Newz Forum: SOCCER: Italian footballers survive Asian earthquake

Several world-famous Italian footballers were among the foreign tourists caught up in the earthquake that has devastated Asia, claiming at least 9,500 lives.

Paolo Maldini and Gianluca Zambrotta are among those caught up in the region's turmoil although at present there have been no reports of any casualties among the Serie A contingent.

Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and the Maldives are five of the countries affected by the quake which, at 8.9 on the Richter scale, is the worst the world has seen since 1964 and which triggered off tidal waves.

AC Milan skipper Maldini and Juventus and Italy star Zambrotta are reportedly flying home from the Maldives where they spent Christmas.

Internazionale's Marco Materazzi, Livorno's Cristiano Lucarelli and another AC Milan player, Filippo Inzaghi, were also reported to be there.

Maldini is said to have sent his father Cesare a text message, saying: "Everything is okay, myself and Gianluca Zambrotta are getting on the plane to leave."

Lucarelli has also communicated with his brother Alessandro who also plays for Livorno.

Alessandro told www.gazzetta.it that his brother was holidaying on the Baa atoll in the Maldives and had to snatch his children and run for cover when he saw a tidal wave approaching.

Lucarelli was reportedly trying to get a private flight to enable him to return home as soon as possible.

Inzaghi has told an AC Milan director that he had been frightened but was now waiting for a flight home with 300 others in a hotel lobby.

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