Argentine-born, Italian midfielder Mauro Camoranesi (second from left, with arms behind his head) sat down on a folding chair in the middle of the field at the Olympiastadion with a large pair of scissors. His teammates gathered around him to organise a severe trim for his ponytail.

Camoranesi had promised he would abandon some of his long locks if Italy [ Images ] won the World Cup.

This season's master barber was defender Massimo Oddo (right).

And don't you think the haircut is justified? Have you seen a more untidy hairstyle?

Female fans won't agree. That ponytail makes Camoranesi a heart-breaker.

Oddo has been dubbed Scissorhands for apparently giving a few other mates haircuts earlier in the season. Some of his high-profile victims: Marco Materazzi, Andrea Barzagli, Gennaro Gattuso [ Images ].

Coach Marcello Lippi may be the next. He joked last week that he may go bald if Italy lifts the Cup.

Photograph: Torsten Silz/AFP/Getty Images

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