Spain. After an 80 year war Holland was free. In this war Willem van Oranje was assasinated. The colors of their flag, are Red-White-Blue, but in the beginning this was, Orange-White-Bleu, due to their Royal Family's name.  Because the Dutch ruled the world and it's oceans in that time, many of the ships carried this flag. But with the sun burning on the orange all the time this turned red, eventually the Dutch decided to just change the orange into red. This is why the flag and the national color are not the same. So why the Dutch wear orange is because of a very old but important reason. Much older and much more meaningful then the colors of Italy or Australia.
1018907
I have heard that the reason that Germany wear green as an away strip is as a mark of respect to Ireland.  \n\nIreland were the first non-German speaking country that would play an international against West Germany following the war (in 1950).  As the national colour for Ireland is green, Germany said that they would have their 2nd strip in this colour as a thank-you.\n\nThis year Klinsman has changed this strip to red as wearing a red strip  statistically produces better results across the sporting world.
198539
"Scalzo" is Italian.   It means shoeless.
28777
That might be the formal name for the Italians, but the common nickname for Italy is the Azzuri.  That's all you need to know, is they're the Azzuri.  And they're known for their staunch defense.  And the Czechs, you're right-they don't have a nickname yet.
127288
A mere coincidence. The Mexican flag colours come from our first flag, the Trigarante (Three Guarantees: Religion (white), Independence (green) and Union(Red)) which were proclaimed by Agustin de Iturbide in the Plan of Iguala. \n\nOn the other hand, the Italian flag derives from the French Flag. Accoding to the source below, the colours might have been taken from the Lombard Legion Flag which had Milan colours Red and White, and the colour of the Milan Civic Guard Uniform.
518036
The Italian national team wear blue because it is the colour of Savoia, the ruling house of Italy from 1861 to 1946. Until the end of the second world war, the Italian flag always had the Savoy coat of arms in the centre, and it was only after the family were overthrown,and the Italian Republic established in 1946, that the plain \ntricolor was adopted as the national flag."
591468
There were actually two official colors for soldiers before the Civil War. Blue was reserved for soldiers serving in the federal army, and gray was for the militia forces serving under state authority. The Confederates believed they were fighting for States' Rights, and they were fighting to be separate from the Federal Government, so they chose to remain with the gray uniforms signifying loyalty to state rather than country. When President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to put down the Southern Insurrection, they were to serve in the Federal Army. At the first battle, Bull Run, there were Southern troops wearing blue and Northern troops wearing gray militia uniforms, which is part of the reason there was so much confusion.
307590
because they are italian
456418
The Swiss have actually been neutral since 1600 at least. They alone in Europe did not pick a side in the 30-years War. This is porbably because the country has roots in several European countries, with 4 official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. This neutrality was recognized by the European powers at the end of the 30-years War as well as at the end of Napolean's empire.
1038975
Talking about "home" and "away" uniforms is kind of misleading nowadays, because the teams don't wear different uniforms when they play home and away; they have a main one, which is worn almost always, and then one or two others that can be used when the opposing team wears the same colors. So yours is a very interesting question, because Italy's main uniform is, like you said, the blue one, and it has become so important in the identity of italian sport that the italian athletes are called "azzurri" and the national teams are called "squadra azzurra" (blue team).\n\nIn fact, the answer is very simple: like in the Netherlands, the blue was chosen because it was the colour of the royal house. It happened in 1911, when Italy used to play in white. There was a football match against Hungary, who also played in white, and so the italians thought that it was their duty as hosts to wear a different uniform so that the teams wouldn't play in the same colours. They chose the blue colour because it was the colour of the royal house who was ruling at the time - the house of Savoia.
699268
well let's see..\n\nfirst danger is "GETTIN INVOLVED WITH AN ITALIAN"\n\n2nd: UGLY LAST NAMES..more like gay.."de rossi..totti <(which in my language means girls *****) toni, pearl.err i mean pirlo. and of course buffoon..err i mean buffon\n\n3rd:MAFIA THREATS- (just look at this pik isn't it clearly signed?) http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/photos/index.html?aid=407437&d=1 zizou should not have left..isn't that a red check..(remember the red shirst of garibaldi?)\n\n4th-ARROGANCE OVERLOAD: well let's review history again shall we? remember wen mussolini became arrogant and attacked >>>Greece<<< and other baltic nations just to get ripped up and the germans had to save them? and remember once more...they(italy) attaacked france..wen it was WEAKENED!!\n\nwen u look at history u see u're answers..sorry hope i didn't bore you! :)
376696
Switzerland was neutral in WWII because it was right in between Germany, France, and Italy.  Germany and Italy were both Axis countries, and France was an Allied country.  If they joined the Allies, Germany and Italy would attack them.  If they joined the Axis, France would attack them.\n\nI'm pretty sure Switzerland is no longer neutral.
1162241
They are wore their national colors, not their national flag. National colors sometimes different from their national flag.\n\nFor Netherlands....their royal family is The House of "Orange", actually the colors of their flag once are orange-white-blue, changed to red to more visible at sea.\n\nItalian national color in all sports (except motorsports) is blue.\n\nThe colors of the German flag at World War I are black-white-red...white & black also the national colors of Prussia, who lead the unification of Germany in 1871.\n\nI don't know why the Japanese select blue as their national color in football.
962358
It is a representation of heritage. Asking southerners to not display it or wear it on their clothing is like asking someone who moves here from Africa or Italy or wherever, not to display their flag or heritage. It's the same thing. So I guess the people who hate seeing the confederate flag should also get angry when people display their state flag or their home country's flag.