Rome  - Former AC Milan football star Gianni Rivera said he was worried by Italy's 3-0 defeat against Brazil at the Confederations Cup although he did not find it humiliating.

"The (actual) value of our national team lies between that of the (2006) World Cup and that of (today's) squad," the ANSA news agency Monday quoted Rivera as saying.

Rivera, 65, spoke few hours after coach Marcello Lippi said that Italy "didn't provide a good image (at the Confed Cup). Possibly this is the most difficult time since I've been coach."

The world champions, which Lippi in 2006 steered to lift a fourth World Cup, were eliminated from the group phase of the Confed Cup on Sunday as they failed to score a single goal against the Brazilians.

At the South Africa-hosted tournament, Italy won a single game, 3- 1 against 10-man US, before losing 1-0 to Egypt and to Brazil.

"After winning a World Cup, things can only get worse," said Rivera, a 1969 Ballon d'Or winner who in 1968 won the European title with Italy and played part of the 1970 World Cup final that the Azzurri lost 4-1 to Brazil.

"Losers are always wrong. Either you win or you are not worth much. This is life, and sport, too."

Rivera retired from football in 1979 and began a career in politics in 1987.(dpa)