Italy 6 - World 2

ROME (Reuters) - Parma striker Enrico Chiesa scored a second half hat-trick on Wednesday as Italy beat a Rest of the World XI 6-2 in a friendly overshadowed by tragedy.

The deaths of at least 18 people when a block of flats collapsed in central Rome earlier in the day cast a long shadow over the exhibition match to mark the centenary of the Italian Football Federation.

Rescue workers were still digging through the rubble for survivors just two kms south of the Olympic stadium as the match got underway.

The teams observed a minute's silence before kick-off and fans paid traditional Italian homage to the victims by applauding their memory.

As if that was not enough to dampen the party atmosphere, the match was played within hours of former Italian Football Federation president and current FIFA and UEFA vice-president Antonio Materrase being officially placed under investigation as part of an ongoing probe into doping in Italian soccer. The timing of the judicial move was not lost on Mataresse.

"The choice of day is worth noting," he said. "Evidently someone has taken offense at not being invited to the party." But in Italy prime ministers and justice ministers are always being placed under investigation. We who run football are certainly non less worthy than they are..."

On the pitch, Chiesa's three goals killed off a rest of the world team boasting a fearsome forward line in George Weah, Gabriel Batistuta and Ronaldo.

Filippo Inzaghi had given the Italians an early lead with his third goal in two internationals but Weah and Batistuta scored a goal each in the space of two minutes to put the World side ahead.

AS Roma's Francesco Totti combined with club teammate Eusebio Di Francesco for Italy's equalizer to please the Roma fans in the stadium. Di Francesco's goal was his first for his country.

Lazio's Diego Fuser gave the blue half of Rome something to cheer with Italy's third -- a superb shot with the outside of his right boot.

Italy coach Dino Zoff and his opposite numbers Carlos Alberto Parreira of Brazil and Josef Venglos of Slovakia changed their sides radically at halftime and Weah played the whole of the second half in defense.

It did little to help the World side's cause. Chiesa stole in three times in the last 35 minutes to score close range goals.

Goal Scorers:

Italy
Inzaghi 9'
Di Francesco36'
Fuser 40'
Chiesa 56', 79', 85'

World
Batistuta 20'
Weah 22'

Italy: Angelo Peruzzi (Gianluigi Buffon 45'); Fabio Cannavaro (Moreno Torricelli 45'), Alessandro Nesta (Paolo Negro 39'), Paolo Maldini (Gianluca Pessotto 54'); Diego Fuser, Dino Baggio (Damiano Tommasi 45'), Demetrio Albertini (Sandro Cois 45'), Eusebio Di Francesco (Johnathan Bachini 45'); Filippo Inzaghi (Marco Delvecchio 45'), Francesco Totti (Enrico Chiesa 54')

Rest of the World: Gianluca Pagliuca (Ike Shorumnu 45'); Ze Maria, Dunga (Joao Pinto 65'), Fernando Hierro (Hidetoshi Nakata 55'), David Nyathi; Aron Winter (Julen Guerrero 45'), Manuel Rui Costa (Marcelo Salas 55'), Zinedine Zidane (Luis Hernandez 45'); George Weah, Ronaldo (Davor Suker 31'), Gabriel Batistuta (Oliver Bierhoff 45').

Coaches: Carlos Parreira (Bra), Dr Jozef Venglos (Svk).

Halftime: 3-2; Attendance: 21,352