Pleat's record tumbles as ESPN delivers devastating deluge of mispronunciation

It's been an exciting opening to the Serie A season but a tough one for fans of names being said correctly after ESPN's commentators delivered a terrifying statement of intent with a dizzying display of mispronunciation.

Feeding on the rotting carcass of kamikaze channel Setanta, ESPN has scrounged the rights to a significant number of European Leagues, including Serie A.

While UK-based calcio lovers were delighted by the news, the enthusiasm has faded somewhat after ESPN's far from convincing start to the campaign.

Italians across the country winced during Roma-Juventus when the hapless commentary team butchered the names of 20 of the 22 starting players, running up a fearsome total of 128 mispronunciations - shattering the previous record of 115 set by verbose ITV boob David Pleat.

ESPN will be red-faced at their lack of research, but their representatives will surely claim that Pleat's total was more embarrassing as he chalked it up during an all-English Champions League clash between Chelsea and Liverpool.

Pleat, who famously once took 75 minutes to pronounce Bixente Lizarazu's name, was fortunately unavailable for comment.